has been employed by many in perplexing and confounding the evidence of truth and knowledge, Dr. Price has difplayed in explaining and confirming it: and, by a rare union of a faculty for abftraction, with the ardour of enterprize, applies the refult of his inquiries into truth, to the advancement of human happinefs, which he is fully convinced is in a ftate of rapid improvement. In this opinion he is encouraged and confirmed whether he contemplates the progrefs of fcience or the prophefies and promifes of the word of God: and fees the courfe of nature and providence harmoniously correfponding with that of grace. Though Chriftianity has its difficulties as well as natural religion, and many things in the conduct both of providence and grace, which is indeed a part of providence, appear myfterious in the prefent period of divine government, he does not on that account reject what he cannot fully comprehend. He patiently waits for the developement of the divine plan, for the bursting forth of that light which fhall ftop every mouth before God, and bend every knee before the redeemer of the world. In the mean time, from the Chriftian religion, which recom'mends univerfal benevolence, and inculcates the pureft morality, he draws encouragement and fupport in the firm belief, however other truths may be involved in obfcurity, "that the practice of virtue is the duty and dignity of man, and in all events his wifeft and fafeft courfe."

To no liberal mind can any production of fuch a man appear indifferent: to the American States, fo long his care, the publication under review muft feem, as it is, peculiarly interefting.

It is prefaced by the following advertisement.

Having reafon to hope I should be attended to in the American States, and thinking I faw an opening there favourable to the improvement and best interests of mankind, I have been induced to convey thither the fentiments and advice contained in the following obfervations. They were, therefore, originally intended only for America. The danger of a fpurious edition has now obliged me to publish them in my own country.

I fhould be inexcufable did I not take this opportunity to exprefs my gratitude to a diftinguifhed writer (the Count de Mirabeau) for his tranflation of thefe obfervations into French, and for the fupport and kind civility with which it has been accompanied.

'Mr. Turgot's letter formed a part of this tract when it was conveyed to America. I have now given a translation of it.

I think it neceffary to add that I have expreffed myself in fome respects too strongly in the conclufion of the following obfervations. By accounts from perfons the best informed, I have lately been affured that no fuch diffentions exist among the American States as have been given out in this country; that the new governments are in general well fettled, and the people happy under them; and that,

in particular, a conviction is becoming univerfal of the neceffity of giving more ftrength to that power which forms and which is to conduct and maintain their union.'

Our author having expreffed with great warmth and cordiality his joy at the revolution which has established the independence of the American States, makes various obfervations on the importance of that great event, in which he thinks he fees the hand of providence working for the general good.

Reafon, as well as tradition and revelation, lead us to expect that a more improved and happy fate of human affairs will take place before the confummation of all things. The world has hitherto been gradually improving. Light and knowledge have been gaining ground, and human life at prefent compared with what it once was, is much the fame that a youth approaching to manhood is compared with an infant.

'Such are the natures of things that this progress must continue. During particular intervals it may be interrupted, but it cannot be deftroyed. Every prefent advance prepares the way for farther advances; and a fingle experiment or difcovery may fometimes give rife to fo many more as fuddenly to raife the fpecies higher, and to refemble the effects of opening a new fenfe, or of the fall of a fpark on a train that fprings a mine. For this reafon, mankind may at laft arrive at degrees of improvement which we cannot now even fufpect to be poffible. A dark age may follow an enlightened age; but, in this cafe, the light, after being fmothered for a time, will break out again with a brighter luftre. The present age of increased light, confidered as fucceeding the ages of Greece and Rome and an intermediate period of thick darkness, furnishes a proof of the truth of this obfervation. There are certain kinds of improvement which, when once made, cannot be entirely loft. During the dark ages, the improvements made in the ages that preceded them remained fo far as to be recovered immediately at the refurrection of letters, and to produce afterwards that more rapid progrefs in improvement which has diftinguifhed modern times.

