University of South Carolina Libraries
t- In 17.{.? nan founded (lie college of Pitiia delplua, through (ho iuflticiico mid efforts of Dr. ynraiiklln. The rapid extension of learning in rJw9itniiylvanU ciio. e.vily bo traced to tho mi ff pulse given to the nublic mind hv the discoveries $? and exertions of that valuable "man. ft in im ):? possible to do justice hero to the zealous, uii MreariodusMdulty with which he devoted himself ti> tho establishment of useful institutions-?to tjyo duty of awakening in tlio country a taste ;?? t'ofr science, literature and useful arts. In 1791 t|io 1'hiludelphia college wan placed under new arrangement** and entitled the University of lH J'on'iRylvnitia. Jta mediral school has been, U'Cofa lung time incomparably the best in Amur ico: but of late* on account of tho death of doc torn Hush and Ha' ton. and through the great fi reputation of do.-tor Mitchell and some other p |?rofe?so!H at New York, great numbers of ^ students have been drawn to the university there. The college of Co'.uiuhin in the city of New Y.orlf was founded in 17.1*1, nnd was cnllc<l King's Coile-o. until the time of the revolotion. i lis chiofiiistiuction is the valuable botanic gar-| den that has lately been added to it. Its phi ;$?' 'vwphical apparatus i:< thought bv some to he ;r 4he best in the Coiled .States. Tho college of Ilhode Inland was chartered in 17t>4. but tbo ?) etlitico was not erected until 1770. This insti tution is not in a good condition, as its funds '? "? inadequate, and the state iUolf is wanting in t'Cgaid to literary th*te. Having briefly described the principal wdloges in tho several states, we shall just give the liamos of an inauv of the remaining ones as we can find at present. Two remain to be men tioned be'nngiug to Massachusetts ; Williams* College in Williamstown. Berkshire. founded in I79.?s and Howrioiu College at Brunswick t, in Maine. founded in 1794.?Doitmonth Col s' lege in N<-w Hampshire, was founded in 17<?9. | Maryland (?intnms fiv?>, St. Mary's College and Baltimore ColletM'in tlie city of Haiti more. St. | -hihu's at Annapolis, founded in 1784. Wosh l.iligt'?n t oilege :it Chi'stertown founded in 178'-!, end Cokcsbury. ??r the Methodist College at Vhi'tgdou. founded in 178."?. Pennsylvania vmiuiiis four besides the. Cniversitv. I)icl:iu-j v.-m College, fo'iudcd in 17K.V, Franklin Col lege founded iu I.~k7; .tefl'ersoii College*found e?l in IfcOj. ami Washington College, founded io 1 South Carolina has four, Winne.s borough C?.!lete. four.deil in 1794, and Charles ton, Cambridge and Heaufort Colleges, all founded nij ?he same time. The. college of C'.ru to;i iuiviug boon discontinued* Colum b*M College it.i> been instituted iu its stead. )ii V irginin there was a college established in I'riuce Kduard county, about 1774, named vilamptlen Sxdoty College. The Catholic Col lege at Ueorg-'town, District of Columbia, was bnnded iu I. Hi; (he University of Georgia in 70..'j ? the Cniversitv of North Carolina at ^liaptl llill. incorporated in 1793; Greenville ^olleg^ mi Tennessee, in 179<; Transylvania ollci,"1 iu Lexington, Kv. iu 1798; Middle Irv t" ol.ogr in Vermont in 1800. A college iifli exi*fe<l at New Orleans for a long pnriod, ?liut we <io not know the date of its establish-! netit. In I Louisiana state there is great atten r ion paid ') e<locotimM-parish schools, similar k ;{ ? th'!:--s of Massachusetts antf ' ft?nrocctir.utjJ i! ;eing supporteil from the state treasury; for .Ar'Ach pari.'? -J(;oS per annum are appointed to r<Y>aint:ii i a teacher. A similar arrangement; tuttf9 'a's' 1 l,'acR 'n Tonne *soe, which at present rjjjm'ri t\.o college* and 'several academies. We iwtir n?t know the number of colleges iu Ken ?_aicky or Ohio, but v e are a.