New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-10-24
1t. Archibald Alexander. DID,, LII. ID.


furnished 10, only a large number oil ihuisDiuais
Of great ability and learning. but se'efai ia'hF
lies OF remark able eminence. Wei need out men
,,on the Mathers, the Edwards, the D"igh's'
and the Beechers, 10 illustrate this tact. me
A,e,anders are no, less distinguished. ARcHi.
ALEXANDER, who died ful Of years ana
bopors. a, Princeton, on TUESDAY morning was
one Of the giants Of these days, and The ia'hef Vi
a race of giants The name has become 'ehe'a'
BILE and sacred, and its distinction is hkeiy no'
only 10 be continued, but TO be increased 0y r'
living inhentors.
The late Professor of Theology IN tne semi
nary Cd the Presbyterian Church AZ r'ni'e''n'
m Now Jersey, was born on the lhh Oh APih'
,1,o on the banks of a small tributary OF the
I.m.. River. called South River, and near me
-e.,erp foot of the Blue Ridge, IN that part Oh
Augusta County, Virginia, which mas SINCE
from the great natural curiosity II contains
heen named Rockbridge. He was descended by
10th nareots from Presbyterians OF Scotland
Who emjgrated first TO Ireland, and thehce "
America He was educated at Liberty Han
Academy. which has since become Washington
GnllGQp.
kat institution. Rev. William Graham, an aoie
and eminent preacher and professor BESIDES
Mr.. Graham, his classical teachers were James
Priestly, aaerward President OF Cumberland
College. Tennessee, and Archibald Roane'
,tterward Governor OF Tennessee.
In the Summer Of 1889, he joined IN the iuii
communion Of the Church, and commenced the
.,udv Of Theology under Mr. Graham, who had
. class of six or eight students. He was IL
censed to preach by the Presbytery oil Lexing-
ton. October !, 1871, and was ordained on the
sth Of May, 1875.
Part of the intervening years he spent IN I'm
Grant abors in Virginia, and In that region which
ia now Ohio. In the Spring Of 1877 he became
President OF Hampden Sydney College, IN the
comfy of Prince Edward, at the same time be-
inp pastor OF the Churches OF Briery and Cum
berland. He was now but twenty-five years DID,
and it may safely be alleged that there was new
er won in this country, at so early an age, amofe
brilliant or purer reputation. His arduous and
yeponsble duties were discharged with industry
and energy, equal to his abilities, until health
gave way, and, in the spring of 1901, he resigned
these charges, in weil-grounded apprehension OF
. settled pulmonary consumption.
The Summer of 1902 was spent by Mr. Alex
ander in travelling on horseback through New
England, and by this means ne so far recovered
his health as TO resume the Presidency OF the
College and the charge of his parishes. About
the same time he was married to Janette Wad-
dell, second daughter of Rev. Jonas Waddell,
DID,, that remarkable preacher whose blindness
and eloquence have been celebrated by Mr.. WHIT
in the "The British Spy"
In the Autumn of 1906 he received call from
the Third Presbyterian Church, at the corner OF
Pine and Fourth. sts., in Philadelphia. Though
he had declined an invitation to the same church
ten years before, he accepted this, and thus be-
came a second time the successor OF the Rev.
John Blair Smith, d. ID. He continued at this
post until, in the Spring of 1912, he was sum-
moned by the General Assembly of the Presby-
terian Church to be the first Professor in the
Theological Seminary then Just founded at
Princeton. This chair we believe he occupied
until his death-until within few weeks, at
least, discharging all its honorable duties II 10
a pleasing fact that the first two Professors IN
this Institution were associated IN ats service
nearly forty years. During this period large
number Of clergymen have proceeded from the
Seminary, and il has now not far from one hun
dred and fifty students 1t is important to OBJ
serve that it has no connection with the College
Of New. Jersey, at the same place.
The eminent usefulness OF DR.. Alexander Is not
TO be measured by the long and wise discharge
Of his duties as Professor. He was voiumi-
nous, very able and popular writer. In addition
10 occasional sermons and discourses, and nu-
merous smaller treatises he wrote constantly for
The Princeton Reriew. a quarterly miscellany OF
literature, and theological and general learning,
Of the highest character, which is now in the
twenty seventh year OF its publication. His
work on Yhe Evidences Of the Christian Religions
has passed through numerous editions in Great
Britain as well as in America, and this, as well
as his Treatise oa he Canon Of Scripture, which
has also been republlshed abroad, We believe has
appeared In two OF three other languages. The
substance Of the latter has, however, been incor.
porated with more recent editions OF the former,
under the title OF Er,denees of the Authenticity,
Inspiration and Cononical Authority Of the Holy
Scriptures, of which a fifth edition-the last we
have seen-was published in Philadelphia in
ls47. Among his other works are Thoughts on
Religion a COmpsnd Of Bble Truth, and HIS
tory Of Colonization on the Western Coast Of Africa
the last an octave volume of more than six
hundred pages, published IN Philadelphia In
1876 His principal writings, however, have
been on practica! religion and on the History and
Biography OF the Church, and these for the most
part have been published anonymously.
DR.. Alexander was the father OF six sons, OF
whom three are clergymen. The eldest, James
w. Alexander, d. D., FOR several years Professor
in the College of New.Jersey, and sometime
Pastor OF the Duane.st. Church in this City, is
fine scholar and an able preacher, and has en-.
rolled himself among the benefactors of the
people by many writings of the highest practical