All this, it is not difficult to interpret. There is a certain feverish irritability about some men, on the subject of their own reputation and consequence, which perpetually betrays the secret which they are the most desirous to conceal. The slightest insinuation, the most harmless jest, is felt and resented by them as a serious injury. They seem in constant fear, lest their own extraordinary merits should be forgotten ;-their claims to peculiar distinction overlooked, by an unthinking or ungrateful world;— they are never, therefore, weary in displaying and rehearsing their titles to consideration,-but seize every occasion to remind the public of the vast debt of respect, of admiration, and gratitude, which it owes to them. The application of these remarks, I leave, Sir, to your own sagacity. The brave man is calm and unpretending, whilst none are so apt to swell and bluster, and menace, as those who know, that the world suspect their courage, and are conscious, that the suspicion is not groundless. I have sometimes thought, (and with all possible humility I make the suggestion,) that a similar opposition of conduct, springing probably from the same motives, is observable between the man of real ability and the egotistical pretender. You have made, Sir, a needless confession of your inexperience as an Author; but, as an Advocate, you boast, that your experience has been great and various; and it seems strange, that in the course of that experience, you have not gleaned this obvious truth,-"That the reasoning of an angry man is sel"dom effectual." Anger sometimes stimulates the fancy, quickens the invention, and makes men fluent and figurative, who are sufficiently dull and prosaic in their ordinary discourse, but the effects of this passion on the other faculties of the mind, are not commonly so fortunate. It is extremely apt to blunt the perceptions, confuse the judgment, and bewilder the recollection. Else, Sir, you would have regarded it as a misfortune, rather than a reproach, that I had entered upon the active duties of life, in the same part of the State where you had yourself commenced your professional career. You would have considered, that I had in some measure emerged from my native obscurity,-without the patronage of private friendship,-without promotion to public office,-and without the surrender of my independence; you would have reflected, that I had left behind me a reputation, irreproachable with habitual indulgence in idle dissipation,-unsullied by vulgar associations and low debaucheries ;—and you would have remembered, that if I had not obtained from the favour of a party, one of its most lucrative rewards for service,-if I had no Relative to push my fortunes at the Bar, I had, at least, escaped the imputation of deserting the one, or witnessing with treacherous neutrality the sacrifice of the other. I am, Your most obedient, W. A. DUER. APPENDIX. A. To the Honourable the Secretary of State, the Secretary of War, and the Attorney-General The Petition of JOHN FITCH, of the City of Philadelphia, HUMBLY SHEWETH— That your petitioner, in the spring of the year one thousand seven hundred and eighty-five, conceived the idea of applying steam to the purposes of propelling vessels through the water : that, fully satisfied, in his own mind, of the practicability of such a scheme, of its great immediate utility, and the important advantages which would in future result therefrom, not only to America, but the world at large, if the scheme should be carried into effectual operation, he divested himself of every other occupation, and undertook the arduous task, not doubting, that when perfected, he should be amply rewarded. In his first attempts to procure assistance from congress, and the legislatures of many of the states, from the peculiar situation of their finances and the seeming impossibility of the success of his scheme, he met with no relief. Not entirely discouraged by these disappointments, he continued his application to his project, and prayed several of the states for an exclusive right to the use of fire and steam to navigation :' that New-Jersey, New-York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Virginia, granted him an exclusive right, agreeably to the prayer of the petition, for fourteen years. That the impracticability of procuring experienced workmen in America, your petitioner's total ignorance of the construction of a steam engine, together with the necessary deviation from the form described in books, in order to accommodate its weight and bulk to the narrow limits of a vessel, have caused him not only to expend about eight thousand dollars in successive experiments, but nearly four years of some of his grants have expired, before he has been able to bring his engine to such a degree of perfection as to be carried into use. That having at length fully succeeded in his scheme, proofs of which he is prepared to offer, he trusts he now comes forward not as an imaginary projector, but as a man as he, the said John Fitch, was the inventor, according to the allegations and suggestions of the said petition. L. S. In testimony whereof, I have caused these letters to be made patent, and the seal of the United States to be hereunto affixed. Given under my hand, at the the city of Philadelphia, this twenty-sixth day of August, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and ninety-one, and of the Independence of the United States of America, the sixteenth. GEO: WASHINGTON. By the President, TH: JEFFERSON. City of Philadelphia, August 26th, 1791. I do certify that the foregoing letters patent were delivered to me, in pursuance of the act, entitled "An act to promote the progress of useful arts," that I have examined the same, and find them conformable to the said act. EDM: RANDOLPH, Attorney-General for the U. S. Delivered to the within named John Fitch, this 30th day of August, 1791. TH: JEFFERSON. To all to whom these Presents shall come, Greeting : I certify that the annexed is a true copy of a patent granted to John Fitch, for his improvement, being the application of steam, as a power, in propelling boats or vessels; dated August 26, 1791. In testimony whereof, I, John Q. Adams, Secretary of State of the United States, have hereunto subscribed my name, and caused the seal of the Department of State to be affixed. Done at the City of Washington, this 11th day of August, A. D. JOHN Q. ADAMS. 1818. C. THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA To all to whom these Presents shall come. Whereas Robert Fulton, a citizen of the United States, hath alleged that he has invented a new and useful improvement in steam boats, which improvement, he states, has not been known or used, before his application, hath made oath, that he does verily believe that he is the true inventor or discoverer of the said improvement; hath paid into the treasury of the United States the sum of thirty dollars, delivered a receipt for the same, and presented a petition to the secretary of state, signifying a desire of obtaining an exclusive property in the said improvement, and praying that a patent may be granted for that purpose: These are, therefore, to grant, according to law, to the said Robert Fulton, his heirs, administrators or assigns, for the term of fourteen years, from the 11th day of February, one thousand eight hundred and nine, the full and exclusive right and liberty of making, constructing, using and vending to others, to be used, the said improve ment, a description whereof is given in the words of the said Robert Fulton himself, in the schedule hereunto annexed, and is made a part of these presents. In testimony whereof, I have caused these letters to be made patent, and the seal of the United States to be hereunto affixed. Given under my hand, at the city of Washington, this 11th day of February, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and nine, and of the Independence of the United States of America, the thirty-third. City of Washington, To wit: THOMAS JEFFERSON. By the President, JAMES MADISON, Secretary of State. I do hereby certify, that the foregoing letters patent were delivered to me, on the 11th day of February, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and nine, to be examined; that I have examined the same, and find them conformable to law; and I do hereby return the same to the Secretary of State, within fifteen days from the date aforesaid, to wit, on this 11th day of February, in the year aforesaid. CÆSAR A. RODNEY, Attorney-General of the United States. The SCHEDULE referred to in these Letters Patent, and making Part of the same, containing a Description, in the Words of the said Robert Fulton himself, of his Improvement in Steam Boats. KALORAMA, District of Columbia, January 1st, 1809. I, Robert Fulton, native of Pennsylvania, citizen of the United States of America, now living at Kalorama, in the District of Co |