from England, bringing with him 13,000£. collected in conjunction with Sir James Jay for the Philadelphia and New York colleges collectively. Those English gifts were certainly very mu nificent. A MS. letter of Richard Peters', of 1753, to Thomas Penn, speaks of the Academy as then in great repute, having 65 boys from the neighbouring colonies. A letter of Thomas Penn's, of 1754, states that while we were forming the Academy and College for Pennsylvania under Dr. Smith, then in England, (seeking redress for his short imprisonment at Philadelphia by the Assembly, for an alleged contempt,) the people of New York persuaded Dr. Johnson to be President for their college to be established, saying, as their "argument, they hope to draw pupils even from Philadelphia, and that they regard the Philadelphia Academy as a school to fit boys for them." This he treats as their boast. The pomp and circumstance of the "commencement days" were then got up with much more of public feeling and interest than have since existed. At a time when every man of competency in the community contributed to endow the establishment it left none indifferent to its prosperity or success. The site of the Academy is said by Thomas Bradford to be made-ground, filled in there from cutting down a part of the hill once in the Friends' burying ground opposite-it having been 4 or 5 feet higher within their wall than on the street. His idea was, that the Friends' ground originally sloped across Fourth street into the Academy ground; which seemed to have been the bed of an ancient water-course along its western wall. About thirty years ago the trustees having purchased the "President's house" in south ninth street, for a more enlarged place, removed the University" there; and that great building they are now again pulling down to renew in another way. 66 I might add some remembered anecdotes of teachers and pupils, but I forbear. Graydon's Memoirs contains amusing facts of the youths there, his companions, before the Revolution:-Such as jostling off Master Beveridge's wig, and pranks of less equivocal insubordination;-vexing and fretting Master Dove-a doggereliser and satirist of severe manners -far more of a falcon than a dove ;-making long foot-races round the square, and priding themselves in their champion-another swift-footed Achilles. These are the revived images of fathers now, who were once young! "The fields, the forms, the bets, the books, The glories and disgraces" "Now leaping over widest ditch, Now laughing at the Tutor!" To such the "University boys" of the present day may go for their apologies for breaches of discipline now-not for wilful transgressions, but for lapses of prudence and discretion "He will not blush that has a father's heart, To take in childish play a playful part." OFFICE OF SECRETARY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS. [ILLUSTRATED BY A PLATE.] "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 commenced 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 '83, under that humble roof, presided as our then Secre tary for Foreign Affairs, the Hon. Robert R. Livingston. Upstairs, 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 Lauzan, Count Dillon, Prince Guemeneé, &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 present George the IV. 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. Ôn 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 may 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 west corner of Chesnut 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, "supposed 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, however, 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! 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 15 years ago built a large store, &c.) It was, in the year 1779, the residence of 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 DeJaney, 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 Carpenter's Hall, and filled their pockets with cartridges: This constituted their whole supply. In the mean-time, the mob and militia, (for no regular troops 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 stables, 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 Chesnut to Second street, down Second to Walnut street, and up 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. |