COMMUNICATION OF J. FRANCIS FISHER. 145 



presumptuous in me, to differ on any point from our 

 learned President before hearing all he has to say: 

 But, it is precisely because I wish to avoid all collision 

 with him, because I do not wish to appear to correct 

 his statements or inferences that I now submit the 

 following pages which contain my own notions as 

 to the origin of our Society, not thinking that my view 

 & inferences from the xunie facts ought for a moment 

 to be considered with those of M r DuPonceau, but 

 expecting to adduce some authority new to him, 

 which if the history of the American Philosophical 

 Society is to be printed ought not to be disregarded. 

 I have however a still stronger reason for trespass 

 ing on your attention. It is to do justice to my 

 friend M r Sparks, and his very valuable publication 

 If there are errors in his account of our Society, / 

 am answerable for them, as it is in great measure 

 made up from extracts taken by myself from the old 

 Minute Books. He requested me to examine them for 

 him, send him such excerpts as I thought important, 

 and give him my own view of the origin of our 

 Society. I did so at large, and it is from my notes 

 that he abridged his account of the two original 

 Associations. 



I have not a copy of my letter to him, but I will 

 endeavour to recollect and as briefly as possible 

 repeat the important facts in it. It is a matter of no 

 moment to myself whether I be found right or in 

 error but it may be thought of some importance that 



