Ceo 



RetrofpeSi of Amtrkan Literature. — Theohgy, 



the office of Prefident of the United 

 Stites, and of Mr. Clinton to that of 

 Vice-Pitfident, which took place early in 

 the prefent year, exhibited io near an ap- 

 proach to ucianimi'y as to excite much 

 furprize. No doubt was enitrtained of 

 the prtfent fyllem of adminiiiration being 

 acceptable to a large majoriiy of the na- 

 tion. But af'.er luch active and unwea- 

 ried efforts on the part of (be Oppofition 

 to calumniate that fyftem, it was hardly to 

 be expefted that fo fmall a portion of ihe 

 oeople would fufier thenifelves to be led 

 artray by them from their bcft interelts. 



The licentioufnefs of the prenTcs em- 

 ployed in oppofition to the prel'ent Admi- 

 niftration has been carried to fuch an ex- 

 cels of violence and rrnlignity, as totally 

 to defeat the defigns of thofe who condufl 

 ed them. Truth may be oblcuied to a 

 ctr'ain point, but mull not be too fra- 

 er'jritly mKreprefen'ed and infulted by 

 TKitfe who mean to deceive. A weak and 

 abfurd degree of virulence has in this 

 cafe not only defeated its own purpoles, 

 but, by lallyiitg the friends, and expofing 

 the aits and defigns of the enemies, of the 

 exilling government, has done it real and 

 laifiiig lervice. 



It would be unneceffary at prefent to 

 reiterate the obfervations which have 

 been formerly made to evince the prolpe- 

 rous fituation and brilliant prolpeS* of 

 the United State*. All the lources of 

 opulence, fecurity, independence, and 

 power, which have been heretofore no- 

 ticed, are(fillahundan» and inexhauftible ; 

 and new ones aie conf^anily opening, 

 which promife to furpafs the old in exube- 

 rance. Leaving it, therefbie, to the voice 

 of fa<5ts, to tile confidence aid affeffions 

 of the people, and lo the award of pofte- 

 rity, to bellow a due tribute ot praile on 

 the preiisnt iyllem of political mealuies, 

 we proceed to tlie details of political lite- 

 rature. 



A great mafs of pamphlets and other 

 minor pub'i. cations on political fubjefls 

 are ioctffantly ifiuing from the prefs in the 

 United States. It would he impraflicable, 

 as well as an abu'e of the tin;e and pa- 

 tience of the reader, to notice the chief 

 part of them. 



'« The Conrtitutionaiift : addrefTed to 

 Men of all Parties in the U.-jted States, 

 by An American," is highly intitled to 

 notice. This pcrrormance is jtidicioiifly 

 defif^ned to expole r>meof the wild, ex ra- 

 wagant, and abfuidexcufances of lepuhli- 

 cniiilm which have here and thtie occa- 

 iionally fhewn thenifelves, loinet.mes 

 ainon^ wcllmeaninj^ men. in the flatagf 



Pennfylvania thefe appearances have beeil 

 oftener exhibited than ellewhere, and it is 

 therefore for the meridian of that ftate 

 that this publication is efpecially de- 

 fjgned. 



Dr. Danforth's " Oration on the 

 Anniverlaiy of American Independence" 

 contaiiis a warm expreffion of political and 

 patriotic feelings : the author fieems to be 

 too much on fire for the cool regions of 

 America. 



'* An Oiation on the Acquifition of 

 Louifiana," by Dr. David Ramsay, of 

 Charlellon, South-C.irolina, affords a good 

 fpecimen of judicious political calculations 

 and reficfti'ns, and, at the fame time, of 

 warm, fpirited, and phiianthro!)ic elo- 

 quence. The author is alreaily well 

 known 10 the literary woild as an hiftorian 

 and medical writer. This [lublication 

 fully fupports the refpeflablc charadler h.e 

 has always h>ld. 



THEOLOGY AND SERMONS. 



We have often felt regret that the the- 

 oljgic>.l literature of the United states 

 fliould be lo much coiifined to the compo- 

 fition of fermrns. The prels has long t 

 been fb overloaded with thij kind of pub- \ 

 licaiion, th^t- it ceafes to hold that intereft 

 in the public tafte which the importance 

 of the (ubjefl undertaken to be difcuffed 

 ought always to infpire. The praflice of 

 publifhing lingle fermons on fubjefls of a 

 local or temporary kind has grown up to 

 an abule whicr. deferves to be diicounte- 

 nanced. While negligence and medio, 

 crity (to fpeak in tlie moft moderate 

 terms) form the charafler of the great 1 

 mil's of thefe performances, it cannot be 

 expe£led that fuch as deferve more refpeft 

 will be difcriminated and attended to in 

 proportion to their merits. 



Our attention is drawn, in the firft 

 place, to a volume of " Sermons on va- . 

 rious important Subjefls," by the Rev. 

 Andrew Lee, A M., Pallor of the 

 North Church at Lifbon, in the State of 

 Conneificut. This brdy of fermons 

 contains no inc' nfiderable fhare of good 

 fenfe, weighty ciiicuflion, and folid inltruc. 

 tion. They will be relifhed by that re* 

 fpeftable groupe of readers who prefer 

 whatever is rational, lenous, and impor- 

 tant, even when cloathed in a hoir.ely 

 drels, to that light and fanciful nntter 

 whicn is t' o often thrown out to the pub- 

 lic in the (iiape ot fermons. Such as ex- 

 p-£l embelliihments cf ftylc, locidrcfs of 

 arrangement, or novelty ot reiearch, will 

 bedilsppuiitcd in the pcruiai ot thefedii- 

 courfe». 



Much commendation has been deferv> 

 edljr 



