The Literary echo, and Pawcatuck advertiser. [volume] (Westerly, R.I.) 1851-1854, 1853-11-24

CsP'' CioSeus eihiue, Wno oieu q
Norwich, Ct., some three or four weeks
since, We copy from the Examiner. W.
publish it at the request Of number o.
our subscribers.
He was born on Sunday, February II,
1852, in this town, where he has passed
most of his life. The facts which con-
tribute a special interest to the life of
Mr.. Perkins, are the times in which he
lived,the character which he exemplifed,
and the remarkable age to which his life
was protracted.
The time of his birth dates back to
the beginning of the fourth intercolonial
war, in which the military talents of
Washington, then major in the VIr-
ginia militia, were first developed, eight
years before the reign of George III.
Our nation was then composed of isolated
colonies under the British Crown. These
colonies then stretched only about a
thousand miles along the Atlantic coast,
while their inland extent was very lin
tied. The population, according to a
return to the Board of Trade in the
year 1884, amounted to l,192,S96
whites, and 292,73 blacks, making
total of 1885 inhabitants. Mr.
Perkins lived to witness the close of the
old French war, the commencement,
progress, and termination of the war of
American Independence, the establish
ment of our national government, and
the growth of our country from popu-
lation less than million and half to
Its present number At every presiden-
tial election from the time of Washing
ton to that Of Gen. Taylor, he was pre-
sent and deposited his vote. During
the period he lived, he has marked the
progress of our nation in territorial ex-
tension, in population, in the develop
ment of physical resources, in the accu-
mutation of wealth, in educational,
humane, and religious institutions, and
in the various elements of national
greatness, till the small one has become
strong nation, whose voice of strength
and arm of power are felt and acknowl-
edged over the world. How rarely, if
ever, has the history Of one mans life
time chronicled such a series of events.
He entered, in his boyhood, the COM
mercial service of the father of the late
Gen. Jedediah Huntington. The first
two years of the Revolutionary war he
was attached to the regiment command
ed by Gen, then Col. Huntington Once
he went on express from Gov. Trumbull
to the Continental Congress, which was
at the time hazardous mission. After
the war he was more than twenty years
engaged in navigation, and commanded
coasting vessel, running between this
city and New York. Between forty and
fifty years he occupied the house where
he died.
The uniform calmness of his temper
ament, the urbanity of his manners, his
nnwavering integrity, his conscientious
regard for the Sabbath, his habitual
attendance on the public worship of
God, and his decided interest in what
ever was intended to promote public
virtue and prosperity, earned for him
the esteem and confidence of a numer-
Gus acquaintance, who testified their re-
gard for him by spontaneous desire to
"honor the fall of the old man." As
his mental vigor and well stored memory
retained, to remarkable degree, their
strength to the last, it was pleasant and
instructive to listen to his conversation,
when he brought forth from his treasures
of historic incident, facts of the olden
time.
1t has been said by Madame de Stael,
that sit is difficult to grow old grace
fully" There is sad truth in this re-
mark. But in the case of the venerable
patriarch, who is the subject of this
notice, it will doubtless be conceded,
that he was one who grew old gracefully.
He did not lose his patience with the
world, because he had been obliged to
withdraw from participation in its active
concerns. He betrayed no petulent
infrmity melting him to withdraw to a
hermitage of misanthropy. But, though
conscious of the aggression of physical
ills, and the decay of some of his active
powers and senses, he was patient,
pleasant, resigned and cheerful.
As professed disciple of Christ he
maintained department, marked with
uniform consistency to the end. In the
year 1884 he united by profession with
the second Congregational Church, on
the ordinances and ministrations of which
ne punctually and habitually attended.
lie loved the sanctuary and after he
wa, was nlnetty-fyye years old you would see