Meeting of the 28th ultimo. We understand that our friends do not intend to leave England until after the Yearly Meeting; and it is possible that the disturbed state of the Continent may have some influence on the time of their visit. TRUE RELIGION. True religion is a practical thing. We see it in the daily life, we hear it in the daily conversation. It is not visible simply, in the silent and blessed intercourse forever carrying on between the renewed soul and its Creator, Redeemer, Sanctifier, but it is equally apparent in all the transactions of the Christian in the world, in all the thousand smaller charities of domestic life, in expressions of kindness, in smiles of affection, in looks of sympathy, compassion and love. Blunt. WHY ART THOU CAST DOWN? Did ever trouble yet befall, NEWTON. CONGRESS.-The bill to relieve the Judges of the Supreme Court from Circuit duty, which had passed the House, was lost in the Senate. A company of seventy-seven slaves, escaped from Washington on the night of the 15th, on board of a northern vessel, but were captured by a steamer which went in pursuit, and brought back to the city. A great excitement was produced in consequence, and during the night of the 19th, the office of the National Era was threatened by a mob, which, however, did not proceed to extremities. J. P. Hale, on the 20th, introduced a bill into the Senate, to prevent riots in the District, and an exceedingly warm debate took place. On the same day, an excited debate occurred in the House, on a resolution offered by J. G. Palfrey, relative to personal threats against a member of the House, in connection with this subject. EUROPE. Arrivals from Europe bring news to the 8th inst. The whole continent is so convulsed with revolutions, that it is difficult to give a clear account of the actual condition of affairs. Great disaffection exists in England, and disturbances were anticipated. A great Chartist meeting was to have taken place on the 10th in London, but the Government had prohibited it, and the prohibition increased the former excitement. An outbreak was expected in Ireland, where the peasantry were arming, and the Government was preparing to put down any insurrection. The revolution in Milan was complete. The Austrians were driven out of the city, and a Provisional Government formed. The King of Sardinia had marched against the Austrians, and appearances favour a combination of Italian for the purpose of throwing off the powers, yoke of Austria, and adopting an independent government for all Italy. Venice has proclaimed a Republic. Great confusion exists in Prussia and Germany in general. Disturbances have taken place in Sweden. The rising of the Poles is con AS THY DAY, SO SHALL THY STRENGTH BE. firmed. Russia was concentrating large bodies of Afflicted saint, to Christ draw near, men on the frontiers of Poland. War between Prussia and Russia was expected. War between Prussia and Denmark seems also impending. Trade and financial affairs are much depressed, both in England and on the Continent, and a num ber of failures have occurred in various parts of Europe. FRIENDS' REVIEW. VOL. I. A RELIGIOUS, LITERARY AND MISCELLANEOUS JOURNAL. PHILADELPHIA, FIFTH MONTH 6, 1848. EDITED BY ENOCH LEWIS. Published Weekly by Josiah Tatum, Price two dollars per annum, payable in advance, or six copies for ten dollars. This paper is subject to newspaper postage only. ROBERT BARCLAY AND FRIENDS IN SCOTLAND. (Continued from page 500.) No. 33. but, in order to render their imprisonment as severe and incommodious as he well could, would frequently remove them from one room to another, merely to perplex, them with the trouble of replacing their bedding and utensils. This being in the winter season, and one of these rooms having no chimney or other convenience for firing, several of their relations solicited for their removal into another place; this proposal some of the more moderate magistrates approved, as only reasonable. But the provost would by no means give his consent, and even prevented, so far as he could, any application to that effect Soon after the Court of Commissioners had being made to the Commissioners. On the concome to this decision, Melvill set himself to work trary, his evil disposition prompting him to be to put in execution the authority given him, by still more vexatious to them, he proposed pelevying the fines. He began with Thomas Milne, titioning the Commissioners to give orders for the a shoemaker; from whom, for his fine of £30, close shutting up of all the prisoners in the he took goods of three times that value; and higher part of the gaol, which was a very disthereupon, this poor man was released from hisgusting place; but in such a piece of downright imprisonment. He, being discharged, was cruelty, he could not obtain the concurrence of present when his goods were conveyed to the the other magistrates. market-cross to be appraised; and finding that they were doing him much wrong by underrating them, testified against their injustice; and, withal, kneeling down, he prayed God to forgive them. This act, however truly savouring of a meek and Christian spirit, was by the provost, George Skene, resented as a high affront to him and his office; he therefore again committed Thomas Milne to prison, where he was detained four days. The magistrates of Aberdeen seem now, for some time, to have been effectually brought over by the professed spiritual leaders of the people, to exert their power in oppressing and persecuting this religious Society. George Skene, the provost during the present year, even exceeded his predecessors in executing his malice and cruelty upon them. Almost immediately upon his entering into office, he caused the prisoners to be more closely kept; debarring them the liberty of going into the lower council-house, a privilege, which they had before been-permitted at times to enjoy; and threatened some of the officers with the loss of their places, for not acting up to the rigour of