INTRODUCTORY DISCOURSE. 



:n>kl and uu enterprising spirit had, ia some degree, surinouutcd the disad 

 vantages of a colonial state ; and the general ease and plenty which pre- 

 vailed through the province, called off' the attention of many from the 

 pursuits of laborious occupations to the .cultivation of the mind. The 

 value of education was estimated as the privation of it was experienced ; 

 and many young men were sent to the colleges of the eastern colonies, 

 and to the universities of Great Britain, for the benefits of education. 

 Some of our lawyers were brought up in the Inns of court, and some of 

 our physicians were instructed in the celebrated schools of London and 

 Edinburgh. 



This nisus of the human mind, to emancipate itself from the slavery 

 of ignorance, appeared in a variety of other shapes. In 1754 a public 

 library was founded in this city. On the 31st of October, in the same 

 year, King's (now Columbia) College received its charter ; and the first 

 commencement was held in 1758. A faculty of medicine was annexed 

 to that institution in 1769, and 'Glossy, Bard, Jones, and Middleton, men 

 of great eminence, were appointed to direct its destinies. A general 

 taste for science and literature began to exhibit itself. At the head of 

 those distinguished men, who devoted themselves to the interests of 

 knowledge, may be justly placed Cadwallader Colden a man of great men- 

 tal acumen and of extensive acquirements : he was, for along time lieu- 

 lenaut governor of the province ; and he spent a great portion of a lon^ 

 life in the cultivation of letters and in a literary correspondence with 

 Linnaeus, Franklin, and the other illustrious sa vans of the age. He illus- 

 trated the botany of this country, composed many interesting works, 

 %vas intimately acquainted with the newtonian philosophy, aad was 

 learned in his profession as a physician. A history of the colony was 

 written by William Smith, whom dr. Robertson has denominated the in- 

 genious historian of New- York. Attempts wore made to emulate the 

 periodical writings which adorned tlie literature of Great Britain. In 

 1752 several weekly essays were published under the title of the Inde- 

 pendent Reflector. Although at this day there appears nothing excep- 

 tionable in them, yet they did not suit the temper of the times ; they 

 excited the resentment of some of the leading men ; and a clergyman 

 denounced the writer from the pulpit, and compared him to Gog and 

 Magog. The printer was filially menaced into a discontinuance of the 

 publication, and it expired with the 52d number. In 1755 a series of 

 well- written essays, under the title of the Watch- Tower, was published 

 in the New- York Mercury printed by Hugh Game. 



The public attention was, however, principally engrossed hi religious 

 controversies. In the time of governor Fletcher the episcopalians were 

 favoured with a partial establishment in this and three of the neighbour- 

 ing counties. This exceptionable measure excited much uneasiness ; 

 and a proposition to establish bishops in America, although reasonable 

 was resisted with great zeal ; acd produced a long aad vioJe&t 



