UC-NRLF 
 
 SB Ifl DhS 
 
J. A/, 
 
THE 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS 
 
 OP 
 
 JAMES HENLEY THORNWELL, D.D., LL.D., 
 
 EX-PEESIDENT OF THE SOUTH CAKOLINA COLLEGE, 
 
 LATE PROFESSOR OF THEOLOGY IN THE THEOLOGICAL SEMTCARY 
 AT COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA. 
 
 BY 
 
 B. M. PALMER, D.D., LL.D., 
 
 OF THE FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA. 
 
 RICHMOND: 
 WHITTET & SHEPPERSON. 
 
 1875. 
 
Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1875, by 
 
 WHTTTET & SHE|>I?RSpN, 
 Jn the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at \yashington, D. C. 
 
 Printed by Stereotyped by 
 
 WHITTET & SHEPPERSON, L. LEWIS, 
 
 Richmond. Richmond. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 PABENTAGE AND BIRTH. 
 
 Introduction. Birth. His father s occupation, character, and early 
 death. His mother s lineage. Early settlement of South Caro 
 lina. Immigration of a Welsh colony. His mother s charac 
 teristics..., 1 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 EARLY BOYHOOD. 
 
 Orphanage. Early poverty. An old-field school. His first teach 
 ers. Account of Mr. Mclntyre. Attachment to his pupil. 
 Habits of study. Early ambition. First impressions of his 
 genius. Introduction to his future Patrons. Indifference to 
 play. Moral and Religious traits 13 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 His PATRONS. 
 
 Brief sketch of the Generals Gillespie. Their affection for their 
 ward. Sketch of Mr. Bobbins. His marked influence in de 
 veloping the genius intrusted to his care 27 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 PREPARATION FOR COLLEGE. 
 
 Removal to Cheraw. Abode with Mr. Bobbins. Confidential rela 
 tions with him. First appearance as a debater. Entrance into 
 the Cheraw Academy. Love for the Classics. Early fondness 
 for Metaphysics. Correspondence with his Patron. Singular 
 letter. Tendency to moral speculations 39 
 
 iii 
 
 M71858 
 
IV CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 COLLEGE LITE. 
 
 First . ppearance in College. Personal description. Kejected on 
 tirst application. Received on the second. His own account 
 of it. Early impression of his genius upon his fellow-students. 
 Faculty of the South Carolina College. Intense application. 
 Eange of his studies. Self-discipline. Seclusion. Early repu 
 tation as a debater. Powers of invective. Correspondence. ... 53 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 COLLEGE LIFE CONTINUED. 
 
 Correspondence with his Patrons. Admirable letters of Mr. Rob- 
 bins in reply, Conscientiousness in the use of money. Cen 
 sured for parsimony, by Mr. Robbins. His defence. Moral 
 character in College. Testimonies of his class-mates. Religi 
 ous investigations, Example of integrity. Graduation and 
 distinctions 67 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 HlS CONVEESION. 
 
 Inability to choose a profession. Remains as resident graduate. 
 Correspondence. Teaches at Sumterville. Literary projects. 
 Unites with the Presbyterian Church. His own account, 
 given at a later period, of his religious exercises. Review of 
 his religious history. His own analysis of religion. Letter 83 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 His TEACHING AT CHEKAW. 
 
 Removes to Cheraw. Becomes principal of the Academy. Charac 
 ter as a teacher. Physical development. Habits -of life. 
 Religious gloom. Account of this stage of his history, by an 
 associate. Explanation of his gloom. Defective religious ex 
 perience. Applies to Presbytery. Taken under its care as a 
 candidate for the ministry 103 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 RESIDENCE AT CAMBRIDGE. 
 
 Sudden removal to Andover, Mass. Thence to Cambridge. Rea 
 sons for the change. Letter from Mr. Robbins. Correspon 
 dence. Amusing story of a visit to Boston. Hears Mr. 
 Everett s eulogy upon Lafayette. Contrast between different 
 stages in the same life. Letters. Return home 115 
 
CONTENTS. V 
 
 CHAPTEE X. 
 
 FIKST PASTORATE. 
 
 Licensure. Settlement in Lancaster. Spiritual conflict. Early 
 preaching. Ascendency over his audience. Power of illumi 
 nating the whole gospel. His bearing as a pastor. Marriage. 
 Death of his first child. Complete formation of character. 
 Development of piety. Extracts from his private journal. 
 Confession and prayer 127 
 
 CHAPTEE XI. 
 
 FIRST PROFESSORSHIP. 
 
 Ke-organization of the College. Enters it as Professor. Intimate 
 friendship with members of the Faculty. Appointed to chair 
 of Metaphysics. Enthusiasm and success in this study. Native 
 aptitude for it. Not wanting in Esthetics. Scruples of con 
 science. Resigns the Professorship. Installed pastor of the 
 Columbia Church. Author s first impression of him. Recalled 
 to the College H5 
 
 CHAPTEE XII. 
 
 VOYAGE TO EUROPE. 
 
 Ill health. Ordered to Europe. Letters on the way. Sails for 
 Liverpool. Journal. Reflections upon the ocean; upon the 
 value of time ; upon the sea as a school for the Christian graces. 
 Description of a Newfoundland fog. -Dangers. Storm at 
 sea. Arrives in Europe 157 
 
 CHAPTEE XIII. 
 
 LETTERS FORM EUROPE. 
 
 Description of Liverpool. English politics. Description of Ches 
 ter. Its antiquities. Nobleman s estate. London. Its in 
 teresting associations. Its striking contrasts. Scotland. 
 Description of Glasgow. Intercourse with the Seceders. 
 Places visited .on his journey. Kenilworth. Warwick. Strat- 
 f ord-upon- Avon. Melrose Abbey. Dryburgh. Impressions 
 of Paris, Its Lions. Return home. Patriotism... ,. 167 
 
 CHAPTEE XIV. 
 
 OLD AND NEW SCHOOL CONTROVERSY. 
 
 This chapter a digression. Reasons for it. Strict adherence to the 
 Standards in the early Church. Cuirmlative proof of this. 
 Early sympathy with Congregationalists. Causes of it. Plan 
 
VI CONTENTS. 
 
 of Union. Its leading features.- Presbyterian order under 
 mined. Theological speculations in New England. Dissemi 
 nated in the Presbyterian Church. Specifications of doctrinal 
 error. Substance of doctrine defined. Organization of Na 
 tional Societies. Conflict with each of these. The results. 
 Electiye-affinity Presbyterians. Mr. Barnes trial. Measures 
 of reform. Act and Testimony. Assembly of 1837. Plan of 
 Union abolished. Final disruption ; 181 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 POLEMIC CAREER BEGUN. 
 
 Providential training for his future work. Member of Assembly in 
 1837. Inside view of that Council. Gradual sifting of the 
 Church. Testimony before the Synod. Tract publications. 
 Letter of condolence. Called back to the College. His deci 
 sion. Pastoral relation dissolved.- Assumes the chaplaincy in 
 the College 211 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 THE BOARD QUESTION. 
 
 Discussions about the Boards of the Church. Kise out of the pre 
 vious controversy. Debate in Synod. Incident in the same. 
 First written attack on the Boards. Article on the Apocrypha. 
 Second article on the Boards. Letters on the same subject. 221 
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE. 
 
 Views upon the French character. Kelations with Dr. K. J. Breck- 
 inridge. Letters of Christian sympathy. Proposed work on 
 the Atonement. Controversy with Romanists. Death of Mr. 
 Bobbins. Letter to his widow ... 233 
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 THE ELDER QUESTION. 
 
 Assembly s decision upon the quorum of a Presbytery. Upon the 
 imposition of hands by elders in the ordination of ministers. 
 Letters on these topics. Article published. Argument of Dr. 
 Breckinridge before Synod of Philadelphia reviewed. Further 
 correspondence on the eldership. Letters of sympathy. In 
 timations of God s will in the leadings of His providence 251 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 Vli 
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 CALL TO BALTIMORE. 
 
 Dissatisfaction with the College. Call to Church in Baltimore. 
 Accepted by him. Dismission to Presbytery of Baltimore. 
 Doctorate conferred. Action of Trustees of the College. 
 Detained for a year. Correspondence growing out of this. 
 Baltimore Church waits. Presbytery reconsiders its former 
 action. He remains in the College 267 
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 
 QUESTION OF ROMISH BAPTISM. 
 
 Assembly of 1845. Debate on Romish Baptism. Impressions of 
 the West. Views on Abolitionism. Patriotic feeling. Biblical 
 Repertory on Romish Baptism. Articles in reply. Correspon 
 dence on the same. Letter to Hon. W. C. Preston, also to his 
 children. Plans in relation to the Columbia Seminary. 
 Southern Presbyterian Review projected. Its objects explained. 285 
 
 CHAPTER XXI. 
 
 ASSEMBLIES OF 1847 AND 1848. 
 
 Assembly of 1847. Elected Moderator. Salutatory address. Des 
 criptive letters. Sermon on Popery. Its subject, the Mass. 
 Outline of it, views of his usefulness in the College. Assem 
 bly of 1848. Right of Clrarch members to withdraw. Relation 
 of the Church to moral reform societies. Curious scene in the 
 Assembly. Visit to Washington city. First acquaintance with 
 Mr. Calhoun. Impressions of his genius. Letters of friend 
 ship 297 
 
 CHAPTER XXII. 
 
 PERSONAL FRIENDSHIPS. 
 
 Cases of young men whom he brought into the ministry. Letter to 
 one of these. Appeal to a young friend on personal religion. 
 His liberality in assisting others to an education. Death of 
 a young friend. Letter to a licentiate 313 
 
 CHAPTER XXIH. 
 
 STATE EDUCATION. 
 
 The State s obligation to control education. Denominational educa 
 tion. Inquiries into the subject. His book on Romanism. 
 Edinburgh Review upon it. Brownson s attack. Letters on 
 the province of the Church in education. Letter to Governor 
 Manning 325 
 
VH1 CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTEE XXIV. 
 
 CALL TO CHARLESTON. 
 
 Occasional dissatisfaction with Academic life. Causes of it. Rural 
 pursuits in vacation. His farm. Care of his slaves. Private 
 correspondence. Call to Church in Charleston. Resignation 
 of his Professorship. Release from the College. Removal to 
 Charleston. Brief labours there. Correspondence. Elected 
 to Presidency of the College. Mental conflict. Action of the 
 Church 339 
 
 CHAPTER XXV. 
 
 PRESIDENCY OF THE COLLEGE. 
 
 Enters upon Presidency of the College. Fitness for that position. 
 His idea of the higher education. A compulsory curriculum 
 preferred to elective courses. Views developed in his Letter to 
 Governor Manning. Visit to older institutions. At Cam 
 bridge. Letters written there. At Yale. Letters. Speech at 
 the Yale dinner 355 
 
 CHAPTEE XXVI. 
 
 PRESIDENCY CONTINUED. 
 Correspondence. Criticism upon Assembly of 1852. Temperance 
 
 address. Letters to Dr. Peck and others. Discourses on Truth. 300 
 
 CHAPTEE XXVII. 
 
 CLOSE OF HIS PRESIDENCY. 
 
 Movement to transfer him to the Theological Seminary. Reasons 
 for it. Action of the Synod. Relative importance of the two 
 positions. Correspondence in relation to this. Resignation of 
 the Presidency. Arrested for a year. Letters. Assembly of 
 1855. Debate on the Board question. Termination of con 
 nexion with the College. Review of his influence over the 
 students. Elements of character that explain it. Illustrations 
 of it 381 
 
 CHAPTEE XXVUI. 
 
 EDITORSHIP OF SOUTHERN QUARTERLY REVIEW. 
 Leaves the College. Becomes Professor in the Theological Semi 
 nary. Editor of the Southern Quarterly Review. Correspon 
 dence in relation to it. Article on Miracles. Friendly criticism 
 of it. His rejoinder. Death of his mother and son. Opinion 
 of Hamilton s Logic. Distinction of the Absolute and Infinite. 
 Defence of Dugald Stewart, and the Scotch Philosophy. 
 Estimate of Sir William Hamilton. Decline of the Review 397 
 
CONTENTS. lX 
 
 CHAPTER XXIX. 
 
 SEMINARY LIFE. 
 
 Death of his mother and of his son. Views of the family covenant. 
 Assembly of 1856. Sermon on Foreign Missions. Letter to 
 his daughter. Pastor of the Columbia Church. View of Afri 
 can slave trade. Tour through the West. Letters to his chil 
 dren and wife. Assembly of 1857. Chairman of Committee 
 on Revision of the Discipline. Letter in relation to it, from 
 the Moderator. His inauguration as Professor in the Seminary. 415 
 
 CHAPTER XXX. 
 
 SEMINARY LIFE CONTINUED. 
 
 Visits the South West. Impressions of New Orleans. Effect of his 
 preaching. Death of the Rev. P. E. Bishop. Letter to his 
 \vidow. Assembly of 1859. Report on Revision. Remarkable 
 speech in the Assembly. Letters from Indianapolis. Return 
 home. Death of his oldest daughter. Affecting circumstances 
 attending it. His affliction and resignation. Letter detailing 
 her sickness and death. Anxiety for the conversion of his chil 
 dren. Letter of sympathy. Assembly of 1860. Debate with 
 Dr. Hodge on the question of Boards . 431 
 
 CHAPTER XXXI. 
 
 SECOND TRIP TO EUROPE. 
 
 Fr.il ire of health. Second voyage to Europe. Agreeable party. 
 Isle of Wight. Stay in London. Letters home. Ireland. 
 Irish Assembly. Scotland. Edinburgh. Its clergy. Returns 
 to London. Its historic associations. Its ministers. Visits 
 the Continent. Basle. Geneva. The Alps. Mountain scen 
 ery. Zurich. Its associations. Returns to America 449 
 
 CHAPTER XXXII. 
 
 THE LATE WAR. 
 
 Return from Europe. The country upon the eve of revolution. 
 Rapid succession of events. His espousal of the Confederate 
 cause. Original attachment to the Union. His letters. His 
 course in Nullification. His attitude in 1850. Letters then 
 upon Secession Position as to the Know-Nothing Party. 
 History of the steps that led to the ci-isis of 1850. His contrary 
 position in 1860. Reasons for the change. His case typical of 
 the South generally 467 
 
X CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER XXXIII. 
 
 
 
 His COURSE IN THE WAK. 
 
 Endorsement of Secession. Letters. Prevalence of order in the 
 State. Object of attack on Fort Sumter. Article on the State 
 of the country. Analysis of it. Compromise impossible. 
 Desire for a peaceful separation. Impaired health. Summer 
 excursion. Letters. A convention of the Presbyteries. 
 Necessity of ecclesiastical separation from the North. Episto 
 lary jeu d esprit. Kesumes his labours as Professor. Resigna 
 tion of pastoral charge. Anxiety about the country. Its in 
 fluence on his health 485 
 
 CHAPTEE XXXIV. 
 
 ORGANIZATION OF THE SOUTHERN ASSEMBLY. 
 
 Commissioners visit Washington city in the interest of peace. Du 
 plicity towards them. Attempted reinforcement of Fort Sum- 
 ter. Its bombardment. The North inflamed. War ensues. 
 Assembly in 1861. The "Spring Resolutions. "Their politi 
 cal character. Action of the Southern Presbyteries. Conven 
 tion of these held. Organization of Southern Assembly. Char 
 acter of the body. Its Address to the Churches throughout the 
 Earth. Scene at its subscription. Also, at adoption of a char 
 ter. Equipment of the Church for her work. Overtiare to 
 Congress upon the recognition of Christianity, presented and 
 withdrawn. Debate on sending a letter to the Northern Assem 
 bly. Draft of such a letter; not presented. Action of a con 
 vention in South Carolina. Its civil character. Care of South 
 ern Church to abstain from politics. Proof of this in the pub 
 lic prayers of the period. Example in a prayer of Dr. Thorn- 
 well 499> 
 
 CHAPTEE XXXV. 
 
 His DEATH. 
 
 Continued interest in the war. Writes for the secular press. His 
 son wounded, Visit to Richmond. Return. Vacation. 
 Travel for health. Letters home. Son s return to Virginia, 
 Meeting in Charlotte. Sketch of son s career. Last sickness. 
 His malady. Lethargy. Last sayings. Death. Funeral 
 services. His tomb 513 
 
 CHAPTEE XXXVI. 
 
 GENERAL REVIEW. 
 
 His death lamented. Review of his public relations. As an EDUCA 
 TOR : His qualifications ; his methods ; mastery over his know- 
 
CONTENTS. XJ 
 
 ledge ; command of language ; Professor of Theology ; text 
 books; lectures; examinations. As PHILOSOPHER and THEO 
 LOGIAN : Extent and accuracy of his learning ; caution and 
 independence in speculation ; his place in Philosophy ; valuable 
 paper on this point. As a PREACHER : His power in argument 
 and appeal ; Exposition ; Logic and feeling combined ; his 
 diction ; preaching on special occasions ; extemporaneous ; 
 views on the whole subject, presented in a conversation ; his 
 criticism of his own productions. As a PRESBYTER : practical 
 wisdom ; Influence in Church courts ; reasons for it ; princi 
 ples fixed ; his caution ; penetration ; Positiveness of mind ; 
 honesty ; knowledge of Church Principles and History. As a 
 CHRISTIAN and a MAN : Type of his religious experience ; 
 Growth in piety ; testimony to his worth ; his personal appear 
 ance ; his social and moral qualities ; his general bearing ; 
 playfulness and love of badinage ; w r armth of his affections ; 
 attachment of his friends 527 
 
 APPENDIX. 
 
 I. Notices of Sermons, 571 
 
 II. " Our Danger and our Duty," 579 
 
 III. "The State of the Country," 591 
 
NOTE. 
 
 THE delay in the preparation of this volume is principally due to the 
 fact that, after the papers of Dr. Thornwell were placed in the writer s 
 hands, two years ago, it was still necessary to collect the materials for 
 the early portions of the Memoirs, by extensive correspondence. Valu 
 able memoranda were thus obtained from Gen. James Gillespie, Col. W. 
 L. T. Prince, and the family of Mr. Bobbins, of Cheraw, S. C. ; Hon. 
 J. A. Inglis, of Baltimore, Md. ; Rev. John Douglas, of Charlotte, N. C. ; 
 Kev. D. McQueen, D. D., of Sumterville, S. C. ; Mr. W. M. Hutson, of 
 Orangeburgh, S. C. ; Col. F. W. McMaster, of Columbia, S. C. ; Rev. 
 A. A. Morse, of Gainesville, Ala. ; Mr. T. E. B. Pegues, of Oxford, Miss. ; 
 Dr. Thos. L. Dunlop and Rev. J. N. Craig, of Holly Springs, Miss. ; Rev. 
 W. E. Boggs, D. D. of Memphis, Tenn. ; Rev. J. M. P. Otts, D. D., 
 of Wilmington, Del. ; and Rev. A. J. Witherspoon, of New Orleans, 
 La. ; to all of whom a public acknowledgement is herewith most grate 
 fully made by 
 
 THE AUTHOK. 
 
THE LIFE AND LETTERS 
 
 OF 
 
 JAMES HENLEY THORNWELL, 
 
 D. D., LL. D. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 PARENTAGE AND BIRTH. 
 
 INTRODUCTION. BIRTH. His FATHER S OCCUPATION, CHARACTER, AND 
 EARLY DEATH. His MOTHER S LINEAGE. EARLY SETTLEMENT OF 
 SOUTH CAROLINA. IMMIGRATION OF A WELSH COLONY. His MOTHER S 
 CHARACTERISTICS. 
 
 HISTORY loves to. trace the lineage of those whose 
 lives have been heroic. It seems to add grace to 
 virtue when it descends from sire to son, 
 
 " And is successively, from blood to blood, 
 The right of birth." 
 
 Even the pride which it begets is shorn of its offence 
 when it becomes the spur to honour, and the legacy of 
 .a spotless name is bequeathed, with increasing splendour, 
 to succeeding heirs. The claim of birth is buffeted with 
 scorn only when it stands upon the merit of the past, 
 which it is powerless to reproduce. The rugged sense of 
 mankind discriminates, with sufficient sagacity, betwixt 
 the counterfeit aristocracy and the true. The veneration 
 which is natural to us resents the fraud of an empty 
 name, without the solid worth it was supposed to repre 
 sent. But if the blood that courses through the veins 
 
 bears upon its tide the virtues by which it was first dis- 
 2 
 
2 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THOKNWELL. 
 
 tinguished, and the scions of an ancient house give pre 
 sage of the honour which made their fathers renowned, 
 it bows to such with a deference that seals the legitimacy 
 of their sway. It turns, with a lofty disdain, from those 
 who gild their vices or their weakness with the lustre of 
 a name which is prostituted in the use ; but it accepts 
 the blessing coming from ambition itself, when the pres 
 tige of birth prompts generations, in their turn, 
 
 < l - * r /o draw forth a noble ancestry 
 t l n , . From, the corruption of abusing time, 
 ; Unto. a lineal, true-derived course." 
 
 But the longest pedigree must have a beginning; and 
 the whole force of these suggestions goes to show that 
 the chief glory belongs to the founder of a family. It 
 is the impress of his character which honourable descend 
 ants are careful to preserve; and though the original dig 
 nity may be enlarged, it is by the stimulus derived from 
 his example. The glory of embellishing a name can never 
 be superior to that of first drawing it from obscurity. As, 
 too, a wise government recruits its nobility by timely and 
 gradual accessions from the commons beneath it, so 
 God, in His adorable providence, is continually bringing 
 out the unknown to be princes in the power of their 
 influence over the church and the world. This pre 
 eminence is challenged on behalf of the subject of these 
 Memoirs. If his name was never borne with " chant of 
 heraldry " along the aisles of the drowsy past, he has the 
 superior glory, in this respect, of being born only of himself. 
 
 " For being not propped by ancestry, whose grace 
 Chalks successors their way ; neither allied 
 To eminent assistants ; but spider-like 
 Out of his self-drawing web, he gives us note, 
 The force of his own merit makes his way : 
 A gift that heaven gives for him, which buys 
 A place next to the king." 
 
 JAMES HENLEY THORNWELL was born on the 9th of De 
 cember, A. D. 1812, on the plantation of Mr. Christopher 
 
PARENTAGE AND BIRTH. 3 
 
 B. Pegues, in Marlborough District, South Carolina. His 
 grandfather, William Thornwell, was an Englishman, who 
 lived in Marlborough District. The family was perpetua 
 ted through only one son, James Thornwell, from whose 
 loins sprung the subject of our present story. This son was 
 married on the 25th of June, 1809, to Martha Terrell, 
 daughter of Samuel Terrell and Elizabeth Pearce, being 
 herself born on the 8th of December, 1794. The issue 
 of this latter marriage was as follows : Elizabeth, born 
 May, 1810, now living, the widow of William Anderson, 
 in Marlborough District; James Henley, and his twin 
 brother, born December 9th, 1812, the latter of whom died 
 a few weeks after his birth ; Caroline Jane, born Septem 
 ber, 1815, now living in South Carolina, as the widow of 
 John W. Graham; & fifth child, a daughter, who died at 
 two years of age, and Charles Alexander, the youngest, 
 born October, 1820, who, after graduating in the South 
 Carolina College, pursued the profession of the Law with 
 considerable distinction, and died in 1855. Of these six 
 children, two sous and two daughters survived the father ; 
 who died in the prime of life, on the 30th of December, 
 1820. 
 
 It is unfortunate that so little can be traced of Dr. 
 Thornwell s parentage on the paternal side. Of his 
 grandfather nothing is known but what has been men 
 tioned above. Of his father little can be gathered beyond 
 the fact that he belonged to that important and useful 
 class, so necessary under the partially feudal system which 
 has passed away, who managed the estates of others; 
 serving as middle men between the proprietors, who were 
 often absentees, and the baronial estates, which they man 
 aged as their representatives. He is described as gen 
 erous in disposition, free-handed and hospitable, living 
 always up to his means, and accumulating nothing. Firm 
 in the execution of his purposes, he acquired the reputa 
 tion of being a good planter and an excellent manager; 
 and to the period of his death held positions of responsi- 
 
4 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORN WELL. 
 
 bility and trust. When this event occurred he was in 
 charge of the business of a widow lady, Mrs. Bedgewood, 
 afterwards Mrs. Billingsley. 
 
 The scene of death is thus described by an eye wit 
 ness; and it is interesting as bringing, for the first time, 
 distinctly before us the subject of this book. It may lend 
 additional zest to the narrative to say that it is told by 
 one from whom he was separated in birth by only the 
 interval of an hour, in homes which were in sight of each 
 other, upon the same plantation. This surviving friend, 
 sustaining almost the relation of a foster-brother, thus 
 depicts the sensibility and grief of the youthful orphan: 
 
 "At that time I lived a great deal with my aunt, Mrs. Bedgewood, and 
 was there when Mr. Thorawell died. Though only some seven or eight 
 years old, I remember the day perfectly. The house was not more than 
 a quarter of a mile from my aunt s ; and both she I were there when he 
 breathed his last. It was the first time I had ever seen death face to 
 face. I remember the looks of Mr. Thornwell to this day. After he 
 was laid out, James and myself looked wonderingly on his remains, and 
 then went to the spring, talking, as boys might, of the strangeness of 
 death. I recollect his saying, in almost heart-broken accents, What 
 will mother do ? What will become of us ? We remained some time at 
 the spring ; he often weeping bitterly, and I consoling him as well as 
 3 could. No day of my life is more vividly impressed upon my memory. " 
 
 It is an artless story like this which most quickly suf 
 fuses the eye with tears. It is graphic in its very 
 simplicity. Every line in the picture is sharply cut. 
 Two young boys, just eight years of age, stand to 
 gether by the side of a corpse, with that strange awe 
 which all remember to have felt when first gazing upon 
 the great mystery of death ; then sitting down by the 
 cool spring to appreciate what it imports to the living; 
 then the sudden rush of grief upon the orphan s heart, 
 and the affectionate sensibility which stretches into the 
 desolate future, breaking into the wail, " What will my 
 mother do?" It is the first sign given of the broad and 
 noble nature, which it will be the business of these pages 
 to p6rtray; of that deep affectionateness, which flowed 
 
PARENTAGE AND BIRTH. 
 
 like a majestic stream through a generous life, fertilTzing 
 friendships as tender and as lasting as ever gathered 
 around the memory of the dead. It shall be told in due 
 time " what that mother shall do," when we come to see 
 the filial love which bursts forth in the passionate cry of 
 the boy, folding at last her venerable form in his manly 
 embrace, smoothing the pillow under her dying head, 
 and writing her praise in lasting marble over her grave. 
 
 These references form an easy transition to the fuller 
 record of his maternal ancestors. It will not be unin 
 teresting here to incorporate a brief chapter of Carolina s 
 early history, upon which a degree of romance is im 
 pressed by the dissimilar elements which were fused into 
 her original population. Through a period of sixty years 
 after the first settlement, from A. D. 1670 to 1730, the 
 population of the province increased very slowly. First 
 came a small colony from Barbadoes, and with it the 
 first importation of slaves, in 16tl. Then another col 
 ony from Nova-Belgia, afterwards called New York, upon 
 its conquest, in 1674-, by the English. A considerable 
 emigration of French Protestants flowed in after the re 
 vocation of the Edict of Nantz, in 169i; which gave a 
 marked character to the colony, furnishing many of the 
 most honourable names upon the proud roll of this gal 
 lant State, even to the present time. In 1696 a further 
 accession was gained by the arrival of a Congregational 
 Church from Massachusetts, which settled in a body at 
 Dorchester, near the head of Ashley river, about twenty 
 miles from the city of Charleston. Dr. Ramsay, from 
 whose history these facts are compiled, proceeds to say, 
 "From 1696 to 1730 no considerable groups of settlers 
 are known to have emigrated to Carolina, though the pro 
 vince continued to advance in population from the arrival 
 of individuals." 
 
 It will be remembered that in 1719 the government of 
 the infant province was transferred from the lords pro 
 prietors to the crown, a change rendered necessary by 
 
6 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORNWELL. 
 
 the maladministration of the former, involving them in 
 fatal complications with the occupants of the soil. Under 
 the fostering protection of royalty, a steady impulse was 
 given to the prosperity of the colony, which continued 
 with little abatement to the final disruption of all bonds 
 with the mother country, in 1776. At the period, how 
 ever, when this change of administration occurred, it was 
 in a condition of infantile weakness, and surrounded with 
 perils on every side. The coast was infested with pirates, 
 who made their captures at the very bar of Charleston. 
 A narrow margin along the sea was all that was settled, 
 not extending fifty miles into the interior. The middle 
 country was held by the aborigines, "tribes of the rov 
 ing foot," whose incursions penetrated almost within 
 sight of the sea, and who were only less formidable by 
 reason of the destructive wars waged amongst themselves. 
 The accession of the first royal governor was signalized 
 by a more liberal policy towards these. Negotiations were 
 instituted and treaties formed, by which large tracts of land 
 were ceded to the colony, and these troublesome neigh 
 bours were removed to a safer distance. The next step, 
 of course, was to fill up this new domain with hardy set 
 tlers, whose growing power would prove a surer defence 
 than the rude forts at Dorchester, Wiltown, and other places 
 equally near the coast. Among the salutary measures 
 to stimulate immigration into the new territory, "the go 
 vernor was instructed to mark out eleven townships, in 
 square plats, on the sides of rivers, consisting each ot 
 twenty thousand acres; and to divide the land within 
 them into shares of fifty acres. for each man, woman and 
 child that should come to occupy and improve them. 
 Each township was to form a parish, and all the inhabi 
 tants were to have an equal right to the river. * * * 
 Each settler was to pay four shillings a year for every 
 hundred acres of land, except the first ten years, during 
 which term they were to be rent free. Accordingly, 
 ten townships were marked out: two on river Altamaha, 
 
PARENT A (.K AM> KIKTH. 7 
 
 two on Savannah, two on Santee, one on Pcdee, one on 
 Wacamaw, .one on Wateree, -and one on Black river."* 
 
 The offer of such privileges soon attracted the poor 
 and oppressed in other lands, who poured in from Ire 
 land, Holland, Germany, and Switzerland; as well as 
 some from the more Northern American colonies, in 
 search of a more genial clime: so that to Carolina be 
 longs the glory of affording an asylum to the persecuted 
 and distressed of every land, up to the period when a 
 large and fixed population of her own dispensed with the 
 necessity of recruiting her strength by these accessions. 
 And it would be a curious theme for speculation how far 
 the generous character, for which her citizens have al 
 ways been distinguished, is due to the composition of so 
 many elements in her original society; as well as to trace 
 the operation of those superior influences which melted 
 down their obvious contradictions, and fused them into a 
 consistent and harmonious whole. 
 
 The general history intersects just here with our own 
 narrative. The township of Queensborough, located in 
 1731-2, upon the Great Pedee, a little above the junc 
 tion of the Little Pedee, was first explored and afterwards 
 settled by a party of Welsh from Pennsylvania. It ap 
 pears that, as far back as 1701, some Welsh Baptists 
 emigrated from their native country to America, bring 
 ing with them their minister, and being constituted regu 
 larly into a Church. They first settled in Penepec, 
 Pennsylvania, where they remained a year and six 
 months. In 1703 they removed, and took up lands in 
 Newcastle county, which, by change of boundaries, was 
 afterwards thrown into the State of Delaware ; which ex 
 plains how the branch that found its way to Carolina is 
 differently represented as coming from Pennsylvania and 
 from Delaware. This colony came to the Pedee in 1736, 
 and desiring a larger tract of land, with the privilege of 
 exclusive occupancy, petitioned the Council to that end. 
 
 * Ramsay s History of South Carolina, chapter fourth. 
 
LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORNWELL. 
 
 The result was a grant of one hundred and seventy-three 
 thousand eight hundred and forty acres of land, part of 
 which lay in the township of Queensborough, the remain 
 der extending up the river a short distance above Mar s 
 Bluff. A second petition, setting forth that the land was 
 not in all respects adapted to their wants, especially in 
 the growth of flax and hemp, was favourably answered in 
 1737 by running the lines still further up the Pedee, to 
 the fork of the Yadkin and Rocky rivers, beyond the 
 boundary which now separates the two Carolinas. The 
 Welsh seem, however, to have fixed finally upon that rich 
 and compact body of land embraced in the bend of the 
 river opposite the present village of Society Hill, which, 
 stretching over a distance of six miles, was from an early 
 period known as the "Welsh Neck." The actual settle 
 ment began in 1736, and by the end of the following 
 year most of the families had arrived from Pennsylvania, 
 and the colony began to assume an organized and per 
 manent character. In 1738 they formed themselves into 
 a church of the Baptist faith, and erected a house of wor 
 ship, in which they continued to serve God after the 
 manner of their fathers. Rev. Dr. Alexander Gregg, 
 now Bishop of the Protestant Episcopal Church in Texas, 
 in his recently published "History of the Old Cheraws,"* 
 and from which all the above statements have been bodily 
 taken, thus sums up the character of this virtuous, but 
 exceedingly clannish, community : 
 
 "Such was the scene presented by this infant band of brothers in 
 the early days of their history, with no court of justice in their midst to 
 which conflicting claims and angry disputes might be referred, and no 
 frowning gaol for the reception of the criminal. Nor were they needed. 
 Few contentions probably were known ; and the voice of society, 
 though newly formed in this Southern home, was potent enough to 
 silence the voice of the blasphemer, and make the evil-minded man 
 
 * This work affords a noble illustration of what antiquarian research 
 can accomplish in working up the local traditions in our extended 
 country. It is a mine of historic information, into which few shafts 
 have yet been sunk. 
 
PARENTAGE AND BIRTH. 
 
 pause in his ways. Simplicity of character appears to have been one of 
 the r.-.ost marked traits of the people ; a virtue which has been trans 
 mitted through succeeding times to their descendants. They were open 
 and sincere, making no profession of feeling which did not exist. 
 
 "For sobriety and moderation, also, with what was more essential, as 
 the foundation of all virtue, a deep religious feeling, they were distin 
 guished. These virtues were strongly impressed upon the community 
 they established, presenting in subsequent times a striking contrast to 
 some other neighbourhoods on the Pedee, where dissipation and irreli- 
 gion so much prevailed. 
 
 "The Welsh brought with them to a new country those marked fea 
 tures for which their ancestors had been noted long before. The Welsh 
 are said to have been more jealous of their liberties than even the Eng 
 lish, and far more irascible, though their jealousy soon abated." 
 
 In the first list of these early settlers occur names 
 which South Carolina has ever delighted to put upon its 
 roll of honour. Allusion need only be made to those of 
 James, Wild, and Evans, conspicuous amongst those she 
 has clothed with the ermine, both in former and in recent 
 days ; whilst others are as household words to those who 
 have traced the fortunes of the State through her che 
 quered history. In the bosom of these names is found 
 that of William Terrell, (originally Tarell), who appears 
 in 1738 taking out titles to land, showing him a man of 
 substance, according to the distribution of property in his 
 day. His son, bearing also the name of William, seems 
 to have been engaged in the public service prior to the 
 Revolution ; while the grandson, Captain John Terrell, of 
 Marlborough District, is tersely described as "a worthy 
 descendant of the old Welsh stock, and one of the best 
 men of his day and generation." From this family sprung 
 the mother of Dr. Thorn well, she being the granddaugh 
 ter of William Terrell, whose name is mentioned above, 
 amongst the first settlers on the Pedee. 
 
 She was endowed by nature with an intellect of the 
 highest order, though unimproved by education; possess 
 ing great strength of will, and a boundless ambition for 
 the advancement of her sons, in whom she discovered 
 early proofs of mental power. The investigations of soi- 
 
10 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORNWELL. 
 
 ence will, perhaps, never interpret to us the law of trans 
 mission, by which characteristic traits are derived from 
 parent to child, through which a distinct type is impressed 
 upon families and tribes, and by which, more myste 
 riously still, the intellectual average is preserved in the 
 race at large. This case might, perhaps, be added to hun 
 dreds of others, which seem to confirm the theory that 
 the intellectual qualities come predominantly from the 
 mother, while, perhaps, the moral descend more conspic 
 uously from the father. 
 
 This is not the place, nor are we the parties, to discuss- 
 a physiological theory like this. But the pages of history 
 will probably be searched in vain for a truly great man 
 who had a fool for his mother. However this may be* 
 the Christian will be delighted to see, in this biography, 
 the fulfilment of those rich promises which the God of 
 grace has made to the widow and the orphan. In how 
 many broken households a feeble and desolate woman 
 lifts her heart to God for strength to bear, not only the 
 burdens of her own sex, but those which should have 
 been borne by her stricken partner! How often does 
 she toil in poverty and sorrow, to support her fatherless 
 children, whom she is permitted to see emerging at length 
 from obscurity and want, to the highest distinctions of 
 society ! It was given to this widowed mother to have 
 her proud ambition fulfilled; as this son, clothed with 
 academic honours, sat among the senators and nobles of 
 the land, the noblest patrician of them all, the pride of his 
 native State, the joy and ornament of the Church, and 
 with a fame spread over two continents, the peerless man 
 of his time. It only remains to be added, that Mrs. Thorn- 
 well was, throughout life, an earnest Christian, warmly 
 attached to the doctrines and order of the Baptist Church, 
 in whose communion she remained through seven and 
 thirty years, to the moment of her death. That she im 
 pressed her own convictions of truth upon those depend 
 ent upon her care, might be inferred from the massive 
 
PARENTAGE AND BERTH. 11 
 
 force of her character. There is, besides, the affection 
 ate testimony of her son, who, in his Inaugural Dis 
 course, upon assuming the Chair of Divinity in the Theo 
 logical School at Columbia, South Carolina, openly ac 
 knowledged his " thanks to a noble mother, who had 
 taught him from the cradle those eternal principles of 
 grace, which that book (the Confession of Faith) con 
 tains. 
 
CHAPTEE II. 
 EARLY BOYHOOD. 
 
 OBPHANAGE. EARLY POVERTY. AN OLD-FIELD SCHOOL. His FIRST 
 TEACHERS. ACCOUNT OF MR. MC!NTYBE. ATTACHMENT TO His 
 PUPIL. HABITS OF STUDY. EARLY AMBITION. FIRST IMPRESSIONS 
 OF His GENIUS. INTRODUCTION TO His FUTURE PATBONS. INDIF- 
 
 FEBENCE TO PLAY. MORAL AND KfiLIGIOUS TRAITS. 
 
 VE must return now to the chamber of death, where 
 the head of a dependent household lies dressed for 
 the tomb. Alas for the poor ! It is one of the hardships 
 of their lot that they have not leisure even for grief. 
 The stern necessities of life press at once upon the aching 
 heart, and they may not indulge the secret luxury of woe. 
 It is not for them to draw the curtains over the window, 
 and in the darkened solitude to feed upon the precious 
 memories of the past. Ye favoured children of fortune, 
 who find it so hard to break away from sweet communion 
 with the dead, so hard, with thoughts flying upward to 
 their strange world, to take up again the commonplaces 
 of this poor earth, think with pity of such as must choke 
 down their great sorrow even while the parting kiss rests 
 upon the marble brow, and turn at once to the life-long 
 struggle for bread ! 
 
