of perufal.

Eulogy on General Alexander Hamilton, pronounced at the request of the citizens of Bfton, July 26, 1804, by Hon. Harrifon G. Otis, Efj. Bofton. Manning & Loring. 80. pp. 24..

THE defign of pronouncing encomiums on the dead, is to promote the practice of virtue among the living. To be infenfible of worth, is to be brutifh; to difcern, and not to acknowledge, admire, and defire to imitate it, indicates a mind perverted by the worst paffions. Before nations were corrupted, they have always honoured the memories of their illuftrious statesmen and heroes; and in proportion to the prevalence of national virtue, men have ever been fatisfied with the fimpleft expreffions of public gratitude. A wreath of laurel has been deemed an ample reward of a life of toil and danger "in the tented field," and even banifliment and penury have been endured without repining, when cheered by the affurance that pofterity will vindicate the fame of the injured. Under our own government, which refts on public virtue as its bafis, no means fhould be left unattempted to excite and strengthen thofe principles, from which it mult derive its fecurity; and as the efficacy of example furpaffes all others, it would be injuftice to the community to entomb the wife and good without commending their virtues, with gratitude recount

our children fome testimonial by which they may duly appreciate their characters, and be encouraged to imitation.

Since the demife of Washington, no event, in our country, has excited fuch fenfations of national grief, as the death of Gen. Hamilton. Concerning his talents and his fervices, among the impartial, there is but one opinion. He was a great man, and eminently useful in every public department which he filled; "fed nemo omnibus horis fapit." Except in one refpect, Mr. Otis has fuftained the character of an eulogift, in a manner highly honourable to himself and fatisfactory to all parties. His style is fimple, dignified and adapted to his fubject. The biography of illuftrious men furnithes the moft inftructive hiftory of the times in which they lived, as it is from their fentiments and examples that each age derives its complexion. In defcribing the character of Gen. Hamilton, Mr. Otis had occafion to refer to almoft all the important events which have tranfpired in our country fince the commencement of that revolution which iffued in its independence. The detail is judicious, animated, and interefting. Yet, as we cannot but lament that Gen. H. did not avail himself of the opportunity with which he was furnished, of difcountenancing the barbarous cuftom to which he fell a martyr, we were disappointed that Mr. O. did not more extensively confider its nature and tendency, and thus complete the work which his friend began, but had not ref

olution to finish. If the fhade of Hamilton could have dictated an addrefs to the public, we believe that it would have confifted of the most impreffive admonitions to beware of his example. That Gen. H. had often spoken with unrestrained freedom of Mr. Burr, he would not deny; and his courage had been too well afcertained to be doubted by any. Why, therefore, fhould he voluntarily expofe his life to the malice of a fanguinary enemy? Duelling, he acknowledged, was inconfiftent with his principles. Why, then, did he violate thofe principles of fociety and of religion? We will not enter into a difcuffion of this subject; but, in justice to Mr. Otis, we will quote the paragraphs in which he mentions the death of Gen. Hamilton, which will furnish a fair fpecimen of the author's ftyle, whilft in fkreens us from the imputation of illiberal judgment.

"While it is far from my intention to draw a veil over this last great error, or in the least measure to justify a practice, which threatens in its progrefs to destroy the liberty of fpeech and of opinion; it is but juftice to the deceased, to ftate the circumstances which fhould palliate the resentment that may be excited in fome good minds towards his memory. From the last sad memorial which we poffefs from his hand, and in which, if our tears permit, we may trace the fad prefage of the impending catastrophe, it appears that his religious principles were at variance with the practice of duelling, and that he could not reconcile his benevolent heart to fhed the blood of an adversary in private combat, even in his own defence. It was then from public motives that he committed this great mistake. It was for the benefit of his country that he erroneously conceived himself ●bliged to make the painful facrifice of

his principles, and to expofe his life. The fober judgment of the man, was confounded and mifdirected by the evidently adverted to the poffibility of jealous honour of the foldier; and he events, that might render indifpenfable the efteem and confidence of foldiers as well as of citizens.

aberration of the judgment of a great "But while religion mourns for this

man, fhe derives fome confolation from

his teftimony in her favour. If the rejects the apology, the admits the repentance; and if the good example be not the bad. Let us then, in an age of inan atonement, it may be an antidote for fidelity, join, in imagination, the defolate group of wife and children and friends, who furround the dying bed of the inquifitive, the luminous, the fcien

tific Hamilton, and witness his atteftation to the truth and comforts of our

holy religion. Let us behold the lofty warrior bow his head before the Crofs of the meek and lowly Jesus; and he who had fo lately graced the fumptuous tables and fociety of the luxurious and rich, now, regardless of these meaner

pleafures, and afpiring to be admitted to a fublime enjoyment with which no worldly joys can compare-to a devout and humble participation of the bread of life. The religious fervour of his last moments was not an impulfe of decaying nature yielding to its fears, but the refult of a firm conviction of the truths of the Gofpel. I am well informed, that in early life, the evidences of the Chriftian religion had attracted his ferious examination, and obtained his deliberate affent to their truth, and that he daily upon his knees devoted a portion of time to a compliance with one of its most important injunctions : And that however thefe edifying propenfities might have yielded occafionally to the bufinefs and temptations of life, they always refumed their influence, and would probably have prompted him to a public profeffion of his faith in his Redeemer."

