fiaftical politics of his native country. The church of Scotland was divided into two parties, with refpect to their ideas of ecclefiaftical difcipline. The one was willing to confirm, and even extend the rights of patronage-the other wifhed, if poffible, to abrogate, or at leaft limit them, and to extend the rights and influence of the people, in the fettlement and removal of minifters. The latter were zealous for the doctrines of grace and the articles of religion, in all their strictness, as contained in their national confeffion of faith. The former were willing to allow a greater latitude of opinion; and they preached in a ftile that feemed to the people lefs evangelical, and lefs affecting to the heart and confcience, than that of their opponents. In their concern, likewife, to exempt the clergy of their party from the unreasonable effects of popular caprice, they too frequently protected them against the juft complaints of the people. These were filed moderate men, while their antagonists were diftinguifhed by the name of the orthodox. Dr. Witherspoon, in his church politics, early and warmly embraced the fide of the orthodox. This he did from conviction and a fenfe of duty; and, by degrees, acquired fuch an influence in their councils, that he was confidered at length as their head and leader. Before he had acquired this influence, their councils were managed without union and addrefs, while the measures of the moderate party had, for a long time, been conducted by fome of the greateft literary characters in the nation. It had happened among the orthodox, as it often does among fcrupulous and confcientious men, who are not verfed in the affairs of the world, that each purfued inflexibly his own opinion, as the dictate of an honeft confcience. He could not be induced to make any modification of it, in order to accommodate it to the views of others. He thought that all addrefs and policy, was ufing too much management with confcience. Hence refulted difunion of measures, and confequent defeat-But Dr. Witherspoon's enlarged mind did not refufe to combine the wisdom of the serpent with the harmlessness of the dove. He had, probably, the principal merit of creating among them union and harmony of defign; of con

centrating their views, and giving fyftem to their operations. One day after carying fome important questions in the general assembly, against the celebrated Dr. Robertfon, who was at that time confidered as the leader of the oppofite party, the latter faid to him, in a pleafant and eafy manner," I think you have your men better difci plined than formerly." "Yes, replied Dr. Witherspoon, by urging your politics too far, you have compelled us to beat you with your own weapons."

We have feen him in our own church judicatories in America, always upright in his views-remarkable for his punctuality in attending upon them-and able to feize at once the right point of view on every queftion—able to difentangle the moft embarralled fubjects-clear and conclufive in his reafonings-and from habit in business, as well as from a peculiar foundnefs of judgment, always conducting every difcuffion to the moft fpeedy and decifive termination. The church has certainly loft in him, one of her greatest lights; and, if I may use the term in ecclefiaftical affairs, one of her greatest politicians.

Before entering on his talents as a prefident, fuffer me, in a fentence or two, to call to your mind his focial qualities. When not engaged in the great and ferious bufineffes of life, he was one of the most companionable of men. Furnished with a rich fund of anecdote, both amufing and inftructive, his moments of relaxation were as entertaining, as his ferious ones were fraught with improvement. One quality remarkable, and highly deferving imitation in him was, his attention to young persons. He never suffered an opportunity to efcape him of imparting the most ufeful advice to them, according to their circumftances, when they happened to be in his company. And this was always done in fo agreeable a way, that they could neither be inattentive to it, nor was it poflible to forget it.

On his domeftic virtues I fhall only fay, he was an affectionate husband, a tender parent, and a kind mafter; to which I may add, he was a fincere and a warm friend. -But, I haften to confider him as a scholar, and a director of the fyftem of education in the college.

An univerfal fcholar himfelf, he endeavored to eftablish

the fyftem of education in this inftitution, upon the most extenfive and refpectable bafis, that its fituation and its finances would admit. Formerly, the courfe of inftruction had been too fuperficial: and its metaphyfics and philofophy were too much tinctured with the dry and unin ftructive forms of the fchools. This, however, was by no means to be imputed as a defect, to thofe great and excellent men, who had prefided over the inftitution before him; but rather to the recent origin of the countrythe imperfection of its state of fociety-and to the ftate of literature in it. Since his prefidency, mathematical science has received an extenfion, that was not known before in the American feminaries. He introduced into philofophy, all the moft liberal and modern improvements of Europe. He extended the philofophical courfe to embrace the general principles of policy and public law he incorporated with it found and rational metaphyfics-equally remote from the doctrines of fatality and contingency-from the barrennefs and dogmatism of the schools-and from the exceffive refinements of those contradictory, but equally impious fects of fcepticifm, who wholly deny the existence of matter, or maintain that nothing but matter exifts in the universe.

