murder and oppreffion; a system that has spread defolation and distress not only in America, but in Europe and Africa. She has, however, benefitted but little by it, for her strength, 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 somewhat 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 sustained, and the inquiries to which that eventful period gave rise, did much to raise mankind from that state of abject slavery and degradation, to which defpotifm, aided by superstition, 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 occafion 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 scaffold, at the command of a people roused to a sense of their injuries and rights, by men who had assisted in establishing the liberties of America, -In reflecting on those scenes 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 the revolution, which has attended the latter. The ftorm 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 expense far less than what the pensioned minions of its former corrupt court alone devoured. When ever that period arrives, and arrive it will, it needs not a spirit of inspiration to affert, that the other nations of Europe must ⚫ fubmit to a thorough reformation, or be content to behold their commerce, agriculture, and population decline. In the mean time the United States are profiting by the convulfed fituation of Europe, and increasing, in a degree hitherto unparalleled in the history of nations, in population and opulence. Their power, commerce and agriculture, are rapidly on the increase, and the wisdom of the federal government has hitherto been fuch as to render the prospect of a settlement under its foftering influence truly inviting to the merchant, the manufacturer, the mechanic, and the industrious labourer: nor have these alone found the United States advantageous; the perfecuted in France or England have there found an afylum, where their lives, property and liberty are secure; where they may almost fay, the wicked cease from troubling, and the weary are at rest. Nor can any doubt be entertained, but in a fhort period the man of science, as well as the contemplative and experimental philosopher, will find the fhores of Columbia equally propitious to their wishes, Education is fending forth its illuminating rays, and its influence on the rifing generation will aid the Americans in all their other pursuits. The inhabitants of Europe are not infenfible of these fayourable circumftances. The charms of civil and religious li berty, the advantages of an extenfive and fertile, but unculti vated country, of an increasing commerce, unfhackled and unencumbered by heavy and impolitic duties and imposts, have already invited numbers to leave its bofom-numbers, which the iron hand of perfecution and the awful prospects of intestine divifion or abject slavery, will continue to increase. The attention of Europe in general, and of Great-Britain in particular, being thus drawn to the new world, the Editor, at the instigation 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 opportunity 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 government-their present situation and advantages, together with their future prospects in commerce, manufactures and agriculture. This formed the principal design of the work; but he farther wifhed with this to connect a general view of the fituation of the remaining European poffeffions in America 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 measure ferve as a directory to him in the choice of a refidence, as well as in his after pursuits. This fuggefted the propriety of adopting the plan which Mr. Morfe had laid down in his 'American Geography; and this muft 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 say, he has fpared 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 tions of many, whofe names the peculiarity of his own fituation will not for obvious reafons permit him to mention, but for whose friendship he fhall ever retain the most lively fentiments of esteem and gratitude. The Editor's thanks are likewife particularly due to feveral gentlemen of the fociety of Quakers, for the documents which have enabled him, with thorough conviction, to wipe off the odium which Mr. Chalmers, in his Annals, and the authors of the Modern Univerfal Hiftory, followed by Mr. Morfe, had thrown on the character of William Penn and the first fettlers of Pennsylvania,* and on whofe authority they were by him inferted. With respect to the printed authorities which the Editor has followed, he has not only borrowed their ideas, but, where he had not the vanity to conceive himself capable of correcting it, he has adopted their language, so that in a long narrative he has often no other claim to merit than what arifes from felection and a few connecting fentences: as, however, by this method it has often become difficult for an author to know his own, the Editor at once begs leave to fay, he has availed himself of the labours and abilities of the Abbé Raynal, Franklin, Robertfon, Clavigero, Jefferson, Belknap, Adams, Catesby, Buffon, Gordon, Ramfey, Bartram, Cox, Rush, Mitchel, Cutler, Imlay, Filfon, Barlow, Briffot, Morfe, Edwards, and a number of others of lefs import, together with the tranfactions of the English and American philofophical focieties, American Mufeum, &c. The Editor has particularly to request, that those who have taken this Work in Numbers, will, in justice to himself, as well as to the character of William Penn, deftroy the half-fheet, fignature P p vol. ii. page 289 to 296 inclusive, and substitute the half-sheet of the fame fignature, given in the last Number, in its stead-the fame is requested refpecting the Constitution of Pennsylvania and the other cancels marked. The The Editor has now only to deprecate the severity of criticifm. It was impoffible, in felecting from such a variety of authors, to fecure uniformity of language without immense trouble; and from his fituation, which rendered an easy commu nication with the Printer not only often difficult, but in many cafes impracticable, feveral typographical errors will, no doubt, occur to the reader, as well as fome others of a literary kind. -As thefe, however, do not affect facts, he has not added an errata, but left the whole to the candour and good fenfe of the reader, to whom he wishes, with fincerity, as much pleafure in the perusal, as himself has experienced in collecting and arranging the materials. State Side of Newgate, HIS |