 It was too old a thought for our little orphan weeping 
 at the spring, "What will become of us?" Yet even he 
 must pierce the gloom of the future in the sad anti 
 cipation of suffering and .want. How much darker the 
 shadow that lay upon the heart of the mother and widow, 
 was revealed by no passionate cry from her lips. There 
 was only the " stony grief," the first sickness of a heart 
 that finds itself alone with its own desolateness. Her 
 
 13 
 
14 LIFE OF JAMEti HENLEY THOKNWELL. 
 
 strong nature, too, had been already compacted by life s 
 hard discipline, and could better look upon the cloud that 
 blackened the future before her. Yet soon the question 
 must be hers, as well as that of her boy, " What shall we 
 do ? " Hath not God other ravens besides those which 
 fed Elijah ? Perhaps a voice spoke out of the bosom of 
 that cloud, saying, " Leave thy fatherless children ; I will 
 preserve them alive ; and let your widows trust in Me." 
 Perhaps a deep but quiet faith responded to the gracious 
 assurance; and the burden was lighter when it had been 
 " cast upon the Lord, who will never suffer the righteous 
 to be moved." It is not for the historian to penetrate these 
 experiences of God s hidden ones; only this we know, 
 " The secret of the Lord is with them that fear Him, and 
 He will show them His covenant." 
 
 Some time after the death of her husband, a home was 
 provided for her and her children by Captain John Ter 
 rell, her first cousin, an excellent and pious member of 
 the Baptist Church, who removed them near to himself, 
 in a portion of Marlborough district known as Level 
 Green. With only a little money in hand, and the pos 
 session of one slave, she was henceforth dependent upon 
 her own industry, and the assistance of this worthy kins 
 man, for support. A positive and self-reliant character 
 such as hers, would not, however, be likely to tax too 
 heavily the generosity which was so freely extended by 
 him. In the beautiful language of Rudolph Stier, "Man 
 lifts his imploring, empty hand to heaven, and God lays 
 work upon it; thus hast thou thy bread." By weaving, 
 sewing, and such forms of labour as were suited to her 
 sex, she was enabled, not only to " give meat to her 
 household," but to secure to them such elementary edu 
 cation as the neighbourhood afforded. In later days, 
 when a modest refinement graced his own abode, we have 
 heard Dr. Thornwell contrast it. with the poverty of those 
 early days. But it was always with that playful badinage 
 so characteristic of his social moods ; and no one could 
 
EARLY BOYHOOD. 15 
 
 tell how far the picture he drew was intended to repre 
 sent the actual facts, or how far he craved the license of 
 heightening by exaggeration the colours on the canvass. 
 The subject was too delicate to inquire about; and he was 
 never egotistic enough to touch, except by incidental 
 reference, upon details that were simply personal. The 
 difficulty of bridging with scant material the chasm of 
 this early period, lias led the writer deeply to regret that 
 he never availed himself of the privilege of friendship in 
 bursting through this reserve, and learning all that he 
 would have freely told of the trials and triumphs of his 
 boyhood. But the opportunity was lost, through mutual 
 delicacy, restraining, on the one side, what might seem a 
 prurient curiosity, prying into the sanctities of life, and 
 on the other, what might be deemed ostentatious vanity in 
 disclosing the disadvantages which had been splendidly 
 surmounted. From the nature of the case, it could 
 not have been a home of plenty in which his youth 
 was nurtured ; and it is doubtful if even his unaided 
 strength could have thrown off the oppression which 
 so often stifles the aspirations, as it extinguishes the op 
 portunities, of genius. The worst evil of poverty is not 
 found in the privations it inflicts ; for these are, to a large 
 degree, matters of convention and of habit. It is rather 
 the complete engrossment of the mind upon petty and 
 consuming cares, where the exactions of toil yield only 
 to the weariness which buries all in sleep. It is the con 
 stant repression of the affections, which have no time for 
 play, and the consequent blunting of the sensibilities, 
 which inflict a wound upon the nature itself, as sad as it 
 is incurable. But perhaps the saddest feature of urgent 
 poverty is, that it allows no childhood. It is but a step 
 from the nursery into the workshop, and heavy care sits 
 upon a heart that has known no mirth. What little 
 of childhood may have been enjoyed in the brief passage 
 goes, too, without a record. No traditions are handed 
 down, when all are too busy to note the changes in the 
 
16 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORN WELL. 
 
 formation of character. Even our illustrious friend is no 
 exception. "We look for his boyhood, and there is none. 
 Much of this unquestionably is due to the majesty of his 
 genius, which gave him the strength and thoughtfulness 
 of the man, whilst in stature and in age he was still a 
 child. But in gathering the fragmentary reminiscences 
 from which these pages are compiled, one can scarcely 
 help weeping over that hard necessity of fortune which 
 has left his earliest years without a record. 
 
 It must have been during the first portion of the year 
 A. D. 1821 that this widowed mother found herself at 
 Level Green, in the new home provided by her generous 
 kinsman ; and here it was that young Thorn well received 
 the rudiments of an English education. He has himself 
 given somewhere an amusing description of an old field 
 school, such as were once common in retired sections of 
 the country, and which may not yet be entirely super 
 seded. The picture was evidently drawn from the life, 
 though we can but faintly sketch the outline from me 
 mory. Let the reader then figure to himself a rude 
 building of logs, the interstices being filled with clay or 
 covered by clap-boards, a huge chimney at one end, 
 small windows innocent of glass, and wide doors, which 
 let in the wind together with the light ; a slanting shelf, 
 stretching the whole length of the room, answering as a 
 desk, at which the pupils stood to write; benches of a 
 primitive pattern, mere slabs with pins driven in the 
 round side for legs, and the flat side turned upward for 
 the seat, and wholly unsuspicious of any support for the 
 back; and he has before him the usual appointments of 
 an old field school. It would not be safe to say too 
 much as to the gentleman of the birch and ferrule, seated 
 before a deal table between the opposite doors. The 
 slender emoluments derived from the State s thin bounty, 
 and the small fees exacted of such as could pay, would 
 scarcely entice men of much culture into these precincts. 
 They were, however, generally equal to the necessities of 
 
EARLY BOYHOOD. 17 
 
 the region. They could engineer a boy through Webster s 
 Spelling-Book and Pike s Arithmetic, rising sometimes 
 to the dignity of Morse s Geography and Murray s Gram 
 mar, and teaching elocution from the Columbian Orator. 
 Occasionally there appeared teachers of real merit, as we 
 shall presently see. Yet in these unpretending seminaries 
 was laid the foundation of scholarship with some of the 
 best thinkers, who have tilled the highest judicial and 
 legislative positions in the land. It is ascertained that, 
 between the years 1821 and 1823, young Thorn well was 
 successively under the discipline of three teachers, whose 
 names are all that is handed down to us. They were 
 Eugene Kinnon, an Irish Roman Catholic; Daniel Smith, 
 who came from Robeson county, North Carolina; and 
 Levi Lagget, of unknown origin. It is impossible to say 
 what was his precise indebtedness to these first teachers. 
 But if the astounding statement is to be received on a 
 single authority, that he was ignorant of his letters at 
 nine years of age, we have only to measure backward 
 from his knowledge at fourteen to be convinced that the 
 whole intervening period must have been marked by an 
 astonishing progress. 
 
 In 1823 Mr. Mclntyre appears as the teacher at Level 
 Green, a name which deserves to be linked in grateful 
 remembrance with that of his distinguished pupil, as the 
 earliest of his benefactors. The debt which the world at 
 large owes to this gentleman, as being the first to pluck 
 from obscurity our "mute inglorious Milton," we will seek 
 in part to discharge by placing his record, so far as it may 
 be gathered, by the side of the protege whose merit he 
 was the first to disclose. Mr. Peter Mclntyre came from 
 a Scotch settlement on Drowning creek, in North Caro 
 lina, upon the old stage road from Cheraw to Fayetteville. 
 The Scotch had a large settlement on this creek, and 
 persons are still living who remember the annual fair 
 accustomed to be held among them, at or near a place 
 called Laurel Hill. Here, too, was an excellent school, 
 
18 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORNWELL. 
 
 in which were educated such men as the Grahams, the 
 Gilchrists, and others who have made themselves famous 
 in that State. Mr. Mclntyre was a member of the Me 
 thodist Church, and a local preacher, though he devoted 
 his life to teaching. He married Miss Anna Seals, sister 
 of the Rev. David Seals, long known as a minister in the 
 South Carolina Conference. After finishing his career 
 as a teacher in Marlborough District, Mr. Mclntyre re 
 moved to Macon, Georgia, where he presided over an 
 academy for some time; and subsequently went to Ala 
 bama, where all trace of him has been lost. If still alive, 
 it might prove a solace of his declining age to know how 
 many bless his memory who have profited under the 
 instructions, or have rejoiced in the friendship, of the 
 pupil of his early years. He is represented on every 
 side as a most excellent man, a thorough scholar, with a 
 peculiar tact in imparting knowledge, and a certain mag 
 netic power in drawing persons to him, and of impressing 
 his stamp upon them. These qualities could not fail to 
 make him a successful teacher; whilst a mild and gentle 
 disposition united him in warm friendship, not only with 
 his pupils, but with those whose association was far less 
 intimate. 
 
 Young Thornwell s connection with Mr. Mclntyre was 
 fortunately continued through a period of at least three 
 years. The dates cannot be fixed with absolute preci 
 sion. But the year 1823 is generally assigned as the 
 beginning of his teaching at Level Green; and in 1826 
 Thornwell is still with him, though in a different neigh 
 bourhood. His proficiency was so rapid, his habits so 
 studious, and the evidence of his genius so conspicuous, 
 as to enlist the entire professional and personal sympathy 
 of the preceptor. The proof of this is furnished in what 
 occurred when the happy relation between the two was 
 threatened with sudden dissolution. Mr. Mclntyre ac 
 cepted an invitation from the Messrs. Pegues, James and 
 Malachi, and their immediate neighbours, to establish 
 
EARLY BOYHOOD. 19 
 
 amongst them a select school, composed of their children. 
 Upon removing, however, to his new charge, he said to 
 Mr. Malachi Pegues, that there was a boy of very re 
 markable talents in the neighbourhood where he had 
 been teaching, with w r hom he was reluctant to part. He 
 proposed, therefore, to continue his education gratui 
 tously, if Mr. Pegues would afford him a home in his own 
 family. Upon learning that the lad was a son of the 
 Thornwell whom he had familiarly known in former 
 years, he readily consented. The arrangement was duly 
 carried out; and, as the inmate of his house, our little 
 student continued to enjoy the instructions of his old 
 preceptor. 
 
 The same diligence and ardour marked his career now 
 as before. In these early years were formed those habits 
 of intense application, which never deserted him to the 
 close of his life. During the long watches of the night, 
 whilst other boys slept, he was poring over the lessons 
 of the succeeding day, digging into the intricacies of ob- 
 iSolete languages, analyzing their structure, and mastering 
 their idioms. The real enthusiasm of the scholar bore 
 him on to understand their genius, and to absorb their 
 spirit. So, too, the hours of recreation, which other 
 boys surrendered to active and healthful sport, were 
 spent by him in threading the mazes of history, or in 
 dallying with the pleasures of literature. It is wonderful 
 that a physical frame, slender from the beginning, did 
 not give way under these severe % exactions, at a time 
 when the constitution needs to be consolidated. It is 
 more wonderful still, that the mind itself was not smoth 
 ered beneath its accumulated load, at a period when the 
 most delicate problem in education is to measure know 
 ledge to the capacity for receiving it. In his case there 
 was a marvellous physical endurance underlying that 
 feeble body, and a mental digestion which assimilated 
 these huge stores, without which the gift of genius would 
 have proved the signature for the tomb. Already he has 
 
20 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORNWELL. 
 
 ceased to be a boy. The attitude and habits of a man 
 have displaced those of the child. He has no relish for 
 the rude sports in which his companions engage; not, as 
 some allege, from the consciousness of his physical infe 
 riority to them, but from that consuming love of study 
 which always made the acquisition of knowledge his 
 supreme delight. His ambition, too, was equal to his 
 powers ; and it was exceedingly well defined, even at this 
 early age. Being asked, in later life, what first excited 
 his ambition to be a man of learning, his reply was, that 
 "from his earliest knowledge of himself, he had felt it 
 working as a passion within him." 
 
 This will be illustrated by a story, which falls in here as 
 a necessary link in his fortunes. A physician, Dr. Graves,. 
 a native of Virginia, and graduate of the Philadelphia 
 School of Medicine, at that time lived in Cheraw, and 
 practised in the surrounding country. In paying a pro 
 fessional visit to the family of Mr. Pegues, his attention 
 was attracted to a pale and diminutive boy, who, in utter 
 indifference to the sports of his companions, was absorbed 
 in the perusal of a book. It turned out, upon inquiry, to 
 be Hume s History of England. In playful banter, the 
 visitor advised the lad to "read something he could un 
 derstand." Instantly the book was in his hands, with a 
 challenge for examination upon its contents. There was 
 a piquancy in this, which was, to say the least, exciting. 
 The examination was begun and protracted, with a grow 
 ing wonder at the student s thoughtful familiarity with 
 the volume. The interview was prolonged, and conver 
 sation was shifted from subject to subject ; 
 
 "And still the wonder grew 
 That one small head could carry all he knew." 
 
 The profound conviction was riveted upon the mind of 
 Dr. Graves, that he was confronted by one of those intel 
 lectual prodigies sometimes thrown up in life, who are 
 to be judged by no ordinary standard. The impression 
 was not transient. "Wherever he went he carried the 
 
EARLY BOYHOOD. 21 
 
 story of this remarkable genius, growing up under the 
 shade of the Pegues settlement. Amongst others, it was 
 told to General James Gillespie, a wealthy planter, who 
 lived about four miles distant, and to William H. Robbins, 
 Esq., a rising lawyer in the town of Cheraw, with the addi 
 tional remark that " it would not be surprising if this pale- 
 faced youth should one day be the President of the United 
 States." Of course this American hyperbole was simply 
 a compendious expression that, in the speaker s judgment, 
 this obscure lad possessed abilities to achieve the highest 
 statesmanship, and that his present attainments were an 
 augury of brilliant success in any direction. These state 
 ments were corroborated by the enthusiastic testimony of 
 Mr. Mclntyre himself. General Gillespie, by occasional 
 attendance upon the examinations of the school, had also 
 the opportunity of forming his individual opinion as to 
 the merits of young Thornwell. The combined effect of 
 testimony and observation was such as to lead this gen 
 tleman to undertake his entire future education, as soon 
 as he should be discharged from the tutelage of Mr. 
 Mclntyre. Stating this purpose afterwards to Mr. Bob 
 bins, he came forward with an offer to divide the ex 
 penses which should accrue; and the two became hence 
 forth the joint patrons of our young friend. 
 
 The institution of these new relations must, however, 
 be reserved for another chapter. "What remains of this 
 will best be occupied with a general view of his dispo 
 sition and character, so far as yet developed. The truth 
 of the old adage will hardly be questioned, " The boy is 
 father to the man." Certainly the moral traits which 
 distinguished childhood, if accurately noted, will be found 
 to be carried over, in a modified form, to mature years. 
 The student life of young Thornwell has, perhaps, been 
 sufficiently depicted. Its special features might doubtless 
 be more fully expanded ; such, for instance, as the steady 
 impulse of his ambition, his power of concentration, the 
 thoroughness with which he penetrated beneath the sur- 
 
22 XIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THOKNWELL. 
 
 face of things to their essence, and the royal delight he 
 felt in knowledge, which spurned all lower joy. But 
 they are all comprehended in the description which has 
 already been given. One little incident may, however, 
 be narrated, as illustrating how early he had formed that 
 almost personal attachment which a true scholar feels for 
 his books, as though they were living friends, with whom 
 a living communion is maintained. Whilst with Mr. 
 Mclntyre, all his books were consumed one night by fire, 
 with the school house, except those he was at the moment 
 studying. His distress was overwhelming ; nor could he 
 refer to the loss without tears, for weeks afterwards. 
 One can scarcely repress a smile at such grief over the 
 destruction of a library, which was certainly not of Alex 
 andrian proportions. But beneath it there will lurk a true 
 sympathy with that scholarly feeling which made him thus 
 early anticipate the immortal sentiment of Milton, which 
 he had not yet read: " Books . are not absolutely dead 
 things, but do preserve, as in a vial, the purest efficacy 
 and extraction of that living intellect that bred them." 
 Those who recall the look of affection with which, in his 
 prime, Dr. Thornwell would gaze upon the volumes in 
 his library, and the pride with which he would exhibit 
 the best editions, will recognize in these boyish tears one 
 of his marked characteristics. 
 
 His indifference to play whilst a boy must not be con 
 strued as a sign of a morose and cynical temper. He is 
 described, on the contrary, at this time as eminently 
 genial and social, warm in his affections, and fond of 
 talking with others about the books he read and the 
 studies which he pursued. He was not simply popular, 
 but exceedingly beloved by his companions ; the best 
 evidence of which is, that the schoolmates of those early 
 days clung, with rare devotion, to him throughout life ; 
 and such as still survive cherish his memory with a ten 
 derness which is the best tribute that love can pay to 
 merit. Indeed, it could scarcely be otherwise, unless 
 
EARLY BOY HOOP. 23 
 
 there Lad been something in his natural disposition to 
 repel friendship. He came into no rivalry with his com 
 panions on the play-ground, and they offered no com 
 petition with him in the school-room. Perhaps, through 
 his whole life, no one was ever pierced less by the shafts 
 of envy. His intellectual superiority was so universally 
 and so cordially conceded, that he was lifted above the 
 jealousy which competition engenders ; whilst the esprit 
 du corps which belongs to every class, begat in his com 
 peers that feeling of pride, which, unless repelled, easily 
 glides into personal aifection. It was his grand fortune 
 through life to be surrounded by friends, whose love was 
 never tainted with envy ; who rejoiced in his fame, without 
 the desire to pluck one leaf from the laurels with which 
 he was crowned. It must have been a generous nature 
 which always commanded homage like this. 
 
 His habit of late study at night necessitated late rising 
 in the morning. Indeed, whilst a boy, his morning sleep 
 was so profound that he had literally to be pulled out of 
 bed. Doubtless nature was thus at pains to repair the 
 heavy drafts which were made upon her resources. This 
 peculiarity, however, marked his w r hole career. His studies 
 were prosecuted chiefly at night, and he was habitually a 
 late sleeper. He claimed this, indeed, as an idiosyncrasy ; 
 and many were the ingenious arguments he would invent, 
 in playful banter, to prove that the day was intended for 
 rest, and the night for work ; and that man, in his per- 
 verseness, had wrongfully changed the original and proper 
 arrangement of Providence. 
 
 At this early age, no proclivity to any form of vice 
 would be expected. Only once he is represented to have 
 tasted liquor to intoxication ; for which, as he richly de 
 served, he received the severest whipping of his life. He 
 became, however, early addicted to the use of tobacco ; 
 commencing to chew at eleven years of age, and a little 
 later, to smoke ; both of which habits he indulged freely 
 until his death. Dr. Thornwell was wont to speak of 
 
24: LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORNWELL. 
 
 himself as having been a bad boy, which the surviving 
 members of his family most affectionately deny. It is a 
 general expression, used by the two in very different 
 senses. Upon his lips, it is just the confession which 
 would fall from any good man, calling to mind " the sins 
 of his youth." But from the positive traits which belonged 
 to him, and which we only knew as modified by Divine 
 grace, it is easy to understand how his boyhood may have 
 been distinguished by a certain wilfulness and contra 
 diction of authority, which called for the correction of the 
 rod. Happily for him, the mother was a woman of 
 vigorous understanding and strong will, which knew how 
 to put a curb upon such a temper. The writer has more 
 than once heard him refer to- these early contests between 
 insubordination and authority. He would rub his hands, 
 and tell, with a hearty relish of humour, how some childish 
 misdemeanour would induce him to take refuge in the 
 woods, from anticipated chastisement, until the solid 
 night had shrouded the house in darkness ; then, creeping 
 softly to his bed, he would lose in grateful sleep all appre 
 hension of the future. But, alas ! the sure retribution 
 would come in the morning, when he found a thin sheet 
 but a poor defence from the long, wiry switch that rained 
 its cutting rebukes upon the naked limbs. This is what 
 he meant by the badness of his youth : that " foolishness 
 bound up in the heart of a child," which Solomon said, 
 and his mother believed, "the rod of correction must 
 drive out." 
 
 Beneath all this, there was an outcropping of religious 
 convictions, rather unusual in a boy of thirteen, and which 
 we notice here from a still more singular exhibition of 
 them, which we will meet a little later. He had evidently 
 imbibed from his mother s teachings and influence a de 
 cided predilection for the Calvinistic view of Divine 
 truth. Always outspoken in his opinions, and ever ready 
 to sustain them with reasons, he was somewhat of a thorn 
 in the good Methodist family where he resided. Mrs. 
 
EABLY BOYHOOD. 25 
 
 Pegues, especially, who was warmly attached to the doc 
 trines of her church, was often annoyed by the young 
 polemic. Doubtless he was often more irritating than 
 convincing. "We can easily fancy how, at unseasonable 
 moments, and in a way more dogmatic than courteous, a 
 disputatious boy might push " the five points " into other 
 people s eyes. It is no small proof of this lady s bene 
 volence, that she could bear the intrusion from this source 
 at all. Though she continued to treat him with a kindness 
 which made no discrimination between him and her own 
 sons, there was always a little soreness in her heart from 
 these disputes. It is of value to us only as the earliest 
 indication of religious thought, throwing light upon an 
 obscure experience by and by. 
 
CHAPTEE III. 
 
 HIS PATRONS. 
 
 BRIEF SKETCH OP THE GENERALS GILLESPIE. THEIR AFFECTION FOR 
 THEIR WARD. SKETCH OF MR. BOBBINS. His MARKED INFLUENCE 
 IN DEVELOPING THE GENIUS INTRUSTED TO HIS CARE. 
 
 THE successive steps by which the subject of these 
 Memoirs was led up from obscurity, exhibits a mar 
 vellous adaptation in the agencies employed, to the ex 
 igencies of each particular stage. When left an orphan, 
 and the question was one simply of bread, this was pro 
 vided through the care of a considerate kinsman. After 
 he had stumbled through the rudiments of an English 
 education, and had reached the critical moment for laying 
 the foundation of accurate scholarship, a teacher is fur 
 nished exactly suited to this work of drill; under whose 
 instruction he remains, without disastrous change, until 
 this is accomplished. Then, in a way seemingly fortui 
 tous, he attracts the notice of a stranger, who sounds his 
 praise throughout the region; until at length the friends are 
 raised up, who secure to him a complete education, never 
 relaxing their benevolence until he is afloat in life, and 
 able to return to others the benefits received from them. 
 The two gentlemen who now assume the guardianship 
 over him were benefactors, not simply with the purse, 
 but in the distinct impression of their character upon his. 
 A kind Providence lias brought him into just sucli per 
 sonal relations as were suited to his development. The 
 orphan finds in them more than the father whom, six 
 years ago, he had lost. 
 
 To enbalm in this narrative the names of Gillespie and 
 of Robbins, is a legacy silently bequeathed to the biographer 
 
28 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORNWELL. 
 
 of their illustrious protege ; a sort of remainder in trust, to 
 be executed on his behalf, to the memory of those to whom 
 he was so largely indebted. Could his own pen have 
 made the acknowledgment, the throbbing gratitude would 
 only have been equalled by the delicacy of its expression. 
 We can but rudely sketch the portraits, upon which the 
 reader will not be unwilling to look. 
 
 We are again indebted to Bishop Gregg s " History of 
 the Old Cheraws," for the first trace of the Gillespie 
 family. The name (originally spelt Galespy) first occurs 
 on the public registry, in A. D. 1743, when James Galespy 
 petitioned the Council, " that, having six persons in his 
 family, a warrant of survey for three hundred acres be 
 granted him in the i Welsh Tract. " He was not, however, 
 a Welshman, but came from the north of Ireland. " He 
 was a man of energy and enterprise; and was engaged 
 with General Christopher Gadsden, of Charleston, in 
 boating on the Pedee, many years before the Revolution. 
 He settled at length higher up the river, near to the pre 
 sent site of Cheraw, and entered on a successful career 
 as a trader." Two sons inherited his name, Francis and 
 James. The former died prior to the American Revolu 
 tion ; the latter, Major James Galespy, having at that 
 time reached his majority, took an active part in the 
 struggle, and after the war was over amassed a handsome 
 estate. He left a considerable family, most of whom, 
 before or soon after maturity, died from consumption. 
 Two sons, however, survived to rear families of their own : 
 General Samuel Wilds Gillespie, and General James 
 Gillespie. 
 
 The last mentioned is he of whom we are speaking, as 
 the patron with whom young Thornwell was particularly 
 identified ; though it is proper to add just here, that after 
 the lad was prepared for College, both brothers were asso 
 ciated with Mr. Bobbins in defraying the expenses of his 
 University course. They were both planters, men of 
 large views, generous impulses, and great public spirit. 
 
HIS PATRONS. 2y 
 
 After the death of the former, which occurred in mid-life, 
 General James Gillespie was left the sole survivor of his 
 father s family ; and no one was ever more respected in his 
 native District of Marlborough. He still lives, at a venera 
 ble age, a pious member of the Episcopal Church, quietly 
 awaiting the summons to the rest above, upon which his 
 hope and faith have long been fastened. 
 
 It is impossible to estimate the influence, upon the plas 
 tic mind of a noble-spirited boy, of intimate intercourse 
 with two such men as the Generals Gillespie. They were 
 both eminent types of the Old School Southern gentleman. 
 Quiet and sell-contained, with an easy dignity engendered 
 of self-respect, and just a touch of reserve, which sat like 
 a porter in his lodge, to open and shut the gates of inter 
 course as might be desired; observing with scrupulous 
 exactness all the amenities of life ; with a polished educa 
 tion, and that fine sense of honour which shrunk from the 
 very thought of meanness as from the touch of a leper : 
 such were the men in whose cultivated homes and refined 
 society our youthful friend finds himself adopted. The 
 influence upon him may have been as gentle as the 
 light ; but like the light, it was absorbed, and tinged his 
 life as plants draw their colour from the sun. 
 
 No form of charity, probably, yields as quick and large 
 returns as the education of a promising youth ; and some 
 of the brightest gems with which society is adorned were 
 thus rescued from the rubbish, where they would have re 
 mained buried for ever. The affection, too, which springs 
 up betwixt the beneficiary and his patron, is often one of 
 the purest that is known on earth. The bonds of kind 
 ness on the one hand, and gratitude on the other, bring 
 the two into relations only less endeared than betwixt 
 parent and child. The correspondence shortly to be in 
 troduced, will show such to have been the affection between 
 Dr. Thornwell and the friends of his early dependence. 
 It will serve to illustrate that entertained by General 
 Gillespie, to relate an incident which occurred with the. 
 
30 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORNWELL. 
 
 writer of these pages. At one of the commencements of 
 the South Carolina College, during the presidency of Dr. 
 Thoniwell, the pressure of the crowd thrust the writer 
 into an uneasy posture, directly behind the chair occupied 
 by General Gillespie, as a trustee, upon the rostrum. In 
 one of the pauses between the speeches, when the music 
 gave the signal for relaxation, and the hum of conver 
 sation pervaded the house, he leant forward and whispered 
 in the ear of his neighbour : " General, I would give a 
 good deal to drop down into the middle of your heart, and 
 see exactly how you feel, as you sit there and see and hear 
 that man, now clothed with the highest dignities of the 
 State, whom you helped to occupy that post of honour." 
 Turning round, with eyes brimming with tears, and a 
 voice tremulous with emotion, he replied : " Mr. Palmer, 
 you would have to go down into this heart to find it out ; 
 for I have no words in which to express the gratitude and 
 joy which the recollection gives me." Truly there are 
 cases in which " it is more blessed to give than to receive ;" 
 and with a generous nature, a gratitude for the privilege 
 of doing good may rise as high as the gratitude w r hich ac 
 knowledges an obligation. Whatever losses may have 
 accrued from the ravages of war, this venerable benefactor 
 has an investment in the usefulness of his ward, stretching 
 along the ages yet to come, of which neither time nor 
 eternity will ever deprive him. 
 
 With his other patron, Mr. Bobbins, young Thornwell 
 was thrown into associations more intimate and constant ; 
 the intellectual and moral impression made upon him was, 
 therefore, more distinct. We are glad, for this reason, 
 that the fuller details furnished will enable us to render 
 this sketch more complete than the preceding. 
 
 WILLIAM HENRY BOBBINS was born in October, A. D. 
 1795, in Hallo well ; at that time in a district of Massa 
 chusetts, but now in the State of Maine. Prior to his 
 birth, his parents resided in Plymouth, Massachusetts, 
 where his grandfather, the Rev. Dr. Bobbins, was the 
 
HIS PATKONS. 31 
 
 pastor of the First Orthodox Congregation. He appears 
 to have been religiously trained ; his journal, which he 
 kept from 1810, being largely occupied with the abstracts 
 of sermons to which he listened in his youth. Most un 
 fortunately for the purposes of this biography, the journal 
 of Mr. Robbins, which he continued, almost to the time of 
 his decease, was destroyed in a recent fire. It would have 
 enabled us to fix with precision some dates which are now 
 uncertain, and would have contributed valuable facts 
 known to no other party. His education, begun at Hallo- 
 well, was completed at Bowdoin College, Brunswick, 
 Maine, under the presidency of Dr. Appletori. After his 
 graduation, he studied law, under Judge Wilde, subse 
 quently upon the Supreme Bench in the State of Massa 
 chusetts; and was admitted to practice in the city of 
 Boston. Finding, however, a Northern clime too severe 
 for his delicate constitution, he resolved to move South ; 
 a purpose which was delayed two years, in deference to the 
 opposition of parents and friends. The necessity of change 
 became only too apparent at the end of this time ; and on 
 January the 2nd, 1820, he sailed from Boston to Wil 
 mington, North Carolina. He studied the laws of this 
 State, at Fayetteville, taking a few pupils to defray his 
 current expenses ; and in the spring of the same year ap 
 plied for admission to practice. Most unaccountably, he 
 was rejected by the Court, as he himself believed, through 
 the influence of a strong prejudice against men of Northern 
 birth. It was a crushing blow ; not only disappointing 
 his expectations of providing a coanfortable home, but in 
 flicting a severe wound upon sensibilities which were 
 peculiarly alive to that form of suffering. To all this was 
 added the mortification of being seemingly compelled to 
 return home, to meet the irritating sympathy of those who 
 had predicted his failure. 
 
 This necessity was averted by one of those trivial inci 
 dents, which men term fortuitous, but are so often the 
 hinge upon which our whole destiny turns. The Hon- 
 
32 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THOKNWELL. 
 
 curable "William Lowndes, of South Carolina, happened 
 just then to be passing through Fayetteville, on his way to 
 Washington City, to attend the sessions of Congress. To 
 him Mr. Bobbins related his discomfiture, and his purpose 
 of returning North. " No," responded Mr. Lowndes, " do 
 not go North, but to South Carolina, where no such, pre 
 judice exists." This counsel led to a correspondence with 
 Mr. Dunkin, of Charleston, also a Massachusetts man r 
 who subsequently sat upon the Chancery Bench in his 
 adopted State. 
 
 Through the encouragement received from this gen 
 tleman, Mr. Bobbins removed to South Carolina in the 
 autumn of 1821, and settled at Society Hill, in Dar 
 lington District. After making himself familiar with the 
 local statutes, he was, in the spring of 1822, admitted 
 without difficulty to the practice of his profession. His 
 means were by this time exhausted, while the trials of a 
 novitiate were still to be encountered. With an inde 
 pendence truly heroic, he accepted the fact of his poverty. 
 Being unable to purchase a horse, he was accustomed to 
 walk the whole distance from Society Hill to the county 
 seats of Darlington, Chesterfield, and Marlborough, each 
 being fifteen miles distant, in his attendance upon court. 
 As an illustration, not only of his independence, but of 
 his strict integrity, it may be mentioned that, after one of 
 these pedestrian tours, a friend tapped at his office window, 
 and said, " Mr. Bobbins, I fear you have not much busi 
 ness, arid may be in want of money ; I will lend it to you 
 on your own time." Touched by this unexpected kind 
 ness, he could only reply by the pressure of the hand; 
 but subsequently wrote a note acknowledging the offer, 
 and saying that, "though his means were indeed small, 
 he was not willing to take the risk of involving another 
 in loss, when his success was so uncertain." These self- 
 reliant qualities seldom fail in the end ; and he soon built 
 up a practice which at least relieved him from the urgency 
 of pressure. After his removal to Cheraw, his practice 
 
HIS PATRONS. 33 
 
 became remunerative ; so that, in the course of twenty 
 years, he acquired a handsome competence, and left his 
 family in circumstances of ease at his death. His business 
 was chiefly that of a counsellor in the collection of ac 
 counts and the settlement of estates. He was distin 
 guished for system and precision in the duties of his office, 
 and for punctuality and fidelity to his clients. Such was 
 his reputation for legal knowledge and accuracy, that, by 
 the testimony of one of the judges before whom he was 
 accustomed to appear, it was only necessary to know that 
 the papers were drawn by his hand to be assured of their 
 invulnerability; and such were his judgment and skill, 
 that he was never known to lose a case where he himself 
 brought the action. 
 
 These facts, together with what remains from his own 
 pen, reveal a mind intensely practical and earnest. He 
 took life as it was, and dealt with it on the principles of 
 vigorous common sense. His determinations were almost 
 judicial in their cast; and a just moderation marked his 
 whole career, both in the opinions he formed, and the policy 
 he pursued. His equipoise was almost perfect. Cautious 
 in the committal of himself, he was inflexible in the deci 
 sion: one upon \vhom others could lean, and never disap 
 pointing the expectations which he had raised. Such men 
 are rarely demonstrative ; but their aiFections are usually 
 deep and constant. Mr. Robbins had broad sympathies, 
 and unceasing charity; but both were under the control 
 of principle. He felt it a conviction of duty to aid helpless 
 merit ; sharpened, doubtless, into a sentiment, by the recol 
 lection of his own struggle to gain foothold upon life. He 
 early practised economy and self-denial, in order to fulfil 
 this obligation; for he was only upon the first flood of 
 professional success, when his generous hand was stretched 
 for the relief of our young friend, and whilst he was bur 
 dened with the secret support of some of his own kindred 
 at a distance. 
 
 The impression has almost universally obtained, that in 
 
34: LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORNWELL. 
 
 liis religious views Mr. Robbins was a Unitarian. The 
 charge is warmly repelled by his surviving family, who 
 allege that no trace of this is to be found in the journal 
 where his private thoughts were recorded, nor can their 
 memory recall any admission of it from his own lips. On 
 the other hand, the fact is affirmed by others, without a 
 suspicion of its accuracy; and, what is the most staggering 
 of all, it is stated by those whose spiritual relations to him 
 would afford the best opportunity of knowing his views 
 with certainty. The discrepancy can be explained only 
 in one way. He was educated, as we have seen, in the 
 orthodox faith, and to the period of his removal South sat 
 constantly under an orthodox ministry. But the ortho 
 doxy of ISTew England delighted at this time to be known 
 as a " modified orthodoxy." The term is not ours ; and 
 we will allow the distinction to be stated by a clergyman 
 of that region, a near relative, who was consulted on this 
 very point. In a letter, bearing date January 22d, 1873, 
 lie writes: 
 
 " It is well known that, about the beginning of the present century, 
 there was a very general departure among the churches of Massachusetts 
 f roui the old orthodox ground. Nearly all the oldest churches along the 
 shores of the Bay, from Cape Cod to Cape Ann, including the churches 
 in Boston, partook of the movement. The objection, as then urged, 
 to the old orthodoxy, was rather to its exclusiveness, and to certain 
 stereotyped dogmatic statements and metaphysical distinctions, which, 
 as was then thought, had been substituted in the place of simple and 
 hearty belief in Jesus Christ as the only ground of salvation, than to 
 any evangelical doctrine stated in Scripture terms. This was very dif 
 ferent from what has since appeared, under the name of Unitarians. 
 Its spirit was thoroughly loyal to Christ and the Bible." 
 
 It is not difficult, then, to understand how a mind, con 
 stitutionally averse to all extreme views, and letting go 
 the sharp distinctions and technical nomenclature, with 
 out which neither divine nor any other truth can be sci 
 entifically stated, should be involved in perfect confusion 
 and mist upon the subject of the Holy Trinity. If plied, 
 too, with Unitarian books arid tracts, as he was by some 
 of his family connexions in New England, he would soon 
 
HIS PATRONS. 35 
 
 M;IV<T in the acceptance of the facts themselves, which 
 could no longer be represented to his own mind in any 
 definite propositions. The truth is apt to slip away from 
 our grasp, as soon as we disallow the necessary terms by 
 which alone it can be defined, and without which it can 
 no longer be reflectively considered. Thus, probably, he 
 became tainted with the Socinian heresy, without form 
 ally adopting it as a creed, or abandoning entirely the 
 traditional faith of his youth. These difficulties would 
 naturally be mentioned in confidential intercourse, and, 
 with his religious guides, might well assume the form 
 of polemic discussion, in the effort to escape from the 
 mist of speculation, and to give a palpable shape and 
 body to what flitted before him only as airy abstractions. 
 
 We have been thus minute, from a profound respect to 
 the memory of one who has such a just claim upon Pres 
 byterian gratitude. His religious opinions should either 
 not be given to history at all, or the evidence should be 
 produced upon which they are supposed to rest. 
 