-sured tlfat learning Fartd attended f t there, and that U|m?ii the tli" new >t.ites have, for several years, C0nt4w,i ,l,u,'r* -/-ca' f"r encouragement than orinl0 states have lately done. In Pennsyl ;?eitrf'a iMr^ ',n* an academv. except those that L I his |)ic colleges j but tho establishment of town looite^' *ehoms, enjoined by their constitution, i vera^l t cowatediy recommended by their present f: ^ovfr'tor, has, ir.itwithstanding, been hitherto t; f,. ueglcf.ted. tit The Lancnsterian schools, which must form in a now era in tins history of learning: all over the be world, will probably lie adopted through the of f'-iited States in a short titno ; but oh! systems nut >?rhap<t fortunattdy for mankind) are. not easily ^??ntbolished, then: id one school conducted upon iMCitMnr's plan at Georgetown, Columbia* ilinoiri Philadelphia; two in Baltimore* ono in joclnnali; ami one was established in l'it*> rgi but we do not know whether it has been titinued } anil and nil edifice for one is erect ogot Richmond. Wc do not at present recol I (let to have, seen any notice of tho existence of any others, but believo tltero is one in Now Wwk, W| The next most striking featore in the history of American literature seems to bo the progress of their literary journals. Tho first newspaper Srlntcd in America was the lloston Neun-Lot* ir, established in April 1/04, in the. town of ttlo*ton, ny ono Mr. Orrene. Tho next was tho fioMAt) tia'/jctte, fonnneneed in I72J, by James Franklin, brother of nenjamin Franklin. Till* was also in lloston. Tho first newspaper printed in Pennsylvania was Tho Ainetican Weekly Mercury, commenced in Dec. 1719. I bV A. Bradford. The first in New-York was ?the New-York Gazette, commenced in Oct. ? l,y Wm. Bradford. Tho first in Khoile Island was the Rhode l*land (laxette, by James Franklin, mentioned before. Tliis was in 17!\%. The ftrst in Connecticut was in 175.1, by a Mr. barker. After this tbthjncrehe has been extremely rapid : in l77!Tt$o nuinher in tho United States was twenty five; in IROI it amounted to one hundred and eighty j And in 1BI0 it had in creased to three hundred and iixty-four. The amount of tho nowsj>Apers At that peiiod, in ilits country nml in Kngland} in to be found in the Register vr,|. t, p. ||61 | There does not appear to have been tlmt yvntrossive Attention peld to literary Aocieties | which miftfit Iiavc been expected \ we Aro rAther j disponed to believe thet tnoto now established .ire In coinpnritivo decline. The first instil* iloK of <til? kind V American Philosophical Society, (mined by tlio exertions of l)?\ Franklin, Dr. Dnuil, Mr. Kwing, Dr. Smith, and Mr. Divid Rittenhouse, at l'hilndelphiii it} the year 1743. Ill 1700 another wan established there, culled (bo Amer ican Society for the promoting and propugntit'jr useful knowledge in I'itiladelpliia. In 1709 both were united and have since remained so. The American Academy of Arts ami Sciences, wa* established at Uoston in 1780) and tVe Connecticut Academy of Attn and Sciences ut Ncw-llnvcn in 1799. The Historical Socie ty in Massachusetts, wan formed in 1791. There in also an historical society in New York. Medicul societies are very numerous, ami tho scicnco of mediciiie appears to be bet ter attended to at present than it lias been at any former period in this country. A few years ago there was instituted in Philadelphia, principally by tho exertions of Drt Harton, a sucifcty fur the cultivation of natural history, and entitled.tho I.innoau Society ; and similur ones have been formed in other places; but we understand they have not been, oven tolerably, successful. In almost everv state is an Agri cultural Socicty. Of this class the chief ones are those in Massachusetts, New-York, und Philadelphia. 11 may be well to tako a brief view of the AnioriciiU literati of early times, in order to shew the grout comparative delicicncv of the present period, '1 owards the conclusion of the seventeenth century we notice two Amer ican writers, Cotton Mather, author of the Magi.ulia Americana, and Mr. J. ISlair, au thor of several sermons and religious tracts. Of the hurcceding period is Mr. Logan, the botanist, from Lurgan in Ireland, donor of tho Lognnian library now contained in the city library of Philadelphia, author of the 7'V iwrimeula W .!