in the United States of America. 445 
writers stimulate us to inquiry, that we may ascertain whether their 
animadversions are well founded or not? We see the same critics 
censure the Scotticisms of their northern brethren, the pecul- 
jarities of the Zrsh, and the provincial corruptions of their own 
English writers. We cannot therefore be so wanting in liberality as 
to think, that, when deciding upon the literary claims of Americans, 
they are governed wholly by prejudice or jealousy. A suspicion of 
this sort should be the less readily entertained, as we acknowledge that 
they sometimes do justice to ourcountrymen. The writings of Dr. 
Franklin, for example, have received their unqualified praise ; and a 
few other American authors have been liberally commended by them. 
The opinions of these critics too are supported by those of some 
distinguished menin our own country. Dr. Franklin censures, with- 
out reserve, ‘the popular errors several of our own states are continually 
falling into,” with respect to “‘ expressions and pronunciation.” Dr. 
Witherspoon, who, by having been educated in Great Britain, and by his 
subsequent long. reswlencs. in the United States, was peculiarly well 
arks :——“ I shall also admit, though 
« with some’ “hesitation, that P pticsies ct whalers os Great Wrllin 
“speak as much with the vulgar in common chit chat, as persons of 
« the same class do in America ; but there isa remarkable difference 
“ jn their public and solemn discourses. I have heard in this coun- 
« try in the senate, at the bar, and from the pulpit, and see daily in dis- 
« sertations from the press, errors in grammar, improprieties and yul- 
“ garisms, which hardly any person of the same class in point of rank 
« and literature would have fallen into in Great Britain.” 
With these opinions of such distinguished writers before us, shall. 
we entertain the illiberal jealousy that justice is intentionally withheld 
from us by our English brethren? Let us rather imitate the exam- 
762 a 
re. -—— 
alified j sn 
