Missionary Failures [pp. 382-387]

MISSIONARY FAILURES.
of July, and no longer,' were the emphatic words of the commodore, and on
that day the answer of the Emperor came, appointing, as we have seen, the
subsequent Thursday for the reception."
The conquest and settlement of America by Europeans was
justifiable and laudable, because few cruel savages infested
and rendered useless a mighty continent. For like reasons,
our annexation of Texas, New-Mexico, and California, was
right. We have opened up for all civilized mankind, what
was monopolized and abused by a few semi-barbarians. The
slave trade may be justified, because it civilizes and Christianizes the negro. But the conquest and subjection of India by
England was an act of monstrous cruelty, because the Hindoos were not abusing the gifts of Providence. The whole
country was densely settled by a happy, simple, industrious, and
amiable people. England has cruelly oppressed and decimated
them. May we not follow her example: invade, conquer, and
annex Japan and Lew Chew, and convert almost a paradise,
into a wretched, oppressed, tributary province, should be the
fervent prayer of every patriot and philanthropist.
We greatly fear our intercourse with these now happy and
flourishing countries will not benefit them; yet we would venture the experiment, hoping that Providence will bring forth
from it, ultimate good.
ART. 11.-MISSIONARY FAILURES.
No one admires or approves more than we do the self-sacrificing zeal of Christian missionaries, or more regrets their universal failures. Their conduct shows that man, even in this
utilitarian age, is not altogether grovelling, hypocritical and
selfish. The general admiration which they excite proves, too,
that mankind still pay homage to distinguished virtue, ardent
piety, and far-reaching philanthropy-though few be willing
to practise what all approve. We regret their failure the
more because their want of success is calculated to advance
the cause of our present system of moral philosophy, which,
in effect, teaches that all virtue is but comprehensive and welldirected selfishness, and all good actions a profitable investment, whose returns are reaped in this world. We are sorry,
too, that they can neither coax nor bribe the heathen into
civilization and Christianity-that they can discover no
"primrose path" to heaven, no easy road to civilization.
Like the white man, the poor cannibals seem doomed to suffer
much tribulation ere they attain the joys of Paradise, and to
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