/??letemuta tie lHaufarnm (iciw iitttone, a descrtatiou upon light, a translation of Cicero de &e/ircfhte,oic. The next of con so'|uunce was Dr. Iteujamin Franklin, so well known um a politician, a philosopher, and as the " lirst in America who cultivated an easv, unalfected, polished style of writing." lie [began his career as a writer in 17.V-!. In 17J'2 he made his grand discoveries in electricity, and since that has bad a more gc'icral reputation 1 than any literary man of bis country, notw itli I standing the high merit of some of his rivals. I The Itev. Mr. Jonathan Kdoards, tho the | ologian ami metaphysician, was born about ' the same same time with Franklin, but died: in 1T3H. Ilis 44 Inquiry into the Freedom! of the human Will,*' Ims, by Futopeau wi iters, been pronounced " one of the greatest ctt'orts of the human mind." Dr. Hcikcley, tho au thor of the Minute Philosopher, can hardly be numbered among American authors, though his* generosity to the cause of literature during his residence here, gives him a strong claim upon American gratitude. Dr. Win. Smith* for merly president of the college of Philadelphia, and who died in 1803, was an able and volumin ous writer, upon divinity and different branches j of nciuncc. Dr. Samuel Johnson, the first president of King's college in New-York, is known as the author of a system of logic, ami one of ethics.; and also of a Hebrew grammar) but these have been superseded by better works nf the late time. Thomas Clap, formerly presi dent of Yale college, and John Winthrop, are known chieily as profound scholars; though tin* latter is said to have written an excellent work l)e Cometis. Dr. Moultrie was the author of ? work De Feb re Flava ; and Dr. Linning, in the year 17.1.1, published a History of tlic Yellow* Fever. Dr. Chalmers wrote on the Weather and Diseases of Houth C arolina, but his moat valuable work is an essay on fevers.? Mark Catesby was a learned botanist of the ?ame period: lie explored a great j>ortion of the Atlantic states, the Florida*, Ike7and pub lished the Natural History of Carolina, Flori da mid the liahama Islands. Governor Cotden, of New-York, was at that time, a devoted bo tanist, and a writer on medicine, botany and history. Hut he who of that age stood next to Linneus himself \ and whom that incomparable naturalist pronounced " the greatest natural botanist in the world," was Mr. John Bartnim, born in Chester county, Pennsylvania, in 170I. Dr. John Mitchell, of Virginia, wrote on a vari ety of subjects?natural philosophy, naturil history, history, politics, husbandry, &e. Il?t was a native of Kngland. Dr. Clayton, who was born in Virginia, wrote several works, about the same time, upon the Ixttany of that state. The principal writers on the subject of diviuity about the time of the revolution, were Dr. Mnhcw, Dr. Chauncy, Dr. John F.wing, and the r?yv. Myles Cooper. Mr. Davites' w?T* tings are of a date somewhat earlier. Dr. John Witherspoon, late president of Princeton col lege, wrote not only on religious subject-*, but likewise on literature, polities; end general sci ence. He was an author wh? possessed uncom mon strength and clearness of mind. David Kit tollhouse, who was 1mm in 1732, at German town in Pennsylvanis, was the nutlmr of sever al essays published in the transactions of the American Philosophical Society, but is chiefly known as a man of acutenees hi mattiematic*, and ingenuity in mechanics. f??. K/ra Htilfs, late president of Yale college, is hardly num bered among American authors, but chiefly cele Imnted as the most learned man this country has ever produced, lie was Alto one of the most active promoters of literature, lie was educa ted in Yale, and died there in 1705. There have been several able politic.il wri ters wlio rose about the period of tho revolution. We need not repeat in this class the names of many that are tnenttoncd.alwve. John Dicken son, of Delaware, author of the Farmer's let ters. displayed in that) and other writings, great reeling, together with still greater acutenes*, eloquence and taste. It will be sufficient In this place to mention tho names of Thoma* Paine, James OUs, Samuel Adams, John Adams, jmr ernor Hutchinson, Riohard H, C. Nlcboli William Jj toti> ModUon, Jiy u? near to