An Appeal to the Public

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fessor WARE, in full view of some, at least, of its consequences, in respect to myself. The alienation and neglect of men of eminent standing in society, whose talents and virtues I had been wont to respect, whose hearts and influence were engaged to effect this revolution, I anticipated in the first instance; and my expectations have been realized. But the attacks which have been made by them upon my moral character, I did not expect. My feelings would have revolted at the anticipation of such treatment, from such characters. Till I was actually called to witness, and to feel the effects of this sort of conduct, I would not believe them capable of it. This experience has taught me what I have now to expect. My sufferings from these unworthy attempts to take from me my good name, and from the various and combined efforts to supplant my Geographical Works, and to lessen their utation and sale, which I have endured in great part in secret and in silence, have not been inconsiderable. To what extent my adversaries may have it in their power hereafter to increase these sufferings, either of the one kind, or the other, now that the contest is transferred from ambushment, to the open field, cannot be foreseen. This advantage, not heretofore enjoyed by me, I shall have in future; the public now know, what they have not known till now, the CAUSE of this controversy, and how it has been conducted hitherto, and will witness for themselves its future course, should it be continued. My adversaries will no longer be able to take shelter behind the shield, which they have till now opposed to me. She is, I trust, safely removed from future dan gers. They must now expose themselves in the open field in their own persons.

From this conflict, though I am aware that the whole strength of the opposition will now be called into action, I have no disposition to shrink, whatever may be my future sufferings. My great solicitude is, that I may be always guided by that unseen, unerring Hand, which manages all things in a right way; and that if I must suffer, it may be for "well doing." What I may endure in the short remains of life allotted me in this world, is of small moment, provided, through my sufferings, dangerous errors shall be in any degree exposed and checked, and the cause of evangelical truth be promoted. To serve and defend this cause, if my heart deceive me not, and for no other purpose, I engaged in this controversy, which has now become public; and for the sake of this cause, have I pursued it, in the manner I have done to this time. I have conscientiously endeavoured so to conduct it, through every step of it, in the extremely delicate, difficult, and ofttimes distressing circumstances, in which I have been placed by my ingenious and powerful adversaries, as that, in the reflection, my heart should not reproach me so long as I shall live; nor upon the bed of death; nor at the tribunal of my final Judge.

THE following Communication was sent to the editors of the "General Repository," at the time of its date. One number of that work has since appeared, and this communication has been passed by without publication, and without notice. I simply state these facts to the public, and give them the Communication itself, and leave them to form their own opinion of the principles, which must have actuated the “liberal” conductors of that work. The communication itself, and the treatment which it has received, furnish striking specimens of the gentlemanly manners of some of the conductors of the present religious controversy, on the part of the Unitarians.

TO THE EDITORS OF THE GENERAL REPOSITORY AND REVIEW. Gentlemen, In the number of your work for April, (Art. 8th, p. 387,) is the following passage. "She, (meaning Miss H. ADAMS) has at times experienced the calamities of Authors. Her equitable claims to profit, were at one time cut off, not having been duly guarded, in consequence of her own want of experience, and not having been duly allowed, in consequence of mercenary cupidity." [The Reviewer,* in the above sentence, is supposed to allude to a transaction with a certain bookseller, the particulars of which are unknown to the writer.] "And again she was in danger of being supplanted in a fair and useful undertaking, by a sort of literary craft, alike ungenerous and dishonourable." In this sentence the Reviewer is known to have referred to the conduct of the Authors of the "Compendious History of New-England."

In the last No. of your work, for July, (p. 222,) is the following sentence. "The name of the Collector of these stories, (meaning one of the Authors of the above named Compendious History,) has, we believe, been connected with that of Miss ADAMS, and with some transactions relating to this work (meaning her Abridged History of New-England) in a manner not quite so honourable to his character."

Such dark and calumnious insinuations, introduced gratuitously and unnaturally, into the places which they occupy; and evidently designed to hold up to public reproach, as far as such insinuations can do it, the characters at which they are aimed, cannot impart credit to a work, which, like yours, makes high pretensions to respectability and liberality; nor reflect any honour on the understandings, or dispositions, of their petulant authors. These insinuations are exhibited in a cowardly manner; in a form, adapted to

* Professor WILLARD.

make, in reference to those against whom they are aimed, an unfavourable impression on the minds of those of your readers, who are not acquainted with the state of facts; but a form so indefinite, as to be incapable of particular refutation. All, therefore, that is necessary, or practicable, indeed, to be done, in regard to these insinuations, is to say, and I venture to say it without fear of contradiction, that they have no solid foundation, that no facts exist which authorise them, and, of course, that they are FALSE and slanderous in their nature, "alike ungenerous and dishonourable," and DISGRACEFUL to the characters of their Authors.

If these Authors, or either of them, feel themselves injured by the above charges, and will definitely state any supposed facts, which, in their opinion, authorize their insinuations, and will give their names with such statement, the writer of this article pledges himself, notwithstanding, to support his assertions with his name, as above stated. If after this public challenge, these calumniators remain silent, or shall continue to utter their slanders, while they refuse the sanction of their names, the public will, of course, be just, and infer their guilt, and the innocence of those whom they thus slanderously accuse.

As you have opened your pages to receive what some of your readers deem calumnious insinuations, you will not surely refuse, gentlemen, promptly to insert the antidote now offered against their baneful influence, and thus oblige

One of the authors of the Compendious History of NewEngland.

SEPT. 7, 1813.

P.S. The anonymous writer of "notice of some publications in the Panoplist,"* is informed, that "the person who went about to collect these stories," produced by the Editor of the Panoplist, in support of his charges against the patrons of the Improved Version, could tell one story about this business, and that only a simple, unvarnished narrative of all the facts which relate to it, which would make this anonymous writer blush, if he be capable of blushing, for his impudence, and for the depravity or stupidity of his own mind, which he has betrayed, by perverting such facts, to so mean a purpose. If, Mess'rs Editors, your correspondent wishes to see a narrative of these facts, and you will give it a place in your work, it shall be furnished minutely and faithfully, with the names of all concerned. If it should not much edify, it would at least amuse your readers. I add one other remark on the communication before me. The Editor of the Panoplist thought it fit to charge the "liberal party in Boston and the vicinity," with having "exerted themselves much, to obtain a circulation" for the "Improved Version."

* See Repository, July, page 218, 221, &c. and Panoplist, Vol. IX. p. 168, &c.

This was resented by some of the respectable clergy of Boston, and vicinity, who considered themselves as belonging to that pariy, as a gross slander upon their characters; and the writer of this article was authorized to contradict the charge, as false, so far as they were concerned, and to request the Editor of the Panoplist to contradict it in his publication.

Now the anonymous writer, above mentioned, informs "the collector of these stories," (p. 221.) that the gentleman who imported the 100 copies of this "Improved Version," for free distribution, (his character for charity forbids our supposing it could have been for any other purpose) is "a man distinguished for his acts of charity and munificence," of which this importation of 100 copies of the "Improved Version," was doubtless one. Now why this gentleman should be so highly commended for doing the very thing, and in a more exceptionable form too, which the respectable clergy of Boston resent, when imputed to them, as a "gross slander," and injurious to their characters, is not easy for us to determine. Surely an act of this kind, which respectable clergymen deem slanderous, when imputed to them, would not, in ordinary cases, be deemed an act of commendable "charity and munificence," when done by a layman. Probably the parties thus put in opposition to each other, will not thank your correspondent for placing them in such a situation. We leave it to his ingenuity to vindicate himself, by reconciling these seeming inconsistencies.

FINIS.