PREFACE.

No event ever proved fo interesting, to mankind in general

and to the inhabitants of Europe in particular, as the discovery of the new world, and the paffage to India by the cape of Good Hope: it at once gave rife to a revolution in the commerce and in the power of nations, as well as in the manners, industry and government of almost the whole world. At this period new connections were formed by the inhabitants of the moft diftant regions, for the fupply of wants they had never before experienced. The productions of climates fituated under the equator were confumed in countries bordering on the pole; the industry of the north was tranfplanted to the south; and the inhabitants of the weft were clothed with the manufactures of the caft; in short, a general intercourfe of opinions, laws and cuftoms, difeafes and remedies, virtues and vices, were eftablished amongst men.

In Europe, in particular, every thing has been changed in confequence of its commerce and connection with the American continent; but the changes which took place prior to the late revolution, (which established the liberties of the United States, and transformed the dependent colonies of Britain into an independent commonwealth, or rather a fociety of commonwealths) only ferved to increase the misery of mankind, adding to the power of defpotifm, and rivetting fafter the fhackles of oppreffion; the commerce of Spain, in particular, with the new world, has been fupported by a fyftem of rapine,

murder and oppression; a system that bas fpread defolation and diftrefs not only in America, but in Europe and Africa. She has, however, benefitted but little by it, for her ftrength, commerce and industry, have evidently declined in proportion to the influx of the gold of the new continent. With GreatBritain, for a confiderable period, things appeared fomewhat different; till the epoch of the revolution her commerce with America increased her national strength, and added to her own industry and wealth, while it defolated and ravaged the coaft of Africa,

From the period of the revolution, the influence of America on Europe has been of a different kind: the glorious struggle which the United States fuftained, and the inquiries to which that eventful period gave rife, did much to raise mankind from that state of abject slavery and degradation, to which defpotifm, aided by fuperftition, had funk them : from that period the rights of man began to be understood, and the principles of civil and religious liberty have been canvaffed with a freedom before unknown, and their influence has extended itself from the palace to the cottage; in fhort, the revolution in the late British American colonies bids fair ultimately not only to occasion the emancipation of the other European colonies on that continent, but to accomplish a complete revolution in all the old governments of Europe.

We have already feen a patriot king, aided by a hero who fought for the cause of freedom under Washington, struggling to render his people free and happy; and we have witnessed a perjured defpot expiating his crimes on the fcaffold, at the command of a people roufed to a fenfe of their injuries and rights, by men who had assisted in establishing the liberties of Americă.

In reflecting on thofe fcenes as individuals, we can only lament the want of fuccefs which has attended the former, and regret the crimes of ambitious and unprincipled individuals, which have certainly tarnished, but not destroyed, the glory

of

sfs the revolution, which has attended the latter. The form will, however, ere long pafs away, and returning peace will leave, the other nations of Europe at liberty to contemplate without prejudice, not only their own fituation, but the refources of France drawn forth into action under the influence of an energetic government, founded on the will of the people, and administered at an expenfe far lefs than what the penfioned minions of its former corrupt court alone devoured. Whenever that period arrives, and arrive it will, it needs not a fpirit of inspiration to affert, that the other nations of Europe must submit to a thorough reformation, or be content to behold their commerce, agriculture, and population declines, or 1

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In the mean time the United States are profiting by the convulfed fituation of Europe, and increafing, in a degree hitherto unparalleled in the hiftory of nations, in population and opulence. Their power, commerce and agriculture, are rapidly on the increase, and the wifdom of the federal government has hitherto been fuch as to render the profpect of a fetlement under its foftering influence truly inviting to the merchant, the manufacturer, the mechanic, and the industrious labourer; nor have thefe alone found the United States advantageous, the perfecuted in France or England have there found an afylum, where their lives, property and liberty are fecure; where they may almost fay, the wicked ceafe from troubling, and the weary are at reft. Nor can any doubt be entertained, but in a fhort period the than of fcience, as well as the contemplative and experimental philofopher, will find the thores of Columbia equally propitious to their withes. Education is fending forth its illuminating rays, and its inAuerice on the rifing generation will aid the Americans in all their other pursuits.5; gaidɣidafis an bottile Eud on w mom yd -L' yino acɔ ɔw „laubivibni en consol olodi no gribaltor al

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The inhabitants of Europe are not infenfible of thefe fa. vourable circumftances. The charms of civil and religious I. berty or the badvantages of an extenfive and fertile, but unculti

vated country, of an increafing commerce,, unfhackled and unencumbered by heavy and impolitic duties and impofts, have already invited numbers to leave its bofom-numbers, which the iron hand of perfccution and the awful prospects of intestine divifion or abject flavery, will continue to increafe.

The attention of Europe in general, and of Great-Britain in particular, being thus drawn to the new world, the Editor, at the inftigation of fome particular friends, undertook the task, which he hopes, he has in fome degree accomplished in the following volumes, of affording his countrymen an op portunity of becoming better acquainted with its fettlement by Europeans--the events that led to the establishment and independence of the United States-the nature of their govern ment their prefent fituation and advantages, together, with their future profpects in commerce, nanufactures and agriculture. This formed the principal defign of the work; but he farther withed with this to connect a general view of the fituation of the remaining European poffeffions in Ame rica and the Weft-India, iflands; this has been therefore attempted, and nearly a volume is dedicated alone to this fubject Connected with the above, one object has been conftantly kept in view, namely, to afford the emigrator to America a fummary of general information, that may in fome meafure ferve as a directory to him in the choice of a refidence, as well as in his after purfuits. This fuggefted the propriety. of adopting the plan which Mr. Morfe had laid down in his American Geography; and this must plead in excufe for the mifcellaneous matter introduced in the third volume, at the clofe of the hiftory of the States.

How far the Editor has fucceeded in the accomplishment of this object is not for him to determine; he can only fay, he has spared no pains, nor neglected any opportunity, which his fituation permitted him to embrace to obtain information; and he has to exprefs his obligations for the obliging communica