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THE institution of the American Philosophical
Society, does great honour to the founders; and
what has been published by that body, comes not behind
what has appeared from societies of the same
nature elsewhere. But of late years, it has ceased to
be presumptive evidence, at least what the lawyers
call violent presumption, of philosophical attainments,
to be a member; owing to the spurious brood
of illiterate persons that have been admitted indiscriminately
with the informed; this again owing to
a political dispute in the government where this society
exists. For where there are parties in a commonwealth,
they naturally subdivide themselves,
and are found even in the retreats of the muses. It
has become the question with this society, not,
whether a man is a philospher or not, but what part
he has taken in some question on the carpet. The
body conceived itself to pay a compliment to the
person admitted, as if it could be any honour to a
man to be announced what he is not. The contrary
is the case here. For as honour is the acknowledgment
which the world makes of a man's

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respectability, there can be no honour here; for it has become
a mere matter of moon-shine to be a member.
To be, or not to be, that is the question; but so trifling,
that it is scarcely ever made. The way to remedy
this, would be, to have an overhauling of the
house, and derange at least three parts in four. As
in the case of Tarquin, and the three remaining
books of the Sybiles, you would receive as much for
the fourth part of that body, should you set them up
at market, as for the whole at present.

I have often reflected with myself, what an honour
it must be, to be one of the society of the French
academy; forty, of twenty-four millions of people,
are selected in consequence of literary characters already
established.

I recollect the time when I had high ideas of philosophical
membership in America. But it does
not appear to me now to be the highest thing that a
man could wish, since even a common Teague Oregan
trotting on the high-way, has been solicited to take
a seat. It may be said, that this is an exaggeration
of the facts; and can be considered only as burlesque.
I profess it is not intended as such, but as a
fair picture of what has taken place. Should it be
considered in the light of burlesque, it must be a
very lame one; because where there is no excess
there can be no caricatura. But omitting all apologies
and explanations, let the matter rest where it is.

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