uur own jwriod, but wo mu4 fir?J name the remaining writer* of (lie Inst century. Dr. 1). Hush, nml Dr. ltarton, properly be long to ttint orn, ntul governor Howdoin ol Mas sachusetts decidedly cm'iuh* us lie died in 1780, but lib >!? hardly ranked among the number of nutliors j lie however wrote much that had been published ?i the Memoirs of the American A? ademy of Art* and Science*. Of historical wri ter* we have already mentioned Governor Col den. author of a History of the Five Nations of Indian*, Win. Smith, author of a history of the Province of New-York, uud governor Hutchin son, author of a history of Massachusetts. He> tiide.V these were samuol Smith, who wrote the history ??f Nuw-Jursey, Dr. Jeremy Helknap, who wrote the History of New Hampshire, Dr. Samuel Williams, author of thu History of Ver mont, I. Sulivan author of a History of the District of Maine, and Dr. Iloujamin Trum bull author of the Civil ami F.ccle?iiii<ttcal His tory of Connecticut. Mr. Ilo'.iert Proud'* his tory of Pennsylvania is a rorrect and valuable collection but possesses no literary merit. Geo. It. Minot author of the Continuation of the His-! tory of Massachusetts, is said to have been a writer of rare talents, and his early loss was much lamented. Hut thu firht in this depart ment is Dr. David Ramsay, author a History of tlio American revolution, a History of the Re volution in South Carolina, a History of the life of Wa?hington, flee. Next on the subject, but much inferior, is Marshal. Of the poets of the last century we shall u.it here stop to spoak, as America can claim but little in this way, either of past or present merit. The names of Harlow, Trumbull, Dwiglit. Humphreys, Freneau, II. T. I'aine, &c. have not those high claims upon which to build a na tional character. Of late we have seen Home very flue specimens of poetic tulent circulation through the papers, but we do not think the pre sent period likely to produce any great ellbrt worthy of the sublimity of American genius.? .Viles' Ueffiatrr. MISCELLANY. J'AltKNTAI. APPRTKIV. Much has been said tii depreciate (he female character. Poets, historians, and Philosopher* have labored, in nil ages to render women con temptiblo from imbecility, ridiculous from vani t.V, and otten hateful from malignity. They have dwelt upon (he characters of Xantip|n>, Messcliiio, Julia, Aspatia, &c. till this sex has become almost proverbial for weakness and vice. Hut this, we fear, is in a great degree the re sult of ignorance, disappointment or irritation. Among this sex we are nappy to recogni'/.o. mo dels ol every excellence?beings who are not only calculated to excite the warmest aftectiofi, but wlm have also the power to bestow unadul terated happiness. In periods of the greatest j distress and danger, when our sunshine friends I abandon us to misery and despair, women cling to uk with unyielding constancy and unshaken attachment. In all the vicisituden of life, and in all the changes of fortune, alio it* still the same kind, tender, and affectionate friend, whoso attachment oppression cannot wither, nor misfortune destroy. No one can say that sex in contemptible in genius or learning, that has nroduced a l)e Htael, a Dacier, a Hapho, and a Montague?in morals, a Lucretia, a Portia, and an Octavja?and innumerable examples in alt the nobler and more exalted sentiment* of the heart. A late instance which occurred in France should teach us to revere a sex that pos sesses such devoted and disinterested attach ment as distinguish Madame Lavellctte. Hut we have not to wander from the shores of our own country to search for examples of hero ic attachment in all the relations ot lite. We do not hesitate to say that few instances have oc curred of greater warmth of maternal love than than has recently been exhibited by Mrs. ('ra ther. Robbed of a son, a Imy of about twelve years of age, by a negro slave, wlu> Imre him from .South Coridiua to New-York, and there a bandoned him to jier'wh with famine, Mrs. l\ from some slight i.itimation of a discovery, two year* after his departure, left her home, with a sucking child in