
"7 E thould charge ourfelves with ingratitude to the Public, did we 
fuffer another Volume to clofe, without exprefinz our warmeft 

acknowledgments for a degree of {upport furpaffing our moft fanguine 
expectations, and, we believe, unprecedented in the hiftory of periodi- 
eal publications To have attained, within the courfe of three years, A 
SALE confiderably fuperior to that of any other work of the fame defignation, 
and equal to that of any literary journal tn thts country, is {uch a teftimony 
of the approbation of our Readers, as .e cannot contemplate without a 
degree of exuitation. We will venture alfo to obferve, that—confidering 
the principles upon which our work has been conducted, thofe which 
were formerly thought characteriftic of a country, which boafts of its 
civil and religious freedom—the fuccefs it has met with is a pleafing 
proof, that the caufe of liberty is not in fo deferted a fate as fome ofits 
defponding friends have imagined ; and that, whatever may be the change 
in the fentiments of the higher clafies, and the ignorant apathy of the 
loweft, the middle ranks, in whom the great mafs of information, and 
_ 
ofpublic and private virtue refides, are, by no means, difpofed to refign - 
the advantages of liberal difcuffion, and extenfive enquiry. We do not, — 
by this obfervation, intend to reprefent our work as properly a political 
one; but, we know, it could not be relithed by thofe who think, that 
the beft way of preventing the dangers of innovation, is to check all 
fpirit of improvement, to ftifle all refearch, and to preclude all infor- 
mation concerning foreign inflituuons which might poflibly fuggett 
unfavourable comparifons with our own. It is, on the contrary, our 
peculiar pride to have contributed to a more extenfive acquaintance witla 
the proceedings, civil and literary, of other countries, than has been 
—ufually obtainable from Englifh publications. ‘To continue to merit a 
diftin&tion of this kind, fhall ever be a leading obje&t with us. We 
fhall fpare no pains to effect it; and we are happy to announce, that, by 
means of fome new literary connexions in AMERICA, we .fhall poffefs 
peculiar advantages in prefenting to our Readeis, accounts of the -moft 
interefting circumftinces belonging to the United States. 
Though 
