Addresses from Sister Societies 205 



THE UNIVERSITY OF ST. ANDREWS 



The University of St. Andrews claims the privilege 

 of presenting its felicitations to the American Philosoph- 

 ical Society on the occasion of the two hundredth anni- 

 versary of the birth of Benjamin Franklin, so notable 

 as Journalist, Statesman, Diplomatist, and man of 

 Science. 



The celebration of anniversaries is a ground of con- 

 gratulation or of regret according as they mark the 

 progress or the decadence of the cause which they com- 

 memorate, and if this University is proud to-day, as 

 the recipient may have been proud at the time, of the 

 diploma conferred by it in the year 1759 upon "Mr. 

 Benjamin Franklin, famous for his writings on elec- 

 tricity," the reason is that the magnificent development 

 of learning and philosophy in the United States, as we 

 know them, had its germ in the spirit of freedom and 

 intelligence which displayed itself in that great citizen 

 before the States were a nation. 



The University of St. Andrews, through its Rector, 



sends greeting to the American Philosophical Society 



as a body of friends and fellow students, to whose minds 



it desires to be present on an occasion which concerns 



the entire Republic of Letters. 



James Donaldson, 



Vice-Chancellor. 



