the limits in Spottsylvania County-a sufficiently unpleasant period, doubtless, but posterity is indebted to it for the pleasing and graphic narrative of his past military experiences, which he wrote in 1809, his "Memoirs of the War in the Southern Department of the United States."

was adjusted without their active inter- office. He lived for a while the life of vention. Lee took his seat again in a country gentleman, in Virginia, but Congress in 1799, the last year of his prospects became clouded as debts Washington's life. To him was com- pressed heavily upon him, caused, it is mitted the preparation of the resolu- said, by his lavish expenditure. He tions in the House of Representatives was arrested for debt, and placed on when that life was closed. They contained the memorable expression to which we have already made allusion: "Resolved," is the language of one of them, "that a committee, in conjunction with one from the Senate, be appointed to consider on the most suitable manner of paying honor to the memory of the man, first in war, first in peace, and In 1812 Lee was again before the first in the hearts of his fellow-citizens." public in connection with the Balti In the temporary absence of Lee, the more Riots of that year. These, it will resolutions were moved by Judge Mar- be remembered, grew out of an attack shall. To Lee also fell the honorable upon the office of the "Federal Republitask of delivering the oration at the can," a newspaper which had taken part funeral procession ordered by Congress. against the recent declaration of war. His Eulogy was eloquent and pointed. Hanson, the editor, was determined to Repeating the happy tribute in the hold his ground and continue the publi words, just given, of his resolution, he cation of his journal, and Lee, among added, "he was second to none in the other distinguished persons, supported humble and endearing scenes of private his course. Another assault was made life. Pious, just, humane, temperate upon his premises; shots were fired, and sincere, uniform, dignified and and the military interfered, lodging the commanding, his example was edifying inmates for safety in the prison. This, to all around him, as were the effects of in turn, became an object of attack; that example lasting. Correct an entrance was effected by the mob, throughout, vice shuddered in his pre- General Lingan was killed, and Lee, sence, and virtue always felt his foster- among others, wounded. He never ing hand; the purity of his private entirely recovered from the injury. A character gave effulgence to his public voyage to the West Indies failed in the virtues." restoration of his broken health, and he returned to the United States to die. His death occurred on the 25th of March, at the residence of Mrs. Shaw, the daughter of General Greene, at Cumberland Island, Georgia.

Lee's duties in Congress terminated with the administration of Adams, when he finally retired from public

'Marshal's Washington, V. 829.

ROBERT MORRIS.

THIS liberal merchant and financial fond, solicitous parent, a gentleman stay of the American Revolution, whose held in great repute in the colony for self-sacrificing, disinterested patriotism his honorable personal and social lighted many of the darker hours of qualities. His death was sudden, and the struggle, was not a native of occurred in a manner to be long reAmerica. His father, Robert Morris, membered. When a merchant vessel an eminent merchant of Liverpool, left arrived in the harbor, it was customary that city of his birth to establish him- for the consignee to give an entertain. self in Maryland, on the eastern shore, ment on board to his friends. Mr. where he carried on an important ship- Morris had just discharged this act of ping trade in tobacco with England. hospitality, and was leaving the ship, Finding his relations with the colony when he was struck by the wad of the likely to be permanent, he sent for his gun fired from the vessel as a parting son, a boy of thirteen, whom he had salute. It inflicted a severe wound in left with the family at home. This the shoulder, a mortification set in, and was Robert Morris, of the Revolu- death immediately ensued. He was in tion. his fortieth year.

He was born in Liverpool, January, 1733. On his arrival in America, he was placed with "one Annan," described as at that time the only teacher in Philadelphia, with whom, it is added, that his progress in learning "does not appear to have been very rapid," a statement in imperfect agreement with the accompanying anecdote of the boy's reply to his father, in respect to this instructor, "I have learned, sir, all that he could teach me."1

At the time of this disaster, young Morris was a clerk in the countinghouse of Charles Willing, a well known merchant of Philadelphia. He was earnest and assiduous, full of business talent, and early established a reputa tion for ability and integrity, On coming of age, in 1754, he entered into a partnership with Thomas Willing, the son of his employer, which was continued for thirty-nine years. The early manhood of Morris was signalized

The youth was early deprived of his by the agitations on the subject of

'Life of Morris. Sanderson's Lives of the Signers, V. 190.

trade, which preceded the actual outbreak of the Revolution. A merchant carrying on an active and profitable

faction of formally recording, to the cause of his country.

business with the mother country, may well have hesitated as to the part he would take in the discussion. Mor- The second Congress was at that ris, of a frank, manly, generous charac- moment about to meet in Philadelphia. ter, was with the country from the Towards the close of the year, Morris outset. He gave his counsel and sup- was elected a member of the Pennsyl port to the Whig leaders, and proved vania legislature, and rapidly placed his fidelity to the cause, by signing the himself alongside of the Adamses, Lees, non-importation agreement of 1765. Livingstones and other eminent patriots When war broke out, and the blood of that distinguished body. The affairs of Lexington cemented the elements of of the navy, trade and finance, with patrictism, he was prepared for the which he was perfectly conversant, issue. The announcement of the en- were immediately put into his hands. gagement to Morris and his friends, in He was reelected the next year, and Philadelphia, was quite a dramatic placed his broad, unflinching signature scene. They were assembled, four to the Declaration of Independence. days after the event, at the anniversary Then began a series of financial serfestival of St. George's Day, an occasion vices, personal and official, spread over calculated to bring out the strongest English feeling. The topics of the day were, of course, the subject of discussion, and under the influence of port and madeira, the reconciliation party were rapidly gaining the ascendant. Suddenly news is received of the British raid at Lexington, and the slaughter of the Americans. It is the handwriting on the wall, numbering the days of English supremacy. The tables are deserted; the seats overthrown. Morris and a few friends remained, survivors of this wreck of conviviality, to pledge themselves to the new era. A farewell, we are told, was uttered to their patron saint, no longer good old St. George, whose banquets may they long survive!-were henceforth to be held in America under different auspices with new auguries. Then and there Morris dedicated himself, "his life, his fortune and his sacred honor," as he afterwards had the satis

many years, amply acknowledged in the correspondence and annals of the Revolution. In many a strait and peril of our infant armies, in moments of impending desertion or famine, was the brow of Washington smoothed by the magic wonders wrought by the character and genius of Morris. The resources of his integrity and management-for it was often more a matter of credit than of actual means at his command-supplied money and flour out of penury and barrenness. After the battle of Trenton, Washington was greatly in want of a sum of money in specie for a special purpose. He applied to Morris, then a member of a committee left in charge of affairs at Philadelphia. The financier, who had exhausted his own stock in loans to Congress, was perplexed. Leaving his office in despair, he met a member of the Society of Friends, who opened the conversation, with the not uncom