While in Philadelphia, he edited a two-volume history[4] of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, published in 1814 in that city, but without mention of the actual author, banker Nicholas Biddle.[2]
Allen reached the height of his reputation after he moved to Baltimore, where he served as editor of the short-lived Journal of the Times and the more-successful Baltimore Morning Chronicle.[3] He also joined the Delphian Club, where he earned the "clubicular" name of Solomon Fitz Quizz and the title of Professor of Loblology, which was defined as "the science of endeavoring to do that which is impossible."[5]
He proposed publishing A History of the American Revolution, but relied on fellow Delphians John Neal and Dr. Tobias Watkins to write all but the preface to satisfy the subscribers to its publication in 1819.[3][6]
Thomas Jefferson considered Allen the country's best author of prose.[7] In his 1824–25 critical work American Writers, Neal's assessment was more nuanced: "Mr. Allen is a showy, eloquent prose-writer—who never thinks, and, if he can help it, never reasons.... His prose is full of poetry—his poetry is miserably full of prose."[8]
Death
Allen died in 1826, at which time he was still editor of the Baltimore Morning Chronicle.[3]
References
^Mott, Frank Luther (1966). A History of American Magazines: 1741-1850. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press. p. 294, 4th printing{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link)
^ abCutright, Paul Russell (July 1982). Contributions of Philadelphia to Lewis and Clark History. Portland, Oregon: Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation, Inc. pp. 33–35. ISBN0-9678887-0-0. An anomaly of some proportion is the fact that the 1814 account, now commonly referred to as the Biddle edition, carried no mention of Biddle anywhere. ... The only logical explanation of this incredible omission is that Biddle wanted it that way, insisted on complete anonymity.