There can scarcely be a more pleafing and encouraging object of reflection than this. An accidental obfervation of the effects of gravity in a garden has been the means of difcovering the laws that govern the folar fyftem, and of enabling us to look down with pity on the ignorance of the most enlightened times among the antients. What new dignity has been given to man, and what additions have been made to his powers, by the invention of optical glaffes, printing, gun-powder, &c. and by the late difcoveries in navigation, mathematics, natural philofophy, &c.

But among the events in modern times tending to the elevation of mankind, there are none probably of fo much confequence as the recent one which occafions thefe obfervations. Perhaps, I do not go too far when I fay that, next to the introduction of Chri ftianity among mankind, the American revolution may prove the molt important ftep in the progreffive courfe of human improvement. It is an event which may produce a general diffufion of the princi

ples

ples of humanity, and become the means of fetting free mankind from the fhackles of fuperftition and tyranny, by leading them to fee and know that nothing is fundamental but impartial enquiry, an honeft mind, and virtuous practice that ftate policy ought not to be applied to the fupport of speculative opinions and formularies of taith,' "That the members of a civil community are confederates, not fubjects; and their rulers, fervants, not mafters, "And that all legitimate government confifts in the dominion of equal laws made with common confent; that is, in the dominion "of men over themselves; and not in the dominion of communities over communities, or of any men over other men."

Happy will the world be when thefe truths fhall be every where acknowledged and practifed upon. Religious bigotry, that cruel demon, will be then laid afleep. Slavifh governments and flavish Hierarchies will then fink; and the old prophecies be verified, "that the last univerfal empire upon earth fhall be the empire of ❝reafon and virtue, under which the gospel of peace (better under“ stood) shall have free courfe and be glorified, many will run to and fro and knowledge be increafed, the wolf dwell with the lamb and leopard with the kid, and nation no more lift up a word against "nation."

It is a conviction I cannot refift, that the independence of the English colonies in America is one of the fteps ordained by Providence to introduce thefe times; and I can fcarcely be deceived in this conviction, if the United States fhould efcape fome dangers which threaten them, and will take proper care to throw themselves open to future improvements, and to make the most of the advantages of their prefent fituation. Should this happen, it will be true of them as it was of the people of the Jews, that in them all the familes of the earth fhall be bleffed, It is fcarcely poffible they should think too, highly of their own confequence. Perhaps, there never existed people on whose wisdom and virtue more depended; or to whom a ftation of more importance in the plan of Providence has been affigned. They have begun nobly. They have fought with fuccefs for themfelves and for the world; and, in the midst of invafion and carnage, established forms of government favourable in the highest degree to the rights of mankind."

But the United States of America, he proceeds, have more to do; more indeed than it is poffible properly to represent. In this addrefs therefore his defign is only to take notice of a few great points, which feem particularly to require their attention, in order to render them permanently happy in themfelves and useful to mankind. As the means of promoting human improvement and happinefs in the United States, Dr. Price recommends in the first place the redemption of their debts, for which they have a vaft refource peculiar to themselves, in a continent of unallotted lands, poffeffing every advantage of foil and climate. By difpofing of these to the army and to emigrants, the greateft part of the debts of the United States may probably, he thinks, be immediately extinguished.

tinguished. But had they no fuch refource, they are very capable of bearing taxes fufficient for the purpofe of a gradual redemption. For the fake of mankind our author wishes to fee every measure adopted that can have a tendency to preferve peace in America, and to make it an open and fair stage for difcuffion and the feat of perfect liberty. For which ends the Doctor fuggefts many ufeful hints. On the fubject of religious toleration he tempers an honeft indignation against the defpotifin of tyrants and priefts, with the calmeft reafoning and with perfect difcretion.

