Priestley in America | Page 9

to express our real joy, in receiving among us, a
gentleman, whose labours have contributed so much to the diffusion
and establishment of civil and religious liberty, and whose deep
researches into the true principles of natural philosophy, have derived
so much improvement and real benefit, not only to the sciences of
chemistry and medicine, but to various other arts, all of which are
necessary to the ornament and utility of human life.
May you, Sir, possess and enjoy, here, uninterrupted contentment and
happiness, and may your valuable life be continued a farther blessing to
mankind.
And in his answer Dr. Priestley remarked:
I THINK myself greatly honoured in being congratulated on my arrival
in this country by a Society of persons whose studies bear some
relation to my own. To continue, without fear of molestation, on
account of the most open profession of any sentiments, civil or
religious, those pursuits which you are sensible have for their object the
advantage of all mankind, (being, as you justly observe, "necessary to
the ornament and utility of human life") is my principal motive for
leaving a country in which that tranquility and sense of security which
scientificial pursuits require, cannot be had; and I am happy to find here,
persons who are engaged in the same pursuits, and who have the just
sense that you discover of their truly enviable situation.
As a climax to greetings extended in the City of New York, The
Republican Natives of Great Britain and Ireland resident in that city
said,
WE, the Republican natives of Great Britain and Ireland, resident in the

city of New York, embrace, with the highest satisfaction, the
opportunity which your arrival in this city presents, of bearing our
testimony to your character and virtue and of expressing our joy that
you come among us in circumstances of such good health and spirits.
We have beheld with the keenest sensibility, the unparallelled
persecutions which attended you in your native country, and have
sympathized with you under all their variety and extent. In the firm
hope, that you are now completely removed from the effects of every
species of intolerance, we most sincerely congratulate you.
After a fruitless opposition to a corrupt and tyrannical government,
many of us have, like you, sought freedom and protection in the United
States of America; but to this we have all been principally induced,
from the full persuasion, that a republican representative government,
was not merely best adapted to promote human happiness, but that it is
the only rational system worthy the wisdom of man to project, or to
which his reason should assent.
Participating in the many blessings which the government of this
country is calculated to insure, we are happy in giving it this proof of
our respectful attachment:--We are only grieved, that a system of such
beauty and excellence, should be at all tarnished by the existence of
slavery in any form; but as friends to the Equal Rights of Man, we must
be permitted to say, that we wish these Rights extended to every human
being, be his complexion what it may. We, however, look forward with
pleasing anticipation to a yet more perfect state of society; and, from
that love of liberty which forms so distinguishing a trait in American
character, are taught to hope that this last--this worse disgrace to a free
government, will finally and forever be done away.
While we look back on our native country with emotions of pity and
indignation at the outrages which humanity has sustained in the persons
of the virtuous Muir, and his patriotic associates; and deeply lament the
fatal apathy into which our countrymen have fallen; we desire to be
thankful to the Great Author of our being that we are in America, and
that it has pleased Him, in his Wise Providence, to make the United
States an asylum not only from the immediate tyranny of the British

Government, but also from those impending calamities, which its
increasing despotism and multiplied iniquities, must infallibly bring
down on a deluded and oppressed people.
Accept, Sir, of our affectionate and best wishes for a long continuance
of your health and happiness.
The answer of the aged philosopher to this address was:
I think myself peculiarly happy in finding in this country so many
persons of sentiments similar to my own, some of whom have probably
left Great Britain or Ireland on the same account, and to be so
cheerfully welcomed by them on my arrival. You have already had
experience of the difference between the governments of the two
countries, and I doubt not, have seen sufficient reason to give the
decided preference that you do to that of this. There all liberty of
speech and of the press as far as politics are concerned,