 But in whatever form this error may have existed, 
 whether floating in the mind as a vague doubt, or crys 
 tallized into a fixed opinion, it was squarely abandoned 
 some ten or twelve years before his death, when, under 
 the preaching of the celebrated revivalist, Dr. Daniel Ba 
 ker, he became the subject of renewing grace. Attaching 
 himself to the Episcopal Church, he remained a consistent 
 and devoted Christian to the end. " His piety," writes 
 the pastor who was with him in his last moments, " was 
 a pervading, steady principle, which imbued his whole 
 life; and he passed calmly and peaceably to his rest, 
 in the full possession of his faculties, and of the testimony 
 of a good conscience ; in the communion of the Catholic 
 Church; in the confidence of a certain faith; in the com 
 fort of a reasonable, religious and holy hope ; in favour, I 
 doubt not, with God ; and in charity with the world. His 
 end was like a peaceful, gradual transfiguration of the 
 mortal into the immortal; like a melting out of our 
 
36 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THOKNWELL. 
 
 earthly sight into the invisible world of spirit." The 
 disease, consumption, which had threatened his early 
 manhood, returned upon him, after a long suspension. 
 Through five years the battle was maintained, during 
 which he was often obliged to leave. home; once to take 
 a sea voyage, as well as to invoke the skill of an eminent 
 physician in Paris. At length the destroyer triumphed;, 
 and he fell asleep on the 26th of March, 1813, in the 
 forty-eighth year of his age. His rare modesty, his con 
 tempt for the artificial distinctions of life, and the sense 
 of the littleness of earth, all found characteristic expres 
 sion in the ^inscription traced, by his own direction, upon 
 his tomb : 
 
 My name, my country, \vhat is that to thee ; 
 What, whether high or low, my pedigree ? 
 Perhaps I far surpassed all other men ; 
 Perhaps I fell below them : what then ? 
 Suffice it, stranger, that thou see st a tomb ; 
 Thou know st its use ; it hides, no matter whom." 
 
 Without name or date, how solemnly this rebuke of 
 human vanity peals forth in the silent graveyard of St. 
 David s .Church ! 
 
 Such was the man with whom James Thornwell was 
 thrown into what may be termed a closet intercourse, 
 during the most forming period of a boy s life, between 
 the ages of fourteen and eighteen. There is no calculus 
 by which to measure the benefit which accrued. But, 
 surveying the whole of his after career, and knowing all 
 that Providence designed himr to be, it is clear no influ 
 ence could have better shaped him for the end in view^ 
 Mr. Robbins was an accomplished man; imbued with 
 the spirit, as well as with the letter, of the ancient 
 classics, having comprehensive and philosophic views,, 
 thoroughly acquainted with history in its entire range, 
 and not insensible to what was beautiful in literature and 
 art. A vigorous and clear intellect like his was nothing 
 less than a. Voltaic battery, waking up the young mind be- 
 
HIS PATRONS. 37 
 
 fore it, that was only too capable of absorbing the living 
 energy which thrilled along every nerve, and charged 
 every power with its secret virtue. Here is a lad pos 
 sessing the ambition to become all that is possible, with 
 a lofty ideal ever beckoning him forward, with a thirst for 
 knowledge which no acquisitions can quench; and here, 
 at his side, is a full fountain, pouring forth its magnetic 
 waters, stimulating the appetite which they seem to fill. 
 The influence of Mr. Bobbins was not less happy in its 
 modifying power. The conspicuous attribute of his mind 
 was its practicalness, which made him an admirable 
 trainer for a genius. It dealt alone with facts and prin 
 ciples; and these were applied with a rigour and precision 
 that estopped all extravagances, and brought one down 
 to sedate and earnest thinking. Truth, in her unadorned 
 majesty, \vas the touchstone by which every thing was to 
 be tested. The wise cautions, and sometimes the trench- 
 ;mt criticisms, which are to be found in his letters, reveal 
 him as the Mentor of Telemachus to his young ward. 
 And if the genius which he successfully trained did not 
 prove that fatal gift which so often blasts its possessor 
 if it proved a genius disciplined by culture, and harness 
 ing itself to the practical duties of life, until it wrought 
 a work full of blessing to the world much of it is due 
 to the moulding influence of this clear, strong, and prac 
 tical rnind, which gave direction to its aspirations, and 
 shaped its development. It is not always given us to 
 trace the agencies and methods by which we have been 
 secretly educated for our work; but the most remarkable 
 feature in this history is, the happy training by which 
 the subject of it was disciplined from the opening of his 
 career. 
 
CHAPTER IV. 
 PREPARATION FOR COLLEGE. 
 
 REMOVAL TO CHEBAW. ABODE WITH MB. BOBBINS. CONFIDENTIAL KE- 
 LATIONS WITH HlM. FlBST APPEABANCE AS A DEBATES. ENTBANCE 
 INTO THE CHEBAW ACADEMY. LOVE FOB THE CLASSICS. EABLY FOND 
 NESS FOB METAPHYSICS. COBBESPONDENCE WITH His PATBON. SIN- 
 GULAB LETTEB. TENDENCY TO MOBAL SPECULATIONS. 
 
 AS nearly as can be ascertained, Mr. Mclntyre ceased 
 to teach in the Pegues settlement some time in the 
 year 1826. In accordance with an arrangement previously 
 made, James Thornwell, then between thirteen and four 
 teen years of age, went to General Gillespie. The design 
 to educate him fully does not appear to have been at that 
 time definitely formed. The new friends were only pledged 
 at first to advance him in his studies ; and they were grad 
 ually led forward, by the exhibition of his superior merits, 
 to complete what had been so auspiciously begun. He 
 was accordingly sent to Cheraw, and became a private 
 pupil cf Mr. Robbins, and an inmate of his house. Mr. 
 RobKns was at that period a bachelor, and remained so 
 during the whole of young Thornwell s dependence upon 
 him. The solitude of his life was not, therefore, un 
 pleasantly broken by the companionship of his pupil, 
 whilst freedom from domestic care afforded the leisure 
 for his instruction. 
 
 The personal appearance of the youth was almost a 
 burlesque upon the extraordinary reputation which had 
 preceded him. Smaller in size than most boys of ten 
 years, sallow in complexion, and with a general sickliness 
 of hue, his bodily presence was anything but attractive. 
 Mr. Bobbins, who, with characteristic caution, received 
 
 39 
 
40 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORNWELL. 
 
 him tentatively at first, declares that, upon his introduc 
 tion, he mentally exclaimed, "Surely, Gillespie must be 
 deceived in taking this boy to be a genius." A few hours 
 conversation perfectly satisfied him on this point ; and in 
 a short time the relations between the two became like 
 those of an elder and a younger brother. Mr. Bobbins tes 
 tifies that, " as a boy he never delighted in the sports of 
 boys, and he was from the beginning a companion to me." 
 Indeed, so much satisfaction did he find in the society of 
 his ward, and so sweetly grew upon him the office of in 
 struction, that the little bed that had been provided for 
 him in another apartment was soon removed .to his own 
 chamber, that they might converse to the last moment 
 before falling asleep. Touching friendship between the 
 man of one and thirty years and the stripling of fourteen ! 
 It is not the cold guardian, holding himself in stately re 
 serve towards his ward ; nor the formal preceptor, con 
 tenting himself with a mechanical drill; but an elder 
 brother, taking into his bosom the little one of the house 
 hold, whom a sad orphanage has placed there, to be nour 
 ished with something of a parent s care. It is difficult to 
 say upon which of the two the greater honour is reflected. 
 If it be a proof of the boy s precocity, it was not less an 
 evidence of the patron s generosity. A true benevolence 
 is seen as much in the grace of the conveyance as in the 
 benefit conferred ; and it is a kingly heart that knows 
 how to let its charities fall gently as the flakes of snow. 
 
 Whilst thus secluded under private tutelage, James was 
 not wholly withdrawn from association with those of his 
 own age. One, who became afterwards his classmate and 
 bosom friend, thus writes : " My first distinct and never- 
 to-be-forgotten impression of this glorious man was in a 
 boys debating society, connected with the Cheraw Acad 
 emy, of which he was a member, though not at that time 
 a pupil of the school. The question to be discussed was 
 this : whether, in a particular case, the circumstances of 
 which were specified, it would be right for the Governor 
 
PREPARATION FOR COLLEGE. 4.1 
 
 to exercise the pardoning power ? Young Thornwell 
 made a powerful speech upon the negative side, and 
 carried the vote of the society. He impressed all of us 
 as we never before had been, by his eloquence and the 
 force of his arguments. Pale, swarthy, and sickly in ap 
 pearance, his voice was strong, and the words flowed from 
 him like a rushing torrent. He quoted Greek and Roman 
 history, and even then showed the logician in a most re 
 markable manner." This incident is worthy of record, 
 not only in proof of the early possession of those natural 
 gifts by which he t was afterwards distinguished, but as 
 illustrating the mould into which he began morally to 
 crystalize. However we may abstractly admit the in 
 fluence of disposition and temperament upon the opinions 
 we form, few of us appreciate the extent to which this 
 gives complexion to our convictions. The truth which is 
 accepted by one class of men without an effort, can scarcely 
 make its impression upon another class ; and this diffe 
 rence results, not so much from a variation in their mental 
 structure, as from the bias of some idiosyncracy of nature. 
 John Foster, for example, wavered upon the doctrine of 
 the eternity of future punishment, not from any weight of 
 evidence which controlled his judgment, but from an ex 
 cess of sensibility which shrank from its contemplation. 
 The dreadfulness of the thought overwhelmed and crushed 
 him. His reason was put under arrest, and his judgment 
 was suspended. He could not pronounce either way, hi? 
 faith forbidding its clear rejection, and his morbid sensi 
 bility shrinking from its acceptance. It was a clear case 
 of tortured feeling as against reason and faith. " Non ex 
 quovis ligno Mqrcurius fit" 
 
 Men like Calvin and Knox are not made of softly 
 material like Malancthon and Erasmus, and probably no 
 amount of mere intellectual pursuasion could ever convert 
 the one into the other. But our young debater has those 
 robust qualities, which enable him to see a glory in jus 
 tice as well as in mercy ; that if the one be the pillar of 
 
42 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORCOVELL. 
 
 beauty, the other is the pillar of strength, that stands be 
 side it, in the temple of God. How far this early prede- 
 liction to vindicate the majesty of law may be due to the 
 Calvinistic teachings of " a noble mother," it is not need 
 ful to inquire ; but the shaping hand of an unseen power 
 can be traced all through, preparing the future champion of 
 the truth, who should assert the integrity of the Divine 
 government against the mawkish sentiment that would 
 rob it of its necessary sanction. 
 
 James was naturally taken into the office, as well a& 
 into the house and chamber, of his patron. Here he 
 studied, and at intervals recited. If business accumulated 
 with unwonted pressure, the boy s leisure might well be 
 employed in copying such legal forms as required nothing 
 beyond attention and care. He wrote at this time a bold, 
 round hand, which was afterwards greatly contracted ; 
 always, indeed, neat and clean, presenting to the eye a 
 pleasing regularity, and perfectly legible, but also singu- 
 lafly compact. We have never seen but one person who 
 had the power of putting an equal number of words 
 upon a page; and, strangely enough, he was an eminent 
 lawyer and judge. By gradual practice, James became 
 skilful in drawing up legal papers, such, at least, as the 
 simpler processes required, and soon rose into the position 
 of a useful assistant. He acquired a general knowledge of 
 the office business, and could be safely trusted with its rou 
 tine, in the absence of Mr. Robbins; sometimes collecting 
 accounts and making the necessary entries and deposits, 
 and sometimes answering the inquiries and letters of 
 clients. The following story illustrates the ardour with 
 which he threw himself into all subjects that attracted 
 his attention, and the ingenious methods of self-discipline 
 to which he resorted: A gentleman passing one day by 
 Mr. Kobbins s office, heard voices that seemed to be en 
 gaged in loud and earnest discussion. He drew near 
 enough to learn that a flagrant ca^e of hog stealing wa& 
 upon its trial. Upon looking through the window there 
 
PREPARATION FOR COLLEGE. 43 
 
 was "little Jimmie" going through the rehearsal alone, 
 changing his voice as he personated severally the judge, 
 the jury, the prosecuting attorney, and the counsel for the 
 defence, not omitting, in his strict impartiality, the crimi 
 nal himself. In this connection the following anecdote 
 may be related, not so much for disclosing his capacity, as 
 illustrating the positiveness of his character and the tone 
 of his principles: On one occasion, in the absence of 
 Mr. Bobbins, a client entered the office, and made some 
 inquiries which rendered it necessary to refer to Mr. Rob- 
 bins s account-book. Having informed himself of what* 
 he desired to know, James left the book open on the desk. 
 Presently the visitor approached, and was about to make 
 a personal inspection of its contents, when James promptly 
 arose, and closed the book in his face, saying that he 
 would allow no stranger to inspect Mr. Robbins s private 
 entries. It was, doubtless, inconsiderateness in the party, 
 for he took no offence, and spoke of it to others with 
 hearty approval of the boy s spirit. It is through this 
 instinctive outworking of secret principles, without the 
 aid of reflection, that character is really disclosed. 
 
 It is impossible to determine how long he remained 
 under the exclusive preceptorship of Mr. Robbins; nor 
 when he was transferred to the more systematic discipline 
 of the Cheraw -Academy. The reasons for the change 
 are sufficiently obvious. The growing demands of an 
 exacting profession must, of course, introduce irregularity 
 on the part of the teacher, whilst the ripening intellect 
 and more advanced studies of the pupil would render 
 important the drill of a regular school. He probably 
 enjoyed its larger advantages during the better portion 
 of two years prior to his admission into college; that is 
 to say, during the years of 1828 and 1829. The Academy 
 was then under the care of Mr. John G. Bowman and 
 Dr. Thomas Graham, the latter being from Drowning 
 Creek, North Carolina, which seems to have been the 
 nursery of teachers for a large district of country. Both 
 
44: LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORNWELL. 
 
 were excellent instructors, and Mr. Bowman enjoyed the 
 reputation of being a superior Greek scholar. The tra 
 dition is still rife in Cheraw, how James Thorn well wore 
 out the tedious night in severe application to study. His 
 proficiency was in proportion to his diligence and enthu 
 siasm combined; and his examination at the final term 
 was so brilliant as to determine his benefactors not to 
 arrest his progress at this -stage, but to give him the ben 
 efit of a university course. Some idea may be formed, 
 from the following story, of his power of abstraction and 
 concentration in study: A gentleman in Mr. Robbins s 
 office commenced a conversation upon some private and 
 -confidential matter, but suddenly paused upon observing 
 the lad sitting there and reading a book. "Oh!" replied 
 Mr. Bobbins, "you need not mind him; I will soon con 
 vince you that he does not hear a word of what we are 
 saying." Whereupon he began with a loud voice, abusing 
 James in terms well calculated to excite his anger. The 
 unconscious subject of this tirade sat with listless ears, in 
 happy ignorance of the practical joke played off at his 
 expense ; and the visitor resumed, and finished the inter 
 view with a perfect assurance of its privacy. 
 
 He had no love for the study of mathematics, though 
 he pursued it as a duty; but he revelled in the classics, in 
 which he so perfected himself as to become a wonder in 
 the eyes of scholars like himself. PC displayed, also, at 
 this period, a fondness for metaphysical studies, in which 
 he afterwards pre-eminently excelled. The writer received 
 from his own lips the following fact, which bears internal 
 .evidence of having occurred during the earlier portion of 
 his connection with Mr. Bobbins, whilst he was still an 
 undeveloped youth. This gentleman found him poring 
 over Locke s "Essay on the Human Understanding," and 
 badgered him upon the hardihood of attacking a work so 
 abstruse, and so clearly beyond his years.* Piqued, as he 
 himself relates, at this implied disparagement of Jiis 
 powers, he resolved at once to master the book; and 
 
PREPARATION FOR COLLEGE. 45 
 
 master it he did, and for all coming time. Shortly after, 
 he happened to light, among the volumes in General 
 Gillespie s library, on Dugald Stewart s "Elements of the 
 Philosophy of the Human Mind." To use his own lan 
 guage, he "felt that his fortune was now made;" and 
 devoured it with the same avaricious delight that he had 
 experienced in the other. Upon what slender contin 
 gencies does our destiny often turn ! And who can trace 
 up to its source the influence which bears us on to what 
 we afterward become ! Dr. Thornwell was accustomed 
 to refer to this incident as having given him the first 
 conscious bias to philosophy. It was doubtless the pivot 
 upon which his whole intellectual history subsequently 
 hinged. The right book, read at the right time, roused 
 a, dormant capacity, just when it needed to awake and 
 determine the character of a brilliant and useful career. 
 Thus does Providence watch over its chosen instruments, 
 and a hidden hand touches the secret springs of activity 
 and life. 
 
 In the summer of 1828, Mr. Bobbins left home upon a 
 visit to New England, while James remained in charge 
 of the office. We give here a portion of a letter, as 
 showing the trust reposed in his business capacity, and 
 also the gentle faithfulness of the guardian in pruning 
 the faults of his ward : 
 
 " BOSTON, June 30, 1828. 
 
 " DEAR JAMES : Your letter of the 18th instant reached me at a time 
 when I was becoming anxious lest the fever, with its sequel of evils, 
 had overtaken you. And should this at any time be the case, you will 
 procure my friend, James Gillespie, to write, giving me timely notice 
 of the fact. 
 
 "Your letter affords me subject of two- fold remark. First: Its 
 matter. I was glad to hear so good report of the com and cotton crop. 
 From the appearance of the weather I had anticipated the news about 
 the mills ; but you do not say how the mill hands are employed. * * * 
 
 I have written M that if I have the mortgage he called for, you 
 
 will get it ; and I think you will find it in the Chesterfield drawer, per 
 haps enveloped in other papers. I could not have given it him fit the 
 time I gave him the other release, because I gave him that in 1 Marl- 
 borough, where I had not the mortgage. I do not know that my ledger 
 
46 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORNWELL. 
 
 exhibits all the proper charges against L . He owes me, &c. If 
 
 he writes again, state these facts, . and my other charges. I hope Jip 
 will be improved by my return. You can use him occasionally ; it will 
 
 assist rather than injure him. * * * Your account of the 
 
 business was very satisfactory. It put H. s friend in an unenviable 
 point of view. It shows, too, how cautious we should be in indulging 
 too great freedom in our remarks, even when we think ourselves safe 
 from exposure or misinterpretation. * * * I was happy to learn that 
 you were content in your present situatio n ; but as soon as you are 
 otherwise, you can change it. I should have no objection to your at 
 tending the festival on the 4th ; but this letter will meet you too late to 
 l/e governed by what I have to say. There has no production appeared 
 from Webster or Everett. I send you regularly the National Gazette, 
 which you will keep on file for me. I was well pleased with your plan 
 of a register or diary, and I hope you will keep it regularly. I went to 
 Cambridge to-day, and saw a young cousin, who holds a pre-eminent 
 rank in his class, and could not help thinking, at the time, how much 
 pleased you would have been to be in his company. I was much sur 
 prised to find, or rather, not to find, a copy of the Southern Review in 
 Boston ; and but one or two gentlemen have received it at all. The book 
 in greatest demand, just now, appears to be Irving s * Life of Colum 
 bus ; and I mean to bring it out with me. 
 
 " I have neither time nor space to notice particularly the second ground 
 of remark suggested by your letter. But were I called on to point out 
 the chief fault in the writing, I should say, it is the same I have so often 
 mentioned to you : a propensity to invest common and occasional re 
 marks in too grave and sober a dress. An idea of subordinate im 
 portance is not to be enveloped in the grave and solemn measure of a 
 great moral axiom. It is to assign it a dignity which is not its own ; and 
 not only so, but it affords occasion for the common taunt, "Monies par- 
 turiunt," &c. Though, on the whole, this perhaps is an error which 
 time, and increased observation and experience, will correct. 
 
 " Take care of yourself, referred to your own health, of which you 
 cannot be too careful. Most sincerely yours, 
 
 W. H. E. 
 
 The succession of dates brings us now to a relation, 
 which may cause the reader to lay down the book and 
 think awhile before he proceeds further. The education 
 of Thornwell, we have said, was undertaken at first with 
 no definite purpose. The plan seemed to have been to 
 give him all the knowledge that could be acquired in the 
 academy, and then to put him to the study of the Law, in 
 the office of Mr. Bobbins. James happened to overhear 
 a conversation in which this purpose was stated. The 
 
PREPARATION FOR COLLEGE. 47 
 
 next evening he was missing at tea; but his absence was 
 explained in the following letter, which Mr. Bobbins 
 found under his plate: 
 
 " CHEEAW, January, 1829. 
 
 "Mr DEAR SIB : I have adopted this method of discharging a duty, 
 which I consider due to you in common with nay other patrons ; as I 
 am incapable of speaking to you on the delicate subject without tears. 
 
 "The relation which has hitherto subsisted between us is now to be 
 dissolved. I would to God that this trying scene could have been 
 averted. I would to God that this bitter cup could have passed from 
 me. But His will be done. Though your regard for me should vanish 
 like smoke, and though you should hereafter treat me with the utmost 
 contempt and disdain, yet will I ever love even the very earth on which 
 you tread. 
 
 " It is no trivial cause that could induce me to part from one so dear 
 to me. Nothing short of a deep sense of duty could ever have led me 
 to this, especially as you have been at so much trouble and expense on 
 my account. I have laboured hard, but in vain, to reconcile my con 
 science to the practice of the Law. In selecting a profession, it is cer 
 tainly the duty of every person to act upon other than selfish motives. 
 He should ever have in view the glory of God and the good of men. 
 Now, the only method, it must be admitted, for him to determine the 
 sphere of action in which he will most contribute to these ends is by 
 scrutiny into the inclination of his particular genius. Now, the greatest 
 difficulty consists in discovering the peculiar turn of his mind. What 
 criterion will you fix for this purpose ? Though consultation with his* 
 friends may be of considerable service, yet you will not surely contend 
 that he must make their advice the rule of his conduct. I apprehend 
 that the only correct standard is his own feelings. He must not, how 
 ever, forget to look up to that Being for direction, to whom he must 
 finally render an account for his conduct here. 
 
 " In conformity to these views, which appear to me correct, I have 
 determined to adopt theology as my profession. The prospect for an 
 education is as brilliant, I believe, as though I were the son of a gen 
 tleman in possession of millions. There is none, however, for wealth, 
 as it is impossible to serve God and mammon at the same time. It is 
 my hard destiny to be placed in a situation where I must determine for 
 life at a very early age. I cannot dogmatically assert that these views will 
 follow me to the grave. But I feel it a duty to act in accordance with 
 them now. It is rational, however, to believe that they will continue by 
 me. I entertained them once before, discarded them, and have resumed 
 them. I cannot well say discarded them ; for I smothered them, or rather 
 the conclusion to which they led me, with the hope that farther mental 
 improvement would reconcile me to the Law. As they have come upon me 
 again with increased power, I feel it a duty to reveal them to you. If 
 you ttr nk they are erroneous, illustrate their error. If this is not done, 
 
48 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THOE.NWELL. 
 
 I am compelled to bid farewell, with great heaviness of heart, to a be 
 loved patron, who kindly clothed me when naked, fed me when hungry, 
 and, above all, has much laboured to dispel ignorance from my mind ; 
 a beloved patron, whose name is music to my ear, one whom I can 
 never forget, and of whom I will ever think with the liveliest emotions- 
 of gratitude ; and I humbly hope he will never forget the unworthy 
 object of his kindness. I do humbly hope his attachment will not 
 abate, if I have acted in conformity to sound rational principles ; and, 
 if under the impulse of enthusiasm, I hope he will pity my weakness. 
 On the word, farewell, my heart" lingers, with reluctance to leave you : 
 and, oh ! to think of parting pricks it to the core. But it must be ; 
 so farewell, my dear friend and respected patron. 
 
 J. H. THORN WELL." 
 
 This remarkable epistle was read with deep amazement. 
 Rising instantly from the table, Mr. Bobbins found his 
 ward on the piazza, in the dark, half hidden in the angle 
 of the chimney, weeping as though his heart would break. 
 Taking his hand, he led him gently back to the supper 
 table, and there assured him that he was labouring under 
 a total, misapprehension of his views. It had indeed been 
 taken for granted that the profession of the Law would be 
 his choice, both because it gave full scope to his talents, 
 and promised promotion in the future. At the same time, 
 nothing was further from the hearts of those who had be 
 friended him, than to force his inclination in any degree. 
 He should be perfectly free hereafter to choose any pro 
 fession which taste, or prudence, or conscience might sug 
 gest ; and that he would enter upon its pursuits with their 
 good will and blessing ; but that, for the present, he must 
 lay aside all morbid feelings, and continue to live with 
 him as his younger brother. The old relations were ac 
 cordingly resumed, with a better understanding between 
 the two, and with increased respect and aifection. 
 
 The delicate sense of honour, which would no longer 
 accept support from those whose wishes he expected to 
 thwart, lies so obtrusively upon the face of the narrative, 
 that there is no necessity for emphasizing it. But under 
 neath it lies a mystery w^hich is not easy of solution. 
 Here is a youth just beyond his sixteenth birth-day, who 
 
PREPARATION FOR COLLEGE. 49 
 
 lias passed through a protracted mental conflict, and set 
 tled down into the conviction that he must preach the 
 gospel. All the influences which bore upon him were 
 adverse to such a conclusion. Both his patrons were, at 
 this period, men of the world. The profession of the Law, 
 which he declines, pressed itself upon his acceptance by 
 every motive to which an honourable ambition could 
 respond. And what seals the mystery, this decision is 
 pronounced by one who, as yet, makes no pretensions to 
 personal piety, has given hitherto no evidence of a change 
 of heart, and who did not profess, till several years later, 
 to have become the subject of grace. Upon what principle, 
 then, did this decision turn ? Did he regard the sacred 
 ministry as a profession to be chosen, like any other, 
 because it was adapted to one s tastes or mental apti 
 tudes ? Men do not ordinarily make costly and painful 
 sacrifices, except upon the altar of duty. Scarcely for any 
 thing less than this would he have surrendered advantages 
 and severed ties which were as dear to him almost as life. 
 His letter, too, is pervaded with just such a conviction of 
 duty lying hard upon the conscience ; and though it does 
 not express the high and spiritual views of the ministerial 
 office which he subsequently embraced, there is a general 
 religious tone, which it is hard to explain from one not in 
 a state of grace. The case is fruitful of speculation, which 
 it might not be perfectly safe to indulge. This much 
 seems to be clear. He was from the beginning " a chosen 
 vessel of the Lord, to bear His name before the Gentiles 
 and kings, and the children of Israel;" and to this end, 
 religious truth was made to possess for him a singular 
 fascination. Its earliest indication was that polemic zeal 
 which led him with boyish disputatiousness to 
 
 "Assert eternal Providence, 
 And justify the ways of God to men." 
 
 Now it assumes the form of a conviction of duty, which 
 throws over him the power of a spell. It is true, this 
 interest in Christianity appears to be thus far rather intel- 
 
50 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THOKNWELL. 
 
 lectual than experimental; but it has enlisted the con 
 science, and it holds him to what we know to have been 
 the ultimate purpose of God, amidst temptations that 
 threatened to swerve him from it. We shall find more of 
 this hereafter, making his religious history something of 
 a puzzle up to a certain date, when the mist is cleared 
 away, and the Gospel is as fully embraced by the heart as 
 by the understanding. 
 
 During the summer of 1829, Mr. Bobbins again visited 
 New England. We give extracts from several of James s 
 letters, written then, in order that the reader may form 
 his own judgment as to the development of his mind, as 
 well as see the affectionate relations he sustained with his 
 patron. In the first, of date June 30th, 1829, after dis 
 patching certain topics of business, he speaks of a duel 
 which had well-nigh taken place, in the following terms : 
 
 "Is it not to be lamented that a squeamish sense of false honour is 
 so prevalent ? It is contrary to human dignity, which it should be our 
 pride to support. Every character has motives of the strongest obli 
 gation to support it. The parent should consider the interest of his 
 child ; the patriot, the welfare of his country ; and the philanthropist, 
 the good of mankind." 
 
 He then proceeds: 
 
 " You ask where I betook myself on the morning of your departure. 
 I attended you to the post-office, and stood by you until you were about 
 to enter the stage. My feelings were such that it was impossible for 
 me to shake hands with you ; and as I should have been an object of 
 derision, had I broken forth there into childish lamentations, I 
 thought it more prudent to vent my feelings in private retirement. I 
 wish that I could obtain a proper control of myself on such occasions. 
 If I grieve at a temporary parting, what would be my feelings at a last 
 ing separation ? 
 
 "I have heard of no sickness since your departure. For myself, 
 during the last week, I was on the very brink of the fever. As soon as 
 I felt the symptoms of disease, I submitted myself to the direction 
 of prudence. With salts for my spear, and moderation of diet for my 
 buckler, I have rushed to the combat, and driven the fever from the field. 
 But so far from being led into hopes of vain security by my victory, I 
 guard mys^f with more care against his wily attacks. 
 
 J. H. T." 
 
PREPARATION FOR COLLEGE. 51 
 
 The letter which follows discovers his early tendency 
 to moral speculations, though the generalization marks 
 the first awkward effort of an immature mind to use its 
 powers. It is given just as it was written : 
 
 "CHEKAW, August 13th, 1829. 
 
 "Discontent, how much soever it may be denounced by monks and 
 priests, is not criminal. To possess a mind which storms of fortune 
 or the darkest clouds of destiny cannot ruffle, is indeed desirable. Tran 
 quillity and calmness are qualities, however, which few do or can possess 
 in seasons of adversity. The philosopher and the moralist may prescribe 
 rules for the attainment of these virtues ; but the uninstructed peasant, 
 and even they themselves, will forget them in the hour of temptation. 
 It is beyond the power of mankind in general to subject their feelings 
 to the control of their understandings. These turbulent demagogues, 
 like the ancient barons of England, will not submit to the authority of 
 their sovereign. All men repine at what affects their interest. It is a 
 principle of their nature which they cannot subdue, and which must, 
 therefore, have been planted in them by the Deity. These reasons 
 induce me to believe that discontent is not criminal. But there are 
 bounds within which it should be confined, and to exceed which is 
 not justifiable. In these remarks I would by no means depreciate con 
 tentment. It is a source, and unfailing source, of happiness, which is 
 worthy of our highest efforts. It is a precious jewel, which too often 
 allures men, as the waters Tantalus, to disappoint ; and no man can say 
 that he possesses it until he has passed safely through the furnace of 
 temptation. 
 
 " These reflections were suggested to me by the marks of disappoint 
 ment, which are imprinted on every countenance, in consequence of 
 the late inundation of their crops. None appear to be content ; and 
 McN. has converted his blythe boasting into sighs. He has Jost, he 
 says, about thirty bales of cotton and half of his corn. He will still 
 make as good a crop as he did last year. I am glad that you will sus 
 tain such little damage. Though it is enough to give McN. a rueful 
 countenance ***** 
 
 I am diverted at this moment by a warm discussion of a question 
 in political economy between Mr. P. and Major L. The ouestion is, 
 Can the value of gold decrease ? P. maintains the affirmative, and L. 
 the negative; and I must think that, though Mr. L. is shrewd and 
 subtle, Mr, P. is superior to him. Mr. L. deals too much in general 
 and indefinite terms. Mr. P. is more precise and explicit. In the 
 course of the discussion, L. granted that an abundance of money de 
 preciated property. P. contended that the money was depreciated, and 
 of course had only a relative value. The general consent of the world has 
 established it as a coin, however, not on account of any superiority to 
 other metals, but on account of its beauty and scarcity. The value of 
 
52 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORNWELL. 
 
 gold, then, it is clear, can be reduced in three ways : 1. The general 
 consent of mankind may be changed, and another metal substituted ; 
 2. As the tastes of men sometimes fluctuate, the beauty of gold may 
 cease to fascinate ; 3. A great abundance certainly diminishes its value. 
 Some such arguments as these might have been employed against Mr. 
 L. , though Mr. P. pursued a different course. I was surprised to hear 
 Mr. L. argue that gold had an inherent value. He evinced as much 
 ignorance of the proper meaning of words as the persons who, after a. 
 warm debate on transubstantiation, referred the question to the decision 
 of an umpire. Being asked what they meant by that long word, one 
 replied, Kissing the saints ; the other, Kneeling at the holy altar. 
 
 " The colour of Jip has undergone a great change ; he is a chestnut 
 now, a colour of which, you know, Virgil speaks very favourably. I 
 should be delighted with an account of the Cambridge Commencement. 
 
 JAMES/ 
 
 In another letter, written in the same month, he says: 
 
 " General Gillespie has given me a new proof of his kindness. He has 
 resolved to send me to college this year, if he can possibly raise the 
 money. I do sincerely hope that he may be able to accomplish his de 
 sign. I am preparing to go to Columbia in October or December." 
 
 This hint will appropriately close this chapter, leaving 
 it to the pages which are to follow to introduce him into- 
 that new and interesting scene. 
 
CHAPTER Y. 
 
 COLLEGE LIFE. 
 
 FIRST APPEARANCE IN COLLEGE. PERSONAL DESCRIPTION. REJECTED 
 ON FIRST APPLICATION. RECEIVED ON THE SECOND. His OWN AC 
 COUNT OF IT. EARLY IMPRESSION OF HIS GENIUS UPON HIS FELLOW- 
 STUDENTS. FACULTY OF THE SOUTH CAROLINA COLLEGE. INTENSE 
 APPLICATION. RANGE OF HIS .STUDIES. SELF-DISCIPLINE. SECLU 
 SION OF THE STUDENT. His EARLY REPUTATION AS A DEBATER. 
 POWERS OF INVECTIVE. CORRESPONDENCE. 
 
 EAELY in December, 1829, within a few days of his 
 seventeenth birthday, James Thornwell made his first 
 appearance in the campus of the South Carolina College, at 
 Columbia, the capital of the State. Stunted in his growth, 
 and with the sallow complexion which has been already 
 described, his figure was just the kind to excite college 
 witticism and mirth. The following description, from the 
 pen of a class-mate, after the lapse of forty years, may 
 have a slight colouring from the humour with which it is 
 conveyed ; but undoubtedly, in the main, correct : " In 
 personal appearance he was, perhaps, the most unpromis 
 ing specimen of humanity that ever entered such an in 
 stitution. Very short in stature, shorter by a head than 
 he became later in life, very lean in flesh, with a skin the 
 colour of old parchment, his hands and face as thickly 
 studded with black freckles as the Milky Way with stars, 
 and an eye rendered dull in repose by a drooping lid, he 
 looked, to use an Irishism, as he if he was twenty years 
 old when he was born. His manners were unpolished, 
 but his air was self-reliant; and though free from boast 
 ing, lie was evidently conscious of the mental power within 
 him, which would make him more than a match for most 
 men, and would throw into the shade his physical defects." 
 
 53 
 
54: LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORNWELL. 
 
 Such is the youth when first seen striding over the cam 
 pus, arm in arm with a friend six feet high, as if bur 
 lesquing his own littleness by the contrast ; with a long 
 coat dangling at his heels, rolling a huge quid of tobacco 
 in his mouth, and declaring that he would enter the Junior 
 class or none ; sportively adding that, if rejected, he 
 would go up into the town, and apply for admission to 
 the practice of the law. But 
 
 " The best laid schemes of mice and men 
 Gang aft agley ;" 
 
 and this self-appreciation, half serious, half playful, was 
 doomed to experience a sudden but salutary check. 
 
 The class which he desired to enter, was the class just 
 rising Junior. Applications were not frequent for ad 
 mission to this high grade, and the examinations were 
 correspondingly rigorous. Our young friend was pro 
 nounced deficient in certain studies, particularly mathe 
 matics, and was rejected, with the privilege, however, of 
 another trial at the opening of the new year. The defi 
 ciency was more apparent than real; and the unexpected 
 failure was anxiously explained by those who knew his 
 attainments. One says, "the examination in geometry 
 was conducted in a manner unusual to him. In those de 
 monstrations which did not require a good deal of figur 
 ing, it was the practice to use no letters, but merely to 
 indicate the side or angle by touching it ; and being un 
 accustomed to this method, he became confused." In his 
 own statement we have no such apology, as will appear 
 from the following letters to his friend, Mr. Bobbins : 
 
 "COLUMBIA, December 5, 1829. 
 
 "MY DEAB SIB: I applied for admission into the Junior Class this 
 morning, and was rejected. On Graeca Minora, Xenophon, the Odes of 
 Horace, and Cicero, I was admitted, and on part of Mathematics. Homer, 
 and the Art of Poetry, I was rejected on. They say, however, that if I 
 will stand another examination on these, about the first of January, 
 they will admit me. I think it advisable to do so, in preference to join 
 ing Sophomore. If I feel myself prepared, I may stand earlier. The 
 
COLLEGE LIFE. 55 
 
 difficulty with me, on these books, was not ignorance, but confusion. I 
 was panic-struck as soon as I entered the librarj -room. The Fftoutty 
 perceived it. With my examination in Geography, English grammar, 
 and Minora, Dr. Cooper appeared to be well pleased ; and had he con 
 tinued by me, I should have been successful throughout. Whenever he 
 found that I was embarrassed, he would relieve me. The rest were not 
 so accommodating. They are extremely rigid in their pronunciation ; 
 on that, however, they did not find fault with me. The truth is simply 
 this, that when they placed Homer in my hands, I was in such perturba 
 tion that I could scarcely see the letters. As soon as I recovered myself, 
 I read with ease. I recollect to have missed only two words. On Alge 
 bra, as far as they examined me, I stood very well. They required one 
 more rule than I had studied ; that I must learn. In Mathematics, or 
 at least in Geometry, where I thought myself safe. I failed. At Mr. Gra 
 ham s examination, General Gillespie can testify that I was not deficient 
 in it. How it happened that I proved so before the Faculty, I cannot 
 account. I cannot describe my feelings to you. I am overwhelmed with 
 confusion, and ashamed to show my face. I shall keep myself as much 
 secluded as possible, until I redeem my reputation. The three weeks 
 which I must wait will roll heavily on. I shall apply myself with assid 
 uity and attention. 
 
 " The students tell me that it has become a custom for the Faculty to 
 reject on the first examination, and grant a second. They tell me there 
 is not the least disgrace in it. It is almost a matter of chance whether 
 they admit or not. Yours most gratefully, 
 
 J. H. THOBNWELL." 
 
 Fourteen days later, another letter was written to the 
 same party, on the same subject. 
 
 "COLUMBIA, December 19, 1829. 
 
 " MY DEAR FRIEND : I have revised my studies under Mr. McAllily, 
 who was recommended to me by Professor Nott. I shall not apply for 
 admission, however, until the first of January. The Faculty will more 
 willingly receive me then, as they will be apt to judge of my qualifica 
 tions from the time I have studied. I can keep on studying mi til that 
 time, and it will not hurt me. * * * There is no being on earth 
 more happy than the student. With all the means of knowledge at his 
 command, what can give him more pleasure than to improve his mind ? 
 He may enjoy, if he wishes, a continual feast of nectar ; and his satisfac 
 tion is considerably enhanced when he is esteemed by all his acquaint 
 ances. I was never more cordially received by any persons than by my 
 Pedee friends here. They all appeared very glad to see me. I found in 
 College more who knew me than I had any idea of. Some Pedee men, 
 who had heard of me, took the very excusable liberty of introducing 
 themselves, and tendering their friendly services. My rejection they 
 viewed as a matter of chance, since an admission depends so much on 
 
56 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORNWELL. 
 
 luck. The result, they think, might h ave been more favorable, had I 
 befn examined in company, and not alone, as was the case. 
 