his orders. And now, observing that these conscientious people were not to be deterred by the forfeiture of their property, from returning to their meetings, he not only continued to send them again to prison; With regard to Melvill, the person to whom the fines were made payable, he went forward in his work of making havock among the little church, as to their outward substance. In order, however, to leave him inexcusable, as far as in them lay, some of the prisoners found themselves under the necessity to address him: this they did; setting before him, how unchristian an office he had undertaken, and in much love cautioned him to beware how he proceeded further in his course. But he, likewise, turned a deaf ear to all their searching and persuasive exhortation, and determined to proceed. Fearing he had exceeded the bounds of his authority, he applied to the Council's Commissioners, sitting at Turriff, for a fresh decree; and this he procured from them. Thinking himself now completely authorized, on the 30th of the month called October, he took measures effectually to accomplish his purpose. Twelve soldiers of the militia, with two messengers, came to John Skene's shop; and, pretending his goods were not sufficient to cover the fine, although those in sight were three times the value, proceeded to his dwelling-house, where entrance was denied them. On this, they applied to the provost for a warrant to break open his doors; but before they could obtain it, night came on. Next day, they came with smiths and hammers, to break open the gate and doors of his house; but James Skene went to the magistrates, then assembled, and made a legal protest, importing that there were goods enough in the shop to answer their claim, and if they should break open the house, the magistrates must expect to be accountable for the damage incurred. They advised Melvill to seize on the shop goods, which he did, to the amount of £130, by their own valuation, carrying away the whole to the captain's house, besides two other seizures made on Friends the same day. His career was at length stopped for a season; for, being obliged to secrete himself from a messenger and serjeants, who were in quest of him for debt, he durst not appear, till that demand was compromised. But no sooner had he got this effected, than he returned to the prosecution of his commission, and in the like unreasonable manner. Coming again to the same individual's shop, on pretence of the former seizure being defective, he took away more goods, making in the whole £230 for a fine of £100. This plunder was not, however, altogether gain clear of vexation and disappointment; for it appears, that when John Skene's property was brought to the cross on a market-day to be appraised, Patrick Livingston and James Halliday, so spoke to the people out of their prison-windows, that no man could be found, who would be concerned in the matter of appraisement. These Friends, who both resided in England, in the course of a religious visit to their brethren in this nation, had come to Aberdeen, and being apprehended, were put into the upper prison. Here they had frequent opportunities, especially on market-days, to preach to the people the doctrine of Truth out of their prison-windows; having more hearers there, than probably they would have had in their own meeting-house in more peaceable times. Thus, even their confinement tended to promote the testimony they had to bear. At this, the provost and others of their adversaries were greatly exasperated, and held several consultations upon the means to prevent it; but were at a loss to devise any plausible expedient, fearing to give umbrage to the people, who were eagerly attentive to hear them, should they proceed in any unusual method of severity against them. In the meanwhile, further distraints and fresh imprisonments were going forward. From Andrew Jaffray, Melvill and his followers took five or six oxen; and from Alexander Skene, cattle to the value of two hundred merks, being nearly twice the amount of his fine. In the latter instance, not finding purchasers to his mind for the cattle at the cross, Melvill had them killed, and their flesh exposed to sale in the public shambles. But the people generally refused to buy; so that, in the end, he found these cattle, living or dead, were brought to a bad market.. David Barclay, it would seem, had by this time obtained his liberty. No express record is made of the occasion of such partiality being shown him by his oppressors, so different from the treatment they meted out to his fellows. Yet is there ample ground to impute this to the exertion used by his son, when.in, London; which, though made on behalf of the sufferers generally, and not at all pointedly on behalf of David Barclay, took effect, it would seem, with regard to him, while it failed, at least for the present, to obtain for the rest of the prisoners the reasonable indulgence sued for. These exertions of Robert Barclay, were not confined to a direct application to royalty. He wrote to the Princess Elizabeth; and by her reply, which he received while he was still in London, it is clear, she had already endeavoured to interest her brother, the Prince Rupert, to use his influence for the liberation of the whole number, but especially marking out David Barclay to notice, his wife standing in the relation of third cousin to the Princess.