advert to ancient animosities, nor with rash hand attempt
to hurl the brand of discord between the nations." In the same
connection he attacks Gallic philosophy and the equality of man, the
latter of which he styles an "execrable delusion of hair-brained
philosophy." Others might speak of "the _Republic_ of letters;" with
Dennie it was the _Monarchy_ of letters. Several articles ran through
the _Port Folio_ of 1801 on the sentiment and style of the Declaration
of Independence, characterizing that famous document as a "false and
flatulent and foolish paper." In the same volume (page 215) Dennie,
offended by the introduction of some new Americanism into politics,
writes:

"Unsatisfied with _acting_ like fools, men begin to enlarge their scheme
and talk and write from the vocabulary of folly. All this, however,
quadrates with the character of a good republican; as he hates England,
why not murder _English_?" In April, 1803, Dennie denounced Democratic
Government, and prophesied that of it would come "civil war, desolation
and anarchy." His pranks had now become too broad to bear with, and on
the Fourth of July this latest publication of his was condemned as "an
inflammatory and seditious libel," and a bill of indictment was found.
The case was tried in November, 1805, Ingersoll and Hopkinson appearing
for the defence. The verdict reached was "not guilty," and Mr. Joseph
Dennie had the triumphant pleasure the next week in his report of the
case to define democracy for the benefit of his enemies as "a fiend more
horrible than any that the imagination of the classical poets ever
conjured up from the vasty deep of their Pagan Hell."

When Dennie learned that a certain Noah Webster was to publish "A
Columbian Dictionary" containing "American corrections of the English
language," he had a few suggestions to offer. The Columbian language he
understood to be an elegant dialect of the English, but, he went on,
"there is one remark which I would wish with deference to submit to our
great lexicographer before I finish this paper. As his dictionary, I
understand, is to be the dictionary of the vulgar tongue in New England,
would it not be better to prefix to it the epithet _Cabotian_ instead of
Columbian? Sebastian Cabot first discovered these Eastern States, and
ought not to be robbed of the honor of giving his name to them. I would,
therefore, propose calling New England Cabotia, the other States
America, and the Southern continen