OFFICE OF SECRETARY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS. "Yet still will memory's busy eye retrace OUR city, justly fond of her pre-eminence as the home of the founders of an important State, has also the superadded glory of possessing within her precincts the primitive edifice in which the great national concerns of this distinguished Republic were conceived and sustained. The small building of but twelve feet front, represented in the annexed drawing, now occupied as a small shop for vending cakes and children's trifles, was once the office of Secretary for Foreign Affairs. From that humble looking bureau were once fulminated those determined and national resolves which made our foreign foes to cower, and secured our Independence among the nations: Tho' small our means, great were our measures and our end !" From the contemplation of such a lowly structure, so seemingly disproportionate to our present great attainments, ("a generation more refined, improved the simple plan!") the mind recurs back instinctively to those other primitive days, when the energies of the pilgrim founders were in like manner restricted within the narrow bounds of "Lætitia Court," and within the walls of "Lætitia House," on which occasion, Penn's letter of 1687, (in my possession,) recommends "a change of the offices of State, from his cottage, to quarters more commodious." The "Office for Secretary of Foreign Affairs," under present consideration, is the same building now on the premises of P. S. Duponceau, Esq., situate on the eastern side of south Sixth street, No. 13-a house appropriately owned by such a possessor; for, in it, he, who came as a volunteer to join our fortunes, and to aid our cause, as a captain under Baron Steuben, became afterwards one of the under Secretaries to our Minister of Foreign Relations, and in that building gave his active and early services. In the years 1782 and 'S3, under that humble roof presided, as our then Secretary for Foreign Affairs, the Hon. Robert R. Livingston. Up stairs, in the small front room facing the street, sat that distinguished personage, wielding by his mind and pen the destinies of our nation. In the adjoining back room, sat the two under Secretaries, to wit: Louis R. Morris, since Governor of Vermont, and our present venerated citizen, Mr. Duponceau. There, having charge of the archives of a nation, they preserved them all within the enclosure of a small wooden press! The only room down stairs, on the ground floor, was that occupied by the two clerks and the interpreter. One of the clerks. Mr. Henry Remson, has since become the President of a Bank in New York, and the other, Mr. Stone, has been Governor of Maryland. The Translator was the Rev. Mr. Tetard, the pastor of the French Reformed church. Such was the material of our national infancy, since grown to such vigorous and effective manhood! Mr. Duponceau, from whom I have derived much of these facts, which passed under his immediate observation, has occasionally delighted himself and me in describing, with good humoured emotion and picturesque delineation, the various scenes which have there occasionally occurred, and the great personages who have frequently clambered up the dark and narrow winding stairs to make their respects to or their negotiations with the representative of the nation!such as the Marquis La Fayette, Count Rochambeau, the Duke de Lauzun, Count Dillon, Prince Guemenee, &c. Our own great men, such as Madison, Morris, Hamilton, Mifflin, &c., were visiters of course. After the peace, in the same small upper chamber, were received the homage of the British General, Allured Clark, and the famous Major Hanger, once the favourite of the late George IV. The Major received much attention while in Philadelphia. 66 This frail fabric, in veneration of its past services, (though a thing now scarcely known to our citizens as a matter in “ common parlance,") is devoted during the life of its present generous and feeling owner to remain (as he says) a proud monument of the simplicity of the founders of our Revolution." It is, in truth, as deserving of encomium for its humble moderation, as was the fact, renowned in history, respecting the Republic of the Netherlands in her best days, when her Grand Pensionary, Heinsius, was deemed superlatively ennobled, because he walked the streets of the Hague with only a single servant, and sometimes with even none. Quite as worthy of memorial was the equivalent fact, that our then venerable President of Congress, the Hon. Samuel Huntingdon, together with Mr. Duponceau, often made their breakfast on whortleberries and milk. On such occasions, the President has facetiously remarked:-"What now, Mr. Duponceau, would the princes of Europe say, could they see the first Magistrate of this great country at his frugal repast!" Long may our sons remember and respect these facts of our generous and devoted forefathers! And long may the recollection of the memorable deeds of this house, 66 a great example stand, to show, How strangely high endeavours may be blest!" There are other facts connected with these premises which gave them celebrity in their day, although of a nature quite dissimilar; but in redeeming from oblivion all the facts of times by-gone, we nay also hint at this, to wit: In the year 1773, when the houses on this lot were erected for the Lawrence family, and when the house now Mr. Duponceau's dwelling, on the north-east corner of Chestnut street, was then used as the residence