He laid the foundation of a courfe of hiftory in the college-and the principles of tafte, and the rules of good writing, were both happily explained by him, and exemplified in his manner. The stile of learning, if you will allow me the phrafe, has been changed by him. Literary inquiries and improvements have become more liberal, more extenfive, and more profound. An admirable fa. culty for governing, and exciting the emulation of the young gentlemen under his care, contributed to give fuccefs to all his defigns, for perfecting the course of inftruction, The numbers of men of diftinguifhed talents, in the different liberal profeffions, in this country, who have received the elements of their education under him, testify his fervices to the college. Under his aufpices have been formed a large proportion of the clergy of our church; and to his inftructions, America owes

many of her moft diftinguished patriots and legisla

tors.a

Thus he proceeded, guiding with uncommon reputation and fuccefs the courfe of education in this inftitution, until the war of the American revolution fufpended his functions and difperfed the college.

Here he entered upon a new fcene, and appeared in a new character; widely differing from any in which he had been heretofore prefented to the public. Yet, here alfo, he fhone with equal luftre; and his talents as a legiflator and fenator fhewed the extent and the variety of the powers of his mind. There are few foreigners who can, with fuch facility as he did, lay afide their prejudices, and enter into the ideas and habits of a new country, and a new ftate of fociety. He became almost at once an American, on his landing among us, and in the unjust war which Great-Britain waged against us, he immediately adopted the views, and participated in the councils of the Americans. His diftinguifhed abilities foon pointed him out to the citizens of New-Jerfey, as one of the moft proper delegates to that convention which formed their republican conflitution. In this refpectable assembly he appeared, to the aftonifhment of all the profeffors of the law, as profound a civilian, as he had before been known to be a philosopher and divine.

From the revolutionary committees and conventions of the ftate, he was fent, early in the year 1776, as a reprefentative of the people of New-Jerfey to the congrefs of United America; he was feven years a member of that illuftrious body, which, under Providence, in the face of innumerable difficulties and dangers, led us on to the ef tablishment of our independence. Always firm in the moft gloomy and formidable afpects of public affairs, and always discovering the greateft reach and prefence of mind, in the moft embarraffing fituations.

a More than thirty members of the Congrefs of United America, fince the formation of that illuftrious body, have been fons of the college of New-Jerfey; and among thefe, fome of their first characters for reputation and ufefulness. Her fons have alfo filled, and now fill, fome of the higheft offices in different ftates of the union.

It is impoffible here to enter into all his political ideas, It is but juftice however to obferve, that on almost all subjects on which he differed from the majority of his brethren in congrefs, his principles have been juftified by the refult. I fhall felect only one or two examples. He conftantly oppofed the expenfive mode of fupplying the army by commission, which was originally adopted; and combated it, until after along experience of its ill effects, he, in conjunction with a few firm and judicious affociates, prevailed to have it done by contract.a

He opposed, at every emiflion after the firft or fecond, and even hazarded his popularity for a time by the ftrenuoufnefs of his oppofition, that paper currency which gave fuch a wound to public credit, and which would have defeated the revolution, if any thing could.b

In the information of the original confederation, he complained of the jealoufy and ambition of the individual ftates, which were not willing to entrust the general government, with adequate powers for the common intereft. He then pronounced inefficacy upon it. But he complained and remonftrated in vain.c

a Congress at firft fapplied the army by allowing a certain commiffion per cent. on the monies that the commiffioners expended. This invited expence. At length they were induced to agree to the mode by contract; or allowing to the purchaser, a certain fun per ration.

of

b Instead of emiffions of an unfunded paper, beyond a certain quantum, Dr. Witherspoon urged the propriety of making loans, and eftablithing funds for the payment of the intereft; which in the temper the public mind, he thought could then have been easily effected. America has fince regretted that he had not purfued that policy. The doctor afterwards, at the inftance of fome of the very gentlemen who oppofed him in congrefs, published his ideas on the nature, value and ules of money, in one of the molt clear and judicious effays that, perhaps, was ever written on the subject.

He particularly remonttrated against the tardy, ineficient and faithleis manner of providing for the public exigencies and debts by requifition on the feveral states. He infitted on the propriety and neceffity, of the government of the union holding in its own hands the entire regulation of commerce, and the revenues that might be derived from that fource. These he contended would be adequate to all the wants of the United States, in a feafon of peace.

VOL. I.

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