They came from friends, English and French, living in Paris. They
abounded
with matter of the most serious reflection.... If the animosity of
these apostate Englishmen against their own country, their
conviction that no submissions will avert our danger, and their
description of the engines employed by the Directory for our
destruction, were impressed as they ought to be, upon the minds of
all our countrymen, we should certainly never again be told of the
innocent designs of these traitors, or their associates--
The preceding quotation is from a booklet containing exact copies of the
"intercepted letters."
In the first of the letters, dated Feb. 12, 1798, the correspondent of
Priestley tells that he had met a young Frenchman who had visited
Northumberland
and we all rejoiced at the aggreeable information that at the
peace you would not fail to revisit Europe; and that he hoped you
would fix yourself in this country (France). Whether you fix
yourself here or in England, (_as England will then be_) is
probably a matter of little importance ... but we all think you are
misplaced where you are, though, no doubt, in the way of
_usefulness_--
The editor of the letters annotates _usefulness_ thus:
Dr. Priestley is _in the way of usefulness_ in America, because he
is labouring there, as his associates are in Europe, to disunite
the people from their government, and to introduce the blessings
of French anarchy.
These "intercepted letters" in no way prove that Dr. Priestley was
engaged in any movement against his native land or against his adopted
country. However, the whole world was in an uproar. People were ready to
believe the worst regarding their fellows, so it is not surprising that
he should have declared himself "disliked."
He alludes frequently to the marvelous changes taking place in the
States. Everything was in rapid motion. Taxes were the topic of
conversation on all sides.
To divert his philosophizing he busied himself in his laboratory where
many "original experiments were made." He avoided the crowd. There was
too great a party spirit. Indeed, there was violence, so he determined
not to visit Philadelphia. He sought to escape the "rancorous abuse"
which was being hurled at him--
as a citizen of France.
One must read his correspondence to fully appreciate Priestley during
the early days of 1799. What must have been his mental condition when he
wrote Lindsey--
As to a public violent death the idea of that does not affect me
near so much
and
I cannot express what I feel when I receive and read your letters.
I generally shed many tears over them.
There was no assurance in financial and commercial circles. The hopes of
neither the more sober, nor of the wild and fanatic reformers of
humanity could be realized, and they got into such a war of hate and
abuse that they themselves stamped their doctrines false.
Priestley was out of patience with the public measures of the country.
He disliked them as much as he did those of England, but added
Here the excellence of the Constitution provides a remedy, if the
people will make use of it, and if not, they deserve what they
suffer.
The Constitution was a favorite instrument with him. A most interesting
lecture upon it will be found among the _Discourses_ which he proposed
delivering in Philadelphia. This never occurred.
The Academy he expected to see in operation failed for support. The
walls were raised and he feared it would go no further. The Legislature
had voted it $3000, but the Senate negatived this act. He thought of
giving up the presidency of it.
He wrote Dr. Rush that he was quite busy with replies to Dr. Woodhouse's
attack on his confirmation of the existence of phlogiston, (p. 88). He
relished his discussions with Woodhouse and was confident that
eventually he would "overturn the French system of chemistry." He
further remarked to Rush--
Were you at liberty to make an excursion as far as these _back
woods_ I shall be happy to see you, and so would many others.
But at that particular moment Rush was too much engaged in combating
yellow fever, which again ravaged Philadelphia, and all who could, fled,
and the streets were "lifeless and dead." The prevalence of this fearful
plague was a potent factor in Priestley's failure to visit the City
during the year--the last year of a closing Century which did not end in
the prosperity anticipated for it in the hopeful months and years
following the war. It seemed, in many ways, to be the end of an era.
Washington died December 14, 1799, and the Federalists' tenure of power
was coming to a close. The Jeffersonians, aided by eight of the
electoral votes of Pennsylvania, won the victory, amid outbursts of
unprecedented political bitterness. It was, therefore, very wise that
the Doctor remained quietly at home in Northumberland with his
experiments and Church History.
The new Century--the 19th--found our beloved philosopher at times quite
proud of the success he had with his experiments and full of genuine
hope that "phlogiston" was established; and again dejected because of
the "coarse and low articles" directed against him by the prints of the
day. To offset, in a measure, the distrust entertained for him because
of the "intercepted letters" he addressed a series of _Letters_ to the
inhabitants of Northumberland and vicinity. These were explanatory of
his views. At home they were most satisfying but in the city they
brought upon him "more abuse." And, so, he translated a passage from
Petrarch which read--
By civil fueds exiled my native home,
Resign'd, though injured, hither I have come.
Here, groves and streams, delights of rural ease;
Yet, where the associates, wont to serve and please;
The aspect bland, that bade the heart confide?
Absent from these, e'en here, no joys abide.
And these were incorporated in his brochure.
Having alluded to the _Letters_ addressed to the Northumberland folks,
it may be proper to introduce a letter which Priestley received from Mr.
Jefferson, whom the former was disposed to hold as "in many respects
the first man in this Country:"
Philadelphia, Jan. 18, 1800.