BY THE HON. WILLIAM SMITH, VOL. II. NEW-YORK: PUBLISHED UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE NEW-YORK HISTORICAL SOCIETY. ......... 1829. ADVERTISEMENT. IN the preface to the first Volume of my Father's History of New-York, he has stated the reasons which induced him not to publish it beyond a certain period; however forcible they might have been at that day, they no longer exist, and I therefore have taken the resolution to offer to the public the continuation of this history, written with his own hand. I read it with the utmost attention before I resolved upon the publication. I put the work into the hands of some of my friends, (conceiving that it would have been presumption in me to have trusted to my own partial decision,) and they encouraged me to offer it to the public, as a curious and interesting book. When I resolved to follow this advice, it was a circumstance of great weight with me, that as it would probably be published at some future day, and might fall into the hands of an editor, who, not being actuated by the same sacred regard for the reputation of the author which I feel, might make alterations and additions, and obtrude the whole on the public as a genuine and authentic book. The continuation of the history is therefore published as it was left by the author, with a few verbal alterations and corrections. WILLIAM SMITH, Member of his Majesty's Council. Quebec, August 4th, 1824. |