Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1894-10-15

4. r. BUM w, new Lladhu AHts iiJ leaiiD DVstVn'
mass meeting and a revolutionary COM
nittce, On the Goth day of July, l776 he
was again chosen as delegate TO the Con-
tinental congress, although he WAS known
TO be opposed TO the Declaration of hide
pcndcnce and had voted against it, be-
Loving, with many other good and patri- |
otto men of that period, that the oppor-
tunity for reconciliation upon terms which
would preserve the liberties of the people
had not yet entirely passed and that an
effort to affect an adjustment ought to be
made before engaging in war which was
certain to entail great hardships and
which was not certain to be successful.
In February and March TIT ho was for
the third time appointed delegate to the
continental congress. An attempt even
to cnumerate the valuable services rem
dcrcd by him during his term as member
of that body would compel me to omit ]
many other important matters connected
with his subsequent career, or extend this
address to an unreasonable length. 1t Is
sufficient to say that from the beginning
he was placed upon some of the most inn
portant committees and was almost con-
SLhnllN upon W uSSioO III thc cOii-
duct of financial affairs. not only by his
advice and counsel, but by the use of his
name and personal credit At that time
there was no treasury department, nor
any national executive organization Of
any lend.
The secretary then described at length
the condition of the country during the
days of l776, the issuing of colonial notes
Al a ,f
barter that pervadcd So bad was the sit
Uation that, the secretary continues: The
opinion was quite prevalent, both in Flu
rope and America, that the struggle could
be maintained but a little while longer,
and even General Washington had aban-
doncd all hope of success. George III and
his ministers relied for success more upon
the depressed financial condition of the
United States than upon the aggressive
operations of their army and navy. This
was the condition of affairs when con-
grcsa, on Feb 90 1871, unanimously chose
Robert Morris to be
Superintendent of Finance.
His great ability and credit rs a mer-
chant, his intimate acquaintance with
public matters generally, and especially
his familiarity with tho financial qucs-
to such u dcplorable state of poverty and
hclplessness constituted qualifications for
this lnborious and responsible position
possessed by no other man in the country.
The selection at once revived the hopes OF
the dospondcnt, stimulated the courage Of
the wavcring, and confirmed the faith of
the friends of liberty in every part of the
world
Mr. Morris accepted the Office on the
18th day of May, l7Si, but he did not enter
full upon the discharge of his duties until
the October following In June 1881, be-
fore he had taken charge of his office he
secured the repeal of the embargo, belicv-
ing, in his own language, that ''commcrcc
should be perfectly free and property
sacredly secured to the owner" He ap
piled himself with zeal and determination
to the difficult task imposed upon him,
and the results of his labors soon began to
be felt in all the affairs of the government
at home and abroad and in all of the bust.
ness transactions of the people. The cx.
tent and variety of powers invested in him
and the number and character of the vari-
Gus kinds Of business transacted by him
on the public account have no parallel in
the history of any othor financial officer |
in the world. He was, in fact the auto
crat of the finances.
Close of a Great Career.
Secretary Carlisle detailed Mt length the |
arduous services performed by Mr.. Nor |
ris up to tho time of his retirement by |
resignation, on Nov. l, ISL saying of this |
latter event: He had found the treasury |
bankrupt, the national credit Frustrated, |
the army hungry, naked and mutinous, |
the pcoplo discOntenteti the currency |
worthless, trade paralyzed and the strug- |
gle for independence growing daily feeble
and hopeless He left, not full treasury |
it is true, but national credit higher |
among capitalists abroad than that of |
some of the oldest nations of Europe, and |
he left a happy and triumphant people, |
with sound currency and prosperous
trade. abundant resources and free gov |
crnmcnt.
After reviewing Mr.. Morris subsequent
stitution. his term in the senate, his pecu-
MARY difficulties and imprisonment for |
debt the speaker concluded as follows:
Morris died May 8, 1906, in the I'D year |
Of his age, and was buried In a little
church yard on Second street in Philadel- |
phia, where his remains now rest, with no |
monument over them except an ordinary |
stone slab. The great country which he
help to rescue from the domination of its
oppressors has grown rich and powerful 4
under the constitution he helped to frame,
the S,O00,0oo people whose liberties he
helped to establish have multiplied until |
they largely outnumber the population of
the mother land; the IL feeble states on |