AMERICAN PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY. O 



The contrary opinion, or rather doubt, is of recent 

 date. Ever since I had the honor to be a member of 

 this Society, 1 a I felt a great interest in its history; I 

 had frequent conversations with men who took a part 

 in its formation, and particularly with the venerable 

 Bishop White, whose loss we still deplore, and who 

 was a member of the " American " Society. He loved 

 to talk upon the subject. He informed me of many 

 details respecting the union of the two Societies, 

 which are not to be found in their records, some of 

 which I have given in this sketch, that the memory 

 of them may be preserved; but neither he, nor any 

 body else at that time doubted of the "American" 

 Society , having Jbeen a continuation of the Junto; 

 which, extending its views and desirous of enlarging 

 its sphere of action, thought proper to modify its 

 rules and to adopt a new name ; this fact, until a very 

 late period, was admitted by all. 



To this traditional testimony we may add that of 

 Franklin himself, to show that the Junto continued 

 in existence until the time of its union with the 

 "Philosophical" Society. While absent in Europe 

 on public business, he never lost sight of his favorite 

 Club, as he called it ; in his letters to his friend Hugh 

 Koberts, which Mr. Sparks has preserved for us, he 

 never fails to mention it with affection, as will appear 

 from the following extracts : 



On the 16th of July 1753, he writes: "My respects 

 to Mrs. Roberts, and all our old friends of the Junto. 2 



la Mr. Du Ponceau was elected a member July 15, 1791. 

 2 7 Sparks' " Franklin," 77. 



