T EDITOR'S PREFACE HE "Demos" pamphlet is a very rare Boston item, published when the Federalists and Antis were at daggers drawn, and personalities of the fiercest sort were daily interchanged-such as a few years later were responsible for the death of Hamilton. Of the identity of its character we are not sure, although we use the key found with the original-nor has an eminent Boston antiquary been able to help us. Our second item, also very rare, is the only instance known to us of a funeral oration on Washington by an ally of foreign birth. Major Houdin was a Frenchman, resident in Massachusetts, who had served several years in different regiments of Massachusetts in the patriot army, and risen to the rank of Major. Of his life we have no details. The singular portrait of him is the only one known, and no reason for the amputation of the feet has been found. Our last item is the only known attempt at verifying Washington's Farewell Address-and we think our readers will agree with us that it is very well done. The author was related to Jonathan Sewall, the gifted author of "A Cure for the Spleen," published as our No. 79. |