Samuel L. Mitchill delivered this address before the New-York Alpha of Phi-Beta-Kappa society in 1821, and it covers an analysis of the state of American literature at that time including its prospects for greater intellectual and commercial success. Mitchill argues that more attention should be given to the promotion of science and the liberal arts. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in the early development of American literature or history. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.