An introduction to Spelling and Reading, in two volumes being the firft and fecond parts of a Columbian Exercife. The whole comprizing an eafy and fyftematical method of teaching and of learning the English Language. By Abner Alden, A. M. Vol. I. Containing a felection of words in common ufe, arranged in fuch a manner, as will lead the learner to a right pronunciation. Together with a variety of leffons for reading. The fecond edition corrected and enlarged. Boston. I. Thomas & E. T. Andrews. 12mo. pp. 108.

In fulfilling the duties of our office, we fhall not confine our attention either to works which promife a rapid and extenfive celebrity to their authors, or to fuch as are still wet with the damps of the prefs. We fhall occafionally throw an eye to the ufeful as well as brilliant productions of the age, and endeavour to call the attention of our readers to books which have long fuffered unmerited neglect. Among these we rank the elementary little work of the above mentioned title. It comes before the public with copious recommendations, and we are happy to fay, that it richly deferves them. It poffeffes indeed fo many advantages above the primers in ordinary ufe, that we are furprized it is fo little known, and cannot but wifh it a general circulation.

M.

An oration delivered on the fourth of July, 1804, at St. Peter's church in Salem, Massachusetts;

in commemoration of the indepen dence of the United States. By John Pickering, jun. Salem. J. Cufhing. pp. 24.

THE love of country, like that affection which is confequent on the parental and filial relations, has been confidered natural to man; and independent of the confequences refulting from his conduct, a traitor has ever excited emotions of disgust and horror, nearly allied to those which are awakened by feeing a parent without affection for his offspring, or an infenfible, an ungrateful, and a cruel child. Our moral fentiments, however, like our understandings, derive their ftrength and appropriate direction from excitements judicioufly applied; and except by governments the most defpotic, the policy has been univerfally adopted to rouse and to ftrengthen patriotifm, by celebrating the moft diftinguifhed national epochs. The 4th of July, 1776, is a day never to be forgotten by Americans. To the revolution by which it was preceded, every future generation may recur with triumph; and the continuance of thofe principles, manners, and feelings in which it originated and by which it was conducted, will ever be the moft efficient fecurity of the independence in which it iffued.

We pass unnoticed the ephemeral performances which have iffued from the prefs commemorative of this event, because we wifh not to prolong an existence which is worse than ufelefs. The oration of Mr. Pickering, however, claims our attention, by the

fober eloquence and juftnefs of fentiment by which it is characterized. His object is to "notice the origin, to confider the principles of our independence and the confequences expected to refult from it." The defign and the arrangement are lucid and confiftent. The ftyle is fimple and energetic; and the tendency of the whole is to awaken our citi zens to a fenfe of the dangers which furround them, and to animate their exertions to bequeath undiminished to their children the privileges they have received. As a chafte, dignified, and impreffive compofition, we recommend it to the turgid declaimers on" liberty, equality, and the rights of man," as a model for their future imitation, affuring them that the friends both of literature and of focial order will derive higher fatisfaction from the perufal of a single page addreffed to the reafon of men, than from volumes of their tentorian and fenfelefs har rangues.

***.

Papers on agriculture; confifting of communications made to the Maffachusetts Society for promoting Agriculture, with extracts from various publications. By the Trustees of the Society. Bofton. Young & Minns. 1804. 8vo.

IF the plough is deferving of high honours in any country on the globe, America is that country. Land is here fo infinitely divided, the cultivators are fo generally proprietors of the foil, and that foil is fo lightly burdened with taxes, that Columbians have every Vol. I. No. 10. LII

inducement to become acquainted with agriculture, and to refpect the citizen, who, if he cannot attend to the practice, endeavours to perfect the theory, of this ufeful art. In this view we commend the efforts of the Maffachusetts Society for promoting Agriculture. From the ftate of its funds, and the refpectability of its officers, from the utility of its defign, and the countenance it receives from all the well informed farmers in the ftate, we predict with confidence, what we cordially with, the increafing profperity of this inftitution.

Of the fourteen articles, which compofe thefe papers, the five following only are original: viz. "Mr. B. Adams on cultivating potatoes ;""Letter on the fame fubject by J. Barrell, Efq. ;"" Tables noting the progrefs of vegetation by J. Winthrop, Efq." "Rev. A. Packard's letter on falting clover hay ;" and "S. W. Pomeroy's letter on the fame." The nine remaining papers appear to be judiciously felected from European publications. The preface to this pamphlet is written with fo much modefty and pertinence, that we give it entire to our agricultural friends.

THE Trustees of the Maffachusetts

Society for promoting Agriculture offer the public their collection of papers for 1804, being the 7th number of their

publications. The pamphlet confifts of

a few original communications, believed

interefting and seasonable, and of feiections from foreign works adapted to the ufe of cultivation in this country. It will be remembered that the object and duty of the board is to convey to practical farmers, through the prefs, the agricultural information which they receive or learn from others. Whilft on