 " Do write me everything about home. I am anxious to hear from 
 you again, and from General Gillespie, who has not written me since I 
 came here. I fear he is displeased. Yours truly and gratefully, 
 
 J. H. THOENWELL. 
 
 "P. S. You can send by Mr. Me my other vest, my shoes; 
 and, if you think it more advisable to purchase there than here, you can 
 send Locke s Essay. S. G. has the work ; if you see him, it will cost 
 nothing." 
 
 There is a tone of manliness pervading both these let 
 ters, with which the reader cannot fail to sympathize. 
 Mortifying as the discomfiture was to a proud spirit like 
 his a spirit too untamed by even successful competition 
 in the narrower sphere in which he has hitherto moved 
 there is not a word of whining complaint, nor boyish re 
 sentment against those who inflicted the disappointment. 
 He accepts it just as it is, with a clear consciousness that 
 his failure was due to an excessive timidity, which had, 
 for the moment, thrown him from his equipoise ; and with 
 a steady purpose to retrieve the damage which his repu 
 tation may have received. This prepares the way for the 
 more buoyant style of the letter which follows, addressed 
 also to Mr. Robbins: 
 
 " COLUMBIA, January 4, 1830. 
 
 " MY DEAR PATEON : I have now taken my stand in the Junior Class ; 
 and so flattering was my examination, that I cannot refrain from giving 
 you a short account of it. I was required to stand first in Homer, in 
 which I was not found wanting. I was then taken on Horace, De Arte 
 Poetica. The sentence which was given me Professor Henry thought 
 the most difficult in the book, and said that I read it admirably well. I 
 was then taken in Button s Mathematics, in which I demonstrated, 
 without the least difficulty, about twenty theorems ; and lastly, I passed 
 with success through logarithms. There were three applicants for the 
 class besides myself ; two of whom were admitted ; the other was rejected 
 for the third time. 
 
 An unlucky circumstance has occasioned me some uneasiness. 
 Charges greatly derogatory to the character of Mr. were commu 
 nicated to me here, of which I immediately apprised S . What I 
 
 wrote, Mr. has by some means learned ; and he wrote me, re 
 questing the author of that report. I immediately and unhesitatingly 
 
COLLEGE LIFE. 57 
 
 Complied ; as I was bound by no ties of honour not to divulge its author. 
 I should regret to see my name introduced under such circumstanced. 
 Mr. G knows the whole affair. 
 
 All the Pedee students look to me to give her a dignified seat in College. 
 While such hopes are indulged of me, how can I be lax in my exertions ? 
 
 "College duties not having commenced until to-day, I have attended 
 only two lectures. Professor Henry does honour to Metaphysics and 
 Moral Philosophy. Dr. Wallace is perhaps unequalled in Mathematics ; 
 and Professor Nott is not inferior in his department. We have a splendid 
 library, consisting of eight or ten thousand volumes. Indeed, Columbia 
 affords every facility of improvement. 
 
 "I found great difficulty in obtaining a room; and my tavern ex 
 penses, and the cost of furnishing my room, have reduced my purse to 
 a low ebb. Seventy-five dollars will defray all necessary expenses till 
 June, when I should return. Calculating at this rate, which I think 
 just, two hundred and fifty dollars a year will carry me through College. 
 Should it be inconvenient to send me anything; there is no pressing 
 need. I am not out of money, but have not enough to settle all my 
 College bills. 
 
 " Hereafter I shall write to you every other week, and to the General 
 as often. Next Sunday I shall be at leisure to write you a decent letter. 
 It is now almost ten o clock P. M., and I must retire to bed, as I must 
 rise by day-break in the morning, and hie me to the lecture room. 
 
 Yours truly, J. H. THORNWELL." 
 
 This letter drew forth a reply so just in its views, and 
 so wise in its counsels, that we shall offer no apology for 
 its introduction. Indeed, all the communications of this 
 noble man deserve to be incorporated in this record of his 
 ward, whose character they contributed so materially to 
 form, as well as for the dignity and weight of the senti 
 ments with which they abound. 
 
 "CHERAW, January 9, 1830. 
 
 " DEAR JAMES : On my return from Marlborough I received your wel 
 come letter of last Monday, bringing the glad tidings of your admission 
 to the standing in College which your perseverance and good con 
 duct have merited ; and I lose no time in offering you my cordial 
 congratulations. . If your disappointment shall be attended with no 
 other good, you should feel amply recompensed in the good things it 
 has called from your instructors. But let it teach you that disap 
 pointment and mortification attend you at every turn in the path of 
 life ; that to be prepared for them is the part of wisdom ; and to endure 
 them with manly fortitude, is the way to overcome them. And let it 
 teach you, too, that, when so encountered, they never fail to bring pro 
 portionate good in their train. I cannot permit myself to doubt but 
 
58 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORNWELL. 
 
 your future exertions will be commensurate with the expectations of 
 your friends. Your assiduity in the cause of learning gives me assurance- 
 that every advantage you now enjoy will be eagerly, and of course suc 
 cessfully, improved. But let me caution you not to suffer your am 
 bition to be bounded by the narrow circle of College honours. To have- 
 achieved all that the officers of College can bestow, is distinction dearly 
 bought, if, in the pursuit, you have lost one iota of that purity of char 
 acter and singleness of purpose with which you commence it ; if you 
 shall suffer a conscious superiority to render you uncourteous to an 
 inferior, or indulge one envious reflection at the superiority of a rival. 
 The field of mental exertion is wide enough for all who enter it ; there 
 is no need of jostling for a place there. The rewards it holds out are 
 liberal and noble. In their achievement by others we should see the 
 glory of the struggle ; and if fairly and honourably won, the head that 
 wears will not disgrace them. To foster these sentiments to think, 
 to feel, and act, in accordance with them is to gain a conquest more 
 important and more valuable than all the little distinctions which men 
 can confer upon us. Don t think that I make these remarks because 
 I think you more liable to err in this way than other young men. 1 
 know you are not more so : I hope not so much so. I give them that 
 you may fix them as a pole-star in your march through life, and square 
 all your conduct by them. 
 
 I was very sorry to hear that you should have been implicated in an 
 affair like that you mentioned. You did right in surrendering the 
 
 author; but S did great wrong in suffering the affair to escape 
 
 him. But did you not err, first of all, in communicating the affair at 
 all ? Tis best to leave these little slanders to the peculiar keeping of 
 those who have no other business or amusement but to search for and 
 propagate them. They are unworthy the notice of a wise man. We 
 should regard them in sovereign contempt ; and deem ourselves some 
 what tainted in suffering ourselves to think on them, much more so to 
 speak of them ; but to write them is yet the more imprudent, indiscreet. 
 I have heard it publicly said in the streets here, that you had written 
 this story from Columbia. I was sorry to hear it ; but as you had 
 written it, you could have done no less than what you did. But, for the 
 future, I hope you will feel that to descant on such subjects is to dabble 
 in muddy water. You have nobler objects to achieve in life than tha 
 investigation of petty tales, be they true or false. * * * 
 
 Enclosed I send you twenty-five dollars ; in my next letter I will send 
 more. I don t like to increase the bulk of letters ; and you say you are 
 not out. Your calculation is too small, I think. Recollect what we have 
 told you, and write as often as you can, consistently with other duties ;. 
 and write fully of your views, and successes too. Your friend, 
 
 W. H. BOBBINS." 
 
 This hitch at his entrance into college would not have 
 prejudiced his scholarship in the estimation of his fellow- 
 
COLLEGE LIFE. 59 
 
 students, who looked upon it very much as a question of 
 luck. Probably it would not have been noticed at all, but 
 for the extraordinary accounts which had been poured 
 into their ears, and the confident predictions which had 
 been uttered on his behalf. It had been announced by those 
 who knew his earlier history, that " a little, pale boy would 
 come on soon, and bear off the honours of his class." The 
 mortification of these admirers at his rejection was, if 
 possible, greater than his own; for they were obliged to 
 bear the penalty in the laughter which this apparent 
 failure of their champion brought upon their heads. It 
 was not, however, of long duration. We quote again 
 from the same witness who has furnished the preceding 
 description of his person: "The class which he entered 
 was a remarkably ambitious one, and contained among 
 the forty -three young men who composed it many aspirants 
 for the highest honours of the college ; but such was the 
 intellectual power displayed by Thornwell, that he had 
 not made more than hall* a dozen recitations before it was 
 conceded on all hands that the first honour must be his 
 beyond all question. This mental pre-eminence was ap 
 parent, not only in the class-room, but in debates in the 
 College Society to which he belonged, in social intercourse, 
 and, indeed, wherever there was mental contact with others. 
 There was about his mind, however, nothing of the erratic 
 or impulsive character attributed to genius. His powerful 
 intellect worked with the steadiness of machinery ; and 
 its superiority was displayed in the higher reach and wider 
 grasp of thought, with which it advanced, without check, 
 to the attainment of its end, scarcely pausing at obstacles 
 which would have .halted others." 
 
 In the faculty of the South Carolina College, as at 
 that time constituted, there were at least four gentlemen 
 who could not fail to impress themselves upon such a 
 mind as here described. 
 
 Professor JAMES WALLACE had a rare genius for the 
 Mathematical chair, which he filled; and always im- 
 
60 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORNWELL. 
 
 pressed liis pupils with a conviction of the importance 
 and value of his favourite studies, as well as the vast 
 treasures of knowledge which remained for them to ex- 
 
 o 
 
 plore. It is to be regretted that his unusual attainments 
 should be represented only in one work, " On the Globes," 
 which, with a few fragmentary disquisitions, is all that 
 he has left behind him. 
 
 Professor HENRY JUNIUS KOTT, to whom was assigned 
 the department of English Literature, was, beyond dis 
 pute, one of the finest Belles Lettres scholars the State 
 has ever produced, worthy to be the friend and peer of 
 the gifted Legare. With a mind enriched by study, and 
 enlarged by foreign travel; with a memory capable of 
 reproducing all that he had ever observed or read ; with 
 "a rich humour and a ready wit, which few could turn 
 to better account;" with a style that is "presented as a 
 model of easy elegance, and of simple, classic beauty;" 
 it was impossible to escape the fascination which the bril 
 liant lecturer threw around the beautiful studies in his 
 department. The chivalry of his character was mourn 
 fully illustrated in his death, upon the wreck of the ill- 
 fated steamer "Home," in 1837, preferring to sink in 
 the waters of the Atlantic, by the side of a wife whom 
 he was too generous to abandon. 
 
 Dr. THOMAS COOPER, the President, was, however, at 
 this time, the Coryphoeus of the institution. His varied 
 erudition, his trenchant style, his enthusiasm in whatever 
 he espoused, the boldness and courage with which he 
 maintained opinions at variance with the popular senti 
 ment,* even the restlessness of spirit which had made him 
 an agitator through the whole of an eventful career, 
 were qualities exceedingly captivating to the youth under 
 his charge. He possessed just the cleverness and the 
 courage, the dash and the dogmatism, which seem to 
 the inexperienced the elements of the heroic, and whose 
 knowledge was not sufficient to estimate the shallowness 
 of his philosophy, and even of his learning. That young 
 
COLLEGE LIFE. Gl 
 
 Thornwell fell at first under the charm of his influence, 
 appears from an incidental reference in one of Mr. Rob- 
 bins s letters, where he speaks of Dr. Cooper as "your 
 idol." It is equally certain that this spell was at length 
 broken. It could not be otherwise. The antagonism be 
 tween the two was complete in the structure of their minds, 
 and in the direction of their favourite studies. The historian 
 of the college records of the President, that " his genius was 
 eminently practical utilitarian. He looked upon man 
 very much as an animal, and believed that the framework 
 of society was designed to provide for his physical wants 
 and necessities. As in man he saw nothing but the animal, 
 so in the objects of nature he saw nothing but external na 
 ture. Of man in his higher nature, as a being of immortal 
 powers, with aspirations reaching into a never ending 
 futurity, he had no just conception." From such gross 
 materialism, a mind of such a structure as that of young 
 Thornwell was compelled to diverge, as soon as it should 
 address itself to the solution of these questions at all; 
 and he who was ravished with the charms of philosophy 
 could have no permanent sympathy with one who "held 
 metaphysical and ethical investigations in perfect con 
 tempt." Of his fierce opposition to revealed religion we 
 shall have a better occasion to speak hereafter. 
 
 But the foremost of them all, in the breadth and perma 
 nence of his influence over our friend, was Dr. ROBERT 
 HENRY, who filled, with singular ability, the chair of Phil 
 osophy. He was a profound scholar, critically acquainted 
 with the ancient classics, and perfectly familiar with tlw Ger 
 man, Dutch, Spanish, and French languages. In the studies 
 of his peculiar department he was not less accomplished, 
 having " explored the entire circle of knowledge and specu 
 lation, and made the rich fruit of the master minds who had 
 laboured in this field his own." Dr. Thornwell, in later 
 years, always acknowledged his great indebtedness to the 
 classical taste and attainments of Dr. Henry, by whom lie 
 was both stimulated and directed in the acquisition of 
 
62 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORNWELL. 
 
 classic and of philosophic lore. After his death, the 
 pupil paid a beautiful tribute to the memory of his pre 
 ceptor, in the pages of the Southern Quarterly Review. 
 Such were the men, under the influence of -whose genius 
 he found himself placed, upon his entrance into College. 
 
 The possession of these advantages stimulated his zeal 
 to the last degree. Coupling the assiduity of the Ger 
 man with the fervour of the American, he devoted four 
 teen hours a day to severe study. Either his good sense 
 pierced the fallacy which supposes that genius can win 
 permanent success without learning as the material upon 
 which, or the instrument by which, it must work; or else 
 he was led blindly on by an avaricious love of knowledge, 
 rendering the toil with which it is gathered itself a delight ; 
 but certain it is, he turned away with the severity of an 
 anchorite from the blandishments of society; and, like 
 an athlete of old, with continuous and cruel rigor trained 
 every muscle and every limb for the Olympic race and 
 the Olympic prize before him in life. During his College 
 career, he omitted no opportunity of discipline, neg 
 lected no part of the prescribed curriculum, wasted no 
 hour in dissipation or indolence; but with elaborate care 
 prepared himself for every exercise. In the Literary 
 Society of which he was a member, the same assiduity 
 availed itself of every privilege. Despising the baldness 
 of mere extemporaneous harangues, he armed himself for 
 the conflict of debate. This example, with its attendant 
 and grand results, stands up in scorching rebuke of the 
 egotism and folly which would exalt the triumphs of 
 genius by disparaging the discipline through which its 
 energies are directed. 
 
 His investigations were pushed beyond the text books 
 of the class room. They were almost encyclopaedic in 
 their range. He used the library as no student before 
 him had ever done, and knocked the dust from ancient 
 tomes never disturbed but by the brush of the librarian. 
 He studied subjects as subjects, especially in the depart- 
 
COLLEGE LIFE. 63 
 
 ments to which he had a natural proclivity; and never 
 paused till he had sounded to the bottom. Evidence of 
 this is furnished in the correspondence of this period, and 
 still more in the facts of his religious history, yet to be 
 disclosed. As an illustration of the Herculean labours he 
 would undergo to accomplish some important end, the 
 following achievement may be related; which falls, par 
 tially at least, within this period : Being asked by one of 
 his Divinity students what was the best method of im 
 proving one s style, he replied : " Language was my great 
 difficulty in early life. I had no natural command of 
 words. I undertook to remedy the defect by committing 
 to memory large portions of the New Testament, the 
 Psalms, and much of the Prophets ; also whole dramas of 
 Shakspeare, and a great part of Milton s Paradise 
 Lost ; so that you might start me at any line in any 
 drama or book, and I would go through to the end. I 
 regard the above named as exhausting the powers of the 
 English language ; and he who masters them, knows his 
 native tongue. It is also the best method of training the 
 memory." In confirmation of this, the writer has fre 
 quently heard him, when in a recitative mood, repeat 
 whole pages of Milton without the slightest hesitation ; 
 sometimes an entire ode of Horace, or long extracts from 
 Yirgil; to say nothing of brilliant passages from Robert 
 Hall and Edmund Burke: all the fruits of this early 
 memorizing. One of his first associates testifies that, 
 before going to College, he could recite entire pages of 
 Dugald Stewart; showing this discipline to have been 
 begun at an early date. This explains, too, what always 
 seemed so wonderful to the writer : that Dr. Thorn well 
 was able, in conversation, to repeat long passages from 
 such rugged writers as Jonathan Edwards and John 
 Owen, without the necessity of recurring to the works 
 themselves for authority. His mind had acquired, through 
 the severe training of his youth, a facility in taking up 
 and retaining the words as well as the thoughts of an 
 
64: LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORN WELL. 
 
 author whom he attentively read. Notwithstanding his 
 constant depreciation of his own memor} r , it always ap 
 peared to us the most marvellous in its power of retention 
 and reproduction that we ever met. 
 
 As the reader may surmise, such diligence in study did 
 not comport with free companionship. He was not, in 
 deed, averse from.it; for he was constitutionally genial 
 and sympathetic ; and whenever he chose to indulge in its 
 relaxation, his manner was cheerful, and even buoyant. 
 Among his young associates he indulged freely in playful 
 raillery and sarcasm; in which there was not a trace of 
 bitterness, for he was incapable of malignity. But satire 
 is a dangerous weapon with which to sport; and to one 
 who possesses the fatal gift, the temptation to its indis 
 creet use is often too strong to be resisted. In later 
 years, Dr. Thornwell was accustomed to acknowledge 
 that nothing had given him greater trouble than this 
 propensity to sarcasm. It gleams forth occasionally 
 through all the passages of his history; and if he had 
 chosen to indulge it, few could have excelled him in the 
 power of invective. How sweetly it was controlled, and 
 finally, by a mellow piety, subdued, can be appreciated 
 only by those who knew the gentleness of his last years, 
 when ripening for his translation. But at the period of 
 which we are now treating, there was little to check the 
 indulgence of a talent which, however unamiable, is 
 always an instrument of commanding power. It was 
 especially in debate that this fearful talent was displayed. 
 In the language of one of his class-mates, "His words 
 burned like fire ; his sarcasm was absolutely withering." 
 From this cause, in part, he was not what is called a 
 popular student in College. "He was admired for his 
 transcendent abilities, but not loved." This was, how 
 ever, still more due to his habits of seclusion. He had 
 something more important to achieve than to court either 
 the society or the favour of those about him. Indeed, 
 throughout life, he was a man rather to be sought, than 
 
COLLEGE LIFE. . 65 
 
 to be himself a seeker. What he was in later life, he was 
 to some extent in College; and hence he never com 
 manded that shallow popularity which is acquired only 
 by rubbing one s self good naturedly against every man s 
 shoulder. 
 
 The polemic character of his mind fitted him to shine 
 in the debating society, which always forms a feature of 
 College discipline. He revelled in the gladiatorial com 
 bats that took place. Says one of his class-mates : " lie 
 took the most prominent part in the Literary Society of 
 which he was a member, and received all the honours in 
 its gift. His eloquence was unequalled, and his argu 
 mentative powers the most amazing. He could detect 
 and expose a fallacy with more dispatch and completeness 
 than I ever witnessed in any other man. The honorary 
 members of the Society, living in Columbia and vicinity, 
 would attend these discussions in large numbers, to hear 
 this wonderful man pour forth torrents of eloquence, and 
 deal, right and left, death-blows to sophistry." Another, 
 in the class below him, thus writes: "On the -night I 
 joined the Society, Thornwell rose to make a speech. 
 When he stood up, he was not a great deal higher than 
 the tables. He stepped into the passage between them ; 
 and I remember distinctly my reflection, Well, you can 
 not say much till you will have to sit down. But, to 
 my surprise, without any trepidation or diffidence, he 
 spoke, for twenty or thirty minutes, in a strain of elo 
 quence, and with a flow of language, full of thought. His 
 peculiar gesture was with both arms opened, and raised 
 above his head. He was a ready speaker, and the best 
 debater in the Society. He would sometimes indulge in 
 sarcasm, and was severe in retort." We are careful to 
 quote exactly from these memoranda of eye and ear wit 
 nesses, to escape the suspicion of writing a eulogy under 
 the disguise of history. The criticism will be disarmed 
 by remembering that, in a most important sense, the 
 orator, as well as the poet, is born, not made. Culture 
 may be necessary to train the peculiar faculties of both; 
 
66 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORN WELL. 
 
 but the original creative power, which is their common 
 characteristic, is the immediate gift of God. Germain to 
 this is the following letter, addressed to his patron, Gen 
 eral Gillespie: 
 
 "COLUMBIA, January 24, 1830. 
 
 "DEAR SIR : There is scarcely anything going on here which is worth 
 communicating. A short account of the Society may not be uninter 
 esting. The two last meetings were the best we have had since I be 
 came a member. I made my first attempt, concerning The justice of 
 punishing the Irish rebels of 1797 ; and I justified that measure of the 
 English cabinet with all the arguments that I could muster. Last night 
 I made a second effort, on the question, Whether it is probable that 
 the nations of Europe will advance further in refinement than they have 
 done. I contended that they would not. My argument was this : I 
 first proved, by induction, that it was a law of nature that everything, 
 after having reached a certain point of elevation, must decline. I next 
 showed the method by which we could determine when anything had 
 reached that point ; and then made application to the question. The 
 election for monthly orator came off last night, and I was glad to find 
 that I was elected by an almost unanimous vote. There is one difficulty 
 attending the delivery of this oration. The constitution requires that 
 it should be delivered in a gown. Now, the Society s gown is large 
 enough for a man of six feet, and I would be a ridiculous figure in it. 
 Some method must be contrived to obviate this difficulty. 
 
 i am now reading Swift s Works and Hume s Essays. I have finished 
 Berkeley. Swift s Tale of a Tub is a masterly specimen of sarcastic 
 wit ; it will distort the gravest muscles. Hume s Essays, which are a 
 compendium of his treatise on Human Nature, I read immediately after 
 Berkeley ; because I wish to follow out the train of reasoning by which 
 matter and spirit are proved to be nonentities. And it is ingenious 
 enough, although it depends entirely on a hypothesis, which philos 
 ophers have assumed without the slightest evidence, viz , that the mind 
 does not perceive anything but its own ideas. From this assumption 
 the most absured consequences have been rigorously deduced. Mattel 
 and spirit are shown to be delusions. Nothing, says Hume, exists but 
 ideas and impressions. There is no mind on which they may be im 
 pressed. It is remarkable that men of such sagacity and penetration 
 as Berkeley and Hume should have taken for granted a principle from 
 which such ridiculous consequences flowed. The absurdity of the con 
 clusion should have led them to suspect their premises. Indeed, Berke 
 ley undertakes to prove that his whimsical notion, concerning the non- 
 existence of matter, coincides with the general sentiments of mankind ; 
 and that the belief of the existence of matter was the oddest of the two. 
 Hume, however, has the frankness to confess that his opinions contra 
 dict the common sense of men. It is amusing to observe into what a 
 labyrinth of perplexities men may involve themselves. 
 Yours, affectionately, 
 
 J. H. THORNWKLL." 
 
CHAPTER VI. 
 
 COLLEGE LIFE CONTINUED. 
 
 CORRESPONDENCE WITH His PATRONS. ADMIRABLE LETTERS OF MR. 
 BOBBINS IN REPLY. CONSCIENTIOUSNESS IN THE USE OP MONEY. 
 CENSURED FOR PARSIMONY BY MR. BOBBINS. His DEFENCE. His 
 MORAL CHARACTER IN COLLEGE. TESTIMONIES OF HIS CLASS-MATES. 
 RELIGIOUS INVESTIGATIONS. EXAMPLE OF INTEGRITY. GRADUATION 
 AND DISTINCTIONS. 
 
 IN the following correspondence the letters explain 
 themselves, from the close relation in which they 
 stand : 
 
 "DEAR JAMES: Enclosed is eighty dollars, which I wish you to ac 
 knowledge the receipt of immediately. Our Court of Equity sits on 
 Monday, and I am too much occupied to write more at present. Use 
 no delicacy, James, in asking for money. If this shall not be .enough 
 for you, remember there is more where it came from. 
 
 Your friend ever, W. H. ROBBINS." 
 
 "COLUMBIA, February 12, 1830. 
 
 "MY DEAR SIR: I have just received your letter covering eighty 
 dollars, for which you have my warmest gratitude. The alacrity and 
 cheerfulness with which you grant my requests render it extremely un 
 pleasant for me to ask anything from you. And it is more unpleasant, 
 since the only recompense which I am capable of rendering you is to be 
 serviceable to myself. Common gratitude, did no other motive enter, would 
 require me to prove not unworthy of the confidence which you have re 
 posed in me. Dignified deportment and close application, combined 
 with a proper selection of associates, are the least things you can require. 
 Indeed, so far as regards associates, I am perhaps too fastidious. There 
 are seven in one hundred and twenty with whom I sometimes associate ; 
 but only one who is in any wise an intimate. * * * 
 
 " The last number of the Southern Review is, in my opinion, a failure. 
 The review of Stuart s Hebrew Grammar is written by Mr. Michallo- 
 witz, the Professor of Oriental Languages in this College. If that work 
 is intended to be read, it should surely lay aside its pompous parade of 
 learning. This number, or at least the article on the Hebrew Grammar, 
 and that on Higgins s Celtic Druids, are fit for nothing but show. A few 
 
 67 
 
68 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THOKNWELL. 
 
 privileged characters may be let into their mysteries ; but of what bene 
 fit are they to the mass of the people ? 
 
 " The* review of Hoffman s Legal Outlines, in the last number of the 
 North American, is calculated to add to the merited celebrity which 
 that journal has obtained. I think it superior to the article which ap 
 peared in the Southern. By this journal it was termed a misnomer ; 
 the North American has shown it to be otherwise. The article in the 
 Southern Review, headed Louis Courier, is written by Prof essor Nott. 
 I have not read it yet. 
 
 "A letter, giving me a full account of things at home, would be like 
 cold water to a thirsty soul ; for I am homesick. It is some consolation 
 that I shall see you in May. Yours affectionately, 
 
 J. H. THORNWELL." 
 
 " COLUMBIA, March 5, 1830, 
 
 "MY DEAR PATRON: The metaphysical distinction drawn by Lord 
 Shaf tesbury between what is good and what is virtuous, seems unneces 
 sary. The former, according to him, implies whatsoever promotes the 
 interests of the general system ; the latter, an affection for what pro 
 motes that interest. Virtue, therefore, is a quality of the agent ; good, 
 of the action. A notion of good must be obtained before we can be 
 come virtuous. For how can we have an affection for what we do not 
 comprehend? Nothing, says this author, can be denominated either 
 good or ill, unless it promotes or counteracts the interest of the system 
 of which it is a part. No animal can be called ill unless it is hurtful 
 to the animal system. No man can be called ill, unless he is hurtful 
 to the human species. But what sagacity can trace the result of human 
 actions ? Few men inquire whether their actions promote the weal of 
 society or not, and yet know whether they are good or bad. How is 
 this ? Nature has given them a sense of right and wrong. "Whatever 
 pleases this intellectual sense is right ; the contrary, wrong. It is the 
 character of good actions, however, to promote the interest of the gene 
 ral system. 
 
 " This is a summary of Lord Shaf tesbury s sentiments, as far as I have 
 read. To find his meaning in a mountain of useless verbosity is no 
 ordinary task. I chain myself down to it, however. To give you some 
 insight into his style, if style it may be called, he expresses in twenty 
 lines no other sentiment than this : That a man, by vice, does himself 
 as much harm as if he were to wound himself. Guess from this of hia 
 verbosity. Still his periods are very harmonious. They are delightful 
 to the ear, but rough to the understanding. His style has the good 
 effect of concentrating the attention. He never expresses clearly and 
 distinctly ; but he envelopes everything in a cloud of words. Self- 
 examination is a clear idea of itself; but Lord S. makes it a mys 
 tery. It is to be a self-dialogist ; to form the dual number with one s 
 self ; to enter into self-partnership ; to divide one s self into two par 
 ties ; and all such nonsense as this. But let us leave this worthy deist. 
 Yours, gratefully and affectionately, J. H. THORNWELL." 
 
I 
 
 COLLEGE LIFE. f)9 
 
 " CHERAW, April 10, 183G. 
 
 "DEAB JAMES : You judged rightly ; it has been the pressure of pro 
 fessional business that prevented niy writing you before ; and I trust 
 you will excuse me, knowing as you do, that it is but rarely, and tl:en 
 only with a good reason, that I suffer even the impatient calls of pro 
 fessional business to interrupt my performance of the duties of friend 
 ship. I know you will not accuse me of neglect or indifference to your 
 interest. 
 
 " So you think that if you pay some Attention to a book, in the read 
 ing, you will find little to do in the review ! This expression of yours 
 amused me not a little ; and. to say the least, it furnished no evidence 
 of your self-distrust. But I suppose you think it the privilege of great 
 minds to possess, and sometimes to exhibit, a consciousness of superior 
 power. It is so ; and it is probably the surest test of a superior judg 
 ment, to determine wisely the subject and occasion when to put it forth. 
 To be confident in our opinions and assertions in trivial matters, or too 
 often so in any matters ; or even rarely, when the occasion does not re 
 quire and justify it, is neither more nor less than downright dogmatism. 
 And besides, it is impolitic in another view ; by being habitually posi 
 tive, we multiply the chances of being sometimes in error ; and the 
 most fortunate man cannot promise himself that he will never be de 
 tected ; and whenever caught tripping in this way, in a matter of opin 
 ion, distrust in his judgment in a matter of fact, doubt in his vera 
 city, is sure to follow. Nor will the consequences be restricted in its 
 operations to the narrow circle of those who were personal witnesses of 
 the cause ; good report travels at snail s pace, whilst detraction outrides 
 the wind. Such a practice, too, begets suspicion in the minds of intelli 
 gent men, that what w r e lack in reason, we seek to make up in assu 
 rance ; and this inference is generally a just one. 
 
 But on the contrary, a truly great mind, flinging aside all adventitious 
 props, rising buoyant of its own native energies, and poising itself 
 proudly on the consciousness of its own moral power, is, at the same 
 time, the rarest and most magnificent spectacle in the moral universe. 
 It impresses us with admiration, with wonder and fear. It is a noble 
 daring, which fills us with solemn awe, the highest effort of moral cour 
 age ; because it is done under the deepest sense of personal responsi 
 bility ; because it is done at the hazard of everything which such a man 
 holds valuable in life : present mortification, influence, and pride of char 
 acter. And when we analyze this sentiment, we find that it derives all 
 its sublimity from its rare exercise by such a mind, the importance of 
 the occasion , and the noble reason which prompts and sustains it ; take 
 away either, and, instead of sublimity, we shall have a precious speci 
 men of the ridiculous ; deprive it of all, and you leave us the antago 
 nist character, in which vanity, rant, and dogmatism are the essential 
 ingredients. 
 
 "Now, I would not have you think that these reflections have a per 
 sonal bearing, They have not, nor were they so intended. They aro 
 
70 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THOKNWELL. 
 
 general remarks, which have suggested themselves to my mind ; and I 
 have thrown them out as food for your reflection, and for animadversion 
 and correction, if you are so inclined, in a future letter. I should pre 
 fer some original speculations of your own, to the general remarks on 
 authors which you introduce into your letters : and let them be suit 
 ably interspersed with any incident of personal interest which may 
 transpire. I mention this, not in the tone of censure ; but that you 
 may know that incidents of a personal interest to you will always have 
 an interest for me. I never thought you extravagant, but suspect that 
 you deny yourself too much. Have enclosed twenty dollars. 
 
 W. H. BOBBINS. 
 
 "COLUMBIA, April 14, 1830. 
 
 " MY DEAR PATEON : I received yesterday your letter covering twenty 
 dollars ; which, although not adequate to my present exigencies, was, I 
 assure you, a very acceptable boon. Thirty dollars more would bo 
 amply adequate to pay demands until June, when I should need the 
 same amount again. 
 
 "lam strangely oblivious, as the Dominie would say, if I did not 
 give you or General Gillespie an account of the late excitement in 
 College." 
 
 (Here follows a long recital of a riot, with the details 
 of which the reader would not be interested. We pass, 
 therefore, to the closing paragraph of this letter.) . 
 
 "The sentence in my letter which gave rise to the philosophical re 
 flection in yours, was intended as a modest way of telling you that I 
 studied my lessons the first time, and therefore found little new in the 
 review. I did not mean to say that, whilst others were compelled to 
 labour and toil over their lessons, I could learn them with barely some 
 attention. This was not my idea. If I have not the self-distrust; I 
 have the discretion, at least, to restrain such bursts of vanity. Your 
 remarks, however, could not have been personal ; for you would have 
 been disgusted, and not amused. 
 
 Yours gratefully and affectionately, 
 
 J. H. THOKNWELL." 
 
 "COLUMBIA, May 1, 1830. 
 
 " MY DEAR PATRON : Your letter covering thirty dollars has been re 
 ceived, which filled me with emotions of the liveliest character. Indeed, 
 how could it have been otherwise, unless I had been made of stone. 
 Your closing sentence in particular aroused the tenderest sentiments of 
 my heart ; and, my dear sir, as long as I have a heart, as long as I am 
 myself, the warmest feelings of my nature shall ever be indulged to 
 wards you. I entertain a deep, and I hope a noble, sentiment towards 
 the kindest benefactors that ever relieved the wants of suffering human- 
 
COLLEGE LIFE. 71 
 
 ity. When I consider my former situation, the ignorance and poverty 
 that seemed my inevitable doom, and contrast it with my present state, 
 my bosom glows with the most ardent gratitude and affection towards 
 those generous souls who stretched out the hand of relief, and still hold 
 it out. When old age shall have come upon you, with its attendent mis 
 eries, should all others desert you, I will still cling the closer to you, and 
 deem it my greatest satisfaction to rock the cradle of your declining 
 years, and to smooth your bed of death. The evening of your life shall 
 not disappear in clouds, but shall pass off as calmly and as tranquilly as 
 a summer s day ; and when the grave shall have closed upon you, I will 
 pay the tribute of affection to your memory. These are the feelings of 
 my bosom. Accept them, I pray you, as all that I can now return for 
 your kindness to me ; but remember the day is not far distant, perhaps, 
 when you will find some satisfaction in 
 
 J. H. THORN WELL." 
 
 The three letters which follow are such as are seldom 
 found in a College correspondence. The instances are rare 
 in which, on the one hand, a parent or guardian has need 
 to urge the child or ward to spend more freely the money 
 which is munificently supplied; whilst the pupil, on the 
 other hand, finds himself driven to philosophy to justify 
 his parsimony. It is equally honourable to both the par 
 ties. It is the more remarkable, since Dr. Thornwell was 
 naturally extravagant in all his tastes; and his expendi 
 tures were bounded only by his means. The disclosure in 
 these letters fully justifies the testimony of Mr. Robbins, 
 given in later years, when his ward had won his own in 
 dependent position in the world : " James is lavish with 
 his own means, but careful and honest with that of an 
 other." But to the letters: 
 
 "CHEBAW, November 10, 1830, 
 
 " DEAR JAMES : I received last evening your letter of the fourth cur 
 rent ; also that of last month, enclosing Dr. Green s receipt for the 
 money. * * * I like and approve a wise economy ; but carried too 
 far, as I fear you have done, it ceases to be a virtue ; and neither the 
 Generals nor myself desire it, nor can we approve. We wish you to be 
 liberal, not profuse, in your expenditure ; and anything short of this 
 we cannot sanction. Your impatience to be earning for yourself is 
 premature. This will do well by and by. Let all your present aims 
 be directed to ^he laying a solid foundation. The superstructure must 
 await this ; and without it, future exertion will be unavailing. Not 
 only endeavour to supply your mind with knowledge, but cultivate a 
 
72 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THOKNWELL. 
 
 cool and dispassionate judgment in all things, whether appertaining to 
 your conduct now, or to your opinions. It is by this, rest assured, that 
 all human things are to be weighed ; and to this, as a test, must and 
 will all be submitted in the realities of life. Enthusiasm, which na 
 turally recommends itself to youth, is regarded in its proper light by 
 age and experience. It is a pleasant attendant to solid sense and cor 
 rect views ; but without them, tis unsure to stand upon. In all your 
 reflections, where conduct is the aim, regard human nature as it is, not 
 as it should be. Man has sought out many inventions, says the good 
 Book ; and if we would influence man, or govern him, we must not 
 only know, but reckon on, these inventions. The seaman who would 
 determine by course and distance only, will find himself at fault when 
 he makes land ; the winds and currents must enter into his estimate, too, 
 if he would fix his true place. When you have gotten your education, 
 the quality of which depends more on youself than on your instructors, 
 there will be ample time to devise and pursue the business of life. Be 
 fore then, we wish you to employ all your thoughts on the cultivation 
 of mind. Let them not be bounded by the narrow horizon of College 
 and its honours ; these are trivial affairs, and not worth a thought, in 
 comparison with that general knowledge and cultivation of judgment ; 
 that broad and comprehensive view of men, subjects, and things, which 
 alone go to constitute the character of a great mind. "Tis a good rule, 
 never to hazard an opinion on a subject until it is wholly before you 
 for, by being frequently detected in error, men lose confidence in our 
 ability and judgment ; while, on the other hand, to be positive seldom, 
 and always to be found right, fixes a character which will ensure, be 
 cause it will merit, the confidence of others. These are a few hasty hints 
 for your consideration. You said you would send a copy of my last 
 summer s letters. Do so in your next. 
 
 I am, as ever, yours, 
 
 W. H. BOBBINS." 
 
 " COLUMBIA, November 13, 1830. 
 
 "Mr DEAK PATKON : " I have just received your letter, which affords a 
 striking illustration of the power of the associating principle. The train 
 of thought which suggested your philosophical reflections can be easily 
 traced out. You are particularly anxious to guard me against a dogmatical 
 spirit. In other words, you think that I had passed an opinion on your 
 letter, which I had positively asserted to be true, but which turns out to be 
 false. Taking this for granted, you are desirous of preventing me from 
 committing future errors of the same kind. Your reflections are just, 
 and are calculated to be serviceable. It is not to their tendency, or the 
 spirit which dictated them, that I object. These are noble, and receive 
 my hearty thanks. But the assumption on which they rest, I cannot 
 grant. That you may judge for yourself, however, I copy your letter : 
 I have time only to enclose you thirty dollars, and to exhort you to 
 make good use of it. You had better go with others, and deny yourself 
 
COLLEGE LIFE. 73 
 
 no indulgence which does not exceed the limits of a gentlemanly deco 
 rum. It is dated 24th April, 1830. Does this differ from what I stated 
 to be its import ? Can I, by any means, gather the meaning of the 
 phrase, You had better go with others ? It cannot allude to the rebel 
 lion, for that took place early in March. Your reflections shall guide 
 me in other cases, although they do not apply to this. In speaking of 
 frugality or economy, may I presume to suggest that you had overlooked 
 a material circumstance ? What is economy in one man is parsimony 
 in another ; and vice versa. It depends on the circumstances of men. 
 A man in my circumstances cannot be well charged with meanness or 
 stinginess ; but a rich man can. We must accumulate before we can 
 spend, and not spend before we accumulate. If these remarks are 
 wrong, you will please correct me ; if right, you can confirm them by 
 your sanction. I shall endeavour to profit by your remarks on the true 
 objects of a Collegiate education. They are confirmed by every writer 
 on that subject, and deserve the attention of all men who are anxious 
 to improve their minds. 
 