* Robert Barclay had not long returned to his native country, and the bosom of his family, when he was himself apprehended by order of the provost, together with Thomas Moor, Thomas Milne, and John Forbes, while they were attending their meeting for worship at Aberdeen. The three latter were conveyed to the higher gaol; and because the keeper did not confine him in the same place with them, the provost was highly offended. His commitment was on the 7th of the 9th month; and by the next month, the news of his confinement reached his friend, the Princess Palatine, probably with some circumstances of exaggeration, as appears from the following letter to her brother, the Prince Rupert. "HERFORD, December 19th, 1676. "Dear Brother,-I have written to you some months ago by Robert Barclay, who passed this way, and hearing I was your sister, desired to speak with me. I knew him to be a Quaker by his hat, and took occasion to inform myself of *Elizabeth, Princess Palatine of the Rhine, was the eldest daughter of Frederick the 5th, Elector Palatine and King of Bohemia, by Elizabeth, daughter of King James the 1st of England. This excellent Princess possessed only a small territory; but she governed it with great judgment, and attention to the happiness of her subjects; on which account, she was greatly beloved and respected by them, as well as by many per sons of learning and virtue, not resident in her dominions. "Her meekness and humility appeared to me extraordinary;" says William Penn, who knew her well, and has left an account of her in his No Cross, No Crown-"she never considered the quality, but Though she kept no sumptuous table in her own court, she spread the merit, of the people she entertained. the tables of the poor in their solitary cells. Abstemious in herself, and in apparel void of all vain ornaments. I must needs say, her mind had a noble prospect; her eye was to a better and more lasting inheritance than can be found below; which made her often to despise the greatness of courts, and learning of the schools, of which she was an extraordinary judge." all their opinions; and finding they were so sub | bent on executing against David Barclay, the miss to the magistrates in real, omitting the cere- warrant he had from the Commissioners to dismonial, I wished in my heart the King might train for the fine. The iron gate being shut, and have many such subjects. And since, I have the family at dinner, the man had to wait awhile heard, that notwithstanding his Majesty's gra- for admission, which might have somewhat ircious letter on his behalf to the Council of Scot-ritated him. For when his former master and land, he has been clapped up in prison with the rest of his friends; and they threatened to hang them, at least those they call preachers among them, unless they subscribe their own banishment; and this, upon a law made against other sects, that appeared armed for the maintenance of their heresy which goes directly against the principles of those, who are ready to suffer all that can be inflicted, and still love and pray for their enemies. colonel, on examining the warrant, told him, that could give him no authority within his estate, which lay in the shire of Mearns, whilst the decree of the Commissioners, under whom he acted, extended only to the shires of Aberdeen and Banff; he would by no means desist from his purpose, but, adding one illegal act to another, proceeded to take away ten labouring oxen, in the ploughing season, (which was by act of Parliament prohibited, even in case of a just debt,) also two cows, a bull, and a quantity of corn. These cattle proved a troublesome acquisition, for he could find no man that would buy them, and the expense of keeping them was a continual burden to him; so that he seems to have been well tired of them, before he could at any rate get them disposed of. At last, this remarkable opportunity offered. "Therefore, dear Brother, if you can do any thing to prevent their destruction, I doubt not but you would do an action acceptable to God Almighty, and conducive to the service of your royal master for the Presbyterians are their main enemies, to whom they are an eye-sore, as bearing witness against all their violent ways. "I care not, though his Majesty see my letter; it is written no less out of an humble affec- The Friends engaged in the dispute with the tion for him, than in a sensible compassion of students of Aberdeen, thought themselves unthe innocent sufferers. You will act herein ac-handsomely treated on that occasion, and also cording to your own discretion; and, I beseech you, still consider me as Yours, ELIZABETH." One brief comment on the foregoing letter, merely by way of information, may perhaps be due to some of the younger classes of readers, who profess with the Society of Friends, as well as to others who do not. The Princess knew Barclay to be a Quaker by his hat, and thereupon took occasion to inform herself of all their opinions. Neither the Princess, nor Barclay, nor the friends of Barclay in that day, placed any undue value upon singularity or external appearance, merely as such. The costume of the Friends had, before this date, become peculiar, and conspicuous for its simplicity, in consequence of the extravagance and preposterous fashions generally prevalent. They kept, with but very slight variation, to the mode of dress in use among sober-minded people at the time they had their rise in these kingdoms; and considered it one mark of a little and degraded mind, to be frequently, or without some sufficient occasion, adopting changeable suits of apparel." It was this view of the subject, which made them nonconformists to the fashion of a passing world, as well as to the manners of those that love it; their close scrutiny into the motives for all their conduct, induced a caution, a jealousy, a precision in these respects, which, while wholesome and beneficial, appeared to be consistent with the apostolic injunction, "Be ye holy in all manner of conversation." 