Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1909-05-21

seldom exceeded four instructors dur
ing the twenty-six years that Wither.
spoon was president. He taught
Greek, Latin, Hebrew, moral philos-
ophy, elocution, divinity and other
subjects. James Madison, who was
one of his students in the class OF
It'll and acted as his private secretary
testifies that his character was at once
Strong and gentle" and although he
was the most dignified Of men, with q
formal and stately manner, he was
considerate and kind and won the
personal attachment Of the students
Besides doing his college work he
preached two long sermons every
Sunday in the chapel. John Adams,
who spent a Sunday in August, 1774,
at Princeton, writes in his diary that
he heard DR.. Witherspoon all day, u
which was not intended as satire.
During the Revolution Witherspoon
kept the college going, although most
Of the students enlisted, and Prince
ton was invaded by the British, so
that the president and the faculty
were obliged to flee for their lives.
George Washington attended the COM
mencement exercises in 1888, gave
the college fifty guineas and consent
ed to sit for the portrait by Charles
Wilson Peale, which now hangs In
the museum of natural history.
Witherspoon was probably the
most scholarly man Of his day In
America. He had no superior in the
pulpit, was the master Of five languages
and conversed in French, Latin, Greek
and Hebrew. Shortly after his arrival
and indeed before he left Scotland
he published advanced views on
the liberty Of thought and political
action and became the champion OF
the rights Of the colonies. He de-
nounced the policy Of the British
government in vehement speeches,
and in 1774, when the first Continent
al Congress assembled, prepared a
memorial to that body declaring that
the tyranny of the British parliament
was illegal and unconstitutional, and
that 1--WE are firmly determined never
to submit"
AS a member Of the Continental
Congress he took an active part In
the debate over the Declaration Of In
dependence, and closed his speech by
saying:
For my own part, of property ]
have some, Of reputation more. That
reputation is staked, that property is
pledged on the issue Of this contest;
and although these gray hairs must
soon descend into the sepulchre, ]
would Infinitely rather that they de-
scend thither by the hand Of an exc
cutioner than desert at this crisis the
sacred cause of my country.
Throughout the war he was a con-
sistent supporter Of Washington, and
continued to urge upon congress its
duty to let Washington alone in the
management of the military campaign
and to give him all the supplies pos
sible without interfering with details.
His executive ability Is indicated by
his being chosen a member Of the
committee Of ways and means to car
ry on the war. He supported Robert
Morris in his plan to place the finan-
ces of the country upon a sound basis.
He labored earnestly to secure the
adoption Of the Articles Of Confedera-
ton, for a close abiding union Of the
states and q strong executive head fol
the government. The failure of the
Articles Of Confederation proved his
foresight, and after the war he advo-
Gated "a more perfect union" and i'm
pressed his views upon his pupil,
James Madison, the chief framer OF
the Federal constitution.
His prominence and relentless spir-
1t provoked the hearty abuse Of the
loyalists. One of his political SER
mons, reprinted in Glasgow, secured
for him the title Of "a firebrand, rebel
and traitor" The British soldiers in
York burned him in eff1gy alongside
of George Washington. Horace Wal
pole declared in parliament that the
American colonies had run away
with a Presbyterian minister" A
British officer visiting Princeton wrote
Of him as "this political firebrand
who perhaps had no less share In
the Revolution than Washington him.
SELF"
After the war he returned to Prince
ton and continued his duties as presi-
dent, with the assistance Of his SON.
in-law, the Rev. DR.. Samuel S. Smith,
who became his immediate successor
He bought a farm, which he called
Tusculum, about mile above Prince
ton and there did literary work and
continued his interest in public affairs
until the close Of his life. He collect
ed his speeches and published them In
volume. He published works on
marriage, education, finance and sew
eral other subjects, political, social
economic and theological.
In 1889 his wife died, leaving him
entirely alone, and two years later ne
married Mrs. Ann Dill, a girl widow
of Philadelphia. He was 50 years old
and she was 90. BY her he had two
daughters, one Of whom died In In
fancy. He lived three years after his
marriage, and November Is, 1894
retired to his eternal rest full OF hon
or and full of days. ys."-Washington
Star.