 " The examination will take place in about three weeks, and then I 
 hope to be a Senior. Will you be here then? If you come, do not 
 forget to bring my French Grammar. I stand greatly in need of it. 
 In January I commence German. I am very anxious to understand 
 that language. It is a common acquisition at the North. I am read 
 ing Cicero de Legibus in the original, and find little difficulty; also 
 Stewart s Philosophy. Saturdays I amuse myself with history. 
 Yours, gratefully and affectionately, 
 
 J. H. THORNWELL." 
 
 CHERAW, November 20, 1830. 
 
 "DEAB JAMES: I have received your last letter; and as I have sur 
 mised, you fell into error in the construction you gave my old letter, 
 by taking too narrow a view of it. I admit that the words go with 
 others, unqualified by any other expression, do bear the construction 
 which you gave them. But how it was possible, taking the whole sen 
 tence together, for you to have fallen into the error you did, I cannot 
 imagine. After saying that I enclosed money, and exhorting you to 
 make a good use of it, I remarked further, that You had better go with 
 others, and deny yourself no indulgence, etc. Now, it seems to me 
 that the latter clause confines and explains the preceding, that it would 
 be impossible to misinterpret it. The meaning was : if you were so 
 licited to go to a supper, regard not the cost, but go ; if to a ride, regard 
 not the cost, but go. I meant that you must not deny yourself little indul 
 gences, though they might require money ; not seclude yourself from 
 your companions and their amusements, when any demands would be 
 laid upon your purse; but go with them. And I must think, on a 
 second view of the sentence, you will wonder how you should have so 
 marvellously erred. In haste, your friend, 
 
 W. H. BOBBINS." 
 
74: LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORNWELL. 
 
 According to his expectations, Thornwell rose Senior 
 at the opening of the next session, in January, 1831 . It i& 
 to be regretted that there are no remains of the correspon 
 dence, which was yet vigorously maintained, as we learn 
 from the only relic in our possession. The studies of this- 
 year, so much in unison with the genius and taste of our 
 young friend, the increased maturity of his own mind, and 
 the freedom of discussion so generously solicited by his 
 patron, would doubtless have enriched these pages with 
 epistles of surpassing interest. It is singular that the 
 chances of time should have spared nothing upon either 
 side, with the exception of a solitary communication from 
 Mr. Bobbins . This is characterized by the same vigour 
 of thought, the same justness of discrimination, the same 
 moderation of tone, and the same elevation of moral 
 principle, which the reader has perceived in the letters- 
 already given. His attachment to his ward rendered 
 him-, by no means, blind to the faults from which he was 
 only effectively delivered by Divine grace, at a later 
 period. He perceives them with a perfectly clear eye, 
 and addresses himself to their correction with a direct 
 ness and precision that could not be evaded. At the 
 same time, we are filled with wonder at the skill with 
 which the invidious task is accomplished; and know not 
 which most to admire, the delicacy which escapes wound 
 ing the sensibilities and arousing the resistance of his 
 protege ; or the wisdom which, under the form of philo 
 sophical disquisition, insinuates his criticisms into a mind 
 that was ravished with the charms of metaphysics. ]STo 
 mind could have been better fitted to discharge the office 
 of a Mentor to such a temperament as that he had under 
 taken to mould. And those who recall the prudence of 
 Dr. Thornwell, in after life, in forming his opinions, and 
 the caution with which he surveyed a question on every 
 side, before committing himself, will perhaps trace the 
 influence of these reiterated suggestions, in framing one 
 of the wisest counsellors that ever sat in the courts of the 
 
COLLEGE LIFE. 75 
 
 Church. It is thus he deals with certain tendencies in 
 his young ward to dogmatism and intellectual pride : 
 
 " CHERAW, May 23, 1831. 
 
 " MY DEAR JAMES : Your last very ample letter gave me much plea 
 sure. It went more largely into your own views of future employment 
 than I supposed you had hitherto suffered your mind to stretch itself. 
 There is opened to me such a boundless field of remark, in the different 
 subjects embraced in your letter, that it will not be expected that I shall 
 notice all of them ; indeed, I shall say anything only on one or two. I 
 was glad to find that you appreciated in their proper light, the value of 
 College distinctions ; and the reflections you make all coincide with my 
 own views ; and, my boy, if report speaks not falsely, you will bear off 
 some honour in this way. I was glad to hear it ; but I was far more so to 
 hear, from your own pen, the just estimate you attached to all Cqllegial 
 honours. Your aspirations are fixed on higher, nobler objects ; but be 
 cautious that your attachment to these, and to those employed in achiev 
 ing them, be not coupled with, any sentiment of contempt or detesta 
 tion for them, occupied in the pursuit of those of humbler sphere. All 
 men are not endued wi.th the faculties of a Newton, Bacon, Locke ; nor 
 even with those of Gibbon, Paley, or Stewart. Nature never designed, 
 therefore, that they should act the same parts. And the dispensation is 
 a wise one ; for if all were scholars, where is to be done the vast and 
 important business of the world ? Who is to bid the forest to disappear ? 
 "Who to construct edifices for human convenience ; to till the earth for 
 human sustenance ; to teach the child, the youth, the man ? Who to 
 administer cures for human ills ; the laws, for human safety ? In short, 
 what is to become of the whole machine of civil government, if we are 
 all to wrap ourselves up in ourselves, and write philosophical, moral, 
 and metaphysical disquisitions ? Mark me ! I do not urge these consid 
 erations for the purpose of deterring you from the pursuit of a favourite 
 employment ; only that they may qualify and check a something of 
 contempt, which I think I discovered in your letter, for every man not 
 employed in similar studies, and not endowed by nature with extra 
 ordinary capacities. Kecollect, both taste and talent are mainly the 
 gift of nature to man. He is accountable to the Giver only for the pro 
 per use of what he has, not for the highest possible endowments. And 
 it ill becomes us, because we have been more liberally dealt with by a 
 kind Providence, to look with scorn or contempt on those to whom less 
 has been given, and of whom less will be required, who perform equally 
 well with ourselves their several offices in life, and those offices, perhaps, 
 no less important and necessary than those which fall to our lot, for the 
 use, comfort, and well-being of society. 
 
 "But besides all this, methinks you carry your notions on this sub 
 ject by far too far. An accomplished and elegant scholar, and a pro 
 found one too, if you please, is a white swan in our land, I admit ; but 
 
76 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THOKN WELL. 
 
 his fame is confined, sifter all, to a very limited sphere ; and though he 
 may work out for himself a name of celebrity, yet he is of little real 
 practical use in life. Not that I would have you betake yourself to 
 politics ; tis the curse of our land ; but I would have you a well-read 
 and sound lawyer, an elegant and able advocate. We cannot devote all 
 our time to abstract studies of pleasure. Some must be given to the 
 business of life ; for by this we earn our support. And in the Law is a 
 source, not only of gain and fame, but, to one of your metaphysical 
 propensities, of real pleasure ; and I doubt not but you will be as much 
 taken with its nice distinctions and metaphysical subtleties as you ever 
 were with Keid, Stewart, or Brown. But the attainment of the highest 
 celebrity in this does not preclude the enjoyment of any literary pen 
 chant which the lawyer may possess. And more, this very philosophi 
 cal taste you may have will enable you to read law as a science. Your 
 own enlarged views Mill prompt you to practice it as a science, not as a 
 trade ; and so to read and practice it is the infallible road to eminence. 
 
 What I said of your idolatry was said ironice. Have you not yet 
 learned to distinguish between - rony and taunt ? And don t you know, 
 too, that when I rebuke you, it is without any ill feeling, but with a 
 sincere desire for your amendment ? Vive et cognosce ! 
 
 "I leave this for the North on the 17th of June. I am anxious to 
 see you before I go. I am glad that you have written regularly. You 
 must also write me once a fortnight, and at length, when I am North. 
 Direct to Boston. Let me know when I shall see you. 
 Yours affectionately, 
 
 W. H. BOBBINS." 
 
 On the back of this letter is endorsed this criticism : 
 "A general diffusion of science and knowledge would not 
 have the effect ascribed to it in this letter. J. H. T." 
 
 From youth to manhood, the moral character of Thorn- 
 well was almost irreproachable. In his boyhood, Mr. 
 Bobbins writes of him : " He was pure and chaste, I never 
 discovered any want of, or deviation from, integrity and 
 truthfulness, and never was called on to correct any lack 
 of principle." The testimony of his classmates gives 
 almost as clear a record, during his College life. One 
 says : " I have heard it said that Thornwell was dissipated 
 in College. It is a mistake. He was one of the most 
 steady students among us all. He had no bad habits, 
 according to the standard of College morality. I do not 
 remember to have ever heard him use an oath. He never 
 gambled, nor do I think he played at cards, or indulged 
 
COLLEGE LIFE. 77 
 
 in any other game for amusement. He but rarely used 
 wines or ardent spirits. I saw him once heated with 
 liquor, and I was much surprised, it being so entirely con 
 trary to his habits." From another, we have the following 
 amusing specifications : " Thornwell was not a professor 
 of religion while at College ; but, so far as I know, and I 
 had opportunities for such knowledge, from rooming near 
 him, he indulged in none of the vices common among 
 young men at such institutions ; certainly not habitually. 
 I can recall but three instances of deviation from the course 
 of strict morality. One was on the occasion of a College 
 treat on the election of an Anniversary orator, when few, 
 even of the abstemious, left such scenes without having 
 4 got outside, as the phrase was, of a quantity of wine 
 and cordials; and our friend was not in the minority. 
 Another was on the occurrence of a snow storm in Co 
 lumbia ; when history and tradition informed us it had 
 ever been the practice to disregard all College regulations, 
 suspend all College exercises, and take to hot punch 
 and honey. Considering the weather quite too inclement 
 to permit the classes to reach the recitation rooms, they 
 marched up town for the materials for the punch ; and 
 returning, indulged in a wild jollification, our friend acting 
 a prominent part. The third was a nocturnal visit to the 
 strawberry beds in the garden of one of the citizens of the 
 town, without the formality of asking leave. At that 
 time, such depredations by the students were sustained by 
 College public opinion, as not only not disreputable, but 
 as good practical jokes, of the success of which one might 
 boast. But the strawberry expedition was the only in 
 stance within my knowledge of his ever yielding to the 
 spirit of fun, in that direction." 
 
 The simple fact is, that, independent of the moral prin 
 ciple which he unquestionably possessed, his scholarly 
 tastes and overweening ambition would serve to restrain 
 anything short of an invincible propensity to vice. It is 
 the prerogative of a master passion to root out whatever 
 
78 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THOKNWELL. 
 
 contradicts its own supremacy. And the form which de 
 pravity would be most likely to assume in such a nature 
 as his, would be predominantly intellectual, the adoption 
 of skeptical and infidel views, which would trample upon 
 the humility of grace, and -defy the authority of God. 
 How near he came to this, leads to the consideration of 
 his religious history at this period. 
 
 Whatever the traditional bias of his mind upon this 
 subject, one of his speculative turn could not be brought 
 in contact with opposing views, without subjecting the 
 whole matter to re-examination. The form of infidelity 
 which pervaded the College in his day has already been 
 
 JL / t/ 
 
 indicated, and this forced the subject anew upon his atten 
 tion. He was in little danger of being caught in the toils 
 of materialism. Every operation of mind, and every con 
 scious emotion of the heart, are an insurrection against 
 this base usurpation. His metaphysical tendencies offered 
 protection in this direction, and the very instinct of thought 
 would be to him an assertion of the spiritual in man. The 
 writer had from his own lips the substance of the follow 
 ing paragraphs. 
 
 The question that first engaged his attention involved 
 the claim of Deism. Admitting the existence of a Su 
 preme Being, can reason alone gather, from the o racles 
 of nature, within and without itself, a competent know 
 ledge of his character and will, to enable man-to meet the 
 responsibilities of his condition. He examined with care 
 the writings of the ablest advocates on both sides, and 
 rose from the perusal with a clear and unshaken conviction 
 of the necessity of a Divine revelation. 
 
 He next turned to the systems which profess to found 
 upon the teachings of the Bible. Socinianism had spe 
 cial attractions, in its exaltation of human reason, and its 
 promise of unbridled liberty of thought. With the know 
 ledge of his after life in our possession, it would be inter 
 esting to trace the mental conflict through which he must 
 now have passed; and did we not know the result, we 
 
COLLEGE LIFE. 79 
 
 might tremble for the decision which is to be rendered. 
 Its destructive criticism strips Christianity of all that is 
 supernatural, and drags its sublimest mysteries before the 
 bar of human reason. It converts "the signs and won 
 ders" of the Bible into the legends of a fabulous a<re: or 
 
 O C5 " 
 
 into myth and allegory, the mere symbols of philosophy 
 masking its teachings under the guise of fancy; or into 
 the jugglery of nature, beneath which we are to detect 
 only the working of her secret and invariable laws. Shall 
 our student be dazzled with the boldness of a system, 
 which 
 
 " Soars untrodden heights, and seems at home 
 Where angels bashful look ;" 
 
 which professes to subdue things divine under the domin 
 ion of reason, and oifers up all truth as a sacrifice at 
 last upon the altar of human vanity ? Or, on the other 
 hand, shall His earnest soul, longing for the positive and 
 the real, turn away from its endless negations, from the 
 destructive criticism which it offers in lieu of a construc 
 tive faith, and which substitutes the abstractions of reason 
 in place of a substantive testimony ? Before the fervour 
 of his gaze will not these airy speculations, woven of the 
 mist and sunlight, melt away, like the deceitful mirage 
 upon the distant horizon. Shall not his warm and loving 
 heart find itself chilled, in an atmosphere which offers 
 nothing to the embrace of the affections? Can such a 
 nature as his be content to dwell in the beautiful snow- 
 houses of this polar latitude, shining indeed, with crys- 
 taline splendour, but beneath a sun which neither cheers 
 nor warms ? The decision trembles not long upon the 
 balance; he turns away from Socinianism, with the indig 
 nant sarcasm of Mr. Kandolph, "What a Christless Chris 
 tianity is this !" " I found it," said he to the writer, " a 
 system that would not hold water;" and even reason 
 could not mend the leaks through which its virtue oozed 
 out. 
 
 Thus far a purely intellectual examination had con- 
 
80 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORNWELL. 
 
 ducted him to a recognition of the Scriptures as the reve 
 lation of God, and of Christianity as the scheme it 
 unfolds. Upon the interpretation of this book, he has, 
 as yet, framed no hypothesis. But the time has come for 
 casting his traditional belief into an articulated creed. 
 And here again, an unseen hand interposes for his guid 
 ance, and a seeming accident forms the hinge of his future 
 career. During an evening stroll, he stumbles into the 
 book store of the town, and finds lying upon the counter 
 a small volume, entitled, " Confession of Faith." He had 
 never before heard of its existence; he only saw that it 
 contained a systematic exposition of Christian doctrine. 
 It is needless to apprise the reader that it was the West 
 minster Confession. He bought it for twenty-five cents, 
 carried it home, and, as he himself testifies, read it en 
 tirely through that night. "For the first time," he adds, 
 " I felt that I had met with a system which held together 
 with the strictest logical connection ; granting its premises, 
 the conclusions were bound to follow." He could not 
 immediately pronounce it true, without a careful compar 
 ison of the text with the scriptural proofs at the bottom 
 of each page. But he was arrested by the consistency and 
 rigour of its logic. This book determined him as a Cal- 
 vinist and a Presbyterian; although he had never been 
 thrown into contact with this branch of the Church of 
 Christ, and had never been, but once, within any of its 
 sanctuaries of worship. The circumstance, however, of 
 most interest in the whole series, is the fact that the chap 
 ter which most impressed him in this " Confession," was 
 the chapter on Justification the doctrine which is the 
 key to the whole Gospel, and well styled by Luther, " ar- 
 ticulus stantis aut cadentis ecclesice" How parallel with 
 the history of Luther himself, and of the great Re 
 formers of the sixteenth century ! who, by this clue, ex 
 tricated themselves from the toils of Popery, and built 
 Protestant Christianity upon it as the keystone of the 
 arch, by which the whole superstructure was supported. 
 
COLLEGE LIFE. 81 
 
 Those who recall the fierce conflict which raged in the 
 Presbyterian Church, at the time our friend was intro 
 duced into its ministry, and who remember the distin 
 guished part he was called to bear in defence of the 
 doctrines of the Reformation, which are only the doc 
 trines of grace, cannot fail to recognize here the wonder 
 ful method by which he was unconsciously trained for a 
 similar work of reform. None can fail to see, that those 
 who are raised up to be the champions of truth, in an age 
 of defection and strife, and those who are destined to 
 shape the theology of their age, must drink the truth 
 from no secondary stream, but fresh from the oracles oi 
 God, and from those symbolical books, in which the faith 
 of the universal Church is sacredly enshrined. 
 
 But if these researches led him within the teirple of 
 Christian truth, it was only to wonder, and not to wor 
 ship. He stood beneath its majestic dome, and mused 
 along its cathedral aisles, as before he had wandered 
 through the groves of the Academy, or paused beneath 
 the porch of the Stoic. The gospel was nothing more 
 than a sublime philosophy; and if it secured the homage 
 of his intellect, it failed, as yet, to control the affections 
 of his heart. If he seemed to sit with reverence at the 
 feet of the Great Teacher, it was only as a teacher 
 something greater than Socrates, and more divine than 
 Plato. The seed must lie dead for a time. How soon 
 it was to germinatej and what fruit to bear, we shall 
 shortly trace. There is a statement that he had, in 
 College, moments of deep conviction for sin; and would 
 then resort to the room of a pious student, soliciting his 
 prayers. But most certainly, these convictions did not 
 then ripen to any permanent issue, however they may 
 have served to keep alive the fire of religious feeling, 
 until the moment of God s merciful visitation. 
 
 An incident deserves to be recorded, in this connection, 
 not as bearing upon religious experience, but as illus 
 trating the honesty of his character, and the tone of his 
 
82 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THOKNWELL. * 
 
 moral principles. During his Senior year, the report was 
 rife throughout the State, that Dr. Cooper was abusing 
 his position by teaching infidelity in his lectures. A 
 meeting of the class was called by certain indiscreet 
 friends of this distinguished man, and resolutions were 
 introduced repelling the charge, strong appeals being 
 made to secure a unanimous vote in their favour. It was 
 a moment of severe trial to young Thorn well, who was a 
 candidate for the honours of his class, to be awarded by 
 the very party whom his conscience compelled him to 
 offend. He resolved to do what he felt to be right, be 
 the consequences as they may. He opposed the reso 
 lutions with such vigour that they were withdrawn; and 
 the effort to influence public opinion in this way was 
 abandoned. 
 
 It is pleasant to add, that this exercise of moral courage 
 did not work the forfeiture which he had risked. In fact, 
 his position had been too cordially and too universally 
 conceded in his class, to remain unrewarded at last. In 
 December, 1831, at nineteen years of age, he graduated 
 with the highest distinction the College could confer, and 
 pronounced, as usual, the Latin salutatory, on Commence 
 ment day. He left his Alma Mater, followed by uni 
 versal predictions of his future greatness; and by the path 
 of these same predictions he returned, six years later, to 
 be as distinguished amongst its teachers, as before he had 
 been amongst its pupils. 
 
CHAPTER VII. 
 
 HIS CONVERSION 
 
 INABILITY TO CHOOSE A PROFESSION. REMAINS AS RESIDENT GRADUATE 
 IN THE COLLEGE CORRESPONDENCE. TEACHES AT SUMTERVILLE. 
 LITERARY PROJECTS. UNITES WITH THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. His 
 OWN ACCOUNT, GIVETV AT A LATER PERIOD, OF HIS RELIGIOUS EXER 
 CISES. REVIEW OF HIS RELIGIOUS HISTORY. His OWN ANLAYSIS OF 
 RELIGION. LETTER. 
 
 A FTER obtaining his degree, our friend did not immedi- 
 _/jL ately plunge into the great world. Desiring to lay 
 broader and deeper the foundations of scholarship, he 
 proposed to remain within the College halls, as a resident 
 graduate, for the term of one year. Another reason for 
 this course was, his inability to. settle down upon the 
 choice of a profession. His repugnance to the Law re 
 mains invincible, and he finds himself destitute of the 
 spiritual qualifications necessary to the pulpit. It is evi 
 dent that he will, it possible, steer clear of both, and live, 
 if the way should open before him, the life simply of a 
 scholar. The difficulty was in the way of support. His 
 independence we might add, his sense of justice would 
 not allow him to remain a pensioner upon the bounty 
 which had sustained him thus far. He attempts, there 
 fore, to eke out a subsistence as a private tutor, to such as 
 desired to enter College. But this system of " coaching," 
 as it is termed in English Universities, not being a feature 
 grafted upon our American Colleges, his scheme failed-, as 
 might have been anticipated; and he was soon driven 
 from the classic shades he still desired to haunt. His de 
 signs, and methods of accomplishing them, will, however, 
 be best unfolded by himself, in the extracts which follow, 
 from a letter addressed to his class-mate, Mr. W. M. 
 Hutson : 
 
 83 
 
84: LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORNWELL. 
 
 COLUMBIA, February 18, 1832. 
 
 " DEAK HUTSON : I am going to give thee an epistle truly original in it 
 character, and I will lay thee a wager that, when it is concluded, thou 
 wilt not be able to make head or tail of it. Imprimis : I am hard en 
 gaged in the study of Greek, Latin, and German ; I read all sorts of 
 Greek commentators, as Vigeriu s, Middleton, Mathiae, and others. I 
 have commenced regularly with Xenopbon s works, and intend to read 
 them carefully. I shall then take up Thucydides, Herodotus, and then 
 Demosthenes. After mastering these, I shall pass on to the philoso 
 phers and poets. In Latin. I am going regularly through Cicero s writ 
 ings. I read them by double translations ; that is, I first translate 
 them into English, and then re-translate them into Latin. By pursuing 
 this course, I observe the idioms, phrases, and construction of Latin 
 sentences much more accurately than I otherwise would. In German, I 
 am pursuing Goethe s works, in company with Gladney. My life, you 
 can plainly see, is not a life of idleness. There is only one lazy trait 
 in my character, however, of which I cannot divest myself; and that 
 is, sleeping in the morning. I can no more rise before the sun rises, 
 than I can go to bed before the sun sets. * * * I take private schol 
 ars, and thereby accumulate a little gear. If you know of any young 
 men who wish to prepare for College, and can find it in your conscience 
 to recommend me, I would be glad if you would do so. I cannot 
 bring myself to study law. It is a good profession to contract the 
 mind and freeze the heart. Nothing but necessity shall ever induce me 
 to study it. I find myself most sadly puzzled about selecting a pro 
 fession ; and if I can get along without one, I will never study one. If 
 I had anything of an ordinary human shape and size, I might marry 
 into wealth enough to support me ; but as it is, if I should happen to 
 have a son, it would be a hard matter to distinguish the sire from hia 
 issue. Fancy to yourself what a figure I would cut with a wife, espe 
 cially if she were fat and portly. 
 
 " Burn this scrawl, and believe me your friend, 
 
 J. H. THOBNWELL. * 
 
 "Whilst he is in the enjoyment of this Academic repose, 
 it may be as well to introduce a letter, written at an 
 earlier date, while still an undergraduate, to one who had 
 been the first companion of his childhood, and who re 
 mained his steadfast friend till death. It not only illus 
 trates the early and constant tendency of his mind to run 
 everything which he observed in life back into the prin 
 ciple on which it rests ; but it will serve as the precursor 
 of other letters addressed to the same party : 
 
HIS CONVERSION. 85 
 
 "COLUMBIA, October 7, 1831. 
 "MB. ALEXANDER H. PEGUES. 
 
 " MY DEAR FBIEND : I now sit down, not so much to redeem my pro 
 mise, as to gratify my own feelings. Though not a votary of Epicurus, 
 I love pleasure ; and where can it be found so pure and refined as in 
 the temple of friendship ? But I am not about to declaim on this sub 
 ject in the sickly strains of a school boy, or of a girl just caught in the 
 trap of Cupid. I intend that my letter shall contain, on the contrary, 
 sundry speculations connected with passing events. The first thing 
 that suggests itself is the excitement about the negroes. We have con 
 versed considerably on this subject ; but one topic grows out of it, upon 
 which we have never touched. I allude to the singular phenomenon, 
 that frightened men trust to their imagination for their facts, instead 
 of their memories. Our good old metaphysical vocabulary teaches us 
 that the memory is the record of facts ; the new vocabulary of fear 
 teaches us that the imagination is. How has this change happened? 
 How comes it to pass that these faculties of the mind have exchanged 
 places, or rather, functions ? Has the memory become full, and turned 
 over its surplus to the sister power? I confess that I have thought 
 much on this subject, but I am not satisfied yet. My reflections, siich 
 as they are, you are heartily welcome to know. 
 
 "Do- you remember that beautiful passage in Shakespeare s Tem 
 pest, where Prospero compares his brother to one, 
 
 Who having Unto truth, by telling of it, 
 Made such a sinner of his memory, 
 To credit his own lie. 
 
 His brother had told it so often that he was Duke, that, although it was 
 a lie, he came at length to believe it. Here the lie had been so often 
 in his mind as to form a necessary link in the chain of his ideas. It 
 had intermingled itself with all his thoughts. Precisely analogous is 
 the case of those sons of terror, who circulate the most outrageous 
 rumours for serious truth. They have no design to deceive, nor is 
 their false information owing to debility of memory. Where the mind 
 is cool and dispassionate, they remember facts with as much accuracy 
 as other men. But the truth seems to be, that they are alarmed; they 
 naturally turn their attention to the coming danger, and make conjec 
 tures about it. These conjectures, however extravagant or erroneous, 
 form, after a while, a necessary part in their trains of thought, and 
 consequently they attach the same credit to their correctness and accu 
 racy. Whenever any facts are afterwards related to them, they, too, 
 are disposed in their own minds, in the same order with their conjec 
 tures ; and eventually the latter are ascribed to the same author. These 
 remarks will account for the incredible reports, so industriously circu 
 lated, about Africa s sooty children. It evidently follows, if this account 
 of the case be correct, that no moral reproach should be fastened on 
 those who give currency to these reports. They believe firmly what 
 
86 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORNWELL. 
 
 they say. They have unto truth made such sinners of their memory 
 as to credit their own lie. I know that many censure them as the pro 
 pagators of malicious falsehoods ; but they should be pitied as the dupes 
 of their fears. But enough of this black subject. 
 
 I have talked about a subject suggested at home ; let me now talk of 
 one suggested on the road. I came to Columbia in company with four 
 jolly fellows, whose minds were never strained with deep thinking. They 
 were constantly whistling, singing, humming tunes, or telling odd sto 
 ries, which they took to be mighty witty. This circumstance led me to 
 reflect on the various methods which men of empty brains devise in order 
 to kill time. The first I shall notice is music. This seems to remove 
 the languor that hangs over those whose minds are vacancy ; and it is 
 used, either for this purpose, or as the natural expression of a pleasing 
 serenity. Have you never observed the negroes at their daily task? 
 They sing ; and I can only account for it by supposing that the hours are 
 dull and heavy, and they wish to make them lighter ; or they feel very 
 pleasant, and wish to give vent to their agreeable sensations through the 
 channel of music, which is peculiarly fitted for that purpose. You will 
 perceive that I am not speaking of music as an art ; but only of those in 
 voluntary strains which break forth unobserved. Story-telling is a pas 
 time much akin to music ; and methinks, should be ascribed to the same 
 cause. Works of fiction are read by most men for the same purpose. 
 It may be laid down as a general rule, that a vacant mind is always at 
 hard work. In the works of nature there is nothing to amuse him who 
 cannot think. Art has 110 charms for him. Where, then, shall he look for 
 pleasure, for something to dispel the stupefying languor that hangs over 
 him like a cloud ? Shall he turn to his own internal treasures ? Alas ! 
 all is emptiness within ! Poor wretch ! what shall he do ? Whither 
 shall he turn ? In the bitterness of despair, he picks up a novel ; but 
 gathers not one solitary idea. He tries poetry, but his brain is empty 
 still. He sings, he whistles ; but time flies slowly. He rejoices when 
 dinner comes, and is still gladder to see the approach of night. Em 
 ployment of some kind, either bodily or mental, is the only cure for 
 that languor of which I have already spoken; and happy is the man 
 who has been inured early to the holy exercise of meditation and 
 thought! Of that man it may be said, His mind is his kingdom. 
 He alone can hold pleasant communion with his own thoughts in soli 
 tude and retirement. He possesses an inexhaustible source of enter 
 tainment within, when everything without has lost its power to please. 
 When the period shall have passed away in which vivid sensations of 
 pleasure are the sole objects of thought worthy of piarsuit ; when every 
 thing around us shall have lost its charms and fascinations ; when we 
 shall have become unable to mingle in business any longer, but must 
 forsake the haunts of men ; bitterly will we regret it if we have wasted 
 the morning of life without laying up a rich fund of useful knowledge. 
 I am sorry that $n opinion has gone abroad that the acquisition of 
 knowledge is not a moral obligation. To me it appears a matter of 
 
HIS CONVERSION. 87 
 
 incumbent duty. If the love of learning be natural to man ; if he 
 has faculties suited to acquire it ; if there is sensible pleasure in the 
 discovery of truth, and proportionate pain in mental vacuity; why, 
 then, to improve our minds is surely the voice of nature and of divinity 
 speaking within us. To cultivate those qualities by which any species 
 is distinguished from every other, constitutes, says Aristotle, the pecu 
 liar duties of every individual belonging to that species ; and man is 
 evidently distinguished from every other animal, no less by his mind 
 than his heart. His intellectual powers form as striking characteristics 
 as his emotions or affections. But the opinion of the world is quite at 
 variance with these propositions. Provided a man is moral, it matters 
 not how uncultivated may be his mind. Ignorance is not followed by 
 disgrace, though vice is attended with opprobrium. For my part, I 
 think it as great a crime to be a fool as to b, e a knave, provided a man 
 has the means of improvirfg himself in his power ; and I think it, too, a 
 very unfortunate circumstance that a different opinion prevails. It is 
 a chief reason that we have so few scholars. Once make it a disgrace 
 to be ignorant, and ignorance will take her flight for ever. But the 
 subject would branch out to infinity, if I stop not now. 
 
 " I shall offer for the Librarian s office, but have only a faint hope of 
 success. I came out entirely too late Under more favourable circum 
 stances the opposition would have been quite sturdy. If I succeed, I 
 shall try to become a respectable scholar. 
 
 "Now for the Southern Review, No. H. But, alas, I have no space 
 to say anything of it, except that there is an able article on Bentham 
 and the Utilitarians, written by Legare. I hope to see the downfall of 
 that frigid system of philosophy, which, though not originated by Ben 
 tham, it has been the warmest wish of his heart to sustain against truth 
 and reason. Bentham is an atheist, and his philosophy is no better 
 than atheism. It cramps the genius, freezes the vivid and glowing as 
 pirations of a young mind, and clips, with unsparing hand, the lofty 
 flights of intellect. The article on Codification was likewise written by 
 Legare. Professor Nott wrote the article on French Novels. Professor 
 Henry wrote that on Waterhouse s Junius. 
 
 " Write to me copiously and openly, as Soon as you receive this ; and 
 believe me, 
 
 Your friend as ever, 
 
 J. H. THORNWELL. 
 
 To the same: 
 
 "COLUMBIA, February 2, 1832. 
 
 "MY DEAREST FRIEND: When I reflect upon my dreary and unpro 
 tected situation in this world of cares, melancholy and gloom impercep 
 tibly steal upon my mind, and shroud it in its own sable livery. The 
 ship of my fortunes is now launched on the ocean of life ; her sails 
 flutter freely in the breeze ; but the haven of my hopes is far distant, 
 and I may perish in the storm, before I can reach it in safety. I am 
 now entering on life with all the ardour of youth ; but I may soon re- 
 
88 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THOKNWELL. 
 
 tire from it, sickened with the treachery of friends, or disgusted with 
 the malignity of enemies. On the other hand, I may succeed in reach 
 ing that point of honourable distinction after which my soul panteth, 
 even as the stricken deer panteth for the water-brooks. I may die in 
 the gloomy vale of obscurity, or ascend the steep where fame s proud 
 temple shines afar. I am not foolish enough to dream of passing 
 through a world where good and evil hold a divided empire, without 
 tasting occasionally the bitter, loathsome mixture of vinegar and gall. 
 Sorrows, deep, blighting, withering sorrows, I expect to undergo, and 
 shall, I hope, be prepared to meet them. No matter what form they 
 may assume, I am ready to say, Let them come. If I cannot learn 
 from philosophy how to suffer, I can learn at the foot of the cross. A 
 lamp of consolation burns brightly on Mount Calvary, which has power 
 to cheer and illumine the darkness of woe. To suffer is the lot of all ; 
 to suffer with dignity, is the characteristic of the philosopher ; and it 
 would seem to require something of more than human power to meet 
 death or dire affliction with calmness and tranquillity. But too many 
 instances of philosophical composure, under torturing severity, are on 
 record, to admit of a doubt as to what man can do when he screws his 
 courage to the sticking place. We should draw a distinction, however, 
 between mere obstinacy and moral firmness. The Indian encounters 
 * the king of terrors without a flinch or a groan ; but it is only the man 
 of conscious integrity who can meet him with firmness. The difference 
 is this : the one possesses strong nerves and the physical ability to endure 
 pain ; the .other is guided by cool reflection and a sound philosophy. 
 The brightest example of unyielding fortitude which ever attracted the 
 wonder of the world, is certainly to be found in the bloody record of its 
 lledeemer s death. He, in truth, died like a God. Guided by His 
 brilliant example, I shall endeavour to bear with dignity all the sorrows 
 with which it may please God to afflict me. Like the oak rent by the 
 lightning from heaven, I may be scathed indeed, but I hope not bent. 
 Let the winds howl and the thunders roar, I shall endeavour to with 
 stand the pelting of the pitiless storm, if not with the grandeur of a 
 philosopher, at least with the firmness of a man. 
 
 But more men are able to endure sorrow with fortitude than bear 
 prosperity with moderation and dignity. Where fortune smiles upon 
 their efforts, men are apt to become maddened by their own success. 
 They manifest their gratitude to a kind Providence, by a dismissal of their 
 understandings. Seat them quietly in the lap of prosperity, and there 
 are some men who will not fail to put on the cap of fools. Intoxicated 
 with unexpected happiness, they sacrifice their reason at the altar of 
 folly. Look upon the world, and see how few can bear to be prosperous ; 
 how few can retain their understandings, when the gale of good fortune 
 blows favourably upon them. It is my wish, therefore, to temper my 
 mind with such discretion, that all shall go well, whether I am rocked 
 in the cradle of prosperity, or chilled with the winter blasts of adversity. 
 I wish to train myself in such a manner, that I can rest undisturbed on 
 
HIS CONVERSION. 89 
 
 n bed of down or a pillow of thorns. I may fail, however, in my efforts ; 
 if so, it will be the weakness of humanity. All my hopes, soaring as 
 they are, may eventually prove to be baseless as a vision s fabric ; if so, 
 it will be because I cannot use proper means to accomplish my ends. 
 Happiness is my aim ; it is the object of all men ; they pursue it with 
 avidity, but most of them catch only a few crumbs as they fall from her 
 table. I am philosopher enough to know that happiness, like gold, can 
 never be obtained, if regarded as the primary object of pursuit. We 
 must seek it through the intervention of some medium, as we seek 
 money through the medium of labour. None but an alchemist ever 
 dreamed of getting the precious ore without hard toil and spare 
 meals ; and none but a downright castle-builder ever thought for a 
 moment of becoming happy, without placing happiness in some par 
 ticular object. It does not exist of itself ; it is a mode, a quality of other 
 things, as heat is a quality of fire, or odour of roses. It exists in them, 
 and it is to be extracted from them, like oil from a vegetable. It is 
 plain, therefore, that a preliminary step in our inquiry after happiness, 
 is to ascertain in what particular things happiness exists ; next, how we 
 are to obtain these things ; and a third step, of equal importance, is, 
 after we have obtained the things, how are we to make them subservient 
 to our happiness. These three preliminary inquiries should be made a 
 matter of serious, deliberate reflection, by every young man about to 
 enter on the busy scenes of life. They are all-important, and he who 
 neglects them is a traitor to his own interests. He cannot be said to 
 act in life, who proceeds upon no regular, digested system of conduct ; 
 he does not act, he is driven along by the force of circumstances ; and is 
 entitled to no credit for his actions, how meritorious soever they may 
 be. 
 
 Some men place happiness in wealth, and consequently strain every 
 nerve, muscle, and fibre in order to become rich. Others place it in po 
 litical power ; and some make an awful shipwreck of their fortunes on 
 the rock of ambition. Some seek it in haunts of dissipation and un 
 godly glee, and vex, with their impious mirth, the drowsy ear of 
 night. The truth is, there are almost as many different opinions on 
 this subject as there are men in the world. It is plain that there are 
 three distioct sources of enjoyment sense, the mind, the heart. There 
 are, consequently, sensual, intellectual, moral, and religious pleas 
 ures. It is in a skilful selection, and a just combination of these, that 
 the great secret of true felicity consists. Some sensual pleasures are to 
 be avoided ; some intellectual pleasures are to be enjoyed with care. 
 Here, judgment and philosophy must come to our assistance ; and he 
 who trusts to anything but these, builds his house upon a sandy founda 
 tion. As to what particular objects are best calculated to afford these 
 pleasures, every man must be his own judge, and must suit his own par 
 ticular desires, provided that they be not criminal. Rules may be laid 
 down ; they may be gathered from experience and reflection. All hap 
 piness, then, maybe summed up : 1. A sound body ; 2. A sound mind; 
 
90 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORNWELL. 
 