66 While Robert Barclay lay in the Tolbooth of Aberdeen, Melvill, who had been one of his father's troopers, came to Ury with his party, by the reports of it. They accordingly published a particular account of the whole circumstance, to which the students drew up a reply; but no printer being willing to undertake their proposed publication at his own risk, they with some difficulty raised the money, hoping to be reimbursed by the sale of their book. But to their mortification almost the whole impression remained on their hands unsold: this induced them to represent their loss by petition to the Commissioners, and to request some relief out of the exchequer. By the Archbishop's influence in their favour, these students obtained from the Commissioners an order upon Captain Melvill, to pay them a part of the "Quakers' " fines in his hand; upon which he gave them David Barelay's oxen, and with this they raised the money they wanted. deduced chiefly from his correspondence. These | him to partake of the produce of their labour. documents were for many years in the possession Proceeding on his visit, and still finding slaves of his daughter, but have been recently confided, among his new connections, he requested his with a view to their publication, to Edward and wife to return home, without completing their John Pease, of Darlington; the latter of whom intended excursion. He was afterwards a is vividly remembered on account of his gospel zealous labourer in the cause of emancipation, labours in this country. and in several instances manifested his sincerity by the sacrifice of his pecuniary interests. As slaves who were set free became a charge upon the estates of their owners in case of pauperism, he purchased and emancipated a number whom their masters refused to release from a fear of becoming responsible for their support. Of his exercises preparatory to his engagement in the important work of the ministry, we find very little account. But from the character given of his early appearance, we cannot doubt that he passed through the baptisms which are always experienced by those who are duly called and qualified for this momentous service. His first appearance was about the 27th year of his age, which was greatly to the encouragement and satisfaction of his friends, and in less than three years from that time he found an engagement to pay a religious visit to Friends at Newport Rhode Island, and parts adjacent. Though David Sands has been removed from works to rewards nearly thirty years, there are no doubt many among us who retain a lively remembrance of his labours in the gospel. To such, the appearance of the volume before us must be something like the revival of ancient friendships. But to the younger class, who have risen upon the stage of active life since his removal, we can freely recommend the work as an interesting and instructive volume. This valuable Friend was a native of Long Island, where he was born near the end of the year 1745. He was educated by his parents in the Presbyterian religion, and early in life manifested an ardent thirst both for literary acquisitions, and a knowledge of the way of life and salvation. Not finding in the profession wherein he was educated, the satisfaction which he deemed essential to his peace, he continued during several During the subsequent periods of his life he years, under great exercise of mind, earnestly travelled extensively in the work of the ministry, desirous of knowing the truth as it is in Jesus. in various parts of the American continent. He While labouring under this solicitude of soul, an also visited the meetings of Friends in Great opportunity presented to attend a meeting ap- Britain and Ireland, as well as the little compapointed by Samuel Nottingham, a Friend from nies of professors with us, scattered over England, who was travelling in the work of the several parts of the continent of Europe. This ministry. The doctrines which he heard cor- visit to Europe, including the time of going and responded with his own experience, but he re-returning, occupied between eight and nine years; volted at the idea of being a Quaker. But after a sacrifice not easily appreciated, when made by great mental exercise, and a further acquaint- an affectionate husband and father, as he cerance with some judicious members of our tainly was. In this arduous engagement he society, his doubts were so fully removed, that appears to have enjoyed the sympathy and enbefore he had completed his twenty-first year, couragement of his friends, to which he was so he was admitted at his own request into mem- justly entitled. bership, and he manifested the sincerity of his profession by the stability and consistency of his life. A few years after this event he was joined in marriage with the daughter of Edward Hallock, a Friend, by whose kindness and attention he had been encouraged and instructed previous to his union with the Society. His parents, as might be reasonably expected, found it difficult to reconcile themselves to his connection with Friends, and his choice of a wife from among them. But her steady and circumspect demeanour soon gained their attachment, and the parents themselves eventually became united to the Society. The tenderness of his spirit was evinced by a circumstance which occurred shortly after his marriage. He accompanied his wife on a visit to some of her connections, with whom he was not previously acquainted, and was received with marked attention and kindness. But finding that they were in possession of slaves, he felt an apprehension that it would be wrong for The following remarkable incident, which occurred during his visit to Ireland, evincing the importance of a simple reliance on the manifestations of duty, appears worthy of special notice: "As he was riding along he felt a concern to stop and appoint a meeting, to which his com panions offered some objections; as it was a place but thinly peopled, and the night very stormy; so that probably few would attend. But David Sands did not feel easy to give it up, saying, "If there are but few, the great and good Shepherd has promised to be with us, and I shall feel clear in having done what appears to be my duty.' They yielded to his concern, and notice was given. At the time appointed a greater number assembled than was expected. The meeting became settled in much solemnity. He arose, commencing his testimony with these words, Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Turn unto Him who is able and willing to save; although your sins be as scarlet, He |