An After-scene Of Battle

The late disaster on board the Princelon, gave us scarcely a glimpse of actual warfare; and trom an account, written by a clergyman, of what he witnessed just after the BattJe of Soldin, 1 will quote a pretty fair specimen of what war is. "At one o'clock," says he, "the cannonading ceased; and I went on foot to Soiain in order to learn to whose advantage the battle hadturned out. Towards even ing, se ven hundred of the Rüssian fugitives carne to Soldin, a pitiful sight indeed; some holding up their hands. cursing and swearing; others pvaying, and praising the King of Prussia; without hats, without clothes; some on foot. others, two on a horse, with their heaés and arms tied up; .some dragging along by the stirrups, and others by the horses' tails. "When the battle was decided, and victory shouted for the Prussian army. I yenturedto the place where the cannonading vas. After walking some way, a Cossack's horse came running full speed towards me. I mounted him, and, on mj7 way for seven miles and a kalf on ilits side the field of battle, I founit the dead and the wounded, lying on the ground; sadly cut to pieces. ïhe farther I advanced, the more tho poor creatures lay heaped one upon another."That scène I shall never forget. The Cossacks, as soon as ihey scnv' rae, cried out, "Dear sir,water water! WATER!" Righteous God! what a sight! men, wo- men and children, Russiahs and Prussians, carriages and horses, oxen, chests and baggage, all lying one upon another to the height of a man! Seven villages around me in flames, and the inhabitants either massacred, or thrown into the fire! "The poor wounded" - what a horrid exhibition of the "war spirit! - :ivere still firing at one another in the greatest exasperatton! The field of battle was a plain tico miles and a half long; and whotly covered with dead and wounded: there was not even room enough to set myfoot vñthout Ireading on some of then Several brooks were so filled with Russians, that I do affirm it, tliey lay heaped upon one anotlier as high as two ?nen, and appeared like huls to the even groundf I could hardly recover mysel f from the fright occasioneel by the great and miserable outcry of the wounded. A noble Prussian officer. who had lost both of his legs, cried out to me, "Sir, you are a priest, and preach mercy: pray show me some compassion, aud dispatch me at once."Here is war; and can the disciples of the Prince of peace sanction such methods of settling disputes between rationa], civilized, Chrisian men - between nations any more than between individuáis'? In all this what is there which the gospel can approve, or on which a God of peace and love can look with complacency? - Yetsuch thingsare inseparable from war; a part of its legitímate, designed, inevitableresults.