 3. A sound heart. Much as I esteem and venerate the awful majesty of 
 virtue, I have not declaimed so pompously, as some moralists would 
 have done, on the i mens sibi conscia recti, the approving smiles of the 
 conscience ; because there are other pleasures equally indispensable to 
 happiness. I grant that a wicked man cannot be happy ; neither can a 
 man tortured with a fit of the gout. Say what you will, happiness is- 
 pleasure. It consists in the possession of agreeable objects ; and twist 
 it as you will, you can make nothing more of it. By arbitrary defini 
 tions, you can make it consist in anything ; but I speak of it as it is 
 usually understood ; and I think the remarks I have made on it are just. 
 You can easily conceive, therefore, by what compass I shall direct my 
 course. Such sensual pleasures as my comfort requires, I shall not 
 hesitate to enjoy. My intellectual pleasures shall be as extensive and as 
 elevated as I can make them. My moral pleasures shall consist in un 
 wavering integrity and an ardent love of virtue ; and my religious pleas 
 ures, in an humble love of God, a fervent adoration of Him, and a 
 firm reliance on His goodness, and the benevolence of my Kedeemer, 
 together with a penitent sorrow for my errors and infirmity. Thus I 
 hope to be as happy as human weakness will permit ; and thus, too, I 
 have unfolded to you the general principles by which my life shall be 
 guided. 
 
 " At present, I am somewhat cramped for want of money, but hope to 
 struggle through my difficulties. My prospects are not very bright. 
 The season was too far advanced to do much ; next fall will be the time 
 for me to do well. I am halting between two opinions, whether to write 
 or not, for the Review. If I succeed, it would be a source of emolu 
 ment ; if I failed, of deep and thrilling mortification. I am so little 
 satisfied with my own composition, that I can hardly persuade myself 
 others would derive from it either instruction or amusement. But 
 whatever I conclude to do, I shall let you know. As to the prize tale, I 
 am by no means enamoured of the idea of being called a tale-teller ; 
 yet the money, if I could get it,- would be acceptable. I have a notion 
 of writing an article on eccentricity, for the North American Review, 
 and on Herschel s philosophy, for the Southern; but like many other 
 projects, may fail to execute them. Have given out all idea of estab 
 lishing a Literary. In these days of political excitement such an attempt 
 would be hopeless. 
 
 " Your friend, as ever, 
 
 J. H. THORNWELL." 
 
 The experience of three months was sufficient to de 
 monstrate the impossibility of remaining longer a resident 
 graduate in the College, upon the scanty and contingent 
 support upon which he must there rely. In the month of 
 April, accordingly, we find him removed to the town of 
 Sumterville. It is better, however, that the story should 
 
HIS CONVERSION. 9l 
 
 be told in his own words, in the progress of his corres 
 pondence with his friend, Mr. A. H. Pegues. In fact, 
 we have preferred not to curtail the letters written at this 
 period, in order that the reader may trace the process by 
 which both his mind and character crystallized into final 
 shape. Interesting as these letters are, and clearly above 
 the level of the correspondence usual at his age, they still 
 bear evident marks of immaturity ; in the crudeness some 
 times of his generalizations ; in the cast of some of the 
 opinions, which were largely remoulded in after years, and 
 a certain ambitiousness and egotism of tone, from which 
 he became subsequently most remarkably free. The 
 truth is, extraordinary as his powers were from the be 
 ginning, Dr. Thornwell in every respect matured slowly. 
 He was not, at this time, even physically grown ; and 
 there is, perhaps, a closer connexion than we ordinarily 
 suppose between the complete expansion of the body and 
 the perfect development of the mind. We shall reach a 
 period, about three years later, when the whole man un 
 dergoes a stupendous transformation, and comes out the 
 perfect crystal, which he afterwards remained, without any 
 change beyond the deepening of the channel of his 
 thoughts, and the constant mellowing of his character. 
 His present letters are to be read, as exhibiting his period 
 of growth, of which the change referred to above was the 
 completing touch. But to the correspondence. 
 
 " SUMTERVILLE, April 19, 1832. 
 
 " MY DEAR FRIEND : About two hours ago, I received your generous, 
 letter ; and now am about, not so much to reply to it, as to give a loose 
 to the current of my own thoughts. You will perceive that I have re 
 moved to Sumterville, and will, no doubt, be anxious to know the why 
 and wherefore. I found that, in Columbia, my prospects waned with 
 the waning year. So I began to feel tolerably uneasy. Two weeks ago 
 I was invited here to take charge of a school, but the inducement was. 
 not sufficiently strong. I found, however, that I could get a private 
 class, yielding me between four and six hundred dollars a year ; and Mr. 
 Richardson, a friend of mine, was anxious for me to stay. He has a 
 splendid library, and I myself have a very good one. So upon the 
 whole, I concluded to become a resident of Sumterville. I have not 
 
92 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORNWELL. 
 
 lost the main benefit which I enjoyed in College, to wit, the conversa 
 tion of Professor Henry ; for I now correspond with him. 
 
 "When I first arrived here, I was seized with a fit of dejection and 
 melancholy, which neither the precepts of philosophy nor the injxmctions 
 of religion were able to subdue. I felt myself a solitary hermit amid 
 the humming multitude around me. Poor, desolate and friendless, 
 what could I find to cheer my drooping soul, to rouse my flagging 
 spirits ? I felt my situation with a sensitive acuteness that had almost 
 completely prostrated the faculties of my mind. Poverty, disappoint 
 ment, and misfortune, like the blighting influence of a mildew blast, 
 had withered all my energies and smothered all my hopes. The clear, 
 blue sky was indeed above me, the sun was moving in its majesty, and 
 the day shining forth in its splendour ; but the brilliant prospects of fu 
 ture bliss, which in by-gone days could play before my fancy, had van- 
 ishe d for ever, and, like the baseless fabric of a vision, left not a trace 
 behind. My soul was wrapped in the darkness of midnight, and 
 brooded over its fallen felicity, as the vindictive malice of a monk 
 would dwell upon its schemes of anticipated vengeance. The future 
 seemed enveloped in dark and lowering clouds, those sable precursors 
 -of a coming storm ; and from every scathed oak I could hear, in fancy, 
 the ominous croakings of the raven. But there is a balm in Gilead 
 to soothe the agonies of a wounded spirit. There is a holy influence in 
 Time to cure the sternest malady of the soul. When philosophy, with 
 all her wisdom, proves of no avail ; when religion herself fails, with all 
 her promises of future retribution, to heal our sorrows ; the mercy of 
 heaven has provided a cure in the lapse of time. It is the great physi 
 cian of all our woes. Many a tear has it wiped from the widow s cheek, 
 many a sorrow from the orphan s heart. To its healing influence, the 
 melancholy feelings which have stifled my enjoyment, have at length 
 given way, and Kichard is himself again. Time, too, will efface from 
 your bosom the gloomy emotions in which you indulge. Harrowing 
 scenes have recently disturbed the serenity of your mind ; but when 
 their recollection shall have ceased to be so vivid, you will then return 
 to your former tranquillity. This now seems to be beyond the pale of 
 probability ; but consult the experience of your race, and you will no 
 longer be a skeptic. It is an awful thing to part for ever from those 
 whom we love ; and in reading your letter, I felt myself the gloom which 
 .overshadowed you, when you bade an eternal farewell to a beloved sister. 
 * * * * 
 
 "Since I wrote to you before, I have read Sir James Mackintosh s 
 view of the progress of Ethical Philosophy. It is a work in which a 
 great deal of learning is exhibited ; but still it is exceedingly defective. 
 As a history of Ethical Philosophy, it is quite incomplete, as some very 
 distinguished writers on that subject have been entirely overlooked. 
 On the writers that he does notice, his remarks are sometimes inge 
 nious, but always confused. It is plain that he had no settled and clear 
 ideas of his subject. He wrote in great haste ; and sometimes, it would 
 
HIS CONVERSION. \)6 
 
 seem, actually laboured only to fill a certain quantity of paper with a 
 certain quantity of words. His idea that conscience is not a simple, ulti 
 mate principle of our nature, but secondary and derivative, is very fee 
 bly supported. When he enters on that point he talks in mysticisms. 
 If I had time, I would give you a copious analysis of the book ; but 
 must reserve that for another occasion. 
 
 " I am a harder student than ever. Day and night I toil at my books, 
 or indulge in my own speculations. I write, too, a great deal in the 
 papers. I have written on various subjects. I wrote a satirical review 
 of the article in the Southern Review on American Literature, for the 
 Columbia Hive. I wrote one piece on Duelling, and another on Utility, 
 for the Southern Whio; and I have now in the press a pamphlet, which 
 will consist of about thirty pages, on Nullification. It will be published 
 in May. Part of it has already appeared in the Columbia Hive, in a 
 series of numbers, signed Clio. I shall send you a copy as soon as it 
 is published ; but of course you will keep my name, as the author, a 
 secret. I think it contains some strong arguments against Nullification. 
 I do not know the causes that brought about the failure of the Southern 
 Review. Write soon. 
 
 "Your sincere friend as ever, 
 
 J. H. THOENWELL." 
 
 To the same: 
 
 " SUMTEBVILLE, April 29, 1832. 
 
 "MY DEAR FBIEND : In. my last letter, I promised you that my next 
 should contain a general and cursory review of Sir James Mackintosh s 
 View of the Progress of Ethical Philosophy. That promise I shall 
 not now fulfil, inasmuch as I am preparing an article on the subject, 
 which you may have the pain of perusing in print. Richardson and 
 myself design establishing a literary paper in this place, if we can pro 
 cure a sufficient number of subscribers to warrant the undertaking. If 
 we succeed, the first number will appear in June. It is to be published 
 every fortnight, and each number will contain twenty pages, and all 
 will be original matter, prepared either by ourselves or by our corres 
 pondents. Politics, and everything but literature, will be religiously 
 excluded. It will consist chiefly of reviews, essays, moral and philo 
 sophical, and original poetry. We propose to call it The /Southern 
 Essayist. 1 It will be printed in octavo form, and on fine paper. The 
 price will be three dollars a year in advance. Richardson owns the 
 press, and of course will be the avowed editor. We will give a grave 
 and dignified tone to our paper, and it will be supported by able corres 
 pondents. I think that, if South Carolina could not support the South 
 ern Review, she can uphold our literary journal. Literature flows in 
 fountains at the North, and here we have not even a refreshing rivulet. 
 It is a blot on our character, a stain on the fair escutcheon of the South. 
 I have engaged to furnish for each number at least five pages. Some 
 times, of course, I will write more. I suppose that I will average two 
 
94 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THOKNWELL. 
 
 hundred pages a year. Ibis will be a pretty decent volume. My first 
 article will be a review of Sir James Mackintosh, which I shall labour 
 with a great deal of care. The main point to which I shall confine my 
 attention, is the simplicity of the moral sense. Sir James contends that 
 it is a compound faculty. I shall attempt to show that his arguments 
 are inconclusive ; and that it is a simple, original ultimate law of the 
 human constitution. If our paper should not succeed, I will extend the 
 article into a more detailed review of the whole book, and send it to the 
 North American. 
 
 You will plainly perceive that I have as little relish as ever for a quiet 
 obscurity. My dreams of hope, and visions of fame, are as airy as they 
 used to be in by-gone days ; and many an aspiration have I poured forth 
 in the lonely forest, or at the dead and solemn hoar of midnight. To 
 die unknown, unhonoured, and unsung, like the wild beast of the field, 
 I hope in God may never be my gloomy fate. When we walk into our 
 church-yards, among the numberless tombs with which we meet, how 
 few bear any other memorial of their dead than that they lived and 
 died. They have left us no traces of profound thought, or illustrious 
 achievements, to attract our attention, or inspire our ambition. They 
 have lived and died ; they have done merely what every brute must do ; 
 and that, too, without their own consent. If no other monument could 
 have been erected to their memories ; if they have, indeed, derogated 
 from the dignity of their nature, and been silent to the clarion of fame, 
 better, far better, that no stone should point the traveller to the spot of 
 their entombment, than that . this worst of satires, which records only 
 the time of their birth and the period of their death, should ever have 
 been imposed on them. For my own part, I can truly say, that 
 
 " With me, nor pomp, nor pleasure, 
 
 Bourbon s might, Braganza s treasure, 
 
 So can fancy s dream rejoice, 
 
 So conciliate reason s choice, 
 As one approving word of fame s impartial voice. 
 
 But by fame I mean the esteem of the wise and good, not the puff of 
 a dunce, or the noisy acclamation of a crowd. Fame, or rather love of 
 fame, becomes dangerous, when we make it, instead of a regard to duty, 
 the ruling principle of action. It should be always kept in proper sub 
 jection to more exalted sentiments. Let it spur us to generous achieve 
 ments, but never to a departure from the straight road of moral recti 
 tude. A permanent reputation must be based on a permanent founda 
 tion ; and what is so enduring as real excellence, whether of mind or 
 heart ? But I am drawing to the bottom of my paper. I have a dollar 
 which is burning in my pocket ; and which is extremely anxious to be 
 spent for a letter from you, consisting of four or five sheets. I hope 
 my lonely dollar may not be disappointed. 
 
 " Your warm and sincere friend, 
 
 J. H. THOKNWELL." 
 
HIS CONVERSION. 95 
 
 The literary projects detailed in this letter, doubtless 
 fell through for want of sufficient patronage, as no refer 
 ence is made to them in subsequent correspondence. But 
 whilst his mind was occupied with these studies and 
 schemes, the most important event .of his life occurred, 
 which changed the whole complexion of his career. On 
 the 13th of May, he united witli the Concord Presbyterian 
 Church, a few r miles below Sumterville, at that time under 
 the pastoral charge of the Rev. John McEwen. This 
 date is accurately determined by the following brief, but 
 touching prayer, which has floated down to us upon a 
 single leaf, wiien other and larger productions of his pen 
 have perished through the ravages of time. The prayer 
 is as follows : 
 
 " O God ! I have to-day made a public profession of 
 my faith in the blessed Redeemer, and taken upon me the 
 solemn covenant of the Church. I would not impute to 
 myself any merit 011 this account, as I have only done, and 
 that, too, after a long delay, what was expressly enjoined 
 on me in Thy Holy Word. But, O God ! I feel myself 
 a weak, fallen, depraved, and helpless creature, and utterly 
 unable to do one righteous deed without Thy gracious as 
 sistance. Wilt Thou, therefore, send upon me Thy 
 cheering Spirit, to illume for me the path of duty ; and to 
 uphold me, when I grow weary ; to refresh me, when I 
 faint ; to support me against the violence of temptation 
 and the blandishments of vice. Let me, I beseech Thee, 
 please Thee in thought, word and deed. Enable me to 
 go on to perfection, support me in death, and finally save 
 me in Thy kingdom ; and to the glorious Three-in-one be 
 ascribed all the praise. Amen. 
 
 " SUMTERVILLE, May 13, 1832." 
 
 Not a line more, delineating the spiritual exercises 
 through which he was led to this eventful decision, which 
 involved, as will presently appear, an immediate and un 
 shaken consecration of himself to the work of the ministry. 
 
96 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORNWELL. 
 
 Happily, however, a ray of light is cast back upon this 
 portion of his religious history, from words uttered in after 
 years; which will greatly assist in comprehending what 
 would otherwise be obscure. One of his divinity students- 
 relates this conversation, which he was at pains to jot down 
 within a few hours after it was held. " Ought we to be 
 able to point out the exact time of conversion?" "Not 
 necessarily ; the substantive change of heart, that is, the 
 actual change, is probably momentary. There is a time 
 in which the man is passive ; that is, when the Spirit is 
 implanting the new nature. But the phenomenal change, 
 or the development, the manifestation of that new nature, 
 is very different in different persons, and in some it is 
 very slow, and not perceived by the man himself for some 
 time." "What, Dr. Thornwell, was your own expe 
 rience?" "My own experience," he replied, "was the 
 most mysterious thing I know of. From a boy, I w r as 
 so constituted that I could rest in no opinion, unless I saw 
 the first principles on which it hung, and into which it 
 could be resolved. I was religiously brought up ; but, 
 even when ten years old, was always trying to reconcile 
 the difficulties of religion, such as free-agency and the 
 like. When at school, this left me to some extent. When 
 I went to College, I was under Dr. Cooper ; but read the 
 Bible through, and became convinced as to the nature of 
 God s plan of salvation. In the Senior year, I became 
 strongly convinced of sin. But God never had a more 
 rebellious subject. Feeling guilty, condemned, and mis 
 erable, I was determined to fight it out to the last, that it 
 was not my fault, and that I was born without any agency 
 or consent of my own, &c. Then I thought I had com 
 mitted the unpardonable sin ; and for three months scarcely 
 slept, and would sometimes drink liquor for the purpose 
 of drowning these convictions. In my childhood, no one 
 ever suspected that I had such feelings. At last, light 
 began gradually to break in upon me ; and by degrees I 
 came out, as I believe, a Christian. Now I stand firmly 
 
HIS CONVERSION. 97 
 
 on the Bible; and when bewildered by skepticism, I can 
 still say that I believe God is righteous, and Christ is a 
 Saviour; whether for me or not, I sometimes doubt; but 
 never doubt the truth of His word, that l God is in Christ, 
 reconciling the world unto Himself. " Recurring again 
 to this subject of his mental conflict, he adds : " I can 
 take you to the very spot, where I stood and gnashed my 
 teeth, and raised my hand, and said, Well, I shall be 
 damned, but I will demonstrate to the assembled universe 
 that I am not to blame. God made me as I am, and I 
 can t help my wickedness. The next thing I knew, when 
 I felt myself a Christian, was that to go to Christ was so 
 simple and easy, that I thought I could show anybody 
 how to do it, and be saved." 
 
 The series of facts, thus far developed, seems to be : 
 that he was originally endowed with strong religious sus 
 ceptibilities ; that these were deeply impressed by the in 
 fluence and teachings of a pious mother ; so that, at the 
 age of ten years, he discussed the high problems of " fate 
 and free will," and became the partisan of views against 
 which his heart rebels. This religious interest continues 
 to ebb and flow, until, at sixteen, we find him prepared to 
 surrender advantages and friendships dearly prized, rather 
 than commit himself to a life work other than advocating 
 the claims of Christianity. At College he is brought 
 suddenly in contact with opinions antagonistic to those 
 he had hitherto cherished. Curiosity is aroused. With 
 almost the love of romantic adventure, he rushes into the 
 battle, where a keen and subtle dialectic must supply the 
 weapons of assault and defence. He delivers himself 
 forthwith from the web of materialism, in which he was 
 first in danger of being ensnared by his "idol," Dr. 
 Cooper. He pushes the investigation forward, under an 
 impulse which appears to be, and, doubtless,, predomi 
 nantly was, a purely speculative interest, until his mind 
 is settled, upon the truth of Christianity. With an in 
 tellectual conviction which was never afterwards seriously 
 
98 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THOKNWELL. 
 
 disturbed, he accepts the doctrines of the fall of man, 
 and of recovery by grace alone. We quote again his own 
 language, used of his experience at this period: " Whether 
 man looks within or without himself, the evidences of c a 
 fall are overwhelming. But where did he fall? In 
 Adam, as a federal head; for Paul makes death and sin 
 co-extensive, on which theory alone the death of infants 
 can be accounted for. If you take this doctrine from me, 
 I would hold the super-mundane theory, that at some 
 former time, in some former state, now forgotten by us, 
 we each had a trial and fall for himself. Certain it is, 
 that man is a darkened picture of what he once was." 
 
 The reader will perceive that, in the terrific conflict 
 which subsequently took place, he does not waver for an 
 instant upon any of these points. When brought under 
 a sense of guilt, both in College and afterwards, he does 
 not dispute the fact of " the fall," nor of the estate of sin 
 and misery, into which the descendants of Adam are in 
 troduced. His spiritual conflict turned upon the admis- 
 ision of all this, and his proud will resists the righteous 
 ness of the procedure. The precise moment, therefore, of 
 the great change, when, to use his own language, "the 
 ne\v nature was implanted," we suppose to be the moment 
 when, by the gracious work of the Holy Spirit upon his 
 heart, this conflict ceased ; and he w r as enabled to see and 
 appreciate the completeness of redemption by Jesus 
 Christ, and of salvation by faith in His blood. It is of 
 no consequence to determine when, nor how, this was 
 manifested to his own consciousness, or was reflectively 
 placed before him as an object of knowledge. That 
 "phenomenal change" was, doubtless, in his case, very 
 gradually wrought; the truth dawned upon him by degrees. 
 This explains how, at least, he passes quietly and unex 
 pectedly into the Church, without record of any special 
 exercises of soul. The great battle had already been 
 fought, the victory had previously been won by Divine 
 grace, and nothing remained, at this stage, but the dis- 
 
HIS CONVERSION. 99 
 
 co very of the fact to himself, and the ripening of all into 
 the final decision. It is the key also to much of his re 
 maining history ; for even now, although in the commu 
 nion of the Church, his religious experience is but par 
 tially developed, and he matures very slowly into the full 
 proportion of a Christian. His religious impressions, at 
 this time, were not regarded by others as deep; and his 
 various addresses delivered now are represented as having 
 more of the flavour of philosophy than of the gospel. In 
 his letters, too, of which the reader will presently have a 
 specimen, there is more of the sentiment of religion than 
 of its spiritual power over the heart. In fact, the free 
 Spirit of God chooses His own avenue of approach to 
 every human soul ; and the way by which we are severally 
 led to Christ forms sometimes an important part of pre 
 paration for our future life work. This man was clearly 
 raised up to be, in his day, an eminent champion for the 
 truth ; and the sovereign Spirit chose to approach his 
 heart chiefly through the door of the understanding. 
 Before any experimental acquaintance was had with the 
 gospel, it was lodged firmly in his judgment as a glorious 
 system of truth. This gave to his experience, especially 
 at the outset, a predominantly intellectual cast. His 
 convictions as to the truths of Christianity, if they did not 
 overbear, at least, obscured from view the movements of 
 the affections. There was not, at first, a proportional 
 development of the mind and heart. This remained to 
 be accomplished by and by. The reader will not, of 
 course, construe these statements into a divorce between 
 the understanding and the affections, in the act of con 
 version; only, that in all stages of Christian experience 
 the two are not always fully co-ordinated, which is the 
 great business to be achieved in our progress in sanctifi- 
 cation. 
 
 On this point, there is nothing better than Dr. Thorn- 
 well s own analysis of religion, when, in conversation, he 
 described it as " a state of heart which holds knowledge 
 
100 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THOKNWELL. 
 
 and affection in solution, not successively, but in unity. 
 If you take away the affection, you have only dogmatism ; 
 if you take away knowledge, you have a mere spiritual 
 ism, a mere fancy, an idolatry. If you preach doctrine 
 to a Christian, the affection springs spontaneously on the 
 apprehension of the doctrine; if you preach the affection 
 to him, he will immediately, and, perhaps unconsciously, 
 hitch it on the doctrine ; and this endorses the maxim that 
 we ought to preach our doctrine practically, and our 
 practice doctrinally." A more formal exposition of the 
 same idea is given by him elsewhere, in these clear and 
 beautiful terms : " The form of Christian knowledge is love \ 
 it is a higher energy than bare speculation ; it blends 
 into indissoluble unity, intelligence, and emotion; knows- 
 by loving, and loves by knowing. The mind sees not 
 only the reality of truth, but its beauty and glory ; it so 
 sees as to make it feel ; the perceptions are analogous to 
 those of the right and beautiful, in which feeling exactly 
 expresses the intellectual energy." 
 
 But we pass from this to his correspondence, in which 
 he reveals the change which has taken place to his friend^ 
 Mr. A. H. Pegues. 
 
 " SUMTERVII/LE, June 25, 1832. 
 
 "My DEAR FRIEND: * * * Since you heard from me, a great,, 
 yea, an important change has taken place in my condition. I have at 
 tached myself to the Presbyterian Church, and shall commence next 
 year the study of Divinity. Two years ago, who would have thought 
 that I would ever have become a Presbyterian clergyman. Religion is 
 but the poetry of the heart, the fair and sublime of the moral world. 
 It is an unfailing fountain of elysian enjoyment, from whose streams I 
 heartily wish that all could drink. It is more refreshing than the Nectar 
 poured out by the fair hands of Hebe. Who would not wish to culti 
 vate that chastity of moral feeling which has never sinned, even in 
 thought ; that pious fear to have offended, though but in a dream ;. 
 that pudor which is the proper guardian of every kind of virtue, and a 
 sure preservative against vice and corruption ? The love of God is a 
 sublime and solemn enthusiasm, counteracting the downwar-d tenden 
 cies of self-love ; the evidence of a regenerated nature, purified from 
 the contaminations of the world and the body ; acting under the influ 
 ence of grander views, and re-asserting its original glory and perfection. 
 
HIS CONVERSION. 101 
 
 " Yesterday I delivered an address before the Bible Society, which, 
 I believe, was very well received. Some weeks ago, I gave an exhorta 
 tion from the pulpit, which had a fine effect ; but I am awfully afraid 
 that the orator is too conspicuous in everything I say. My periods are 
 too nicely rounded, and the whole composition too laboured for a mis 
 cellaneous crowd. They admire the speaker, but are not made any bet 
 ter ; they are delighted as they would be with a Fourth of July oration ; 
 but are not persuaded to turn from the error of their ways. They 
 compliment me here very highly, and I am afraid that I sometimes am 
 pleased with their admiration ; but I pray fervently to God, to guard 
 me against vanity, and to direct my footsteps by His wisdom. I am 
 still as warmly as ever devoted to the Classics and Metaphysics, I look 
 upon them both as absolutely essential in the education of a clergyman. 
 I have purchased a complete set of Cicero s works, which I have read 
 very attentively. 
 
 * Your sincere friend, as ever,. 
 
 J. H. THOBNWELL." 
 
CHAPTEE VIII. 
 HIS TEACHING AT CHER AW. 
 
 REMOVES TO CHER AW. BECOMES PRINCIPAL or THE ACADEMY. CHAB- 
 ACTER AS A TEACHER. PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT, HABITS OF LlFE. 
 PERIO*D OF RELIGIOUS GLOOM. ACCOUNT OF THIS STAGE OF HIS HIS 
 TORY, BY AN ASSOCIATE. EXPLANATION OF THE GLOOM AND IRRITA 
 BILITY. DEFECTIVE RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE. APPLIES TO PRESBY 
 TERY, AND IS TAKEN UNDER ITS CARE, AS A CANDIDATE FOR THE MINISTRY. 
 
 AT what time, or under what circumstances, his en 
 gagement at Sumterville was terminated, we are not 
 informed; but in November, 1832, he is amongst his old 
 friends in the town of Cheraw. The following letter, 
 gloomy as it is, cannot be withheld, as it reveals a phase 
 of character which was temporary ; confined, indeed, almost 
 wholly to this period of his life, and of which hardly a 
 trace could be detected by the friends of his later years. 
 It is written to J. Johnston Knox, Esq. 
 
 " CHERAW, November 22, 1832. 
 
 " MY DEAR FRIEND : Circumstances, which it is quite useless to men 
 tion, have prevented me from writing to you as early as I should other 
 wise have done. To a mind constituted like my own, the condition in 
 which I find myself placed abounds in subjects of disquietude and sor 
 row. Naturally of a gloomy temperament, even the brightest objects 
 around me I am prone to clothe in a sombre hue. How dark and for 
 bidding, therefore, must those appear which are really tinged with the 
 darkness of calamity ! My morning dream of hope, my early visions of 
 future bliss, have been sadly obscured by the cloud of disappointment. 
 The friends of by-gone days, the sportive companions of my childhood, 
 are many of them mouldering in the silent grave ; and one whom I love 
 as a father, who has done more for me than millions can repay, is now 
 standing on the brink of the tomb. An incurable disease has, I fear, 
 seized upon his vitals, and I know not how soon I may be called to at 
 tend his body to the narrow house appointed for all living. It may be 
 years, or it may be months ; for nothing is so subtle and deceptive as 
 pulmonary consumption. Another of my patrons is just recovering 
 
 103 
 
104 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORNWELL. 
 
 from a severe attack of bilious fever, and I myself have been fixed to 
 the sod. Bring my situation home to yourself, and conceive, if you 
 can, the wilderness of soul to which it has reduced me. I look upon 
 the world with new eyes. I know its vanities, and feel its emptiness. 
 There was a period (and I can hardly revert to it without a tear) when 
 my bosom glowed with the rapture of hope ; when the future appeared 
 to me arrayed in the garlands of joy ; when my nightly dreams were of 
 bliss, and my waking thoughts of approaching felicity. But the delu 
 sion has disappeared, and all the phantoms of beatitude, which once 
 allured me, have faded away. Delirium is our best deceiver. Our 
 lucid intervals of thought only expose to us our real condition. They 
 unveil before us the naked skeletons of misery, and torture our minds 
 with woeful forebodings of disappointment and sorrow. 
 
 But I have no disposition to dwell upon the sad picture of human 
 suffering, which it would require no exercise of fancy to depict. Our 
 calamities are all intended for our good. They are merely chastise 
 ments from the hand of a kind and benevolent Father ; and we should 
 regard them in the light of instruction, not of wrath. Those whom 
 He loveth, He chasteneth, says the Apostle ; and it would be well for 
 us to keep this important truth ever in our view, to prevent us from 
 murmurs, and to secure our improvement. In the garden of life there 
 is indeed placed a sepulchre, but it is placed there for our benefit. In 
 walking among the roses and lilies, it is good for us to stumble occa 
 sionally on the sad monument of human decay. From it we could 
 draw instructive lessons concerning the instability of all earthly enjoy 
 ment, the delusive nature of all earthly hopes, and the final consummation 
 of all earthly expectations. It would teach us to contemplate our latter 
 end, and to prepare in earnest for appearing before the dread tribunal of 
 our Redeemer and Judge. Skeletons and bones, the coffin and the shroud, 
 the winding sheet and sepulchre, are the most instructive volumes we can 
 possibly peruse. Tbeir lessons are written in dark characters, but they are 
 only the more legible on that account. I love to take a solitary ramble 
 in a church-yard. A sort of gloomy, melancholy pleasure is diffused 
 over my mind as I read the tale that is told by the little mounds which 
 conceal what once was life and health and animation. The mournful 
 tribute of affection to departed worth, the brief history on the grave 
 stone of the dust that lies beneath it, all speak to me in thrilling ac 
 cents, which find a pensive response from my own bosom. Man is 
 like a thing of nought, and his days as a shadow thatfleeth away. But 
 brighter visions open upon us beyond the grave ; and thanks be to God, 
 who giveth us the victory over the king of terrors ! Jesus Christ has 
 disarmed death of his sting, and hell of its malice. Let us cling to 
 Him, and all will be well with us. Christianity is the best gift of God 
 to man. The Bible is a treasure whose value cannot be calculated. 
 On the darkest midnight of the soul it pours the beams of day. The 
 poisoned arrows of affliction become, under its influence, teachers of 
 virtue ; and even prosperity itself grows brighter, when illumined by 
 
HIS TEACHING AT CHEKAW. 105 
 
 the Sun of Righteousness. Let us, then, hold fast to this religion. 
 It is precisely adapted to our circumstances ; and if we give it up, we 
 plunge into an awful chaos. It is indeed a blessed thing to be a 
 Christian ; and I would not surrender the hope that is in me for worlds 
 upon worlds, or systems upon systems. Were it not for the consola 
 tions of Christianity, who could bear to drag out a miserable existence 
 on^ this earthly ball ! A wounded spirit would be intolerable without 
 the alleviations of the gospel. Those, therefore, should truly be an 
 athema who would rob us of this blessing. But I must leave this 
 subject. 
 
 My prospects are flattering for the Principal s place in the Academy 
 next year. The salary is $700, payable quarterly. 
 " Your sincere friend, 
 
 J. H. THOBNWELL." 
 
 This hope was soon realized. In January, 1833, having 
 just passed his twentieth birth-day, he was associated 
 with Mr. Donald (now the Rev. Dr.) McQueen, in teaching 
 the Cheraw Academy, where lie had been himself pre 
 pared for College. Mr. McQueen resigning in October, 
 he continued, in conjunction with Mr. Thomas E. B. 
 Pegues, in the same important position, until June, 1 834: ; 
 -at which time we shall follow him to a different sphere. 
 During these eighteen months he gave unmistakeable 
 proof of those qualities which afterwards distinguished 
 him as a teacher. The same enthusiasm was displayed 
 in imparting knowledge which he had always exhibited 
 in acquiring it. His patience and zeal were -unbounded. 
 He would bribe the brightest scholars to spend their 
 Saturdays with him in the school-room, and would often 
 protract the exercises of the day, until the gathering 
 darkness drove him, with the class, to the open door for 
 the remains of light left by the setting sun. Laborious 
 and patient with the more docile pupils, in whom he could 
 arouse an interest similar to his own, his temper would 
 break forth sometimes against the indolent. So intense 
 was his own passion for learning, that he failed in sym 
 pathy with such as were indifferent to their opportunities. 
 It was something he could not understand ; and a feeling 
 of contempt mingled with his anger against the methods 
 
106 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORN WELL. 
 
 of evasion to which the thoughtless would resort. At the 
 same time, he was so companionable with his pupils, so 
 devoted to their welfare, and so much interested in their 
 sports as well as their studies, as to win their respect and 
 love, notwithstanding occasional severity in his discipline. 
 One of these pupils furnishes this sketch : " I went to 
 school to Mr. Thornwell after his graduation. He was 
 very thorough as a teacher, took great interest in all the 
 recitations, neglected nothing, and would complete the 
 exercises, even if the approaching twilight drove him to 
 the door to get light enough to read by. On such occa 
 sions, the boys woulcl increase the darkness by closing the 
 window shutters, while he was so absorbed with the class 
 as to be utterly unconscious of it. They would also make 
 all kinds of noises, by scraping their feet on the floor, 
 dropping slates, coughing, clearing their throats, &c. 
 For a time he would seem unconscious of all this ; but 
 would occasionally be aroused, and then what a storm 
 would come ! The most cutting sarcasms and withering 
 reproofs, making the guilty shrink away in shame and 
 confusion. These were really, at times, tirades of per 
 sonal abuse, and exhibited the utmost contempt for the 
 meanness and baseness he was reproving." When it is 
 remembered that he had not yet learned to put a check 
 upon his powers of invective, before which his equals in 
 age and his peers in knowledge always quailed, it is not 
 strange that these boys should cower beneath the flash of 
 his eye, and the overwhelming sneer which he could throw 
 into his tones. But the monotony of the school-room 
 furnishes few incidents for a narrative. Let it give way 
 to his correspondence, which opens again the experience 
 of his inner life. The following, addressed to his friend, 
 Mr. Knox, is , tinged with the same melancholy as the 
 preceding ; but it throws light upon his religious history. 
 
 "CHEEAW, June 27, 1833. 
 
 "Mr DEAB FKIEND : I received your kind and cheering letter some 
 time ago, and would have replied to it immediately, but my attention 
 
HIS TEACHING AT CHERAW. 107 
 
 was so much taken up with the necessary preparations for my examina 
 tion that I could find no leisure for the calls of friendship. Dream not 
 for a moment that it was from want of disposition ; my feelings yet 
 flow generously and freely in their old channels. It was purely the 
 want of time. I have now a vacation, a rest of two we eks ; and I pro 
 pose to visit my old stand. There are many hallowed associations 
 in my mind connected with Sumterville. Many a day of agony I in 
 deed spent there ; many a bitter disappointment I experienced there ; 
 but my darker hours are now so blended with holier recollections, that 
 the sting is extracted from anguish, and the wormwood from sorrow. 
 I love to think on by-gone days. There are many things presented by 
 a retrospect of the past, over which I would willingly draw the veil of 
 oblivion. Ordinary misfortunes can be cured by time ; common sor 
 rows are soon forgotten ; or, if they continue to be remembered, they 
 are remembered with a melancholy pleasure. But there is a disease of 
 the heart which preys upon the vitals, and mocks at remedy. It is a 
 canker-worm consuming its finest energies, and destroying its fairest 
 hopes. Wherever it touches, it spreads a moral desolation, and con 
 verts the fruitful field into a waste and vacant wilderness. It is despair. 
 The sirocco and simoon, the tempest and the whirlwind, are fearful 
 things ; but they can and do pass away. But despair is an eternal mid 
 night of the mind. Days, months, and years may roll on ; it still re 
 mains, a fierce destroyer of all joy, all comfort, all peace. * * * * 
 " In Cheraw we have something of a revival of religion. Our good 
 pastor, Mr. Powers, has been labouring hard for the last week amongst 
 us. Many are serious, and others profess to be converted. I confess, 
 for my own part, that I have been mightily revived. The Spirit of th<* 
 Lord is among us ; the hand of the Most High is with us. Men in all 
 quarters are awakening to the importance of the subject, and the mil- 
 lenium is in its morning dawn. I rejoice to see it come. Come, 
 Lord Jesus, come quickly. This is the prayer of every genuine Chris 
 tian. Would to God that I could be delivered entirely from sin, that I 
 could live entirely and unreservedly to the Lord Jesus Christ. Let us 
 be awake to the importance of the subject ; let us remember that the 
 blood of sinners is required at our hands. To be a follower of the 
 Lamb involves a fearful responsibility. Let us all shake off our be 
 setting sins. I know what mine is ; it is the blues; and would to God 
 that I could get entirely rid of them. They give me much uneasiness. 
 They are partly hereditary, and partly the result of dyspepsia ; but they 
 are yet sinful. I have, by the grace of God, almost succeeded in shak 
 ing them off ; they have lost much of their bitterness. Believe me, 
 " Your sincere friend, 
 
 J. H. THORN WELL." 
 
 The three years following his graduation from College,, 
 from 1832 to 1834 inclusive, form a clear parenthesis in 
 the life of Dr. Thornwell ; during which his character 
 
108 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORNWELL. 
 
 appears to differ from what it was both before and after 
 it. It was, as we have seen, the period of a great religious 
 change ; it was also the season of a great physical trans 
 formation. He grew at least a head taller, and reached to 
 the ordinary height of men. His complexion became 
 clear, throwing off its sallow hue; and though never 
 ruddy, it was not unduly pale, but wore the appearance 
 of health. His hair, which rivalled the raven in its black 
 ness, lay smooth and soft upon a head, which was never 
 large, but exceedingly well developed. The expansion 
 was complete, from the diminutive stature which had 
 marked him from childhood, to the full proportioned 
 man ; with the spare habit, and carriage of body rather 
 distinguished by easy negligence than grace, which is so 
 well remembered by all who knew him in public life. 
 This change, too, was wrought by the simple force of 
 nature herself, without the adventitious aids which might 
 have been supplied. On the contrary, his habits were 
 precisely such as should have thwarted this favourable 
 development. Sitting up, in severe study, to a late hour 
 at night, frequently so absorbed as to be arrested by the 
 morning s dawn still at his desk, indifferent as to food, 
 negligent of recreation and exercise, thoroughly inattentive 
 to the demands of nature in all respects, it is not strange 
 that he became the victim of dyspepsia, which threw its 
 oppresive gloom over a spirit constitutionally elastic and 
 buoyant. The only wonder is, that his frame should 
 have matured at all, or that it should have possessed any 
 of the vigour and endurance that marked his future years. 
 The prevailing sadness breathed into the correspondence 
 of this period, had also a moral source, to which we recur 
 with all the delicacy possible. His affections had become 
 seriously entangled ; which, like the educational " first- 
 love" of most men, was destined to issue in disappoint 
 ment. The two young hearts would indeed have disposed 
 of the case differently. But the stern prudence of older 
 heads could see little that was promising in the poverty 
 
HIS TEACHING AT CHERAW. 109 
 
 of the ardent wooer, nor in his unsettled plans, his soaring 
 visions, and his somewhat fitful temper. The attachment, 
 nevertheless, was strong, and runs through the whole of 
 this period. As it came to nought, we have not chosen 
 to bring it into prominence; and would gladly have 
 withheld even this allusion, if it were not the dark thread 
 in the web of his present experience, needed to explain 
 the gloom with w r hich it is distempered. Whether these 
 combined causes are sufficient to explain it or not, a due 
 consideration of all the facts compels us to regard him as 
 being, during this transitional period, in a morbid and 
 abnormal condition. This gloom, for example, was not 
 constitutional; for if he had one characteristic more 
 prominent than any other in his after life, it was the play 
 fulness into which he would relax when unbending his 
 mind from severe study. It was this wonderful elasticity, 
 springing from a native gaiety and joyousness of spirit, 
 that kept him alive amid the exactions of laborious toil. 
 Then, too, the original and deep affection ateness of his 
 nature rendered it impossible for him to be unamiable; 
 he was capable of quick resentments, but never of sour 
 misanthropy. It would, therefore, be severely unjust to 
 take occasional and external exhibitions of fretfulness as 
 the criterion of habitual character. It would be wise to 
 consider whether the natural disposition might not be 
 warped by constraining influences from without, throwing 
 it out of its normal state, and producing the irregularities 
 which are observed. 
 
