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626 Animadverfions on American Literature. 
éently to convey his excellent maxims 
to the capacities of his countrymen, 
but he became, in fome meafure, the 
founder of bad tafte among them. The 
ever-weaning fondnefs of Americans 
for whatever is American, is the caufe 
ef their copying his ftyle, which moft of 
their writers evidently do, without con- 
dering that he meant to convey in- 
ruction, not propofe imitation. His 
=xperiments on the Lleétric Fluid with 
Paper Kites and Metallic Conductors, 
obtained -him the charaéer, among 
Europeans, of an affiduous fearcher 
into the myfteries of Nature; but his 
writings could neverraifeé him to the 
rank of a fine writer. In this, there- 
fore, the Americans err egregioufly. 
Another caufe of their prefent bad 
afte, is the daily trafh, to call it no 
worle, of their Newfpapers: thefe ve- 
hicles of rancour and abufe may be 
juttly compared to mud-carts, which, 
being charged to the brim with edito- 
ral filth, the combatants mount, and- 
‘begin to pelt each other. The fur- 
rounding populace admire their dexte- 
sity, and, when oneof them happens te 
place a handful of dirt in the face of 
an antagonift, rend the air with their 
thouts of ‘* Well aimed, Citizen!* 
*¢ Bravo, Republican!” ‘ See how 
nicely Philanthropos hath bedaubed 
A Lover of Truth!” This. elegant 
amufement engages all ranks; and the 
regimen, which at frit difgufts the men- 
tal appetite, becomes familiar through 
repetition, till the palate not only bears 
with, but relifhes it. One third of the 
American Newfpapers is filled with this 
ftuff, under the different heads of 
<< Liberty,” ** Equality,” Order,” and 
<< Conftitution.” One other third is filled 
with uncouth advértifements, written, 
in general, in language, and abounding 
in. phrafes, wholly unint-lligible to 
the Englits reader ; and the remaining 
third with domeftic occurrences, de- 
tailed with the utmoft pompofity by 
€ditors, the furnitere ot whofe heads 
appears to be of the fame fublflance as 
their types. 
To a free government, a free prefs is 
an indifpenfable fupport, waiiit con- 
ducted with iteadinefs' and decorum 3; 
bat, if abufed, it becomega moti certain 
engine of its overthrow. Under its 
fhelter, like Roman foldiers under a 
zeftudo, ambitious, difcontented, de- 
figning men, covered from the arrows 
et the law, march up to fap and un- 
dermine the very walis.of their country’s 
liberty. 
that which 
for models of the latter, wherever they 
Can it then bea matter of aftonifh- 
ment, that Americans are heedlefs of a 
literary reputation, if they encourage 
their prefs,the palladium of their liberty, 
in fuch hands? If the Newfpapers are, 
almoft, the only publications in the 
country, and thofe, as numbers amongft _ 
themfelves admit, execrably conducted, - 
can it furprize that the public tafte 
grows every day more vitiated? With 
what fentiments can Americans put 
into the hands of their rifing progeny 
thofe papers which pour forth the mott 
fcurrilous inveétives in the moft vulgar 
Janguage, and give the lie direct as 
common as any other reply? Can it be 
with a view to expofe to them the folly of 
intemperance, asa certain Roman made 
his. flaves drunk before his children, in 
order to give them an early diftafte of 
the vice? If fo, they certainly take a 
proper siiethod; but whilft warning 
them againft bad tafte, they fhould take 
the neceffary fteps to point ont to them 
good: thofe are, to feek 
are to be found; if not among them- 
felves, among other nations. England 
and France, though mortal political 
enemies, have, to their higheft honor, 
ever been {cientific friends; proud of 
borrowing, and acknowledging with 
pleafure the imprevements which they 
have received from each other. Ame- 
Tica, as is obvious to every obferving .. 
traveller, prefers, and glories in pre- 
ferring, nay, almoft forbids every thing 
but what is American, however de- 
grading its inferiority. They call this 
Patriotifm; it rather deferves to be 
called Purblindnefs : A 
Literature, among Americans, is, 
ftriétly (peaking, confined to a jobbing 
in that article. Does a Britith publica- 
tion, or tranflation, of any notoriety - 
come out, an American bibliopoliit ob- 
tains a iingle copy, puts it to the prefs, 
puffs it in the newfpapers, entreats the 
partiality of his brethren to the new 
American work, in exclufion of the 
Britifh, and palms a very inferior edi- 
tion upoh them, at more than double 
the price !—Is this generous? One re= 
markable inftance of this conduct fhall 
be related: the moft produétive, and 
conicquently, among Americans the 
moit efteemed Britith publication whick 
ever appearedin the United States, was _ 
that oz -Hamilton Moore, on Navi- 
gation: being mm the hands of every 
American feamen, it had a moft exten- 
live fale. This their bibliepolifts were 
lon g 
