New-York tribune., 1892-12-18

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COLONEL. JOHN j. McCOoK.
Not once during the twelve days Of the present
soeeion has Colonel McCook shown the slightest tenn
nor not once has been taken off his guard py DT
Rrggs or his friends: not once has he faieo " dn
swer criticism kindly. This docs not mean Iha' No
has allowed what seemed TO him unwse r"i'hss VI
the Moderator. Illegal decisions by the couIu'
statements of the defence rejecting upon the conuuo
=, tho coso to 60 by unchallenged. Exceptions pro
tosts EXPLANATIONS arguments by the proSecuuon-
those will all be found in the minutes Ol tn7 rio''
terv kept by the clerks and senogapher ou' ',e
executions protests and speeches nave peen ,I"'
without the least show Of passion Apparently 'oionv
McCook rs conducting the prosecution oil TINS trai WIN
- u..1 rorsonal fenlnc influencing his action as ne
ou,d exhibit in the conduct of suit brought Sy 'h0
railroad corporation Of which he Is counsel
In arsrer to Colonel McCook's argument the o'he'
day Dr. Briggs said that the arE'"o"' -.
,ntenectual processes OF scholastic theoios''i
.nan ., a LAWYER or man Of affairs But tiose VINO
have been in his confidence during tne laS' WV a.,
,o,v how thoD,nghly he has given hlhscH 10 Uie
s,udv of the questions which were preseh''u "i'i'
h,nsss and with remarkable clearncsN IN HIS 'P,,
He "a an indefadgable worker, ana no uHio Vi eAP
hos been SHARED in his researches. lie Is d iiio"
:, IN. law firm of Alexander & Green. IN the hq"i'
oh,o building and IS a director and the general
- ~, .,chison Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad Coil-
ronv and is interested in several other ihp'''a
railway and financial corporations. ll' - ~ -
y, a number Of clubs and has he!d Important o'''.
,n them He has given money hberaliy 10 "'' IA
college work. -. eovo
m .r,and to whom reference has been maze says
a.. Colonal McCook "thinks no education worthy
,ho name that does not go directly to the Duio'ns
90 character in the broadest way, BY reaching ~O
morals sentiments and sympathies oi 'ne ''"U,..
Ills devotion to the Church which MS lai''iS ~ '7
dthe Presbvterian-has no characteristics Oh tHe
wart Of churches. The great measure "a 'u.O,o SUI,
which has come % him in his professional ana ous'eo
caresr has left him untouched by the corroulhe "'u
OF avarioe, pride and sel1lshnesS' - =,
coIon.l NcCook married a daughter OF Henry NJ
Alexander the head of the firm OF when nc le "e'
hop and lives I'm q beautiful home in flrE rElou''tiH''
onnoste ST. Iuke's Hospital. He Is an eider III tHe
Itftb AveDue Presbyterian Church (Dr Johh tialis
.nd Is active in tie practical ana beheVoic"V WIN
Of the church. From the relation WHICH ''o HN
anders sustain toward Princeton Coiiege anu '''
i,arv and from the conservatism maiesteu n9 Tue
son-in-law the assertion IS made somelHhca' anu 90"
imnltcatton is frequently heard, that Princeton l. D'cN
ef the prosecution of Dr. Briggs but thiS was s'ouy
denied bv Colonel McCOok, IN his argument WHO u'
,ared that there should be attempt TO obscure inc
issue which was before the PreaDy'ery " =
nor a conflict" he said, between the ou ao'o'i ~"
new school That distinction Is No longer ro'osI'N'N
IN .he Presbyterian Church. Nor Is IL "u
igSnp
Nor is 1t a question between scholarship anu
;oporance uness the Presbyterian standards ana 'he
IIolv bible are to regarded as ignorant teachers
Uhsp tbe war began Colonel McCook. who was
horn in Carroton. Ohio May -. 1e41' was stuuen'
At KENYON College. and at the head Of his freshman
year he enlisted in tile 9th Ohio Cavalry just al'''
aseng his seventeenth birthday he was promoted 10
At uc,,tenancv and was assigned 10 dutl on the
..o9 ~ General Thomas L. Criteuden conmih0i"s
a corps OF the Army Of the OHIO, winch subsequently,
hsc.re the Twenty-frst Corp OF Army OF the GUM
berland He served in the campaigns OF PerryNne'
Stone River Tullahoma, Chatunoo-" ana 'i"'N"
manga and was with General Grant IN his campaign
t,b ths Army Of the Potomac from the battle OF the
wilderness 10 the crossing Of the James RIVER. lie
was commissioned a captain and mdede-eamp oi
Unified states Volunteers in september loO1 anu WIS
brevetted major o volunteers for gallant ana herlo
ons service in action AT Shady Grove Virginia. WHERE
he WAS dangerously wounded In the same campaign
he uas arterward made lieutenant colonel ana colonel
no brave. for the same req sons friend who Knows
him well says Of him: This boy sodier-fot over
twenty years Of age when the war closed-sho"eu al
every step of his military the spendid dash OF
an enthusiast and the iron courage OF veteran. HIS
comrades praise him without stint
After the war Colonel McCook returned 10 Kenyon
College, where he received the degrees Of Bachelor
~ Arts in 1866 and Master Of Arts three years
later He was graduated from the Harvard Law
School in 1869 and four years later received the
honorary degree OF Master OF Arts from Princeton.
Two wears ago the University OF Kansas, which in the
twenty-five years Of It's existence has honored only
six persons with the degree If Doctor OF Laws. con
ferred that honor upon Colonel McCooh
The OHIO McCcoks acquired a wide reputation
during the Civil War as the "Fighilng McCook'"
Daniel McCook and eight were engaged In mill
tarv service and another son died In the Naval ser
vice Five sons Of a brother. DIR. John McCOok. were
also in the Rebellion. making total Of fifteen
McCooks every son Of both families commissioned
officers except one who killed In the first battle
OF Bull Run, and who had declined commission In
the regular army, prefcrrng 10 serve as Il private
volunteer. The two families have been fanlliarly
ostiu gotisned as the "Trbe Of Dan" and the Tribe
Of John"
The Briggs prosecutor was the ninth son OF Daniel
McCook His father was born in 1893, at Canons
burg Penn the seat OF jefferson College, and though
sIxtythree years Of age at the beginning OF the war
he went TO Washington and offered his services to
President Lincoln each OF his eight then living
promptly responding TO Mr.. LncOn's call for troops
When the rebel General John Morgan made III, raid
into Ohio Major McCOOk was stationed at Cincinnati
and iOined the troops sent In his pursuit. Morgan
undertook TO recross thc Ohio River at Huntington
Island Major McCOOI led advance partS 10 inter
cent the crossing In the skrnlsh that took place
he was wounded and died the next day Among the
sons OF DR.. John McCOOk were General Anson G.
NcCOok for six years a Congressman from this city,
and later the secretary of the tnitcd states senate
DR. Henry c. McCOok. wcll-hnOwn Presbyterian
clergyman OF ..adelpha. and Professor John j. Nc
Cook OF Trinity College, Hartford.