 The friend most intimate with him at this period, and 
 whose heart was knit to him as that of Jonathan to David, 
 writes : " I think he had, at times, the most perverse dis 
 position I ever met with. His prejudices weie easily ex 
 cited ; and lie could neither see a flaw in those wlicm lie 
 loved, nor a virtue in those whom he disliked. Avaricious 
 of praise, yet too proud to solicit attention, he writhed 
 under any appearance of neglect. Impatient of contra 
 diction, he had a feeling akin to scorn and contempt for 
 
110 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORNWELL. 
 
 those whose opinions differed from his own. His morbid 
 feelings rendered him suspicious of slights which were 
 never intended, whilst his invectives were reckless of those 
 who chanced to displease him. His sensitiveness kept 
 every company uneasy in which he was thrown, lest 
 some unguarded remark should cause an explosion. His 
 eye, which was a little dreamy in repose, glared like 
 lightning when he was aroused ; and the sneer which 
 curled his lip will never be forgotten by such as have 
 withered beneath its sarcasm. His later friends can form 
 no adequate idea of the terror of that countenance, when 
 inflamed by anger. The flash of the eye always remained ; 
 but its inexpressible fierceness was quenched by Divine 
 grace." The witness, whose language is here given, pro 
 ceeds to furnish an illustration of this untamed spirit. " I 
 remember that he drove from the Academy a gentleman 
 who had been a former teacher, but was now placed over 
 an institution for females in the town, yet retaining a 
 general supervision of the Academy. He was a reputable 
 . scholar, but a complete pedant ; in fact, a fair specimen of 
 a Boston public-school teacher. He had notions about 
 discipline, order, and other things, which Thornwell des 
 pised. On one unfortunate day, he undertook to examine 
 Thornwell s class in Greek; who sat with an ominous 
 curl of the lip, and an eye darting fire from beneath those 
 drooping lashes. At length, a boy was corrected in his 
 translation. Never did a panther leap upon his prey 
 with more ferocity, than did Thornwell upon his unhappy 
 victim. He fairly shouted, the boy is right, and pro 
 ceeded to prove it beyond all dispute. The old teacher 
 was perfectly overwhelmed ; and feeling himself degraded 
 in the eyes of the pupils, could never be induced again to 
 cross the threshold of the Academy." 
 
 There is, perhaps, a psychological explanation of much 
 of this. We incline to think that most youth of large 
 promise encounter a trying middle passage, just as they 
 enter upon manhood. Conscious of mental power, they 
 
HIS TEACHING AT CHER AW. Ill 
 
 are not able yet to take its exact measure. The suc 
 cesses of their novitiate have sharpened ambition, without 
 giving the precise gauge of their capacity. Visions of 
 hope float ill-defined in the air, while life spreads out 
 before them a vast and unexplored sea. As they stand 
 upon its shores, and look across its tempestuous billows, a 
 vague dread seizes upon the spirit, lest it should prove 
 unequal to the dangerous voyage. Its perils are magnified 
 by the fear through which they are viewed ; and a sick 
 ening conflict ensues betwixt the ambition which would 
 court the trial, and the self-esteem that cannot brook the 
 anticipation of possible defeat. A feverish irritability is 
 the result; which, if indulged, becomes excessive and 
 tormenting. The mind casts round for some presage of 
 the future, and seeks in the adulation of partial friends a 
 prophecy of ultimate success. It is challenged, if with 
 held; and there is a jealous assertion of prerogatives 
 which are far from being established. The whole condi 
 tion is one of restlessness and of morbid sensibility, which 
 renders the party unhappy, and, therefore, unamiable ; 
 but which generally disappears, as soon as the duties of 
 life are fairly assumed, and the pressure of responsibility 
 is really felt. More or less of this marks every boy at 
 " the disagreeable age," when the down first begins to 
 appear on the peach ; and which partly justifies the raillery 
 of the lady who said, "it is a pity there is not an asylum 
 where they could all be put till they have passed the 
 disagreeable age." But it is immeasurably more intense 
 with youth of real intellect, tortured by ambition, but un 
 certain of their real strength. If to this we add the other 
 causes which have been previously named, it will be easy 
 to account for all that has called for criticism in Mr. 
 Thornwell s character, at this period ; and we can better 
 understand the completeness of the revolution, as soon as 
 he took hold upon life, and entered upon its earnest work. 
 Beneath all these faults, however, there was much that 
 was truly heroic. He was ardent and generous in his 
 
112 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORN WELL. 
 
 affections, trustful and confiding in his friendships, artless 
 and simple in his conduct, high-minded and honourable in 
 all his purposes and acts. He was honest in his search 
 after truth, to whose authority he always bowed with ab 
 solute docility ; and was incapable of disguise or evasion 
 in any form. There was no infusion of malignity, even 
 in his sarcasm, and his explosions of anger were followed 
 by humiliation and acknowledgment. Even in the affairs 
 of the heart, where the temptation is so strong to over 
 reach opposition, he was the soul of honour, and came 
 out of these delicate complications, without a stain upon 
 his integrity. He just needed to be turned upside down, 
 and to bring the better qualities to their legitimate su 
 premacy. 
 
 His religious experience was, of course, alike defective ; 
 the leaven had not yet leavened the entire lump. He 
 adhered still to the hope he had expressed, and was ac 
 tive in prayer meetings and the like. But his addresses 
 were lacking in spirituality. They were effective in 
 demolishing infidelity, and establishing the truth of 
 Christianity : sometimes directed sharply against the 
 inconsistencies of professors of religion, whom he would 
 describe as " needing bells on their necks to distinguish 
 them from the world." But the sweet savour of the 
 gospel did not impart unction to his words. The friend 
 above cited writes of him : " He lacked humility, and did 
 not feel sufficiently his lost condition as a sinner. All 
 this was too much a matter of the intellect. He had not 
 studied God s Word as he studied other books. He got 
 at his doctrines rather as they were discussed by other 
 men, and was not pervaded by their spirit." A painful 
 impression of this sort was made upon the Presbytery of 
 Harmony, upon his application, in the autumn of 1833,* 
 to be taken under its care, as a candidate for the ministry. 
 
 * The Presbytery met at "Winnsborcmgh, Fairfield District, November 
 29th, 1833 ; and Mr. Thornwell was taken under its care, as a candidate 
 for the ministry, on the 2d of December. 
 
HIS TEACHING AT CHERAW. 
 
 His examination was so unsatisfactory upon his personal 
 experience, and his views for seeking the sacred office, 
 that the Presbytery hung in doubt what decision to 
 render. The scales were turned at last by the wise 
 counsel of the Rev. Robert W. James, a man eminent for 
 his practical judgment, whose name is still as " ointment 
 poured forth," in all the region where he lived. Said 
 this judicious counsellor: "Notwithstanding the diffi 
 culties in the way, I think I descry the root of the matter 
 in this young man. Remember that, in taking him under 
 our care, we are not licensing him to preach. If, here 
 after, we shall find him still labouring under these un 
 satisfactory views, we can then drop him. There is 
 something, however, about him, which impresses me with 
 the idea that he will yet be a man of great usefulness." 
 It is pleasing to know that Mr. James lived long enough 
 to have his rare penetration justified, and to see his 
 hopeful prophecy fulfilled. 
 
 An event occurred now which affected considerably the 
 movements of our friend. The Rev. Dr. Ebenezer Porter, 
 of the Theological Seminary at Andover, Massachusetts, 
 spent the winter of 1833- 4 in the South, to which he was 
 driven in feeble health. A considerable portion of it was 
 spent in Columbia, South Carolina, whither he was at 
 tracted by the society of his friend, the Rev. George 
 Howe, D. D. In the school of the prophets over which 
 Dr. Howe presided, Dr. Porter delivered the Lectures on 
 Homiletics, subsequently published, and extensively used 
 as a text-book in that department. Upon his return 
 homeward, in the spring of 1834, he took Cheraw in his 
 route, for the purpose of visiting one of his former pupils, 
 the Rev. Urias Powers, the pastor of the church in that 
 town. Mr. Thornwell was here introduced to him, as 
 one having the gospel ministry in .view ; to whom Dr. 
 Porter tendered the privileges of the Andover Seminary, 
 without cost, if he chose to avail himself of them. This 
 
114 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THOKNWELL. 
 
 invitation was accepted, under the urgent persuasion of 
 Mr. Powers, and in the hope of enjoying superior advan 
 tages in acquiring the Oriental languages. To this place 
 we shall then follow him, in the next chapter. 
 
CHAPTER IX. 
 EESIDENCE AT CAMBRIDGE. 
 
 SUDDEN REMOVAL TO AKDOVER, MASSACHUSETTS. THENCE TO CAMBRIDGE. 
 REASONS FOB THE LATTER CHANGE. LETTER FROM MB. KOBBINS. 
 CORRESPONDENCE. AMUSING STORY OF A VISIT TO BOSTON. HEARS 
 MB. EVERETT S EULOGY UPON LAFAYETTE. CONTKASTS BETWEKN DIF 
 FERENT STAGES IN THE SAME LIFE. LETTERS. His RETURN HOME. 
 
 ABOUT the middle of the year 1834, Mr. Thornwell, 
 being released by the trustees from his engagement 
 as Principal of the Academy at Cheraw, finds himself at 
 Andover, Massachusetts. He arrived during the vacation 
 of the Divinity School ; and not being pleased with the 
 place, or with the advantages it offered, transferred his 
 residence at once to Cambridge. The impression made 
 upon him, and the incidents of his brief sojourn in Massa 
 chusetts, will be best exhibited through his own letters ; 
 with which this chapter will be exclusively occupied. The 
 first is addressed to his -former patron, General James 
 Gillespie : 
 
 "HARVARD UNIVERSITY, August 13, 1834. 
 
 " MY DEAR GENERAL : You have above an exact representation of the 
 Theological Seminary at Andover. The building which I have marked 
 (A) is Phillip s Hall ; (B) is the Chapel ; (C) is Bartlett Hall ; and (D) is 
 Phillip s Academy. They are all four stories, and made of brick. The 
 trees are large elms. The college-yard is cut into walks, and each walk 
 is lined with trees. The rest of the area is covered with a rich grass, 
 occasionally shaded by a branching elm. Such is the external appear 
 ance of Andover. I have left the institution for good, and shall state 
 to you my reasons for this sudden movement. 1. The advantages were 
 not such as I expected. Dr. Robinson has left the institution, and 
 there is neither German, Syriac, Chaldee, nor Arabic teacher. Nothing, 
 in short, is taught there which is not taught equally well at Columbia. 
 Professor Stuart is the only able man in the institution. 2. The 
 Theology taught there is such as I cannot countenance : it is awfully 
 
 115 
 
116 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORNWELL. 
 
 New School. 3. The habits of the people are disagreeable to me. 4. I 
 have no idea of settling in this country. No money could induce me 
 to do it. * * * 
 
 "I came to Cambridge to-day, and shall spend the remainder of the 
 year here as a resident graduate. I shall devote myself chiefly to He 
 brew and German ; will take a room in Divinity Hall, and attend regu 
 larly the lectures of Harvard. I intend to prepare myself for the Senior 
 Class in Columbia* next January, being deficient only in Hebrew. 
 "Yours as ever, 
 
 J. H. THOKNWELL. " 
 
 In the following, addressed to him, the reader would 
 detect, without the signature, the tone and style of hi& 
 old Mentor, Mr. Robbins : 
 
 "CHEBAW, August 23, 1834. 
 
 "DEAR JAMES: It gave me great pleasure to receive your letter of 
 the 6th, about a week since, and to find that you had settled down on 
 your plan of occupation for the year. I doubt not that the employment 
 of your mind on subjects of higher importance, will direct it from the 
 sickly sensibility about those you have left behind you, which ever en 
 hances the absent, and minishes the comforts of our present situation. 
 This, James, is nothing more or less than home-sickness. You may 
 never have felt it before, but rest assured it is a very common disease. 
 There is nothing of an alarming character in either its symptoms or re 
 sults. Men have died, and worms have eat them, but not for home-sick 
 love ; and, for your consolation, I can assure you, (for I have travelled 
 over every inch of ground you are now treading,) that the first serious 
 occupation of your mind on any other subject of interest or importance 
 will infallibly dispel the dark clouds which may now be gathered over 
 your horizon. You will find skies as fair, hills as green, and breezes as 
 soft in the latitude of Massachusetts, as those you leave behind you. I 
 was glad to see that you were becoming more at ease than when you 
 penned your first letter from Baltimore, which A. G. showed me. In 
 deed, I could wish you had not written at all, when in that frame of 
 mind. It always gives occasion to our enemies to predict evil results, 
 when they find us early and easily daunted in our projects ; and I con 
 fess that pride, more than anything else, contributed to reconcile me to 
 the absence from my home. I knew that there were those who would 
 chucljjje at my disappointment and return ; and I resolved, at all hazards, 
 to disappoint their malice ; and by perseverance I did it. And you may 
 be sure it is just so in your case. I have no earthly doubt but your 
 perseverance will so disappoint your enemies, and achieve for yourself 
 
 * His reference here is to the Theological Seminary, then under the 
 care of the Synod of South Carolina and Georgia, and located in Colum 
 bia, South Carolina. 
 
RESIDENCE AT CAMBRIDGE. 117 
 
 a reputation, and standing, and situation in life, which will be in every 
 respect enviable. But let me caution you against too great expectation 
 at first. Here you have a degree of reputation for scholarship and at 
 tainments, which has not followed you in your new residence. You 
 have got to create such a character there, and time is required to do 
 this. No intelligent people, especially those about you now, are capti 
 vated at first dash ; but they are sure to give credit to talent and learn 
 ing. And when they find it testified by a sufficient number of mani 
 festations, they will be as proud to foster you, as you will be pleased to 
 receive their patronage. 
 
 "My wife often says, How much we shall miss James this winter; 
 and when she heard you were going to return in September, she said, 
 For our sakes she should admire to have you ; but on your own ac 
 count, she would have you remain where you are. In fine, my dear 
 James, take courage. I have only room to say, go to Boston, call on 
 my brother, ask him for letters to Mr. Folsom, Ware, Palfrey, Hedge ; 
 call on them occasionally, sit half an hour with them, and give them 
 opportunity to know you. I do not fear for your principles in reli 
 gion ; they withstood the insidious approaches of Dr. Cooper, and they 
 cannot now give way to error, in a less dangerous form. My dear boy, I 
 will pray for you ; and I feel strongly confident that the wise and mer 
 ciful Being, who overrules all things for our good and His own glory, 
 will give you His power to triumph over every difficulty, and set you 
 at last at His own right hand for ever. 
 
 "Yours affectionately, 
 
 W. H. BOBBINS." 
 
 In the letter which follows, addressed to his friend, Mr. 
 A. H. Pegues, the first portion is occupied by a recapitu 
 lation of his reasons for leaving Andover, which have 
 been clearly stated. It is, therefore, omitted. The letter 
 is dated, 
 
 HARVARD UNIVERSITY, August 14, 1834. 
 
 MY DEAB FRIEND : * * * * I am now comfortably settled in this 
 venerable abode of science, literature, and learning. The Library con 
 tains thirty-nine thousand volumes, and the Athenaeum Library of Bos 
 ton, sixty thousand ; to both of which I have access, besides the privi 
 lege of attending all the Lectures of the College. You see, therefore, 
 that the advantages I enjoy, and the facilities for study, are liberal and 
 encouraging. I room in Divinity Hall, among the Unitarian students of 
 Theology*; for there are no others here. I shall expect to meet and give 
 blows in defence of my own peculiar doctrines ; and God forbid that I 
 should falter in maintaining the faith once delivered to the saints. I 
 look upon the tenets of modern Unitarianism as little better than down 
 right infidelity. Their system, as they call it, is a crude compound of 
 
118 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORNWELL. 
 
 negative articles, admirably fitted to land the aoul in eternal misery. 
 The peculiarity of their belief consists in not beliemna. Head over 
 their tracts and pamphlets, and you wifl find that they all consist, not in 
 establishing a better system, but simply in not believing the system of 
 the Orthodox. Ask them to tell you what they do believe, and they will 
 begin to recount certain doctrines of the Orthodox, and tell you very 
 politely that they do not believe these. The truth is, they have nothing 
 positive ; their faith is all negative ; and I do not know that the Bible 
 holds out a solitary promise to a man for not believing. And yet these 
 not-believers talk about Christian charity with a great deal of pompous- 
 ness, and take it hugely amiss that they are not regarded by pious men 
 as disciples <*f Jesus. Have you seen "Norton s statement of reasons 
 for not believing the doctrine of Trinitarians ?" It is a queer book, and 
 should be read just for the curiosity of seeing its absurdity and non 
 sense. When a difficult passage stares him in the face, he turns it off very 
 nicely, by saying that Paul was mistaken here ; that he did not under 
 stand the real nature of Christianity, and therefore blundered. Some 
 times he makes even Jesus Christ go wrong ; because he happened to be 
 busy about something else, and did not have time to correct Himself. 
 Now, a man who can swallow such stuff as this, can swallow anything. 
 It is an open defiance of all the established laws of exegesis ; and the 
 doctrines, which need such miserable subterfuges to support them, can 
 not come from God. No, my friend, we are never safe in departing 
 from the simple declarations of the Bible. Let me entreat you to read 
 Shuttleworth on the consistency of Kevelation with reason. It is the 
 ablest work which has issued from the British press since Butler s An 
 alogy. Bead it carefully, and you will find philosophy bowing at the 
 altar of religion ; read it prayerfully, and you must become a Christian. 
 "The Unitarian will tell you that experimental religion is all an idle 
 dream ; but, my friend, believe not the tale. It is no such thing. The 
 truly pious man walks with God ; he is under the influence of the Holy 
 Spirit ; the consolations of the Gospel support him in affliction, and 
 cheer him in distress. There is such a thing as holy communion with 
 the blessed Trinity ; as a peace of mind which passeth all understanding ; 
 as joy in the Holy Ghost, and consolation in believing. There is no 
 fanaticism, no enthusiasm here ; it is ajl sober truth ; and those who 
 laugh at these things now, will weep bitterly in a coming day. May 
 God be with us both ! May He take us under the shadow of His wing, 
 and save us in the hour of final retribution ! 
 
 . Yours, as ever, , 
 
 J. H. THORNWELL." 
 
 To General James Gillespie : . 
 
 "HARVARD UNIVERSITY, August 27, 1834. 
 
 "Mr DEAR GENERAL : As you have always manifested a lively inter 
 est in the cause of education, I have taken the liberty of sending you a 
 
KKSIDKNCK AT CAMBRIDGE. 119 
 
 little volume on the subject, containing many valuable remarks,; but in 
 terlarded, I think, with a great deal of error. In regard to the classics, 
 and the principle may be extended to every other study, the question 
 should be, not -what is the speediest method of acquiring them, but 
 what is the bent. By the best method, I mean that which most power 
 fully developes, employs, and strengthens the faculties of the mind. 
 Childhood and youth are the forerunners of manhood, and are periods 
 of life evidently designed for the attainment of those habits of thought 
 and reflection which will be needed in more advanced years. The great 
 principle which should be kept steadily in view, in every system of edu 
 cation, is that of intellectual discipline. You intend your son for a law 
 yer ; but you certainly would not think of teaching him Law until he 
 became a man. You would give him, however, the habit of mind which 
 a lawyer ought to possess. Let knowledge come afterwards. A man s 
 mind is a bundle of susceptibilities lying dormant. The aim of educa 
 tion is to call forth and exercise these susceptibilities, and to develope 
 them all fully and harmoniously. You must, therefore, present to the 
 inactive mind some jit subject. Any subject will not do. A man pos 
 sesses the susceptibility of pity ; but sorrow and suffering are the only 
 occasion of its development. So a man possesses the susceptibility of 
 imagination, but only certain subjects will develope it. Who would 
 think of exciting the fancy by a theorem of Euclid ; or of training the 
 discursive faculty by Robinson Crusoe ? It is not enough to develope 
 the powers of the mind ; they must be developed in harmonious and 
 just proportions. Give no one power the preponderance, but train the 
 whole of them fully. 
 
 " Taking it for granted, then, that the aim of education is to develope 
 and train all the powers of the mind in just proportions, and bearing 
 in memory that the powers of the mind are a mere bundle of suscepti 
 bilities which require jit subjects to call them forth, the only practical 
 question seems to be, What are these fit subjects, and what is the 
 best manner of presenting them to the dormant faculties? These 
 questions embrace the whole ground of education ; and on a proper 
 solution of them depends a proper system of intellectual discipline. In 
 so far as boys are concerned, I maintain that the classics are the fit sub 
 jects ; but I differ widely from the book which I have sent you, with 
 respect to the best method of teaching them. I keep my eye fixed 
 steadily on the end, discipline ; and I do maintain that the mind is 
 more exercised and more fully developed by thorough grammatical 
 analysis than by any other method. To teach Latin and Greek as 
 spoken languages is no doubt the speediest plan of communicating a 
 knowledge of them. But then it trains the memory in disproportion 
 with the other faculties ; it destroys the harmony and equilibrium of 
 the mind. By the other course, this harmony is sustained. You train 
 the memory in getting the grammar by heart ; you train the judgment 
 by an application of the rules : you train the power of analysis by the 
 difficulties of etymology. In the reading of the classics with a diction- 
 
120 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THOKNWELL. 
 
 ary, I do not know of a single faculty which is not employed, and em 
 ployed, too, to its full extent. It is the teacher s duty to see that the 
 instruction is thorough. In our present systems of teaching, the plan 
 suggested by our author is altogether impracticable. We must have a 
 large number of scholars to support the school. Mr. Locke suggested 
 the same method long ago. It did not take then, and I hope it will not 
 take now. These are my views, expressed as briefly as I am able to do 
 it. One hint more in regard to your own Academy, and I am done 
 with the subject. Would it not be well to divide that institution into 
 two parts, English and Classical? You could then arrange the parts 
 into classes. This would render the course of instruction more thorough 
 and accurate. Should you publish your plan, it would give your school 
 a character, and ensure a liberal patronage, I have thought much on 
 this subject, for I am warmly interested in the prosperity of the Cheraw 
 Academy. 
 
 Harvard Commencement took place to-day, and was truly a poor 
 exhibition of talent and learning. Could old Johnson or Walker have 
 risen from the tomb, they would have shuddered at the mongrel dialect 
 of the Harvard scholars ; for it was, in truth, neither Latin, Greek, nor 
 English. The pronunciation of English is most shamefully neglected 
 here, both by teachers and students ; and whenever occasion requires, 
 they coin words without any compunction. There were, however, four 
 excellent speeches ; the rest were flat enough. The Phi-Beta-Kappa 
 will be delivered to-morrow ; and I shall send you a copy, as soon as it is 
 published. 
 
 "I met Professor Nott here to-day. He told me that he was publish 
 ing fictitious tales, having regularly embarked on the sea of novel-writ 
 ing. He has relinquished the task of writing Sumter s life. Fiction, 
 he says, is better suited to his taste than biography. I shall call on him 
 in a day or two. and spend, for once again, a few happy hours. 
 
 I am myself writing an article on the study of the Greek, or rather 
 of the classics. It will probably appear in the January number of the 
 North American Review. I have written about ten pages, but shall not 
 be able to finish it before the middle of September. I am also collect 
 ing materials for an elaborate work, on which I hope to found a reputa 
 tion. It is a treatise on the philosophy of the Greek language. This 
 will not appear under a year or two, and Professor Henry must see it, be 
 fore it comes to light. I wish to establish a literary character in my na 
 tive State ; for I have an eye^ on a Professorship in the Theological 
 Seminary at Columbia. That institution is destined to take the lead in 
 this country. 
 
 Yours, affectionately and gratefully, 
 
 J. H. THOBNWELL." 
 
 From the sound views here expressed, of the object 
 and methods of academic training, he never receded; and 
 he based upon them all his later efforts to advance the 
 
RESIDENCE AT CAMBRIDGE. 121 
 
 educational interests of his native State. He discovers, 
 too, his predilection for a scholastic life, little dreaming 
 of the sphere in which it would be indulged; but it is a 
 singular coincidence that his last labours should have 
 been devoted to that institution, to which his early aspi 
 rations had been directed, and that he should there have 
 wrought out the work lipon which his permanent repu 
 tation will chiefly rest : a work which, though arrested in 
 its progress by the hand of death, attests, even in its in 
 completeness, the power of his genius and the wealth of 
 his knowledge. 
 
 But to his correspondence again. 
 
 To General James Gillespie : 
 
 "CAMBRIDGE, September 6, 1834. 
 
 " MY DEAR GENERAL : It is now nearly twelve o clock at night, and I 
 have determined, with a miserable pen, to give you a short account of 
 the incidents of the day. Early in the forenoon I went into Boston, for 
 the purpose of hearing Edward Everett s eulogy on Lafayette ; and a 
 splendid production" it was. There were some passages in it unsurpassed 
 by the finest flights of Chatham or of Burke ; and throughout, it was a 
 chaste, classical, and elegant composition. I had taken up the impress 
 ion that Everett was a cold, dull, heartless, and formal speaker, who 
 aimed only to please, and not to arouse the feelings of his auditory ; but 
 I was quite in the wrong. He is impassioned and vehement/ and exer 
 cises as strong a control over the passions of his hearers as Preston him 
 self ; and I presume that the secret of his failure in Congress, is an in 
 ability to extemporize. He drew tears to-day from the stoutest heart ; 
 and was repeatedly interrupted by deafening shouts of applause, which 
 made old Faneuil Hall ring, but which were hardly suitable to the badges 
 of mourning that shrouded the walls. His oration was nearly three 
 hours long, and I was extremely sorry when he got to the close. It will, 
 in all probability, be published ; and if it should be, I will send you a 
 copy. 
 
 "Mr. Everett is a very small man, about five feet seven inches high, 
 and withal very thin ; but his countenance is strongly marked. The 
 most remarkable feature of his face is his mouth ; it would attract at 
 tention the moment you should lay your eyes upon him ; it is exactly 
 like that of Dr. Watts, as exhibited in his portraits. Everett s eyes are 
 a dark blue, and have the cast of thought and study. His forehead is 
 full and finely arched, and the general expression of his countenance 
 is that of calm meditation. I have been thus minute in my description, 
 because I was absolutely charmed with the man, and am determined, by 
 some means or other, to obtain an introduction to him. 
 
122 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORN WELL. 
 
 4 
 
 " There was an immense concourse of people assembled on the Com 
 mon ; and the procession. I should think, was a mile and a half long, 
 and averaged five persons in width. There were probably four or five 
 thousand crowded into Fane ail Hall, I was about the head o.f the pro 
 cession, and consequently obtained a good seat near the orator. As 
 soon as I got into Boston I found out the order of arrangements. Dis 
 tinguished strangers were invited to head the procession : and as this 
 circumstance gave them the choice of seats, Evans and myself took it 
 into our heads to introduce ourselves to the marshal as belonging to this 
 class. We did the thing with such grace that the claim was admitted, 
 and we joined the line with John Quincy Adams, Daniel Webster, and 
 that whole tribe, chuckling all the while over our new bougut dignity. 
 I breathed the atmosphere of greatness, and could hardly persuade my 
 self that I was simply James H. TJiornwell, once pedagogue in the Che- 
 raw Academy. 1 was certainly a great man, but had not been fortunate 
 enough to find it out, until I found myself ranked with distinguished 
 strangers A little impudence is a great help in this world.; and I have 
 called in its aid on several occasions to great advantage, since I have 
 been at the North. 
 
 44 1 am quite cheerful and contented in Cambridge, and have estab 
 lished something of a character. So far as I can learn, they give me 
 credit for a virtue which I was never suspected of possessing by my 
 friends at home, and that is modesty. Evans has joined the Law-school, 
 and adds considerably to my enjoyment. I have, besides, a pretty ex 
 tensive circle of acquaintances in members of College from South Caro 
 lina, and am winding my way into the affections of the natives them 
 selves. I am an intense student, and am making rapid progress in 
 Hebrew and Biblical Literature. I average, this week, fifteen hours 
 per day ; but I cannot continue to apply myself at that rate, for I begin 
 to experience already the inconvenience of it, manifested by indigestion 
 and a slight pain in my chest. I shall hereafter study about thirteen 
 hours a day, and exercise freely ; and I have no doubt that I shall be 
 able to escape all ill consequences. I attend the recitations of the Di 
 vinity School, and derive the same advantages as if I were a regular 
 member, without being subject to any restrictions. 
 
 "I have nearly finished my article for the North American Review, 
 and shall probably hand it in about the first of October. It is now quar 
 ter past one o clock, and I must bid you good-night. 
 u Sincerely and gratefully, 
 
 J. H. THOBNWELL." 
 
 The associating principle, which touches the springs of 
 memory everywhere, and binds together our knowledge 
 and experience did it bring back the incidents, so plea 
 santly related in the above letter, at a later day, when, 
 seated by the side of the man here so greatly wondered 
 
t RESIDENCE AT CAMBRIDGE. 123 
 
 at, he surprised Mr. Everett by a remarkable citation in 
 the original, from Thucydides, and became in his^urn the 
 object of as much admiration and delight ? If so, lie must 
 have mused upon those strange coincidents, which some 
 times bring the different stages of our life into such 
 vividness of contrast, as almost to overbear the conviction 
 of our identity, and make us feel as though two different 
 beings are represented in them. The story is thus told 
 by one who participated in the interview : " In the year 
 1857, Mr. Everett was in Columbia, to deliver his cele 
 brated oration on Washington ; and was the guest of that 
 accomplished gentleman, the Hon. TV. F. Desaussure. 
 Dr. Thornwell proposed to me that w r e should go together 
 to pay our respects to the distinguished stranger. After 
 being introduced, a good many inquiries were made about 
 Cambridge, and the literary men of Boston; when the 
 conversation turned upon the recurrence of certain ideas 
 in different eras of the world. Mr. Everett illustrated it 
 by reference to a passage in Thucydides, which he ren 
 dered into English. Dr. Thornwell replied by quoting, 
 in the original Greek, a few lines from the same author. 
 Mr. Everett rejoined once more in English, when Dr. 
 Thornwell made a far more extended quotation from 
 Thucydides, in the Greek. All were surprised and de 
 lighted at the exhibition of learning, so spontaneous as to 
 be free from the suspicion of pedantry. The following 
 day Mr. Desaussure expatiated, in my office, in praise of 
 1 our Southern giant. " We relate the incident in this 
 connection, that it may enjoy all the light of contrast. 
 But to resume the correspondence of this period : 
 
 "To MR. ALEXANDER H. PEGUES : 
 
 "CAMBRIDGE, September 11, 1834. 
 
 "MY DEAR FRIEND : Midnight has drawn her sable curtain over half 
 the world ; and 1 seize upon this hour of solemn stillness to renew my 
 intercourse with a cherished friend. There are a thousand ties which 
 link the race in harmony ; but the affections of the heart cannot be sat 
 isfied with expansive action. Like the rays of light centred in a 
 
124: LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORNWELL. 
 
 
 
 burning focus, their energies must all be directed to a single point, to 
 produce the maximum of happiness, and produce the fullest develop 
 ment of which they are susceptible. It is not enough to love the 
 species ; there must be individuals of the species, whom we cherish 
 with peculiar fondness. A candle can give light to a single room, but 
 it cannot illuminate the world. I am charmed with the notion of uni 
 versal philanthropy, and am as anxious as most men to diffuse the 
 means of knowledge and happiness among my brethren of the earth ; 
 but then I find more real enjoyment and unmingled felicity in the nar 
 rower circle of domestic affection and of private friendships. I am. 
 willing to grant that love to the species should be the main-spring of 
 all our actions ; but then I maintain that love to the species accom 
 plishes its end only through the medium of circumscribed action ; that 
 the greatest happiness is ultimately produced by discharging properly 
 the humble duties of our social relations. It is a sad misnomer to call 
 dn unfaithful friend or a cruel husband a genuine philanthropist. The 
 man who is careless of his own household is hardly able to take care of 
 the world ; and the man who loves not his own family can hardly be 
 expected to love the race. - He is the best philanthropist who is the 
 truest friend, the most faithful husband, the most tender parent, and 
 affectionate neighbour. 
 
 "September 18, 183-t. 
 
 " Some few evenings since, as you observe, I commenced an epistle to 
 you, but have forgotten entirely the train of thought which was then in 
 my mind. You will excuse me, therefore, for beginning de novo. And 
 I must be in a pretty considerable hurry ; for in a few niinntes I have 
 to attend a party, to which I have been invited^ and where I shall see 
 the intelligence and beauty of Cambridge. I had gotten thus far, and 
 was interrupted for three hours by company. Meanwhile, the music 
 of the party has struck up, and I am rather afraid there will be dancing. 
 If there should be, I most assuredly shall not go. You remember the 
 eloquent declamation of Cicero upon the subject, when a Roman Sena 
 tor was publicly impeached for the heinous offence of using his legs too 
 lightly. There is neither rhyme nor reason in capering nimbly over a 
 lady s chamber, to the lascivious pleasing of a lute. I am an open and 
 avowed enemy to the sport, because I believe that it is an enemy to the 
 best and most substantial interests of man. Just think of it soberly, and 
 at the least, it cannot but appear ridiculous. And yet, like most other 
 follies, it is fatally contagious; and men freely indulge in it without 
 being aware of its enormity. It is an insult to God, who has made us 
 beings of intellectual dignity ; it is an abuse of our own persons, and a 
 prostration of our own powers. It is all nonsense to call it an amuse 
 ment ; it has no claim nor title to the appellation. That only is properly 
 amusement which relaxes the mind after laborious toil ; which refreshes 
 its exhausted energies, and preserves it from the listlessness incident to 
 fatigue. But is this a characteristic of dancing ? Is it not a mere inven 
 tion to kill time ? Yours sincerely, as ever, 
 
 J. H. THOBNWELL." 
 
. RESIDENCE AT CAMBKIDOE. 125 
 
 To the same : 
 
 "CAMBRIDGE, October 1, 1834. 
 
 " MY DEAK FBLEND : I received your letter this afternoon, and was 
 glad to find that you had not entirely forgotten me ; though I had be 
 gun to suspect that the probabilities of hearing directly from you were 
 exceedingly faint. You have misapprehended Dr. Whately s object, in 
 in his * Historic Doubts concerning Napoleon. His design was to show 
 that the very same arguments which are directed against the miracles of 
 Christianity, can be applied with equal force against the existence of 
 Buonaparte; that the one cannot be admitted or rejected with consis 
 tency, without admitting or rejecting the other. The stand which Mr. 
 Hume and his followers have taken in regard to our Saviour s miracles 
 is, that an event, in itself improbable, is incapable of being proved by 
 testimony ; that its inherent improbability is a standing and unanswer 
 able argument against it. On the same grounds, such men must have 
 rejected the existence of Napoleon, as an event in itself improbable ; 
 but all men have admitted this fact ; and therefore, the conclusion is 
 irresistible, that adequate testimony is sufficient to establish any fact, 
 however improbable it may appear. It was, consequently, Dr. Whate- 
 ley s object to show that Hume s reasoning proved too much, and conse 
 quently proved nothing ; that it proved not only that Jesus Christ 
 wrought no miracles, but that Napoleon Buonaparte never lived or died. 
 I look upon the pamphlet as one of the happiest effusions of well-sus 
 tained irony that I have ever read. I was delighted with it, and there 
 fore sent it to you. 
 
 " The more I examine Hume s celebrated argument against miracles, 
 the more I am satisfied that it is utterly untenable and fallacious. A law 
 of nature is only a compendious expression for uniformity in the appear 
 ances of nature. To say, therefore, that anything violates a la\v of na 
 ture, is only to say that it does not conform with the general appear 
 ances. Our knowledge of nature s laws depends upon the testimony 
 of our senses ; our knowledge of a miracle depends upon the testimony 
 of the senses of other men. There is, therefore, the same ground for 
 believing in a miracle, as for believing in the laws of nature. One is, 
 the usual appearance of nature ; the other, an unusual appearance. We 
 know both from the evidence of sense. A man, therefore, who denies 
 a miracle, ought, in consistency, to disbelieve the laws of nature ; they 
 both rest on the same grounds ; there is no difference between them, 
 except that one is uniform ; the other is not. This uniformity can make 
 no difference, because we know it only from the evidence of sense. 
 
 " This is a meagre skeleton of the direct argument with which I would 
 meet infidelity ; the indirect would be drawn from the nature and attri 
 butes of God ; but it is quite unnecessary to touch upon it here, I 
 should pay but a poor compliment to your understanding, if I thought 
 you were in danger of being ensnared by the sophisms of Hume, which 
 are now universally abandoned, even by Free-thinkers themselves. The 
 
126 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORNWELL. 
 
 recorded experience of the world is a living testimony against his doc 
 trines ; and no man who mingles in the world can act upon his prin 
 ciples. 
 
 " You do not overrate the advantages of Cambridge, but you certainly 
 underrate those of South Carolina. There are no more facilities here for 
 acquiring an education, than there are among us ; and I had just as soon 
 send a son to Columbia as to Cambridge. A large library is far from 
 being an advantage to under-graduates. They are indiscreet and impru 
 dent in their selection of books ; and where there are so many volumes, 
 they leave the hall very often without knowing what to choose. A large 
 library is a help to scholars, in the way of reference and consultation ; 
 but to no other men, and in no other way. 
 
