one. The breadth of the continent, as estimated by McCulloch, and Morse and others, nowhere exceeds 2000 miles. There are now in the United States 5000 miles of rail road, costing $125,000,000, or 25,000 per mile. Supposing, then, a great western rail road of 2500 miles constructed, the whole outlay would not exceed 50 or 60 millions of dollars, an expenditure which may not be considered impossible, or even improbable, from a nation whose annual resources do not, perhaps, fall much short of $1500,000,000. The effects of such a grand enterprize cannot be remotely conjectured. It would shorten by 15,000 miles the present passage to the Northern Pacific by the way of Cape Horn, and open, in a few days, a communication from one extremity of the continent to the other. That this is not a mere idealism, we are assured from the fact, that an eminent citizen is now engaged in exploring such a route, and has actually petitioned Congress on the subject. His proposal is, in consideration of 25 million of dollars, and a grant of land 60 miles wide from Michigan to the western ocean, to undertake and guarantee the construction of a rail road. We leave the project to be smiled or wondered at as the reader may prefer.*

In concluding, let us ask, how are we to dispose of this great question? What grounds shall we hereafter assumewhat concessions make-in what spirit meet the British representatives? We are decidedly of opinion, that the noisy blustering war spirit which has prevailed in certain sections of our country, has been particularly unfortunate. It can effect no good, but may perplex and embarrass all negotiation. Reasonable men are wont to conduct affairs of such moment with calmness and deliberation. They approach them with "fear and trembling." They will not leave to the sword what the pen can settle, nor involve in a bloody war the most powerful nations of the earth, to gratify a whim, a caprice, or a little false pride. "Peace has her victories as well as war"-her higher victories-and the world is growing sensible of the fact. Let us, then, meet this question in a spirit of moderation and kindness-but not weakly or falteringly. Gasconade and menace are degrading. The nations of the earth are not rivals or enemies, but friends and allies in the great cause of extending civilization and

christian influences over its surface. Next to the dignity and nobility of understanding our own rights, is that of understanding and respecting the rights of others. If we act upon these principles in again going into convention upon the subject of Oregon, the friends of humanity will not have cause to mourn over the result.

If there are mutual concessions and compromises to be made, of which there can be little doubt, if peace is to be preserved, let it be remembered that it is by these means that mutual rights are secured, and that the good understanding which grows out of the principle, is of far more intrinsic value than the best 'pound of flesh' which obduracy and inflexibility ever won. We may have almost any thing we desire if we will but drop our narrow system of restrictions, our jealousies of foreign competition, our antichristian and anti-republican notions of commerce and reciprocity, if we will spread out the banners of free trade upon the ocean, and offer to England, for whatever she may determine upon, in relation to Oregon, equal and reciprocal privileges of trade. On these terms, as nations we shall be bound closer together, and our friendship will be placed on a more permanent and secure basis. It is only by the exclusiveness of their mutual systems, that the two nations have ever learned to regard each others progress with rivalry, or attempted to arrest it. In procuring such a treaty of reciprocity, the co-operation of the New-England States of our confederacy may not be expected, but when the West shall awake to its own interests, and unite with the South in this grand movement, western and southern produce will assume their due position, they will appear to just advantage on the wharfs of Liverpool, and Manchester and Birmingham will become to us as our own establishments. Mr. Polk, in looking for an agent to entrust with the business, has done well, we think, in turning his eyes to the Southern and Middle States, and sorry are we that Mr. Calhoun, with all his liberal views, could not have been brought to undertake the mission. Western men are, perhaps, not yet entirely prepared for a movement on these principles, but they will soon come into it.

Finally, it is clear that the present position of things west of the Rocky mountains must be of short duration. The treaty of joint occupancy cannot subsist consistently with the interest of the settlers, who are flocking to the country.

sue.

If not terminated—it will be broken, and bloodshed will en The population of Oregon will be American, and Mr. Calhoun was right in suggesting, that their numbers will be amply sufficient ere long to take its destinies in their own hands. We shall not inquire how equitable it would be, to leave entirely to their own resources and efforts, a people whose distant emigration we have stimulated and encouraged. But however left, or however situated, we are sure that the American spirit will remain as firm, as elevated, as unbroken on the wilds of Western America, and as proudly erect, too, as ever it existed, in its palmiest days, in the Atlantic States. D.

NOTE. We have obtained a map of Oregon, which is annexed to the present number of the Review. It was our intention to have furnished a better one, but in this we were disappointed. The present map is, in general, correct, but it does not extend to the Southward far enough by two degrees. It shows, however, what is necessary to the question, and will be referred to advantageously in connection with the various geographical descriptions in the article.

ART. VII.-CRITICAL NOTICES.

