MOREAU DE SAINT MERY AND HIS FRENCH FRIENDS 

 IN THE AMERICAN PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY. 



Bv JOSEPH G. ROSENGARTEN. 

 {Read April so, igii.) 



Born at Fort Royal, Island of Martinique in 1750, dying at Paris 

 in 1819, Moreau de St. Mery had a career characteristic of the stormy 

 period through which he passed. Of a good family of Poitou, his 

 father's early death left him with little means. At nineteen he came 

 to Paris, became a King's gendarme, studied law, letters and mathe- 

 matics. Returning to Martinique he became a lawyer at Cap Frangais, 

 and in 1780 a member of the Upper Council of Saint Domingo. He 

 classified the laws of the French Colonies of the Antilles ; discov- 

 ered and restored the tomb of Columbus, and sent many scientific 

 papers and many curious archcological articles to the American 

 Philosophical Society, and was elected a member in 1789. 



Returning to Paris as a member of the Constituent Assembly 

 from Martinique, he was warmly welcomed by the scientific world 

 in recognition of his frequent contributions to scientific societies. 



When the French Revolution broke out, he was elected President 

 of the Electors of Paris, twice addressed Louis XVI. on their behalf, 

 and was fond of boasting that for three days he had been King 

 of Paris, and helped to secure for Lafayette the command of the 

 National Guard. 



Elected Deputy from Martinique in 1790, he brought many colo- 

 nial matters before the Constituent Assembly, and in 1791 became 

 a member of the Judicial Council. 



Wounded in an attack by a maddened crowd, he took refvige in a 

 country village in Normandy, escaped the guillotine and came to the 

 LTnited States. After a short stay in New York, he settled in Phila- 

 delphia in 1793, opened a book store at Front and Walnut Streets, 

 and became active in the Philosophical Society, attended its meet- 

 ings regularly, contributing papers, making gifts to its collections, 



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