INTRODUCTORY DISCOURSE. 13 



iinalJy dismembered the british empire. The study of the law as a libe- 

 ral profession, necessarily leads to investigations with regard to the ori- 

 gin of government, the constitutions of states, and the objects of juris- 

 prudence. The influence of this profession upon the political events of 

 the times could not escape the sagacity of Burke : he assigns it as one of 

 the causes of the revolution. "This study," says he, "render men 

 acute, inquisitive, dexterous, prompt in attack, ready in defence, full 

 of resources. In other countries the people, more simple and of a less 

 mercurial cast, judge of an ill principle in government by an actual 

 grievance : here they anticipate the evil, and judge of the pressure of 

 the grievance by the badness of the principle ; they augur misgovern- 

 ment at a distance, and snuff the approach of tyranny in every tainted 

 breeze."* 



The statesmen who appeared at the dawn of the revolution attracted 

 the admiration of Europe ; and the masterly state papers which our 

 stale convention, and the general congress promulgated, breathed the 

 genius of Greece and the invincible spirit of Rome ; and covered with 

 glory the american name. " When," said the elder Pitt, " when your 

 lordships look at the papers transmitted us from America ; when you 

 consider their decency, firmness, and wisdom, you cannot but respect 

 their cause and wish to make it your own. For myself I must declare- 

 and avow, that in all my reading and observation, and it has been my 

 favourite study, (I have read Thucydides, and hare studied and admired 

 the master states of the world,) that, for solidity of reasoning, force of 

 sagacity, and wisdom of conclusion, under such a complication of diffi- 

 cult circumstances, no nation or body of men can stand in preference to 

 the general congress at Philadelphia.''! 



The convulsions, devastations, and horrors which attended the revo- 

 lution were ill calculated to cherish the interests of science. Out- 

 seminaries of education were broken up ; and all our attention was 

 occupied in resisting the calamities which pressed upon our country. 

 The restoration of peace opened blighter prospects ; but an unsettled 

 government, and a variety of other obstacles, prevented for a time 

 much attention to literature. In imitation of the Royal-Society of Lon- 

 don, which was established at the close of the civil wars, an attempt was 

 made to found a philosophical society in this city in 1784 ; but it per- 

 ished in embryo. King's-College was revived on the 13th of April, 1784. 

 under the name of Columbia-College. Union-College was founded in 

 1795. Hamilton-College, in 1812; and there are now near forty incor- 

 porated academies dispersed over the state, which probably contain 

 nbout three thousand scholars. A Botanic-Garden was founded iu th 

 vicinity of this city in 1801 .(3) A College of Physicians and Surgeons 



; Speech on conciliation with America. 



- Speech on a motion to remove the troops from Boston. 



