The Washington herald., 1909-05-21
HONORED
IN BRONZE EFFIGY
Continued from Pase One.

4 Continued from Page One.
politics; and he was like his countrymen.
who do not identify themselves with the
/ country community IN which they live
] they take possession Of IL
/ To describe q man Ike this IS as
I difficult as describing Washington. He
/ possessed a quality OF greatness that is
/ undehnable. He was inbued with those
/ qualities that marked Lincoln. and he
! massed those powers with solidity that
I made Their impress lasting Il may be
/ said he possessed a symmetry OF power
/ that slUmbered. and only when the large
I scale OF his career was unfolded was he
! appreciated. Every part Of his being.
I when touched with fire. became kndled.
I lie was combustible throughout: and do
( you wonder that this man burst into
fame when he was touched with the
electrified air Of America?
Recognized the Situation.
''witherspoOn Immediately recognized
the significance OF the situation into
which he had stepped almost unwarily
just before the war Of the Revolution
Re not only based his assertions on facts.
but on that sometimes disturbing element
common sense His watchwords in the
Continental Congress was the attainment
Of effective legislation insuring actual
taxation hard cash and solid union OF
the colonies II would belittle him 10 call
him the greatest president Of Princeton
University or a leader Of the American
c0l0nists, L was he who Was mainly in
stTunenJal in inpaTting those PRINCIPLES
which VIII lift this nation 10 the reaIiza-
n nd
premacy-
DR.. Witherspoon was one Of those
Scots who are both troublesome and in /
dispensable. With that keen logical mind /
lie directed his measures in the Cont
mental Congress, and in many instances
ne must have been a minority Of one
We think that men who create revolu-
ucns must be emotional orators. This 4
IS not the case; much less is Il true that
emotional orators lead revolutions With
erspOon was lar from emotional: he spoke
with quiet deliberatiOn which carried I
more weight because he dealt only with.
and By facts. He was to the Contenti-
mental Congress what Washington was 10
the army and they worked together for
a common cause
1t is a matter Of humorous history
az Princeton that John Witherspoon. ever
eager 70 impress the idea OF liberty upon
the colonists and especially the Prssby-
terry Of New Jersey, wrote the speeches
OF the undergraduates. II may be said
that under his tutelage the students in
tnelr themes spoke only on the philosophy
OF poItics- Needless 10 say the presby-
tery later rescinded its order. prohibit
Ing politics 10 be discussed in the ut,Ipit.
NC better example could be given OF this
mans versatility in education than that
two OF his students, James Madison and {
Light Horse" Harry Lee. demonstrated /
10 the nation the doctrines instilled al
princeton by WitherspOOn'
several times in the introduction Of
ambassador Bryce's address, his Wit {
caused ripples Of laughter In the audi
ence- John WitherspoOn was q strong.
seII-rehant- courageous man. filed with -
the spirit Of the Covenanters OF Drum
cog and OF Boutwell, Bridge. a man who
would have at all times declared his in
dependence Of everything. and who botb I
oy MS learning and his force Of char .
acter IS worthily remembered by one NJ &
our greatest universities as the roosf /,
striking figure in its earlier annals He
anne oI a strong race, one Of the strong :
est mat mas gone 10 the making OF this :
loW composite nation. In which # Is :
oeglnning 10 be hard TO trace the several :
-hreaos that have been woven on the ;
oom OF time into the fabric. :
Students OF history and a,h,o1o.-,. :
laVe sometimes been inclined 10 wish ;.
hat each stock Of settlers IN North D
Scotch. and Irish, and German
md Scandinavian, had each taken a re-
1on TO itself in which its individuality :
ould have been developed under new :
onditions into some new form in which /. /.
he old character would not have bAsn =
est But, perhaps. the mixture OF ali to- |!
'ether into one vast nation gives r7o-a Z
ieXibility and versatility 20 the nation Il
nd makes IL filter 70 meet all the va-y- |!
as calls OF civilization that grows al :
Eays more complex
"Of this Scottish ard Scotcb-Irfsb rae o
ne distinguished man whose statue Won =
re setting I'D to-day IS a worthy renra- u
entaJiVe- He vas an ACCOMPLISHED =
choiar and teacher. eloquent IN the nui- y
II and wise in the council chamber. %
earless and resOlute. and able 20 insnire Je
theTs with his OWE resolution. dsspiavfrO az
n the soil OF this new continent The ouaT. hl
les which had won IT'S greatness ana fts 81
anne for the country whence he cara q [ a
ountry OF which we may say. as q, IN
lomeT, Ulysses SAYS OF his isle. 'Roueb
It and small, but II Is a nurse or ls
-rOng men al
-Four men in the early history OF this IN
spublic stand out as representative III
eotsmen- One is Dr.. Witherspoon. who u
al, though by his profession a man OF A
eace' full measure Of the strength OF W
III and the combative spirit as well as be
le mental grasp that belonged 10 such 10
-Lsons as andrew Melville. and TO the