1785] REV. WILLIAM SMITH, D. D. 249 



Dr. Smith to Dr. West 



My Dear and Rev. Sir: Mr. Bowly will shew you the Baltimore 

 Subscription Paper, begun here for the college. Yourself, the Rev. Mr. 

 Sewell and Daniel Bowly, Thomas Yates, Thomas Russell, Luther Mar- 

 tin and David McMechin, Esqs., are nominated to take subscriptions 

 and depute others in your town and county, in conjunction with Dr. 

 Allison and Mr. Sterret, who are two of the agents, and have a right to 

 open subscriptions themselves and to add any other persons they may 

 think proper to those already named. The form of deputation Dr. Al- 

 lison will see at the end of the subscription paper already began, and 

 signed by Richard Ridgely, Daniel Bowly, Luther Martin, Thomas 

 Yates. Mr. McMechin has subscribed the paper which was signed in 

 the Senate and House of Delegates. Near two thousand pounds are 

 subscribed in this town in twenty-four hours. Baltimore, no doubt, will 

 far exceed any other place, nay, perhaps half this shore. 



Considerable alterations were made in the plan first settled by Mr. 

 Carroll, Dr. Allison and myself, respecting the nice provisos amongst 

 different denominations in proportion to their subscriptions. The paper 

 was printed off before I came over. But I was told by Carroll of Car- 

 rollton, Mr. Sprigg, etc., that the alterations were made in concert with 

 Dr. Allison. I am satisfied, as I hope all our society will be, with the 

 plan as it now is, and as I would have agreed it should originally have 

 been, as I know that a. few grains of mutual confidence and benevolence 

 among different denominations of Christians will be better than splitting 

 and torturing a design of this kind with all the provisos possible. 

 Christian good will is not to be weighed out by drains and scruples. It 

 should be iinconfined and universal. 



Please to deliver two of the blank subscriptions to Dr. Allison, and as 

 Mr. Bowly is setting off, give the Doctor the perusal o^ this letter, as I 

 cannot find time to write to him myself. Give the Rev. Mr. Sewell a 

 subscription paper. Tell him that Mr. Digges will write to him, I be- 

 lieve, by Mr. Sprigg to-morrow, as I shall to Rev. Mr. Andrews. Car- 

 roll of Carrollton, Mr. Digges, etc., have subscribed liberally, as it is 

 expected the rest of that society will do. I am, in haste. 



Your affectionate brother, 



William Smith. 

 Rev. Dr. VVm. West. 



On May 5th, 1785, Dr. Smith mentions in his diary his having 

 attended the funeral of his old friend, Christian Frederick Post, at 

 Germantown ; returning to the city with Dr. White in his chair.* 



*This reverend mnn, the most adventurous of Moravian missionaries employed 

 among the North American Indians, was horn at Conitz, Polish Prussia, in 1710. He 

 emigrated to this country in June, 1742. Between 1743 and 1749 he was a mission- 