In the publication before us we are favoured with fome excellent remarks on education, in which the author has often thought there may be a fecret remaining to be difcovered, which will caufe future generations to grow up virtuous and happy, and accelerate human improvement to a greater degree than can at prefent be imagined. In general he thinks the bufinefs of education fhould be to teach how to think, rather than what to think; or to lead into the best way of fearching for truth, rather than to inftruct in truth itself. Hitherto, he obferves, education has been conducted on a contrary plan; it has been a contraction, not an enlargement of the intellectual faculties, an injection of falle principles hardening them in error, not a difcipline enlightening and improving them,

Dr. Price proceeds to forewarn the American States of the dangers to which they are expofed; debts and internal wars; an unequal diftribution of property; trade, banks, and paper-credit. Speaking of an unequal diftribution of property, he obferves, that there are THREE enemies to equality againft which America ought to guard; firft, granting hereditary honours and titles of nobility. Let there be honours to encouragement, but let them die with the men who have earned them. Let them not defcend to pofterity to fofter a fpirit of domination, and to produce a proud and tyrannical aristocracy. In a word, let the United States continue for ever what it is now their glory to be a confederation of states profperous and happy, without LORDS, without BISHOPS, and without KINGS.

2

*I do not mean by Bishops any officers among Chriftians merely Spiritual; but Lords fpiritual, or Clergymen raifed to pre-eminence, and invefted with civil honours and authority, by a State establifhment.

I must add, that by what is here faid I do not mean to express a general preference of a republican conftitution of government. There is a degree of political degeneracy which unfits for fuch a constitution. BRITAIN, in particular, confifts too much of the high and the low, (of fcum and dregs) to admit of it. Nor will it fuit Ame rica, fhould it ever become equally corrupt.?

The

-The other two enemies, which are here mentioned by our author, to equality, are the right of primogeniture and foreign trade. But this latter operates unfavourably to a state in fo many more ways than by deftroying that equality which is the bafis of liberty, that he takes more particular notice of it, There is no part of mankind to which these uses of trade are of lefs confequence than the American States. They are fpread over a great continent, and make a world within themselves. The country they inhabit includes foils and climates of all forts, producing not only every neceffary, but every convenience of life. And the vaft rivers and wide-fpread lakes which interfect it, create fuch an inland communication between its different parts, as is unknown in any other region of the earth. They poffefs then within themselves the beft means of the most profitable traffic, and the amplest scope for it. Why fhould they look much farther? What occafion have they for being anxious about pufhing foreign trade; or even about raifing a great naval force?-Britain, indeed, confifting as it does of unarmed inhabitants, and threatened as it is by ambitious and pow erful neighboours, cannot hope to maintain its exiflence long after becoming open to invafion by lofing its naval fuperiority.-But this is not the cafe with the American States. They have no pow. erful neighbours to dread. The vast Atlantic must be crossed before they can be attacked. They are all a well-trained militia; and the fuccefsful refiftance which, in their infancy and without a naval force, they have made to the invafion of the firft European power, will probably difcourage and prevent all future invafions. Thus fingularly happy,why fhould they feek connexions with Europe, and expofe themfelves to the danger of being involved in its quarrels ?-Is there any thing very important to them which they can draw from thence except INFECTION?-Indeed, I tremble when I think of that rage for trade which is likely to prevail among them. It do them infinite mifchief. All nations are fpreading fnares for them, and courting them to a dangerous intercourfe, Their best interest requires them to guard themfelves by all proper means; and, particularly, by laying heavy duties on importations. But in no cafe will any means fucceed unless aided by MANNERS. In this inftance, particularly, there is reafon to fear that an increafing paffion for foreign frippery will render all the best regulations ineffectual. And fhould this happen, that fimplicity of character, that manlinefs of fpirit, that difdain of tinfel in which true dignity confifts, will difappear. Effeminacy, fervility and venality will enter; and liberty and virtue be swallowed up in the gulph of corruption. Such may be the course of events in the American States. Better infinitely will it be for them to confift of bodies of plain and honeft fariners, than of opulent and fplendid merchants. Where in thefe States do the pureft manners prevail? Where do the inhabitants live most on an equality, and moft at their eafe? Is it not in those inland parts where agriculture gives health and plenty, and trade is fcarcely known? Where, on the contrary, are the inhabitants moft felfifh, luxurious, loofe, and vicious; and at the fame time moft unhappy? Is it not along the fea-coafts, and in the great towns, where trade flourishes

may