Pe en 7) 
HALF-YEARLY RETROSPECT OF AMERICAN LITERATURE. 
THE lat fix months have not paffed 
away without furnifhing fomething for 
the literary hiftorian. | Books and pam- 
phlets continue to iffue from the prefs, 
and to be fought after with increafing avi- 
dity. Indeed, when the population of 
America is confidered—when their confe- 
derated government is taken into view,— 
and when the fixteen Independent States 
ofswhich it is compofed, are brought into 
contemplation, it muft neceflarily appear, 
that in fuch a numerous fociety, where 
free dicfuffion is fo prevalent, print- 
ing” fhould be extenfively employed as the 
means of ftating and diffufing intelligence. 
By a curfory review of what has been 
publifhed within the laft half-year, it wil} 
appear in what manner the typographic. 
art has contributed to general information. 
NEWSPAPERS. _ 
In America no excife as yet been laid 
upon printing- paper, nor has the ffumping 
of newfpapers been as yet reforted to, 
as a means of raifing revenue. The 
eagernefs of the people for news is almolt 
infatiable, and Gazettes are publifhed not 
only in the fea-ports and large towns but 
in almoft every confiderable village in the 
interior part of the country. The num- 
ber of thefe fheets ‘which iflue from their 
refpeétive prefles, once, twice, thrice and 
fix times a week, is almoft incredible. 
They contain a large proportion of com- 
mercial intelligence and _ fhip-news. 
Many of their columns are regularly filled 
with advertifements of tings for pri- 
vate fale, or to be difpofed of at auction. 
They contain occafionally, large and de- 
tailed accounts of foreign-news, chiefly 
copied from the -Gazettes of Great Bri- 
tain, and fometimes tranflated from 
French and German Journals. As elec- 
tions are very frequent in America, and 
there takes place a competition for the ho- 
hours and diftinétions of offices between 
rival candidates, the newfpapers are re- 
forted to on fuch occafions, to difcufs the 
merits and demerits of thofe who are 
the objeéts of popular fuffrage. Calumny, 
flander and abufe, are therefore very abun- 
dant in the American. newfpapers, in 
which licentioufnefs of printing is carried 
to a greater extent than in any other part 
of the world. For the fame reafon the 
political parties, which divide the politics 
of the country, attack each other in thefe 
publications with the utmoft acrimony and 
virulence. Selfifhnefs, venality, corrup- 
tion and peculation, are common charges 
againft public men. Cunning, duplicity, 
fimulation and every thing bad, are 
afcribed to each party by their opponents. 
Deifm and atheifm, philofophifm and itu- 
minatiim, are afcribed to one party, who 
retort upon their adverfaries, the charge 
of bigotry, fuperftition, hypocrify and 
prieftcraft, To a foreigner who reads 
their Gazettes, it would appear that the 
rancour and intolerance of party-politics 
raged without controul, and that the focial 
ftate of America was disfigured and dif 
graced by the moft unbridled abufe of the 
prefs. ‘The greater part, however, of 
their violent and inflammatory publica- 
tions, indicate lefs the temper of the 
public mind, than the bitter and furious 
fpirit of the individual who pens them. 
Yet they have an influence among 
the perfons who read them, and contribute 
in no {mall degree to foment thofe unfo- 
cial and malevolent paffions, which to the 
fhame of the times it muft be owned, dif- 
traét the public counfels, diflurd the 
tranquillity of neighbourhoods, and engen- 
der hoftility between them, equally pub. 
lic-fpirited, wife and patriotic. In the 
United States, newfpapers are printed in 
the Englifh,Germanand French languages, 
| POLITICS. 
Within the period of this retrofpe&t, a 
confiderable change has taken place in 
American politics. Since Wafhington 
left the prefidency, four years have elapfeds 
and during that time, John Adams has 
been the prefident of the United States.. 
His eleStion wascarried by the fmall majori~ 
ty, of three votes above the numbee 
given to Thomas Jefferfon. To under- 
{tand the ftate of parties there, it will be 
neceflary to ftate a few facts. During the 
conteft with Great Britain, the denomina- 
tions of the parties were Whigs and 
Tories, Provincials and Regulars, or 
Rebels and Loyalifts, according to the 
opinion and humour of the perfons whe 
‘mentioned them. After the termination 
of the truggle, the Tory party was_con- 
fidered as extin&t, the Whigs having ob- 
tained an entire afcendancy. But not 
long after the enemy had withdrawn, a 
divifion arofe among the Whigs themfelves. 
Befides feveral fmaller matters of vari- 
ance, they differed very widely onthe form 
and-adminiftration of their National Go- 
vernment as a confederation of Independent 
States. In the opinion of fome, the 
bond of alliance which had-held them te- 
gether during the revolutionary war, was 
tee 
SA TN > ee eae ee Se 