1.- Dr. Maxcy's Remains. The Literary Remains of the Rev. Jonathan Maxcy, D. D., second President of Brown University, R. I.; late President of Union College, N. Y.; and of the South-Carolina College, S. C.; with a Memoir of his Life. By ROMEO ELTON, D. D., Fellow of the Royal Society of Northern Antiquarians, Copenhagen, etc., etc. New-York: A. V. Blake. 1845.

THIS volume, bound in neatly embossed muslin, of about 450 pages, in good plain type, contains the sermons, discourses, and addresses to graduating classes, of Dr. Maxcy, delivered at various times, in this State and at the North; with some few similar addresses by President Messer of Brown University, to which Dr. Elton has prefixed a short but handsomely written memoir of Dr. Maxcy. We trust that all of our readers will be conversant with this book, but for fear that our partialities may not be realized, we will transfer to our pages an account of our author until he became a citizen of South-Carolina.

Dr. Jonathan Maxcy was born in Attleborough, Massachusetts, 2d September, 1768, of very respectable parentage. His mother especially is said to have been a woman of piety and strong intellect, and contributed greatly to the early progress of her son. At fifteen years of age he entered Brown University. He was there beloved for his good deportment; and, for his attention to his studies, was rewarded, in 1787, with the first honor in his class. He immediately after became a tutor in the same College; and, in 1790, was licensed to preach by the Baptist church in Providence, and ordained pastor in 1791, and, at the same time, appointed Professor of Divinity in College. In September, 1792. on the death of the Rev. Dr. Manning, who seems to have presided over the institution in a praiseworthy manner, Dr. Maxcy was appointed to the vacant Presidency of the College at the age of 24 years. He continued in this office, with great popularity, until 1802, when, upon the death of the Rev. Jonathan Edwards, he was elected to succeed him in the Presidency of Union College, New-York; where he remained only about two years, when, upon the incorporation of the South-Carolina College at Columbia, he was flatteringly invited to be the guardian of its infancy. In 1801, whilst only 33 years of age, the degree of Doctor of Divinity was conferred upon him by Harvard University. He married Miss Susan Hopkins, daughter of Commodore Esek Hopkins, of Providence, R. I. When this took place, we are not informed, but from our own information, we should say early in life.

The name of Dr. Maxcy is identified with the very beginning of edu⚫cation, the incipiency of literary improvement,-in the middle and back country of South-Carolina. It is true, that previous to his time, we

had some one or two academies, where young men were instructed in the ordinary branches preparatory to a collegiate course. But when our Legislature, in their wisdom, (and by this we do not intend a hackneyed phrase,) thought proper to incorporate and endow a State institution, the Trustees, by a felicitous foresight or accident, selected Dr. Maxcy to take charge, nurse and cherish this favored protege. How he discharged this delightful, but not easy task, the high character which the College soon acquired under his charge,-the bright and brilliant geniuses cast, as if by the wand of the magician, upon the community, nay, the whole land, in its width and its length to its remotest borders, illumined by its light and vivified by its rays,-will bear ample and grateful evidence. But we will say more upon this subject anon, as we must confine ourselves more closely to the book for a while.

We have said before that the volume consists mostly of sermons, religious discourses, and addresses to Baccalaureates, etc. Our province is with the literary character of the work; and fortunately for us, our author, though a minister of the Baptist church, was wedded to no particular sect or exclusive creed of religionists. With a mind too enlightened for bigotry, and a heart too warm and generous for cavilling, he had formed his opinions upon the broad, impartial and plain principles of Christianity. In a preface to a funeral sermon on the death of the Rev. James Manning, delivered in Providence, R. I., as early as 1791, (p. 149,) he says:

"All men have full liberty of opinion, and ought to enjoy it without subjecting themselves to the imputation of heresy. For my own part, I can safely say, that I have never been disposed to confine myself to the peculiar tenets of any sect of religionists whatever. Great and good men have appeared among all denominations of Christians, and I see not why all do not deserve an equal share of attention and regard. My object has been to examine with candor the sentiments of all, and to receive whatever appeared to be consistent with truth."

And again, in the same preface, p. 151, he says:

"The only thing really essential to Christian union, is love, or benevolent affection. It is, therefore, with me, a fixed principle, to censure no man except for immorality. A diversity of religious opinions, in a state so imperfect, obscure and sinful as the present, is to be expected,"

etc.

Any man might have made the above declarations; but he who not only uttered them in the face of a censure of some of his church, but made them the basis of his action, the principle by which he was guided in all his future life,-is worthy of all praise and commendation. It is easy to preach charity and forbearance, the good alone practice them. When we speak of the eloquence of Cicero or Demosthenes, we have reference to those orators in combination with the time, place and occasion of their respective efforts, guided by our early impressions from history, as handed down to us by those who saw and heard them,--who