the stone, or fifth, kingdom was to appear; right at that appointed time our Christian country arose, and it must be the fifth predicted kingdom; if so, it will coincide in character with every quality predicted of the stone. We proceed to the identification.

Coincidence First.-The stone was to rise after the broken state of the Roman empire represented by the toes, and before their reunion, and after church and state union.

The United States arose in this identical period, and, therefore, coincides with the rise of the stone. No other nation but the United States did arise in this period, except it was represented by the toes of the image, or such as grew up from fragments of the Roman empire, or in the empire.

Coincidence Second.-The stone was to be produced from the mountain, which was identical with Christianity. It was, therefore, to possess the dual character so often specified by the prophets, and which is an essential element of civil government.

Washington, in his farewell address, says, "with slight shades of difference, you have the same religion, manners, habits, and political principles." As the United States possess the double nature of a Christian religion and a Christian civil government, it coincides with the double character of the stone. Again; it is indisputable that the United States government arose. out of a Christian people, and that the constitution is essentially Christian, but not sectarian. It recognizes all the great virtues and customs of true Christianity, and especially the sacredness of the Christian Sabbath. And in all our history, the God of the history has been

authoritatively proclaimed as the king, and the only king of our people. The declaration, the constitution, the statute laws, the executive, the judiciary, and the legislative powers of our country, have manifested uniformly and decidedly, that Christianity was the basis of our political structure. It is not necessary to quote documents by the cart load to establish this position, for it has always been agreed to, and none will take the thankless pains to dispute it.

Coincidence Third.-The stone, or fifth kingdom, was to possess a political structure. This, of course, will apply fully to the United States.

Coincidence Fourth.-The kingdom of the stone, or fifth empire, was to be a power that should arise external to the Roman empire; it was not to be within its limits, and was to attack it externally.

Now, the Roman empire's limits embraced all of civilized Europe, Asia, and Africa, or the whole of the old world; and, by consequence, the stone kingdom was to be in some portion of the new world, or America. To this conclusion we are logically and inevitably coerced. Now, the United States was the fifth empire; was erected external to the Roman empire, and is the only continent out of it, where a great empire could arise.

Coincidence Fifth.-The fifth empire was to be a republic; and to this characteristic the United States corresponds.

Coincidence Sixth.-The fifth, or stone kingdom, was to break up the whole fabric of monarchy by war, and was then to annihilate the fragments. It must be remembered, that the image represented all of human monarchy

that was ever to exist; and the image was smitten by the stone upon its feet, thus showing that the whole body of monarchy was to be smitten, as well as that particular kind specially represented by the feet. The feet were of iron and clay, and not of gold, and silver, and brass. The inference, therefore, to be made, is, that all the monarchies were finally to be embodied under an Assyrian head of gold.

As the events here predicted have not transpired, of course no coincidence, by fulfillment, can be affirmed between the fifth kingdom and any power whatever. But, while these things are so, we nevertheless can show that the United States will doubtless engage with monarchy for its destruction, and that it will never rest while a monarchy remains.

In all ages of the world, there has been a contest between the democratic and despotic element. Since the prevalence of Christianity, with the art of printing, every revolt among European kingdoms has arisen from the conflict for rights between kings and the people.

The spread of Christianity is, indeed, essentially the spread of liberalism; and, since the days of Luther in Europe, and of John Knox and Wickliffe in Britain, the democratic element has increased with great rapidity. The spread of the Bible has inflamed the minds of men, and they have grown restless and revolutionary in servitude, and have again and again given evidence of what democracy will do when its locks are grown.

Since the origin and success of organized democracy in America, the liberal principle has accumulated and grown with unprecedented rapidity in Europe. The innate hostility between it and monarchy, will, from the

very nature of the case, lead to exterminating hostility of one party or the other; both can not exist together in the world, on a large scale, and be at peace. Democracy is a sympathizing element, which, in addition to its common interest, will never let monarchy alone till it sets everybody free. Sympathy is the strongest excitant of our nature; and liberalism sympathises with all true liberalists, as brother with brother.

The democratic element must inevitably harmonize and organize. Now, the United States is the first successful organization of democracy in the world, and it is the representative of the world-wide democracy. It is inseparably allied to democracy every where, from the very nature of things, and must make common cause with it, when it strikes for the great Millennial release. We are not yet ready for an issue with monarchy, on democratic principles; it has been our proper and steady aim to mind our own particular business. We have never committed ourselves to any unholy alliance with Egypt and Edom; we have left our way clear to act just as we please, and when we please; and, because we have never joined issues upon democracy, is no reason that we will not, but a premonitory symptom that we will do so at our earliest convenience.

With all the governmental efforts to curb the inborn tendency to become implicated in the democratic strife with monarchy, among our people, it is impossible to repress the growth of a universal desire to crush monarchy. The ebullition of the feeling in "fillibustering,' and public speeches, secret organizations, in resolutions of conventions, and in the press, reveals a national itching to extend the area of freedom on the ruins of thrones.

But this is not all that indicates a collision. The same tendency that directs democracy to engage in an annihilating strife, exists also in as strong, if not in a stronger degree in autocracy. Its antipathy to democracy grows daily more intense, as it is obliged to be more and more watchful of its interests. America it regards as the great crater of melted lava, whose streams are reaching its hemisphere; and it would be a matter of intoxicating delight to it, if we were out of the way; and this feeling would lead it to put us out of the way, if it could. It views with surly jealousy all our sympathy for the restless democracy struggling beneath it; and it is fully aware, that to possess a steady throne, America must be disorganized. In view of these very things, a proposition to destroy the American republic was proposed in Russia as early as 1818.

Again; it is evident that monarchy will cease during the Millennium, because the prophet says, "the thrones were cast down," before that period. Now the thrones must have been overturned by the universal democracy of the world in organic form; because no power, less than that, could at once demolish so vast an establishment simultaneously. How such a brush could take place without our having a hand in the jubilate it is impossible to imagine.

Sound philosophy teaches that we can not avoid a collision with monarchy in general.

This collision with monarchy is more clearly foretold in succeeding descriptions of the fifth kingdom, and in all the predictions of Israel restored. The destruction of monarchy by Israel restored is fully predicted by Ezekiel in the destruction of Gog. Daniel also predicts it in the