7

of considerable learning and literary ability, and al-
most the sole contributor to the periodical. The sub-
ject matter was purely religious, and largely denomi-
national. The third number contains a list of subscrib-
ers, numbering 135, from various states, but nearly
half from New Jersey.¹⁸ It is probable that Edwards
printed the fourth number, thus completing an entire
volume of the magazine, but no copy has been located,
This Free Universal Magazine bears the distinction of
being the first periodical printed south of the Mason
and Dixon line."

During 1793, in addition to various other pam-
phlets, Edwards printed George Buchanan's Oration upon
the Moral and Political Evil of Slavery,²⁰ a well-
known and popular pamphlet, considering that there are
eighteen known copies extant today, and that it was
reprinted in 1873 in W. P. Poole's Antislavery
Opinions before 1800.

In October 1793, the titlo of the Baltimore
Evening Post was changed to Edwards's Baltimore Daily
Advertiser. With minor changes, this title continued
through 1794.

Edwards' experience with th© Free Universal Mag-

azine must have been such that he considered periodical

18 Torwilllger, W. B. A mstory of literary period!-

cals in Baltimore. p. 5-6.

19 Wheeler, J. T. op. cit. p. 8-9.

20 Appendix A. Imprint bibliography, item 111.