| 812 imbued with liberal notions, and that those of the mountains are the strongholds of the aristocracy and of Papal supremacy. The government of the wealthy and populous canton of Lucerne has lately thought proper to recall the Jesuits, and to appoint them to posts connected with popular education. This gave umbrage to many, who rose in arms against the authorities, but were worsted in the conflict. The government maintains its armed position, lest its refractory citizens should be assisted by their liberal friends of the other cantons; and has demanded the military intervention of the neighbouring [neighboring] members of the confederation; but some of the liberal cantons utter ominous murmurs of an inclination to take part against the government of Lucerne, in which event there could not fail to be a civil war; while there is no doubt that France, Austria, and Savoy would not pretermit so favorable an opportunity of settling the difficulty at the expense of the nationality and integrity of the Swiss Confederation. Thus stand matters at present.
The principle at issue is an important one also: being no less than whether the Jesuits are to have the absolute control over the minds of the rising generation, and to fashion them in a form inimical to the progress of liberty and enlightened religion. Freedom of conscience, freedom of the press, and the real freedom of education, are the points in dispute; and it seems, at the present day, looking to what is going on in England and many other parts of Europe and America, that there is an urgent and palpable necessity stoutly to defend and uphold the maxim, that the clergy should enjoy no privilege or jurisdiction beyond the Church; and that a priest out of the Church is neither more nor less than an ordinary citizen. The Roman Catholic clergy in France, Switzerland, and America, complains of persecution, because it is restrained from persecuting; and exclaims against tyranny and oppression, because it cannot grasp a monopoly. Let it cry aloud; but be it our part to withstand and controvert the insidious and hypocritical arguments, by means of which it is again endeavoring to prevert [pervert] to its own profit unreflecting minds and disturbed consciences. The day of St. Bartholomew, the Massacre of 1641, the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes, the Dragonnades, and the scandals and bankruptcy of the Jesuits, would seem to oppose an insuperable barrier to the re-entry of the Roman Catholic Church as a body into political concerns; but should these disgraceful and sanguinary recollections prove insufficient as a warning and an example, we may add to them the case of Switzerland, which the Jesuits are now seeking by fire and sword to divide into two hostile camps of Protestants and Catholics; while they oppose themselves to every reform of the aristocratical compact of 1815, in the hope of sheltering their religious tyranny under the protection of a temporal despotism.
FROM THE PACIFIC OCEAN.
THE WORK COMMENCED AT
TAHITA AND TOOBOUI.
Tahita, August 15, 1844.
DEAR BROTHER YOUNG:-
An opportunity having presented itself of sending letters to America, and believing, also, you would like to know how the work of the Lord prospers in this distant land, we thought we would address a few lines to you, giving an account of our prosperity, and also a brief sketch of the political state of affairs here.
To do this, it is necessary to go back to the time we first made the island of Tooboui, which is a small island about three hundred miles South of this. The circumstance of our making that island was one quite unexpected, and one which the captain had tried to avoid, but unsuccessfully. His object being to recruit the ship, however, before arriving at Tahita, he though he would send a boat on shore, and learn if it afforded anything he wanted; the result of which was, he could obtain every thing he wanted. This gave us an opportunity of going on shore, which we gladly embraced after being shut up on board our ship for almost seven months. We found the natives very friendly, and very religiously disposed, although there was no white missionary on the island, neither had there been for a great length of time. As soon as they learned that we were missionaries, they were very anxious to have one or more of us stay with them. There was a number of very respectable American mechanics residing on the island, who were also anxious to have one of us stay. There being an effectual door opened for us, it was thought prudent for one to do so. The lot fell upon Br. Pratt by his own choice. After a short stay, we bid him adieu, and sailed for Tahita, where we arrived on the 14th of May. Circumstances certainly looked very unfavourable [unfavorable] when we arrived, but we could do no better than stay, as there was no way open for us to go any where else.
The circumstances which we will briefly state, were as follows: The French, as no doubt you are already aware, had taken possession of these islands, dispossessing Queen Pomare, and established their own government
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