54 REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE 



of Mr. Sparks is destined to go to posterity, he ex- 

 presses his desire to correct it, and to give the rea- 

 sons for his "fullest convictions that the "American 

 Society " was no other than the Junto established by 

 Franklin. " 



The opinion thus published by Mr. Sparks was 

 founded upon statements furnished, at his request, 

 by Mr. Fisher. The latter, conscious of this fact, 

 and being satisfied that the paper of Mr. Du Ponceau, 

 when read, would be found to object to the account 

 given of the origin of the Society by Mr. Sparks, felt 

 himself called upon to mention that account, as alone 

 answerable for it. Accordingly, between the pres- 

 entation and reading of Mr. Du Ponceau's paper, 

 Mr. Fisher prepared the Communication, which was 

 referred to this Committee at the same time with that 

 of Mr. Du Ponceau. 



Since the reference of the Communications, the 

 Committee have received from the authors, the fol- 

 lowing papers, to which, though not formally re- 

 ferred to them, they have given attentive considera- 

 tion. 



1. Mr. Du Ponceau to Mr. Kane, June 29th, 1840. 



2. Note by Mr. Du Ponceau to his paper, June 30th. 



3. Mr. Fisher to Mr. Du Ponceau, June 30th. 



4. Mr. Du Ponceau's answer to Mr. Fisher, July 1st. 



5. Mr. Fisher to the Committee, Nov. 13th. 1 



The Committee, fully sensible of the interest felt 



1 These papers are not in the Archives of the Society. 



