56 LIFF^ OF BENJAMIN SILLIMAN. 



society. The idea appears to have been suggested 

 by Goldsmith's " Letters of a Chinese Philosopher." 

 In one of these papers he descants upon the recent 

 American poets, D wight, Barlow, Trumbull, and 

 Humphreys; and is bold enough to qualify his praise 

 of the " Conquest of Canaan " the youthful pro- 

 duction of Dwight by confessing that " his rhyme, 

 from the length of the poem, produces an uniformity 

 which is sometimes unpleasant." In 1802 Mr. Silli- 

 man was honored with an invitation to deliver an 

 address before the Society of Cincinnati, at Hart- 

 ford. The theme of his oration was, " The Theories 

 of Modern Philosophy in Religion, Government, and 

 Morals, contrasted with the Practical System of 

 New England." He attacks the Gallic theories of 

 human rights, the notion that particular affections 

 are to be supplanted by a general benevolence, and 

 other pestilent heresies of that day. No small part 

 of the discourse is levelled at Godwin's " Political 

 Justice," which had made some stir in this country; 

 and notice is taken of the work of Godwin's mis- 

 tress and subsequent wife, Miss Wolstonecraft's 

 " Vindication of the Rights of Woman." The polit- 

 ical bearing of the discourse was too obvious for it 

 to be neglected by the democratic newspapers, which 

 bestowed upon it their censure. But it was accept- 

 able to the Federalists, and given to the press. 



Allusion has already been made to Mr. Silliman's 

 juvenile essays in poetry. His piece at graduation 

 was a poetical sketch of the condition of the Euro- 

 pean nations, in contrast with the comparatively 

 happy lot of his own country. The closing passage 

 is creditable to his feelings, and is at the same time 

 a fair specimen of his verse : 



