Step back in time to 19th century Philadelphia with this fascinating address delivered by William Ellery Channing to the Mercantile Library Company. Channing's eloquent words offer a vivid portrait of the city and its people, as well as insights into the issues and events of the day. With its blend of history, literature, and philosophy, this book is a delight for anyone interested in intellectual and cultural life of early America. 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.