Iter arms, and on horse-back, and alone, proceeded from town to town, still led on by fresh hope, till she found Iter lung lost son at too house of a Mr. Hlackman, in New Jersey, to which she had l>eon dirert?vl by a gen tleman in Haltimore. Thus equipped she tra velled upwards id' 1,000 miles on horseback, 500 miles in stages and steam bouts, thouh she had never before been froin home?at first bur tailed by the delicious expectation of regaining her darling son, and afterwards supported by the exquinite joy of having found him. It is a memorable Instance of tho energy of maternal love, and should be preserved in the pii'jct of American history.?Natioiiul Itc^htrr. The following extract from the Richmond Compiler (the editor of which merits no little 1?raise for the promptitude with which he made mown the singular case) w ill give our readers some further particulars : " I'tnimina Prathev.?Mrs. Prather, her stick ing child, and her long lost son, reached this city on Sunday lust?Him is on her return home, where her husband and seven other children will hail her arrival, with rapture. If we dwell so long on her cose, it in because it is a new one -*it is one where the most heroic resolution has been exhibited, and danuors dared whit It would have cowed the soul of almost any other woman and it is a cat*, wlioro tho most'extraordinary train of circumstances concurred bring her the reward of all her virtues. It is one of those cases which (Might to he snatched from oblivion. It deserves to live for her own honor, for (hat of her sex* and for that of Iter country. " As wo have already learnt, through tho Haltimore American, the morning on which it was so good a.4 to republish the Article which ap peared in this paper, (stating her case and her advertisement) tlie cony of the American fell into the hands of a sailor* who had boon mate to captain Hlackman. Itfortunatelv happened fcry vet let h|4 fluiv'l in HiitimOio 1 ' but (Sit;, before. iilutkman ha.l left Iter, but llio mate remained in her. lie hail long bo fori) heard tin: story of hi.-t ?ui>fortoiics trum tin* lips of tlio b??y himself, uml was ut no l.?ss to recognize iit (lie dcbcrintioii of the paper, tie: little lout sailor bo*. With that warm |;ear|f which mo often heals in the bailors Iiimoiii, re paired to theollico of tin; Americuti, ami in loriiioil the editor of the discovery ho had iiiatlo ?referring the mother to a hum chant in town, to whom the vessel hail been consigned. Whilu thin clue wan plepariiig for Lor, the pom woman hud been to the jail, uml found that the runaway, whom she had liei-.i to nee within it.-v walls, wixa not her own. Agoni/.etl by this disappointment, "he whs almut giving herself op t.? de?pair, wliou the information of the sailor, unco more shed a beam of hone spun her heart. Who How to tint consignee, (Mr. Haiders tonj and obtained jV.jih him a letter to bin cori opundoijt in Philadel phia, who would give bur tin account of tho jriaec where cUptnin Illackmau then was. Hho Imntcnud to f'Uladcljiliin, und wui informed by the correspondent ul (lie benevolent HaMerstun, that Hlucl.mauwas at <treat l$i<g Harbour, in Now-Jersey. The fctagv brought Iter within a few miles of his farm, which distance she tra velled on foot, when the tint object which met on the farm of Illackmau, wus her long ln-.t son! Tliuy knew each other at the lirst Hij^ht. 44 The littlo boy who in now about fouiiecu years of age give*a very clear unroot of his ad ventures. In the woods near lib. father's house, lie was seized by the slave, who, pieseutinjj a pistol, threatened to shoot him, if lie made any resistance, lie mounted the hov on one of the horses lie had stolen, while he took the other. In this situation he journeyed on from Lauren* district to New -York?usutg the boy as a kind of pai?