to acquire fame, by devoting themselves to poetry and the mathematics. It is the mark and the effect of fuperior information in human affairs, that their philofophers have raised their views to higher objects, and are most of all devoted to the pursuits and improvements which have the welfare, the improvement, and the profperity of their country for their more immediate object: And whenever these are carried to their proper perfection, all that is really useful and properly ornamental, will fucceed of courfes We reject, therefore, the Abbe's idea of men of genius; and are forry that he did not know, that the most fublime work of the human mind, is to improve the civil and moral ftate of the people, and to render a whole nation more improved, happy, and profperous. With men of this kind of genius. America every where abounds: And fuch kind of philosophers are infinitely more useful to us, than a few eminent poets and mathemati cians are, or ever can be.

It is not therefore degradation, but a high fate of improvement, that the men of Europe have acquired in America: And this improvement does not confit in attainments merely fpeculative or ornamental; but in those civil, moral, and economical virtues that render a country happy, profperous and highly flourishing. But withour enumerating every article that belongs to this fubje&t, the general effect will be fufficient fairly to determine whether this has been the cafe or not.

In the year 1783, the former British provinces were declared by the Eu ropean powers to be free, fovereign, independent ftates. Since that period the number of inhabitants in the United States has more than doubled. The fame has been the cafe with the number and extent of our fettled towns. Our agriculture, in its produce and effects, has increased in a ftill higher ratio. Our commerce has fpread over the globe; and from the reduced ftate of privation and poverty in which our independence found our commerce and finances, in the courfe of twenty three years we are become more commercial than any nation in Europe, Great Britain alone exceptcd. Our manufactures are carried into almost every village and family; and are in a state of rapid improvement and increase. An uninterrupted peace has almost univerfally prevailed in every part of the country; and a very extenfive, rich, and valuable addition has been made to our territory. Theic acquifitions have been the relult, not of war, destruction, and conquet, but of cultivation and the arts of peace. During this period, fierce and repeated attacks have been made on thofe parts of the focial fyftem, where Europe has fuppofed we were the most weak and vulnerable. Believing that the fyftem of popular election and representation was naturally productive of faction and corruption, there have been those in every state who have employed all the arts of mifreprefentation and intrigue to agi tate and divide the people, and abuse and oppofe the government. But all the zeal, noife, and ravings of faction, have not availed to deftroy, materially to alter, or to weaken the government of any one of the American ftates; or the federal conflitution, which is defigned to embrace and preferve them all. Attached to their country, the people every where adhere to their republican principles, union, and government, under which they have enjoyed uninterrupted peace, profperity, and improvement. Such has been the refult and effect of the republican and political experiment in the United States, during the whole period of their national exiftence.

Europe, it will be allowed, is that part of the globe in which the improvement of man and of fociety has been carried to the greatest degree of perfection, that has appeared in the eastern hemisphere. Her fyftem of government is ancient, fully established, and perfectly well undertood by the experience and practice of many centuries; and that government is-ak

1

most universally monarchical. Her religion involves a rich and established church; a learned and wealthy priesthood; ceremonies, customs, and religious fervices, venerable by age, fupported by law, and believed to be ef. tablished by divine authority and revelation. Her learning and science far exceeds any thing of that nature, which has been acquired in America. The wealth that is accumulated in thofe countries is immenfely fuperior to any thing that we poffefs. Her armies are in the full powers of num. bers, difcipline, experience, royal fupport and animation. Her fleets, in their number, power, in the abilities of their commanders, and in the difcipline and hardihood of their failors, exceed any thing that bas ever appeared on this globe before: And century after century has been em. ployed, to give perfection to her courts and laws. Here then it is rational to look for all the benefits that can flow from the European fyftem of an established monarchy, church, army, navy, and law; made powerful by all the aids that wealth, commerce, and the higheft attainments in the arts and sciences can produce.

And what has been the social effect of this aftonishing, accumulation of learning, power and human acquifitions; and how has it operated on the improvement and happiness of man and of fociety? War, perpetual war, the exaltation, of a few, the poverty and degradation of the people, has been the natural, certain, and univerfal effect. The very attempt to introduce the principles of American freedom, has given new powers and extent to defpotifm; and fpread the fpirit of deftruction, plunder, and flaughter through every part of Europe; and when thefe miferies and plagues will top, no man can tell. Which then is the country in which man and fecie. ty is advancing to moral and focial improvement and felicity? Let the general effe&t determine what anfwer fhould be given to fuch inquiries and fpeculations. If this kind of improvement has been carried further with us, than it ever was in any other country, then have the men of America performed the greateft work that ever was done; and rifen to the highet attainments, by which genius can be ditplayed.

958

Glaftenbury,

48

Landgrove,

24646

147

2,693

Manchester,

23040

Rupert,

1761, August 20.

23040

1999

43.399

Sunderland,

Sandgate,

1761, Auguft 18.

847--0

2677-05-0

18,500

WINDHAM COUNTY.

£. 442-17 0£. 1212-05-0 Dols. 6,307

2,352

Avery's Gore,

1380

Brattleborough,

753 December 26.

20000

1589

1867

4999-10-0 5969-12-6

25.477

Brookline,

472

4.783

Dummerton,

1753, December 26.

17890

1501

1692

2970-00 0

4978.00-0

21,429

Grafton,

1754, April 6. &

1763, September 1.

22690

5611

1149

200-00-0

1422-15-0

17,334

Guilford,

1764, April 2.

23040

2432

2256

5836-10-0

6717-11-0

ვი, 866

Halifax,

1750, May cleven.

23040

1309

1600

3569-16-0

4640-10-0

26,974

Johnson's Gore,

1782, February 23.

5°30

49

131

Jamaica,

1780, November seven.

29017

263

582

186-10-0

663-15-0

8,733

Londonderry,

1780, March fixteen.

28459

ვ62

33

886 10-0

1563-10-0

5,879

Marlborough,

1751, April nineteen.

23040

629

1087

1881-10-0

2676-00-0

16,564

Newfane,

1761, November three.

22690

666

1000

1687-06-0

2597-00-0

14,818

Putney,

1753, December 26.

18115

1848

1574

4835-08-0

6138-10-0

24.363

Rockingham,

1752, December 28.

24915

1235

1684

3363-00-0 4832.1 15.0

25,880

Somerfet,