PREFACE.
The materials of these volumes are taken from Whig
and Tory
newspapers, published during the American
Revolution, private diaries, and other
cotemporaneous
writings. They present to the student of this day the
same view the
readers of the revolutionary period enjoyed—the
manners and customs of the people, and
the moral and religious, as well as
political features of
the time.
As far as practicable, the language of the writers
has been preserved. For every
assertion presented the
reader will find an authority which must be his guide
in
ascertaining its value in an historical point of view;
while, at the same time, he must
keep in mind the truth
that the errors and lampoons of a period belong as
much to
its history as the facts and flatteries.
Among the newspapers from which the editor has
drawn his material, no one requires an
especial notice
in this place; a history of the periodical writers of
the last century would in itself exceed the limits of
these volumes. Such a work
would prove an interesting
and important addition to the literature of America.
In conclusion, the editor acknowledges his obligations
for the many favors and facilities extended to him
by the various Historical
Societies of the United States,
most especially to the officers of the New York Historical
Society, from whom he has received the most
valuable assistance.
