A wonderful Narrative of Two Families. [March I, 



110 



boast of public robbery and mujder ; 

 and, like savages, to celebrate victo- 

 ries obtained by violence ! Not 

 ashamed to praise and cultivate the 

 fighting spirit, and to make prepara- 

 tions before-hand (or quarrelling, and 

 for murdering one another ! To what 

 part of the universe shall we go to 

 find any tiling more manifestly repug- 

 nant to the spirit and example of Je- 

 sus Christ? 



The narrative which I have given 

 describes conduct so reprehensible, 

 so unworthy of rational beings, so re- 

 volting to the benevolent mind, that 

 some may suspect that the whole is an 

 extravagant fiction. But be assured, 

 sir, that the facts were collected from 

 •well authenticated documents, with 

 strict regard 1o truth, and witliout any 

 disposition to exaggerate. I could 

 sjive the »i«»ie« of the two families, and 

 of their places of abode, if it were ne- 

 cessary ; but as their reformation, and 

 Hot their reproach, is the object of 

 tliese letters, prudence requires the 

 suppression of their names. I may 

 however state, that these two families 

 have, on many accounts, a very re- 

 spectable standing in society, and 

 that their Christian neighbours have 

 generally adopted the same antichris- 

 tiau policy. 



LETTER V. 



You have now before you the con- 

 trast which I promised between the 

 pagans of Loo Choo and some profes- 

 sed Christians of the Northern Hemis- 

 phere. Is it not striking and humilia- 

 ting ? Is it not affecting to think that 

 those uninstructed " gentiles do by 

 nature the things contained in the 

 law" of Christ, so much better than 

 fighting Christians, who are favoured 

 with the light of the gospel ? " The 

 son of man came not to destroy men's 

 lives, but to save them;" and a parti- 

 cular object of his mission was — 

 " Peace on earth, and good will among 

 men." But who would suspect this 

 from the sentiments, the policy, and 

 the practice, of such Cliristians as I 

 have described ? Would it not rather 

 be supposed, from their example, that 

 he came " to destroy men's lives," by 

 promoting war on earth, and hatred 

 among men ? 



It is needless to say to you, that 

 the narrative is equivalent to a minia- 

 ture of the barbarous policy of the 

 nations of Christendom. But, when 

 the same policy is exhibited as exist- 

 3 



ing between two families, who docs 

 not perceive its antichristian character 

 and pernicious tendency? And who 

 is so blind as not to see, that if such a 

 policy were to become general among 

 tlie numerous families in every coun- 

 try, it would render this world an in- 

 tolerable hell of contention and mi- 

 sery, and depopulate the earth like a 

 general pestilence? 



Will not the inhabitants of Loo 

 Choo rise in judgment against Chris- 

 tian nations, and condemn them? 

 They have "no knowledge of war, 

 either by experience or tradition ;" 

 "no warlike instruments, — not even a 

 bow or an arrow ;" nor do they need 

 any. Why? They have surer means 

 of defence. They have a pacific poli- 

 cy; they cultivate kind and peaceful 

 dispositions one towards another, and 

 towards foreigners. These are more 

 efficacious for the avoidance of war, 

 tiian all the fighting apparatus of 

 Christendom. See their powerful ef- 

 fect on Britons, who had been trained 

 up in the ! science of destruction on- 

 board ships of war. " Thus," says Dr. 

 M'Leod, who was a witness of the 

 wonderful conquest obtained by the 

 Loo Choos, " that proud and haughty 

 feeling of national superiority, so 

 strongly existing among the common 

 class of British seamen, — which in- 

 duces them to hold all foreigners 

 cheap, — was at this island entirely 

 subdued and tamed, by the gentle 

 manners and kind behaviour of the 

 most pacific people in tiic world." 

 Thus by example these heaihens 

 taught Christians how to "overcome 

 evil with good!" Would it not be 

 well for Christian nations to send to 

 Loo Choo for missionaries to come and 

 teach them the spirit of the Christian 

 religion, and the art of living " peace- 

 ably with all men ?" 



The two opposite kinds of policy 

 which have been exhibited are re- 

 markably distinguished by their fruits. 

 The Loo Choo policy has for ages pro- 

 duced uninterrupted peace. The po- 

 licy of Christendom has for ages pro- 

 duced a succession of public hostili- 

 ties, in which hundreds of millions 

 have been slain, or reduced to extreme 

 misery; and the intervals of temporary 

 peace have been constantly employed 

 in oppressive preparations for war. 



Under the Loo Choo policy " crimes 



are said to be very unfrequent," and 



severe punishments seldom, if ever, 



known. 