| ort?now devising one tale and then an other to account for their travelling?sometime* exhibiting the pistol and denouncing vengeance, against the Imy, if he dared to stir Irom Ins side, never sulleriiig him to leave his pioseiicc or hold a private conversation with an v other person.? The boy submitted to bis fate, 'seeing no favora ble opportunity of making bis escape. At l'riucctowu their money gave out: and Mr. (ireen's letter give* the authentic history of their adventures in that place. The moiiev which the benevolence ol its inhabitant* had put into the pockets of the child, was soon taken away by the rapacity of the negro. This mis erable state of pilgrimage ended h( New-York, where the slave sold the horses, and left tin* boy to perish iu the streets?telling him that he was about to enter on board of the vessels. The pour boy, never blessed with a hearty coiniilitutiou, s it lie rod much from sickness uk well as famine. Ho utlotriptcd to interest, strangers iu his behalf; but his tale was so wild and improbable, that no one would credit ir. lie lingered nearly a twelve month in a mo*', destitute situation, being obliged to throw him self into an oyster-cellar, with negroes, to ob tain subsistence by opening oysters. Hut, a* il poverty uud want of sympathy were not enough to try him, be became dangerously ill being taken will** the measles and thu mump* at the same moment. lie could write, but know not bis father's nddress. At length, wandering on the wharves of New-York, ho Cretailed on Capt. lilack man to take him <m oard his vessel. With this man, to whom lift owes so much, and whose kindness has left th? deepest impression of gratltudo upon his heart, he made several trips?two to Vredcricksburg, one or two to ilultimore and Philadelphia,-ami one, during the last spring, to Charleston. Do it understood, that lie never breathed his tale to Captain Jllackmnu?he had been so unfertile nate in producing conviction upon others, that he never tried to tell it to his Captain. Whilst at Charleston, he intunded to nave made hi* escape, but never met with a favorable oppor tunity. 1I? had liegun a letter to his friends but the vessel sailed befure he could complete it. The Captain found the unfit*'shod fragment in his cabin but could not understand it, until the latt accident had furnished him a clue to it. On their return to (freut-Kgg-llaibnr, tlio Captain retired to his farm, and gave the boy the choice^ to go with iiim, or remain iu tho vessel. King being deeply attached to him, preferred going to the farm?and it was here, that his persevering mother found the recom peiMc of all her tfurrificcs in tho arms of her son. "It ii a* honorable to the American character as it is to her own, that wherever sho has been, she has met with nothing but sympathy and respect. Mho had declined receiving any pe cuniary assistance, thinking site had motlov enough to cairy bur honte, and 44 not bejnij satisfied in her ?on'cicnte," as she sa\ s, to to take it when she might not want it?but, as her resources bewail to lail her and her friend-* made the discovery, thov put money into her hands, and paid her fare both in the stagos and steam-boat?'The <:tenm-bnat on the I'otomac. would not take a rent for her passage. A I'otninac Creek, where she had left lifer horse, she H'.'aiu mounted him with Iter two children. She acknowledges with the utmost gratitude the kiuiluesi she iwet wit It from the generous inhabitants of Fredericksburg i?many of whose hands, we know, are "open as day t> melting charity." 44 She is now in this citv?and will rr-iimft her w eary pilgrimage as ?oon n* tin1 weather clears up. JSlie ban yet I or .">? if? miles to re* trace \ and, bv the time *he crosses hey own threshold, wi!! have jnurneved near 10(H) miles on hor?elmelc? e\< losive of -I oi .r>tU> mile* in tho stage and steam boats?ha\ ing sc arce ever be fore tpiitled her own home, almost totally unus ed to the fatigue* of travelling, ami never be fore exposed to it* privations and dangers.? Hiich is the onnojgy of maternal love !" <?al)n<*ili,fix* rctohrflti'il singer, Im* iiur ?1mntv tied five <li(?ii?nh(l ilqc/its of (in'omprivm of U?i)? ?ia* fnr two mnitllm itl Nt. Peter* huri{ti? flio empty** ?* I <lo not j?m fifiv ?>f u?y Jlold-wanliuU nl tlmt rnto." "Itfilmt'bo tlto CMi'/* ro|?1ic?l Uftlu iolli, u your n?nj??*tv'!???? only t?> innko jonr field nittral'ft!* sing." \ ^?1 ? 1