The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1886-12-08

urally one of the most excitable of men.
dis extraordinary power of selfgovern-
ment, OF course, exempted him from that
htfulness of mood which has been the
misfortune OF so many excellent men.
lie was always grave, but never morose;
always cheerful, but never overloyed
always digni6ed, but never repulsively
formal. His dignity was dignity of char
acter, unconsciously showing itself in his
manners. There was no affectation;
there were no studied airs, or signs of
conscious superiority. There was every
thing to command respect, but nothing
to impose needless restraint.
He was careful not to offend in word.
Those who knew him best and longest
have no recollection of ever having heard
him express an unfavorable opinion of
any person of particular faults commit
ted by any of his fellow creatures he
never spoke without necessity, or more
severely than duty evidently required.
AS further illustration of the same
trait OF character, we state that he uni
formly declined to express an opinion on
any subject which he had not carefully
considered. Opinions thus formed he
very rarely saw reason to change, nor
did he hesitate on proper occasions to
avow his opinions and state his reasons
but his opinions were never oficiously
obtruded on other people. He was never
charged with being either dictatorial or
dispntatious.
Nor of man sought we glory, neither
of you, nor yet of others" Surely, this
could not have been more emphatically
true of the great Apostle of the Gentiles
than of him whose character we are try
ing to portray. He never spoke of HIM
self without necessity, and in not one in
stance that we have ever known or heard
of, did he do an act, or utter a word,
which could by possibility suggest the
suspicion that he was thinking of his own
reputation. Ever ready for acts of kind
ness, such acts were uniformly done with
the utmost simplicity; and so far as his
fellow-creatures could Judge, were never
called to mind afterwards.
In the use of his time he was strictly
conscientious. With idleness he was
never chargeable, and very moderate
proportion of his time was allowed for
rest. By no means Indifferent to the
enjoyment of social intercourse, the COM
pany of friends was never made an ex-
cuse for the neglect of duty. He Stunned
no labor. At the last stated meeting of
his Presbytery which he attended, he
rendered his resignation as chairman of
the Presbytery's Committee of Educa-
ton, position ne had held almost the
whole time he had been member of
that body. The reason assigned was
that, in his judgment, the duties could
be better performed by some other per-
son, especially as his time was so much
occupied with other matters 1t was
known that at that time his duties were
extremely onerous. Accordingly his
brethren gave him to understand that
they were perfectly willing to accept his
re sgnation for the purpose of tightening
his burden but as his services were en-
tirely satisfactory they could not, in JUS
ply the contrary. In these circumstances,
he chose to retain his position. He would
not say that his duties were too onerous.
He was too conscientious to do any
thing specifically, or to engage in any
employment for which he was not we'll
qualified. When he became Principal
of New London Academy, we confess we
felt some anxiety. We knew it would
not be easy to give satisfaction and con-
sidering his time of life, and the nature
of the employments in which he had been
engaged from early manhood, we greatly
feared he would be found but imperfectly
prepared for his new duties. Our fears
were groundless. He gave perfect satis-
faction to all concerned. That institu-
ton has been in existence more than
ninety years; and a number of distin.
guished educators have been among his
predecessors but never has it been more
prosperous or more efficient than during
the period OF his incumbency.
His mind seems to have been carefully
cultivated under the guidance of his con-
science. His intellect, we think, was
shaped by his piety. Imagination was a
very subordinate faculty For meta
physical speculation he had little taste,
and, we suppose, no remarkable talent.
But in retentiveness and accuracy of re-
collection, clearness of thought and ex-
preston, and correctness of Judgment, he
had very few equals. As compared with
other educated ministers, we do not know
that his learning was remarkable for it's
extent, but what he protested to know he
knew thoroughly.
In ecclesiastical assemblies-we refer
to the Presbytery in particular-he
neither possessed nor desired the reputa.
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