of the other, it was then deemed far beyond the verge of city population. It was, indeed, a country house, and virtually chosen as a "Buenos Ayres." In digging there for a well, they discovered, as they thought, an excellent mineral water, "sup posed to exceed in strength any chalybeate spring known in the province;" great was its fame; crowds of persons came there to partake of its efficacy. The Gazettes of the day vaunted of it as a valuable discovery. It benefited every body; and especially a reduced French lady, to whom Mrs. Lawrence gave the privilege of taking the fees for the draughts of water she handed out to the numerous visiters. It enjoyed its fame, but for a short year, when, by the intrusive interference of science, the discovery was reluctantly confessed, that it owed all its virtues to the deposit of foul materials; even from the remains of a long covered and long forgotten pit! wwwwwww FORT WILSON. THIS was the name popularly given to a large brick house formerly on the south-west corner of Walnut street and Third street, (where Caldcleugh 25 years ago built a large store, &c.) It was, in the year 1779, the residence of James Wilson, Esq., an eminent attorney, who became offensive to many for his professional services in behalf of Roberts and Carlisle-men arraigned and executed as tories and traitors; he gave also umbrage from his support of those merchants who refused to regulate their prices by the town resolves. A mob was formed, who gave out an intention to assault his house and injure his person. His friends gathered around him with arms -soon the conflict was joined-many muskets were fired-some were wounded, and a few died. It was a day of great excitement, and long the name and incidents of "Fort Wilson" were discussed and remembered. Among those in the house were Messrs. Wilson, Morris, Burd, George and Daniel Clymer, John T. Mifflin, Allen M'Lane, Sharp Delaney, George Campbell, Paul Beck, Thomas Laurence, Andrew Robinson, John Potts, Samuel C. Morris, Captain Campbell, and Generals Mifflin, Nichols and Thompson. They were provided with arms, but their stock of ammunition was very small. While the mob was marching down, General Nichols and Daniel Clymer proceeded hastily to the Arsenal at Carpenters' Hall, and filled their pockets with cartridges: this constituted their whole supply. In the meantime, the mob and militia (for no regular troops VOL. I.-3 D 36* took part in the riot) assembled on the commons, while a meeting of the principal citizens took place at the Coffee House. A deputation was sent to endeavour to prevail on them to disperse, but without effect. The first troop of city cavalry assembled at their stable, a fixed place of rendezvous, and agreed to have their horses saddled, and ready to mount at a moment's warning. Notice was to be given to as many members as could be found, and a part was to assemble in Dock below Second street, and join the party at the stables. For a time a deceitful calm prevailed; at the dinner hour the members of the troop retired to their homes, and the rebels seized the opportunity to march into the city. The armed men amounted to two hundred, headed by low characters. They marched down Chestnut to Second street, down Second to Walnut street, and up Walnut street to Mr. Wilson's house, with drums beating and two pieces of cannon. They immediately commenced firing on the house, which was warmly returned by the garrison. Finding they could make no impression, the mob proceeded to force the door; at the moment it was yielding, the horse made their appearance. After the troop had retired at dinner time, a few of the members, hearing that the mob were marching into town, hastened to the rendezvous: these members were Majors Lennox and the two Nichols, Samuel Morris, Alexander Nesbitt, Isaac Coxe and Thomas Leiper. On their route to Wilson's they were joined by two troopers from Bristol, and turning suddenly round the corner of Chestnut street, they charged the mob, who, ignorant of their number, at the cry of "the horse, the horse," dispersed in every direction, but not before two other detachments of the first troop had reached the scene. Many of them were arrested, and committed to prison; and as the sword was very freely used, a considerable number were severely wounded. A man and a boy were killed in the streets; in the house, Captain Campbell was killed,† and Mr. Mifflin and Mr. S. C. Morris wounded. The troop patroled the streets the greater part of the night. The citizens turned out, and placed a guard at the powder magazine and the arsenal. It was some days before order was restored. Major Lennox was particularly marked out for destruction. He retired to his house at Germantown: the mob followed and surrounded it during the night, and prepared to force an entrance. Anxious to gain time, he pledged his honour, that he would open the door as soon as day-light appeared. In the meantime, he contrived to despatch an intrepid woman, who lived in his family, to the city for assistance; and a party of the first troop arrived in season to They assembled at and began their march from Arch above Fifth street. General Arnold came to repress the mob, but he was so unpopular, they stoned him. The two men who used the sledges and stove in the door were both killed: three also from Spring Garden, and a great funeral was made for them by the populace. A Colonel Campbell, who came to the door and opened it, was seized and bayoneted with a dozen wounds, and survived them. |