Wisconsin tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1847-1854, 1851-05-15
5IG6&GG gJ1W9.
OF THE DECLARATION OF
IADEPENDENCE.
GEO. CLTMER, OF PENNSYLVANIA.


ly seven years old. His wife died before him
and George was le1t an orphan. William
/ Coleman, his mothers brother wealthy and
hIghly-esteemed citizen Of Philadelphia, took
George into his family, and in his education,
and all other things, he treated him as son.
/ Having completed a thorough English edaca-
ton, he was taken ihtc the countlng-rocm Of
/ his uncle, and prepared for commercial life.
Mr. Clymer was net partial to a mercantile
/ business, for he deemed 1t q pathway beset
with many snarcs for the feet Of pure mcrah-
/ ty, as sudden gains aAd losses Were apt to af-
feet the character Of the most stable Fer
himself he preferred literature and science,
and his mind was much occupied with these
subjects.
Al the age of twenty-seven years he mar
rled a Miss MereditEt, aud entered into mer-
camille business with as fsther-in-law. and
his son, under the Eua Of Meredith and Sons.
His uncle died about She same time, and left
the principal part Of bis large fortune to Air.
Clymer. Still he continued in business with
his father-in-law, uu.il his death and with
his brotheT-ln-law attervard, until 1882.
Even before his marriage, when none but
+ old commercial grievances were complained
Of 5y the Colonies, air. Clymer expressed
decided republican principles; and when the
Stamp Act aroused ihe resistance of the
American people, he was among the most ar
/ dent defenders Of the republican cause. He
was jealous actor IN al the public meetings
+ IN PhIladel phIa; and when, IA 1914, military
! organizations took place. preparatory a final
resort TO arms, which seemed inevitable, Mr..
] Clymer accepted the command Of volunteer
corps belonging to General CadwalIader's
! brigade.
I When the expressions which Boston eXpe-
4 rienced at the hands British power, after
| the 8 Tea Riot" aroused the strong synpa-
I thy Of the people of Tie commercial cities,
I Mr. Clymer was placed al the head Of large
and responsible committee Of vigilance in
/ Philadelphia, 10 act a. circumstances should
require. He vas aisa placed upon the irst
council OF sIfety that sas organized in Phil
adelPhla; and early III 1875, he was appoint
ed by Congress one of lAe continental treas
urers.
In I77G, after two Of the Pennsylvania
delegates in the General Congress declined
voting for the Declaration Of independence,
and Withdrew from thejr seats, Mr.. Clylner
and DR.. Rush were appointed 10 succeed them,
and they both joyfuiIv affixed their signatures
10 that instrument. Mr C!ymer was soon
afterward appointed one Of a committee 10
visit the northern arms at TIconderaga; and
when the British appT ached Philadelphia at
the close of I716, ari Congress retired to
Baltimore, he was put npon q committee with
Robert Morris and others 70 remain as a ccm-
mittee Of vigilance il shat city. He was
again elected to Congress IN I719, and was
? one Of q committee sent b that body 70 Wash
! ingtou's headquarters It Valley Forge, TO in
+ quire into the alleged abuses Of the cOnuis-
sary department.
Mr. Clymer was peculiarly obnoxious to
the British, an eyideuee of his uHwaveIing
attachment to the Republican cause. While
the enemy were IN poas ss1ion of Philadelphia
in the winter Of IT'S, taey surrounded .
house which they thought was Mr.. Clymel's S,
with the intention Of domoishing It, but they
discovered it TO belong &c a relative Of his, OF
the same name, and they spared the edifce
In l71S, Mr.. ClylneE vas sentb by Congress
to Pittsburgh, 10 endeayor by negotiation TO
quiet the wages, who Influenced by British
b elnissarles, were conrulsting dreadful ragages
on the frontier. IT, tbs he was successful,
and for his aFduous seTsICes he received the
thanks Of Congress. ia the autumn Of 1870
+ he vas elected TO Congress for the third tine
and he continued an attentive and active
member until 1872. During that year he
Joined with Robert Mosyis and others in the
establishment Of 4 bank in Philadelphia, de-
signed for the public gdd. Mr. Clymer was
s 4 considerable subscriber, and was made one
of its first directors.
In 1892, AiF. Ciymer and Edward Rutledge
were appointed by Congress to visit the
Southern States, and urEe the necessity o
a prompt contribution ot their assessed quota
Of funds for the public treasury. The indl
vidual States were slow 50 respond TO the calls
Of Congress, and this tardiness very muCt
embarrassed the operations Of government
On his return, Mr.. CIyHer moved his fami
to Princeton, for the purpose Of having hzs
children educated there. Public interest soor
called him back to Pennsylvania, and he took
a seat IN its Legislature 1t was while he
was member Of that body, that the crImIna
code of that State was nl@difed, and the per-
r itentiary system introduced. it Is conceded
that the credit of marurlaT this wiser systeie
of punishment, is chie3v due 10 Mr.. Ciymer
and for this alone he is entitled to the veneTa
tion due to public beneiaetor.
/ Mr.. Clymer was a member of the Conven
ton that framed the Federal Constitution, am
was elected one Of the fist members Of Con
rress convened under tisat instrument Hs
declined a reelection, aua was appointed, BY
President Washington, supervisor Of the rev
enue for the State Of Pennsylvania. This
was an Office in which great firmness and de-
/ cisiou Of character were requisite, IN conSe-
I ouence Of the spirit Of resistance to the col
lection of revenue which was then abroad
In fact, open rebellion at length appeared, and
the movement known as The - " hiskey l.
/ surrec ion" in Pennsylvania, at one time
threatened serious conseq qsences 10 the whole
/ framework of our goye7ment. But MI
CIvmer was unawed, and amid many personal
dangers. he passed onward in the performance
Of his duty At length. when things became
quiet, he resigned. In 1886, he was appoint
"a. with Colonels Hawzins and Piekens, 70
negotiate a treaty with iAe Cherokee and
Creek tribes Of Indians, IN Georgia. This
mission closed the public lte Of Mr.. Clymer,
and the remainder Of his days were spent IN
acts Of pTivate usefulness. and a personal
Dreparation for another world. He died on
the twentv-faurih day Of January, 1913, II
the seventy-fourth year Of his age. His long
life was an active and usofal one, and not .
sinqle moral stainmarked t7 manifested purity.
~ The Indiana editors are getting into a
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