Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1836-11-24

/ From May, 1854, To October, III,
, Mr.. Is. was Representative oi his Da-
tive town in the General Assembly of
the then Colony Of Rhode Island. lie
was an influential member OF the House,
and, although The strife bet~ ~ern Ward
! and Hopkins was then extremely ardent,
+, and MIR. Brown, will, his friends, ,espous-
! ed the interests Of the latter, yet, such
was his personal popularity, that he was
always reelected without opposition. II
is moi known that he ever occupied any
other public political station. Though
decided in his views of political questions,
he abstained, habitually and conscien-
i'onsly, from partisan strife; but he new
er neglected to exercise the right OF sui-
frage, when any grave public interest or
any commanding principle OF right SEEM
ed 10 be involved IN the issue.
/ In i764, MIR. Brown warmly coop
Grated with several of his enlightened
contemporaries in the project of founding,
on highly catholic principles, an ins,i,u-
ton tor liberal education in the Colony
ot Rhode Island. This project was emi
nenily successful. In the year ITO,
the corner stone Of the first edifce for
the use of Rhode Island College, was
laid by John Brown.-Agreeably 10 a
provision Of the charter, the institution
has since changed its name, but it has
parted with none of its power to benefit
the citizens OF Rhode Island, by whom
and for whom, mainly, il was establish
ed.
Moses Brown was originally Baptist
and he continued a Baptist till 1913,
when, at the age Of thirty-hye, he be-
came FRiEND. At this distance Of
time, and with imperfect means OF inior-
nation, il is impossible to assign, with
particularly, the causes Of this change
in his religious sentiments and connex-
ions. ] hat it was the result Of consci-
entlous convictions of duty, it would be
unt haritable To eItcrtain a doubt. His
mind, it would seem. had, for some tune
been deeply impressed by the solemni-
ties Of religious truih-and, in humble
dependence on the eternal source Of all
spiritual illumination, he cultivated with
in himself those sentiments Of reverence
and submission which Christianity chal,
lenges for its Interchangeable verities.-
From the time that he became Friend
to the close of his protractcd life. he ex-
erted II predominating influence in all
the concerns Of the Society, both secu-
lar and religious. He sustained many
OF its most important Offices, with chris
tian dignity and acknowledged useful
ness-and, till arrested by his last sick
ss, he was seldom or never absent at
its appointed seasons of worship.
Mr.. Brown was among the founders
and mnniicent patrons Of the Yearly
Meeting Boarding School ID in this
city. He was its first Treasurer, and
continued, for about fiiy-ihree success
sive years, TO discharge the duties Of
that Office, till the present year, when,
a, his request, another individual was e.
lected. From the commencement Of the
School, till the close Of his life he watch
ed over its various concerns, with pater-
nal solicitude-maniissting the deepest
interest in the moral, literary and relig-
ious improvement OF its pupils. He regu-
lnry attended the meetings of the School
Committee, and wns uniformly punctual
at the appointed hour. He pre- sented
to the Institution, in the year 1917, the
land, measuring forty-three acres, on
which the edifices are erected, and, as a
final evidence of his desire to promote
its welfare, he bequenthed to it a house
and lot, and the sum of fifteen thousand
dollars.
Consistently with the princi pies Of the
religious Society to which he belonged,
Moses Brown was opposed to slavery in
all its forms. Convinced that he could
not rightfully hold any Of his fellow men
in bondage, he, in the year 1913, manu-
mitted all his slaves; and he subsequent
ly exercised over them the care Of be-
ncvolent guardian and friend. He was
among the founders and for many years,
an efficient member Of the Abolition So
ciety Of Rhode Island; and when It was
proposed to erect, in this city, house ol
worship for the exclusive accommodation
Of people Of colour, he presented TO theni
the land on which il now stands. An
earnest advocate Of the rights of the Al
rican race, he devoted much time to ef-
feet every practicable melioratlon IN
their condition. He visited Pb'ladeI-
phia when Congress was in session there
for the purpose Of procuring some legis-
lative enactment for the abolition Of the
foreign slave trade. Accompanied by
his son-in-law, the late William Almy,
he also went to Now Haven, to present
an address TO the Legislature Of Con-
neciicut, soliciting them to interoict the
slave trade within their jurisdiction. Till
the close Of life, he continued to be the
answering advocate Of UNIVERSAL p
MANcIPArioS; and, in his last VIII, he