Monmouth weekly herald. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1854-1860, 1858-01-28
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For the Monmouth Weekly Herald
VII.

by Henr ward.

We are accustomed, and rightly 81, to
regard the man who can nobly make q
sacrifice Of religious prejudice. when it
initiates against the welfare Of mankind
so far as his t" inalienable birthright" of
liberty is concerned, as a true hearted
philanthropist, and .R sincere patriot
worthy of the esteem md gratitude of all
succeeding posterity. And such o man,
most assuredly, was the subject Of this b.
ographical sketch.
JOSEPH HEWEs was born in New Jer-
sey, in the year 1929. At an early age
he removed to North Carolina; and hence
that State may justly claim him as one
Of her most illustrious, adopted citizens.
But as he was q Jerseyman by birth, and
received his education in the good old
hospitable State Of New Jersey. the wri-
ter Of these sketches has thought proper
to assign him q place among "Distin-
guished Jerseymen."
His father was a Quaker, and took
especial pains to Undue the mind of his
son Joseph, from his early infancy, with
the peculiar tenets and principles of the
sect called Friends or Quakers. He was
naturally Of a studious disposition, fond
Of books, apt to learn. and quick of ap
prehension. His parents wisely encouf-
aged these indications Of q mind ardent
in the pursuit of knowledge. and sent him
for several years to a grammar school
He improved every opportunity for adj.
vancement in his stadies, and was soon
kq&aaiied to enter some celebrated Cole
gate Insrfe1xs@H.42shfs @faa tha Cal
lege at Princeton seemed to take the lead
Of all other Institutions of the kind in the
Colonies. Accordingly, Joseph, at an
early age, was sent to that renowned
s9Seat Of the Muses." Nassau Hall. He
found 30 difficulty in gaining admission.
as he proved to the satisfaction of the X.
aiming COMMITTEES. that he possessed an
intellect endowed with talent and capaci-
ty far beyond his years. He graduated.
at that institution, with great reputation /:
and whatever profession he had chosen to
follow for a livelihood, he certainly would
have shone in it, with a lustre equal to
that Of any Of his contemporaries.
But he had no disposition to engage in
any Of the learned professions. He en-
barked in mercantile pursuits, and while
dealing out goods to customers, upon
strict principles Of honesty and integrity.
he found time to store his powerful mind
with the history of nations, and the gene
raj politics of the day. Being a a Of
strict truth, and unwavering hopesty, his
opinions always had great weight with
his fellow.men, and he was frequently
consulted upon important questions which
baf1ed less wiser heads than his and his
answers and solutions gave implicit salts.
faction In every Instance.
Ihave said that he removed to North
Carolina at an early age. He was about
30 years of age at.that time. The people
of North Carolina were not slow to dis.
cover his merits. They, therefore, elected
him a member to Congress in 1774, and
continued to re-elect him a member to
that august body Of the most renowned
statesmen that ever existed upon the face
of the earth, until his death. He was one
Of the Delegates to that immortal Con,
gress of I776, which declared our Nation
al Independence. He signed the Decla-
ration with o firm and steady hand. and
a heart glowing with the ardent fame Of
true and fearless patriotism. The Qua
kers Of New Jersey and Pennsylvaaia,
that same year, held a General Conyen-
ton, in which They denounced in harsh
and unmeasured terms, the proceedings Of
the american Congress thus proving
themselves tories and enemies to their
country /; and sliders and abetters of the
hostile troops Sc mt hlther BY King George,
with the vain expectation Of reducing
the Colonies to base and unmanly serri.
tuGe. This was too much for the patience
of such q fiery patriot as was Joseph
Hewes. He neYer could repress bis hon
est indignation at tho unworthy and pusi-
luminous COURSE Of that traitorous Com
vention. How unlike the Quakers of
Rhode Island did they act how unlike
the yenerated parents OF the brave Gen.
Green, who among the American worth
les. will ever he considered as next to
the Immortal Washington Mr.. Hewes
indignantly abandoned that tory Conyen.
ton sect forever, regarding them as I'M
worthy to participate in the blessings Of
that Freedom which statesmen and war
riors unitedly struggled to gain and
secure. Who can blame him for the deci.
ded step which he took in this emergency?
Who does not wish that he might have
lived to have seen the glorious termination
lot the War his country free, and her
/ Constitution and laws framed. ana her
-urosperity great and increasing beyond
sll paralFel7 But 80 Allvise and Inscru-