 On the morning of the 4th of October, I shall set sail for Charles 
 ton, and shall be in Cheraw about the 20th. or 21st. I regret very much 
 to leave Harvard ; but I am compelled to do so. I am delightfully situ 
 ated here ; and should be exceedingly happy, under other circumstan 
 ces, to spend two or three years. A physician of Boston has assured 
 me that it would be certain death for me to try a Northern winter ; and 
 I have already suffered nearly as much from the cold, as I ever did in 
 South Carolina. The climate, for the last two weeks, has been very 
 variable ; sometimes very piercing, and sometimes pleasant. I have 
 consequently determined not to risk my health, but to return as early as 
 I safely can. I start rather earlier than I expected, on account of the 
 uncertainties of a sea voyage. I am anxious, too, to be present at your 
 sister s nuptials, and shall bend all my efforts to reach Cheraw in time. 
 " Your sincere friend, 
 
 J. H. THORNWELL." 
 
CHAPTER X. 
 
 FIRST PASTORATE. 
 
 LICENSURE. SETTLEMENT IN LANCASTER. SPIRITUAL CONFLICT. CHAR 
 ACTER OF HIS EARLY PREACHING. EXTRAORDINARY ASCENDANCY OVER 
 HIS AUDIENCE. His SINGULAR POWER OF ILLUMINATING THE WHOLE 
 GOSPEL. His BEARING AS A PASTOR. MARRIAGE. DEATH OF HIS 
 FIRST CHILD. COMPLETE FORMATION OF CHARACTER. DEVELOPMENT 
 OF PIETY. EXTRACTS FROM HIS PRIVATE JOURNAL. CONFESSION AND 
 PRAYER. 
 
 MR. THORNWELL was licensed to preach the gospel, 
 by the Presbytery of Harmony, met at Tolerant 
 Church, in the bounds of Beaver Creek congregation, on 
 the 28th of November, 1834:: exactly one year from the 
 time he was taken under the Presbytery s care. His 
 examination was eminently satisfactory ; and very unusual 
 encomiums were pronounced upon his ability and pro 
 ficiency, by the members of the court, in rendering their 
 decision upon the parts of trial. The Rev. Dr. Goulding, 
 then Professor in the Theological Seminary at Columbia, 
 is -reported as saying, " Brethren, I feel like sitting at this 
 young man s feet, as a learner : " a very sweet expression 
 of humility, on the part of one whom the Church was 
 honouring with an office of the highest responsibility and 
 trust; but also a wonderful testimony to the attainments 
 of the young theologian which drew it forth. 
 
 His first settlement was, however, within the bounds of 
 a different Presbytery. Certain gentlemen from the vil 
 lage of Lancaster were present at this examination, and 
 bore away with them such impressions as determined 
 eventually his location. On the 8th of April, 1835, a, 
 church was organized in this village, by the Presbytery of 
 Bethel, which immediately made overtures to Mr. Thorn- 
 
 127 
 
128 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THOKNWELL. 
 
 well to become its pastor. Accordingly, on the llth of 
 June, he was transferred as a licentiate from the Presby 
 tery of Harmony to that of Bethel ; and on the following 
 day he was ordained and installed pastor over the infant 
 church. His labours were not, however, restricted within 
 this narrow sphere. The old mother church of Waxhaw, 
 and the church of Six-Mile creek, in the same District of 
 Lancaster, enjoyed his occasional, if not his constant, 
 ministrations ; and in April, 1836, having made out sepa 
 rate calls, they were united with the church at Lancas- 
 terville in a joint pastoral charge; and the installation 
 services were performed by Rev. Messrs. J. B. Davies and 
 Pierpont E. Bishop, as a Committee of the Presbytery. 
 
 The reader has observed the spiritual conflict through 
 which our friend passed in his earlier years, and the gra 
 dual ascendency which the gospel gained over his char 
 acter and life. He will not, therefore, be surprised to 
 find these culminating in one last struggle, which would 
 seem to terminate the discipline of this preparatory pe 
 riod. The letters, too, which have been given, reveal his 
 towering ambition, which had been fed by constant and 
 brilliant success in academic competitions. What more 
 likely than that this tremendous passion should gather up 
 all its force, to deter him from a calling in which it may 
 not lawfully be indulged ? What more probable than 
 that conscience should itself shrink back in alarm, from 
 the responsibility of the sacred office, not measured in its 
 awful magnitude until it is about to be assumed ? What 
 more in keeping with the artifice and malignity of Satan, 
 than that, at such a crisis, he should seize upon all that 
 is good, as well as all that is evil, within us, and array 
 them against a decision by which he is discomfited for 
 ever ? It is a fearful struggle when, once for all, a noble 
 spirit brings its longing after fame, and lays it down a 
 perpetual sacrifice to conscience and to God. For though 
 the pulpit has its honours and rewards, woe ! woe ! to 
 the man who enters it under this temptation : 
 
FIRST PASTORATE. 129 
 
 To gaze at his own splendour, and exalt, 
 Absurdly, not his office, but himself." 
 
 The shadow of a fearful curse falls upon him who " does 
 this work of the Lord deceitfully : " upon him who cannot 
 with a purged eye look beyond the meed of human ap 
 plause, to the benediction of the great Master, as his final 
 crown. 
 
 Dr. Thornwell relates, that such was the apprehension 
 of his soul in what he was about to do, that he appeared 
 before the Presbytery with a half-cherished hope they 
 would reject him ; arid thus the Church would assume the 
 responsibility of releasing him from the pressure of the 
 Apostle s woe. In this apprehension he has, however, 
 only entered within the shadow, of the cloud which was 
 yet to darken upon him. The authority of the Church 
 has sent him forth to preach the Word, and a hungry 
 charge beckons from the distance to come and o;ive it the 
 
 O O 
 
 bread of life. In his solitary -way, as he journeys along, 
 in the beautiful spring, terrible thoughts settle upon his 
 mind, which he cannot conjure away. What if, after all, 
 he should not be a converted man ! What, if it should 
 be a profane touch that he was to give to the* ark of God ! 
 What, if he was going up to the place and people of the 
 Lord, and His presence was not with him ! What, if the 
 ministry should prove to him an iron bondage, and, 
 having preached to others, he should be himself a cast 
 away ? And so he journeyed on, like Saul to Damascus, 
 with the deep midnight upon his soul. At the end of a 
 day s travel he restej. under the hospitable roof of a pious 
 elder, to whom he opened all the sorrow. But no com 
 fort came from all the comfort that was spoken. The 
 good elder could succeed only in exacting a promise, at 
 parting, that he would go on to his appointment; and if 
 the Lord, in answer to prayer, did not make his duty 
 plain, why, then, he need not preach. The place is 
 reached ; he enters the pulpit, with " the great horror of 
 darkness" resting upon him still. It is the garden of 
 
130 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORN WELL. 
 
 Gethsemane to this young but chosen servant of the Lord, 
 who must here learn to drink of the Saviour s cup, and be 
 baptized with His baptism. He rises to preach ; and now 
 the time has come for the revelation of the Saviour s 
 love. Through a rift in the gloom, there rushes down 
 upon him such a sense of his acceptance with God as was 
 overpowering. The assurance and the joy overflowed 
 into the discourse, which poured the sacred oil over the 
 assembly; until some gathered unconsciously near the 
 pulpit, in breathless suspense upon the young prophet s 
 lips. He was from that moment anointed to a life-work, 
 which is precious in its record here, and above.* 
 
 His early preaching was not dry and scholastic, as 
 many predicted it would be. On the contrary, one of 
 his habitual Jiearers describes it as " intensely practical 
 and plain ; nothing abstract. The impression in my mind, 
 now, is that of earnest expostulation with sinners. IsTow, 
 to-day, is the day of salvation. He was very earnest ; his 
 eye kindled with intense excitement ; his whole - frame 
 quivered. His sermons created great enthusiasm among 
 the people of all denominations, who crowded into the 
 little church 1 until it overflowed." Another writes : "Mr. 
 Thornwell s sermons, from the commencement of his 
 preaching, were profound, logical, and eloquent. He 
 gestured more with both arms than he did in after life, 
 and there was more vehemence of action." Indeed, it is 
 the opinion of many who knew him intimately through 
 his whole career, that, for popular effect, those early dis 
 courses were never surpassed by the riper productions of 
 his later years. Though his learning became more va 
 rious and his discussions more profound, yet the first 
 impressions of his oratory were never transcended. We 
 suspect, however, that it was largely changed in its char- 
 
 * The incident is given precisely as it was first related to us. Another 
 authority places it a little later in his early ministry, and substitutes a 
 minister for the elder as his adviser and "friend. This slight discrepancy 
 rather confirms, than weakens, the occurrence of the fact. 
 
FIRST PASTORATE. 131 
 
 acter. It was eloquence of a higher order that he after 
 wards obtained, though less attractive to the multitude. 
 A severer taste, and a deeper religious experience, led 
 him to disregard the graces of rhetoric, with which at* first 
 he had charmed a popular assembly. His eloquence dug 
 for itself a deeper channel than in his earlier years, and 
 poured itself in a much broader flood; rather overwhelm 
 ing by its majesty, than attracting by its grace. 
 
 In proof of the ascendency he always gained over the 
 minds of his hearers, the following incident may be re 
 lated, in the very words given to us : " Soon after he came 
 among us, the time arrived for the regular semi-annual 
 communion at the Waxhaw Church. It had always been 
 customary for neighbouring pastors to assist each other 
 at these meetings. Our young pastor commenced . on 
 Friday morning, the usual time, without any assistance. 
 One of our venerable elders, who did not arrive till Sat- 
 turday morning, was displeased with this course, thinking 
 it presumptuous in him to suppose the people would be 
 content without the usual variety, to which, on such occa 
 sions, they were accustomed. But after listening to the 
 morning discourse, the old gentleman approached those 
 to whom he had expressed his dissatisfaction, and said : 
 4 1 am very glad now, that no other minister is here. The 
 sermon was from the text, i A man that hath friends must 
 show himself friendly ; and there is a friend that sticketh 
 closer than a brother. " A sermon from this text, doubt 
 less the same, was one of the earliest that the writer him 
 self heard from the, lips of his friend; and portions of it 
 are distinctly remembered at this day, across the interval 
 of three and thirty years. 
 
 His sermons at this period seldom exceeded thirty 
 minutes in length, though they afterwards stretched to 
 the orthodox sixty. But he was sometimes borne beyond 
 himself, as in the case now to be recited, and which affords 
 a- better illustration than the preceding of his immense 
 power over an audience. We draw upon the same testi- 
 
132 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORNWELL. 
 
 mony as before : " On Sabbath morning his text was, It 
 is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that 
 Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners. It was 
 one* of his finest efforts. When he had been preaching 
 for an hour and a half, he took out his watch, stopped 
 suddenly, and apologized to the congregation, saying he 
 had no idea he had been speaking so long. The cry 
 rose at once, from all parts of the house, i Go on ! go on P 
 And he did go on for nearly an hour more." Remem 
 bering how staid a Presbyterian congregation usually is, 
 and restrained by the sanctities of the sanctuary, this out 
 burst of enthusiasm, breaking over all conventional pro 
 prieties, was no slight tribute to the power of the orator. 
 But the charm of the story remains yet to be unfolded. 
 " My father," adds the witness, " a very old gentleman, 
 was present. A few days afterwards he sent for me, 
 saying, < I want to talk to you about that sermon. My 
 son, if you ever had a doubt about the truth and perfec 
 tion of the plan of salvation, you surely can have none 
 now. I have been studying that subject all my life, but 
 I never saw it before as I do now. Now I am ready to 
 die, that I may enter upon its full enjoyment. 3 He never 
 was able to attend church again; and eternity alone will 
 reveal the comfort and instruction which that one sermon 
 gave to this aged servant of God ; how it smoothed his 
 pathway to the tomb, and lighted up his future with hope. 
 Scores and hundreds of others have been similarly pro 
 fited, as they hung upon the truth from his lips." 
 
 This affecting narrative brings to view one feature of 
 Dr. Thornwell s preaching, which may as well be signal 
 ized here as elsewhere. It was the power he possessed 
 of sometimes illuminating the whole gospel in a single 
 discourse. We enter, for example, a chamber at twilight ; 
 and, with a dim, uncertain vision, recognize the furniture 
 and appointments. Each object is disclosed, but in faint 
 outline ; and the relation of the parts to each other can be 
 but imperfectly traced. Suddenly a taper is applied to a 
 
VIKST PASTORATE. 133 
 
 single burner, and one jet of flame is sufficient to light up 
 the whole. Every article in the room presents its clear 
 profile to the eye ; all is brought out from the shadow into 
 bold relief; and the total effect is taken in at a glance 
 from the grouping, which discloses the taste and dispo 
 sition of the occupant. Just so, the truths to which we 
 have been listening all our lives are disposed in a certain 
 catechetical order in our mind, yet fragmentary and dis 
 jointed. How often will a single paragraph in a book, or 
 a single utterance of the living voice, light them up with 
 a new clearness, and show them in the beauty and power 
 of an organic unity, as parts of a comprehensive and har 
 monious system. This faculty Dr. Thornwell possessed, 
 in a degree which marked no other man whom it has 
 been our privilege to know or hear. His power of 
 analysis stripped every subject of all that was adven 
 titious or collateral. He removed skilfully every sucker 
 shooting out from the stem of his doctrine, and exposed 
 at once the living germ from which all growth and 
 development sprung. With this ultimate principle in 
 the grasp, the hearer had the key to unlock the entire 
 subject; with the thread of Ariadne in his lingers, he was 
 guided safely through all the intricacies of the longest 
 discussion into which it might afterw r ards expand. As 
 every system, too, however complex, must hang upon a 
 few cardinal postulates, it was his delight to seize upon 
 those which were fundamental in Christianity, and, with 
 amazing constructive skill, build up the grand temple 
 before the eyes of his audience, laying beam upon beam, 
 and stone upon stone, and "bringing forth the head 
 stone thereof, with shoutings of, Grace, grace unto it." A 
 good illustration of this tendency of mind is furnished in 
 his Inaugural Discourse, when inducted into the Theo 
 logical chair in the Seminary at Columbia, in whicli lie 
 attempts to denote " the central principle of theology," 
 which brings its diversified matter into such " unity of 
 relation as constitutes it properly a science." This was 
 
134 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORN WELL. 
 
 a constant attribute of his preaching; which had a value 
 beyond the demonstration of single truths, in supplying 
 the nexus which bound them together in unity and com 
 pleteness. From this cause it happened that, in his 
 various travels, wherever he would tarry for a Sabbath, a 
 single sermon proved to so many a life-event, from which 
 a new Christian experience was developed. Hundreds 
 of such are to be found through this broad land ; and not 
 until they shall sit down with him upon the Mount of 
 God, can he know in how many blessed experiences his 
 earthly ministry was blent. There is power in genius; 
 and where it is sanctified by grace, and wielded as an in 
 strument of the Holy Spirit, there is nothing beneath the 
 skies that is half so grand nothing before which the 
 human soul bows with so much of deference and love. 
 
 ** Yes ; to thy tongue shall seraph words be given, 
 And power on earth to plead the cause of Heaven ; 
 The proud, the cold untroubled heart of stone, 
 That never mused on sorrow but its .own, 
 Unlocks a generous store at thy command, 
 Like Horeb s rock beneath the prophet s hand." 
 
 Mr. Thornwell, during his pastorate, resided in the 
 village of Lancaster, where a neat church building was 
 soon erected under his auspices. The Waxhaw Church 
 was distant about eight miles ; and the Six-Mile charge, 
 about eighteen miles. These distances, however, were 
 easily covered by a fleet horse, which rejoiced in the 
 soubriquet of "Red Rover," and was habitually driven 
 at the speed of ten and twelve miles an hour. " This 
 was, however, no cruelty to the horse," writes the chro 
 nicler of this period ; " it was only in keeping with the 
 spirit and mettle of the animal;" but adds he, somewhat 
 quaintly, "it gave our pastor the appearance of being 
 a little fast." Poor Red Rover was before long of 
 fered a sacrifice upon the altar of love ; for upon the 
 master s marriage, the friends of the lady could by no 
 means consent for her to ride at such break-neck speed, 
 
FIRST PASTORATE. 135 
 
 and behind a horse of which all but the owner were 
 afraid. Character is most displayed in little things. It 
 is an illustration of Mr. Thornwell s conscientiousness, 
 that, when compelled to part reluctantly with his fa 
 vourite steed, though offered fifty per cent, more, he 
 would take only one hundred dollars, which he consi 
 dered his money value. 
 
 Whilst indulging this gossip, it may not be amiss to 
 state, that Dr. Thornwell exhibited through life one mark 
 of extravagance, in always having the best of everything 
 in its kind. Indeed, it was his doctrine that the best was 
 always the cheapest. He always concurred with Car- 
 lyle in his denunciation of " the cheap and nasty ; " 
 which, like Carlyle, he pushed in many directions, and 
 made it the measure of men and principles, as well as of 
 things. Still, it was with him very much a matter of 
 taste. He always bought the best editions of books; 
 wore clothing of the finest texture; was fond of fine 
 horses; and smoked always the best brands. To illus 
 trate his epicurianism as to the last named, the writer 
 once offered him a cigar, such as he was himself smoking 
 at the time, and as good in quality as he felt he could 
 afford. After drawing two or three whiffs, it was pitched 
 impatiently through the window, with the exclamation, 
 " Any man who will smoke such cigars will steal ! " The 
 anecdote will be excused its want of dignity, if it shows 
 the freedom and .dash of his raillery towards those whom 
 he loved. 
 
 He was scarcely less dear as a pastor to the people of 
 his charge, than admired as a preacher. The morbid 
 sensibility, and recoil upon himself, of past years, have 
 entirely disappeared. The Rubicon is passed; he has 
 irrappled with life, and deals with its realities rather than 
 with its dreams. The preliminary fear of the battle has 
 subsided with the h rst shock of arms, and he feels the 
 sUTii joy of the encounter. His initiation into life was, 
 too, of the nature of a triumph. Everywhere sought, 
 
136 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THOKXWELL. 
 
 admired, caressed; all things conspired to draw out the 
 original simplicity and guilelessness of his nature. His 
 constitutional buoyancy of spirits bore him on its flood, 
 and the native gaiety of his disposition sparkled through 
 his whole demeanour. Wherever his social visits were 
 dispensed, he romped with the children, and bantered the 
 middle-aged with sportive wit; whilst those who needed 
 comfort and advice were met with genial sympathy, and 
 with instruction which could not be exceeded in its rich 
 ness. Men stopped to wonder at him as he passed along 
 the streets, striving to put together the solemnity of his 
 pulpit utterances and the exuberant pleasantry of the 
 private companion. Many, perhaps, had to unlearn some 
 of the old, stereotyped lessons of cant, and make the dis 
 tinction between a genuine zeal and the sanctimonious 
 Pharisaism that hides in the folds of a white cravat, and 
 in the stiff precision of an artificial saintliness. But 
 the result was the combined respect and love of all; who 
 were as much won by the artless demeanour of the week, 
 as by the stormy eloquence of the Sabbath. In proof, 
 however, that all this playfulness was but the unbending 
 of a serious mind, a single question or word was sufficient 
 to call it back to the earnestness and gravity which were 
 habitual. Says the friend who has furnished most of 
 these sketches : " He was an inmate of my family, and I 
 then knew him intimately. Only those who have enjoyed 
 a similar privilege can appreciate the delight his society 
 afforded. My rule was to ask him a question, and, as he 
 undertook to answer it, his mind would turn fully to the 
 subject, and his discourse would be intensely fascinating 
 as well as instructive." The rapidity with which he 
 could pass from the gay to the severe, and exchange the 
 play of wit for the most abstract and elaborate reasoning, 
 all can testify who were ever admitted into his confidence. 
 The writer has a thousand times admired the self-mastery 
 thus displayed in the perfect control of his own modes of 
 feeling and of thought. 
 
FIRST PASTORATE. 137 
 
 On the 3d December, 1835, Mr. Thornwell was united 
 in marriage with Miss Nancy White Witherspooii, second 
 daughter of Colonel James II. Witherspoon, of Lancaster 
 District. Colonel Witherspoon was one of the leading 
 men in the District, and not without distinction in the 
 State; having served as Lieutenant-Go vernor, and was a 
 candidate for Congress, with every prospect of being- 
 elected, when he was stricken by paralysis, which termi 
 nated in death. He was a man of large views, of great 
 energy and enthusiasm, and possessed an almost un 
 bounded popularity. Mr. Thornwell gained easy admis 
 sion into his household, not only by his official relations 
 as a pastor, but through an intimacy with two of his sons 
 in college, one of whom was his class-mate. Though 
 Colonel Witherspoon, with the worldly prudence that 
 guides most men in disposing their daughters in mar 
 riage, saw what looked little better than starvation in a 
 salary of six hundred a year, still, he could not refuse 
 domestic alliance to a young man whom he openly pro 
 claimed intellectually the equal of Mr. McDuffie or Mr. 
 Calhoun. From the time of marriage the happy couple 
 took up their abode in the family mansion, till their re 
 moval to a different home. By this union, a true help 
 meet was provided for one whose gifts and whose calling 
 required that he should not be entangled in the things of 
 this life. Mrs. Thornwell s sound judgment and practical 
 wisdom were a valuable check upon the ardent tem 
 perament and too confiding generosity of her husband. 
 Her prudence and skilful management released him from 
 domestic cares, to meet the exactions of his public sta 
 tion ; while her womanly grace and cheerful disposition 
 threw a serene charm about his home, in which his spirits 
 found always a perfect repose. No man had better reason 
 to know the truth of Solomon s assertion, that " a prudent 
 wife is from the Lord." The happiness of these early 
 years was darkened only by a single sorrow, the death of 
 their first-lforn, at the age of three months. This visi- 
 
138 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORNWELL. 
 
 tation drew from his friend and patron, Mr. Bobbins, the 
 following expression of sympathy and affection : 
 
 "MY DEAR JAMES: I have just received your letter, conveying the 
 afflictive intelligence of the loss of your dear babe. We are both much 
 afflicted by this unexpected calamity, and desire to join our sympathies 
 in the sorrows of the parents. We can do so most deeply and affec 
 tionately. We know what it is to watch the gradual unfolding of th& 
 physical and intellectual faculties of a dear child, a first child, aii only 
 child ; and in the full flood-tide of our enjoyment, to have the dear ob 
 ject of our love snatched from our presence and our care. Such a loss 
 is heart-rending indeed ; and the mourner is disposed to attach little 
 value to other blessings of life, for a season, since the greatest has been 
 withdrawn. But a short time and a little reflection will dispel the black 
 ness of the cloud, and show us a clear and serene sky beyond it. We 
 do know, James, that our heavenly Parent, whose love to us surpasses 
 that of a woman to the child of her bosom, is the immediate Author of 
 these bereavements. We do know that He never afflicts willingly, or 
 grieves the children of men ; always for some cause great, good, ade 
 quate cause. What this cause is, it is our privilege and our duty to 
 inquire. Sometimes it is wisely withheld from our search ; but fre 
 quently, very frequently, it is within the reach of our reflection. It 
 may be in mercy to the child, to rescue it from a more dreadful calamity 
 which would have attended it in life ; it may be in mercy to the paren,, 
 to spare the more acute suffering at beholding an unworthy life, or 
 an unworthy connection in life. * * * The&e were some of my own 
 reflections when called on to mourn, as you now do ; but, my dear 
 James, I believe most men can find I think I found some unfaith 
 fulness in myself, for which the visitation befell me ; and, with the 
 blessing of God, I have endeavoured to reform it. Should this be your 
 case, I pray most devoutly that He, whose grace is sufficient for us, 
 may enable you to discover and cast it out. Kest assured of the sincere 
 personal and Christian sympathy of yours, 
 
 W. H. BOBBINS." 
 
 From the moment of his settlement in the ministry,, 
 the crystallization of Mr. ThornwelFs character appears 
 to be complete. All mawkishness of sentiment and moo- 
 diness of temper have vanished for ever. He has become, 
 in the fullest sense, a man, and has put away these childish 
 things. His style of writing is more robust, like that of 
 one who has ascertained his real strength ; and it is hence 
 forth discharged of the ambitiousness which perhaps is 
 but the natural blemish of youthful self-asseftion. His- 
 
FIRST PASTORATE. 1 39 
 
 religions experience is amazingly deepened, by more fa 
 miliar study of the Scriptures and nearer acquaintance 
 with God. The doctrine of salvation through grace be 
 came more precious to himself, as he pressed it upon the 
 acceptance of others. In this, too, he was greatly pro 
 fited by his intimacy with the Rev. Pierpont E. Bishop, 
 one of his co-presbyters: a man not comparable with him 
 self either in learning or genius, but of excellent mind 
 and of profound piety. He was one of the few, in any 
 generation, of whom it can be said with emphasis, that 
 they " walk with God." His holiness was rooted in prin 
 ciple ; it pervaded his character, and was of that earnest 
 and controlling type which the Calvinistic view of Divine 
 truth imparts, when fully received into the heart. This 
 was precisely the bond which linked Mr.Thornwell to him ; 
 and the affection subsisting between the two, throughout 
 life, was formed in Christ, their common Lord. "As iron 
 sharpeneth iron, so a man sharpeneth the countenance of 
 his friend;" and the sweet savour of Mr. Bishop s piety 
 penetrated into the life and history of his brother in the 
 gospel. 
 
 A few extracts from his private journal, kept at this 
 time, but discontinued after a few months, and apparently 
 never resumed, are given, to show the severity with which 
 he probed his own heart, and his watchful jealousy of all 
 tendencies to earthly pride and vainglory. 
 
 April 2nd, 183G. I have this day commenced to keep a journal of 
 mv personal history, with a view chiefly to my growth in grace. Nearly 
 a year has elapsed since I was ordained and installed the pastor of the 
 little church in Lancaster ; and what have I done for the glory of God, 
 the edification of His people, or the conversion of sinners? Unfaith 
 fulness ! unfaithfulness ! must be written upon my very best efforts. 
 Great God, give me more largely of the spirit of grace ! My mind this 
 day has been much concerned for the welfare of my little flock. 
 Some of them manifest, the spirit of the gospel ; but others are cold 
 and lifeless, and seem to take no sort of interest in eternal things. O 
 Lord, revive Thy work ! .In reviewing my labours, I am quite satisfied, 
 and I trust am humbled, that my Bible class has been conducted too 
 much witha view to the head, and too little with a view to the heart. ; it 
 
140 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORN WELL. 
 
 has too much criticism, and too little personal application. By the grace 
 of God I am determined to remedy this defect. 
 
 " May Hth. I returned home to-day, after having been absent for 
 more than three weeks. During my visit to York, I experienced a dis 
 tressing visitation in the sudden illness of my wife. I feared that she 
 was on the brink of the grave ; and was deeply humbled under a heavy 
 sense of my ingratitude to God for so sweet a gift. Her society had 
 not been sufficiently improved for spiritual purposes. I felt that I most 
 richly deserved some decided manifestation of God s displeasure ; and 
 ,in reliance on His grace, I trust I formed the resolution of living 
 more faithfully for the glory of God, and of regarding my wife as a 
 help-mate in spiritual and eternal matters. God has spared her, and re 
 stored her to me again. Oh ! may the Lord give me grace to fulfil my 
 purposes of renewed obedience. 
 
 "During my absence, I attended an adjourned meeting of Presbytery, 
 held at Purity church, in Chester, for the purpose of ordaining Brother 
 Douglas. I was appointed to preach the ordination sermon, and did so 
 from Born. i. 5. I felt much of the solemnity which the occasion was 
 fitted to inspire ; but not half as much as the great interests involved 
 ought to have produced in my heart. It is a source of constant pain and 
 grief to me, that the realities of eternity have no more sensible effect 
 upon my mind. I cannot feel them with that force, and power, and 
 depth, which their tremendous importance requires. I can see very 
 clearly how I ought to be affected ; but then I am not so affected. O 
 Lord, give me more largely of Thy precious and efficient grace!" 
 
 " June 2nd. Beturned home, after an absence of nearly a week. 
 Attended a sacramental meeting of Brother Bishop s, at Unity. That 
 is a precious and a godly man. I felt much of the evils of my heart, but 
 could not be humbled. I see in my own heart so much selfishness, and 
 pride, and vanity ; so much hardness and insensibility ; so little affec 
 tion for the Saviour, or devotedness to the glory of God, that I am often 
 seriously led to doubt whether I am a child of God. It is my sincere 
 and constant desire to make the Lord my portion, to live to Him, and for 
 Him, and on Him. Oh ! for a single eye and a simple heart ! I en joy 
 the comforts of religion by fits and starts. They come in occasional 
 flashes ; they are not my constant and habitual atmosphere. I have one 
 consolation, the Lord reigneth. I am anxious to serve Him, and to be 
 just in that field of labour which shall most promote His glory. 
 
 "June 4th. Finished to-day my sermon on The Befuges of Lies, from 
 Isa. xxviii. Felt much mortified, but I am afraid not humbled, in feel 
 ings of vanity and self-complacency with which I contemplated the 
 composition. I invoked the Spirit s influence when I commenced the 
 sermon ; but at the close I found I was leaning on my own arm, 
 and shamefully feeding my own vanity. Lord, be merciful to me, a 
 sinner ! 
 
 Commenced reading this evening the Life of Henry Martyn. I 
 was strack with some coincidences between his early history and char- 
 
FIRST PASTORATE. 14:1 
 
 acter and my own. Oh ! that I may ever make the same advances in the 
 divine life, in devotedness to God, and in mortification of sin ! 
 
 "July 19th. This morning has been set apart for secret fasting and 
 prayer. I have lately been terribly beset with the dark and horrible 
 suggestions of the great adversary of souls. Blasphemous and awful 
 words would be shot through my mind with the rapidity of lightning, 
 when I would engage in secret prayer at night, or undertook to medi 
 tate on the Scriptures, or to read them. This day, thus far, has been a 
 day of terrible gloom to me. My soul has been in thick darkness. I 
 have had no enjoyment of God. My heart has been cold and cheerless, 
 and seems utterly incapable of realizing eternal things. I have been 
 reviewing my past life, and am almost driven to despair at the recollec 
 tion of my sins. My heart seems to be nothing but a sink of corrup 
 tion, a Gehenna of iniquity. All my services have been selfish. My 
 frames, which used to be pleasant, were, I fear, utterly destitute of 
 spirituality. I am exceedingly desirous to love holiness and hate sin ; but 
 I fear that it is a mere selfish desire. I sometimes suspect that my de 
 sires for holiness are more for its results than for itself. O Lord, lead 
 me in the paths of truth and purity. Remove from me every darling 
 lust, and enable me to live wholly for Thy glory ! 
 
 "July 30th. For the last two or three days I have been much engaged 
 in reading close works on experimental religion. Boston on the * Cove 
 nant of Grace is a luminous exposition of that wonderful transaction. 
 I feel my mind established in that great truth of the gospel ; but my 
 heart does not take that deep and abiding interest in them which I 
 earnestly desire, and which their importance demands. I have gloomy 
 and distracting doubts of my own personal acceptance. To-day I set 
 apart for private fasting, humiliation and prayer, with reference to a 
 protracted meeting, to be holden at Six-Mile, and my brother s conver 
 sion. But my heart has been cold and stupid. I have had no clear 
 views of any spiritual object. My understanding assents, but my feel 
 ings are dead. My religion seems to be all in the head. Would to God 
 it were otherwise ! 
 
 "September 5th. I have been much hurt this evening, having heard 
 that I had offended some of the Methodists of the village by some rough 
 and unchristian expressions about shouting. I was wrong in saying 
 what I did. I sinned, and sinned grievously ; and shall, by the per 
 mission of God, make an acknowledgment to-morrow. My tongue is 
 an unruly member, and I often say, under the influence of excitement, 
 what I am sorry for, immediately afterwards. May the Lord give rue 
 prudence. My feelings, I am afraid, are too strongly set against the 
 peculiarities of Armiuians. There is more of the flesh than the spirit 
 in them. The truth is, I see nothing about myself that is right ; I am 
 altogether a sinner. But blessed be God for free grace ! That is uiy 
 only hope. 
 
 " September 6th. Formed the design this morning of writing a short 
 treatise on the peculiar doctrines of the gospel. May the Lord grant 
 
14:2 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORN WELL. 
 
 that I may be guided by His Holy Spirit, that I may contend for noth 
 ing but the truth, and that in the spirit of the gospel; and may the 
 whole work conduce to His glory ! Lord, grant that there may be no 
 self-seeking, pride, vanity, nor ambition ; but may there be a single 
 eye to Thy glory, and the prosperity of the Church. Aid me, Thou 
 Father of lights, by Thy grace ; and enlighten me in a saving know 
 ledge of the truth ! " 
 
 These extracts from his journal will be appropriately 
 closed by the following confession, evidently drawn up at 
 this period. Its strong expressions will be understood, 
 when it is remembered that the instrument is intended to 
 cover his former unconverted state, as well as his present 
 penitence and sorrow : 
 
 CONFESSION OF SIN. 
 
 "I. Thou shalt have no other gods before Me. 
 
 I have broken this commandment, and do continually break it, by 
 not knowing and acknowledging God to be the only true God, and my 
 God. I have been guilty of atheism, in ascribing to chance, or luck, or 
 fortune, what has been brought about by the dispensations of His pro 
 vidence. I have been guilty of idolatry in several respects. 1. In 
 worshipping self. I have lived for self ; I have toiled and laboured and 
 agonized for self ; and, what is worst of all, I have preached self. 2. 
 In worshipping Jame. I have sought this as my chief good. While I 
 was in College, I counted all things but loss for the sake of literary dis 
 tinction ; and since I left College, I have repeatedly worshipped, with 
 an eastern devotion, at this very altar. 3. My love of self and of fame 
 has given rise, in my heart, to a third idol, which has robbed God of 
 His glory ambition and that of the most exclusive kind. I have been 
 anxious, burningly anxious, to be regarded as the greatest scholar and 
 most talented man that ever lived. Think, O my soul, upon thine 
 Atheism and idolatry! Thou hast not only denied God, but, even when 
 compelled to acknowledge His existence, thou hast robbed Him of the 
 glory which is justly due to His name. 
 
 " But I have broken this commandment in a more covert way, by 
 ignorance, forgetfulness, misapprehensions, false opinions, unworthy and 
 wicked thoughts of Him. I have looked upon Him as a hard master. 
 I have taxed Him with injustice, and have dared to plead my cause as a 
 just one before Him. It is of His tender mercies that I am not con 
 sumed. There is still another way in which I have broken this com 
 mandment ; and that is, by vain credulity, unbelief, heresy, distrust, 
 insensibility under judgments, trusting in lawful means, carnal delights 
 and joys, lukewarmuess and deadness in the things of God, estrangement 
 and apostasy from God. I have also consulted the silly practice of 
 
FIRST PASTOR ATK. 
 
 fortune-telling. I have resisted God s Spirit, been impatient and re 
 bellious under the dispensations of His providence, and have ascribed 
 to myself, or creatures, the good that I have received. Again, I have 
 not esteemed, adored, honoured, loved, trusted, and delighted in God 
 with all my heart, as this law requires. 
 
 "II. Thou shalt not make unto thyself any graven image, or any 
 likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth be 
 neath, or that is in the water under the earth ; thou shalt not bow down 
 thyself to them, nor serve them ; for I, the Lord thy God, arn a jealous 
 God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, unto the 
 third and fourth generation of them that hate Me, and showing mercy 
 unto thousands of them that love Me and keep My commandments. 
 
 * This commandment requires the pure and holy and spiritual wor 
 ship of God. I have made images of God in my mind, and have broken 
 it. I have forgotten that He is a Spirit, and have broken it. I have 
 not had that zeal for the house of the Lord and the ordinances of the 
 sanctuary which this commandment requires. I have frequently been 
 unwilling to go to His temple, and have often made light of the solem 
 nities of worship. This law requires a spiritual worshipper. Ah! Lord, 
 what am I but flesh and blood ! These two commandments present me 
 in the awful and hell-deserving light of an atheist, an idolater, a sen 
 sualist. 
 
 "III. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain ; 
 for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh His name in vain. 
 
 " The Lord s name is upon all His works ; it is recorded in His word 
 and ordinances of His house, and is written upon all His providences. 
 I have broken this commandment by swearing ; by making light of 
 God s word ; by not seeing his hand in His works, and by abusing His 
 gifts. I have cast lots, which is an abuse of the lot of the Lord. 
 
 "This commandment requires a consistent profession of religion. 
 Mine has not been so. I have been light, and giddy, and vain, and 
 have thus taken the Lord s name in vain. I have, for purposes of argu 
 ment, and showing my own wit, misapplied and perverted the word, or 
 passages of the word of God I have taken His name in vain in the 
 solemn act of prayer ; and too often, at table, my request for a blessing 
 is a mere mockery. 
 
 "IV. Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. Six days shalt 
 thou labour and do all thy work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath 
 of the Lord thy God ; in it thou shalt not do any work ; thou, nor thy 
 son, nor thy daughter, thy man-servant, nor thy maid-servant, nor thy 
 cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates. For in six days the 
 Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested 
 the seventh day ; wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and hal 
 lowed it. 
 
 " Every Sabbath finds me in the violation of this law. My thoughts are 
 prone to be away from God ; and it is a fearful proof of depravity, that 
 we cannot devote one day in seven entirely to Him. The sum of the 
 
LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORNWELL. 
 
 four commandments already noted, is to love the Lord our God with all 
 our hearts, and with all our soul, and with all our strength, and with all 
 our minds. 
 
 PRAYER. 
 
 " most holy and righteous God, in reviewing my heart and life, 
 from infancy until the present time, I am constrained to acknowledge 
 that shame and confusion of face belong unto me. 
 
 " I have broken Thy holy law ; I stand convinced of rebellion, in its 
 worst forms ; I have been an atheist, an idolater, a sensual worhipper, 
 and a Sabbath-breaker. The fear of God has not been before my eyes ; 
 I have worshipped self, fame and ambition ; I have taken Thy holy Sab 
 bath, and profaned it to my unholy uses ; and I have dared to make an 
 image of Thine inconceivable majesty, in my own mind ; I have been 
 distrustful of thy promises ; I have taken Thy name in vain ; I have 
 sported with Thy word, Thy gifts, and Thy providences ; and altogether, 
 have been an abuser of God s goodness. Lord, I have sinned 
 against light, and knowledge, and reproofs, and warnings ; there is no 
 excuse for me ; I deserve hell. O God, my heart is rotten ; it is the 
 seat of all my iniquity. Lord, give me a new heart ; a heart to hate 
 sin and self, to love Thy glory in the face of Jesus Christ, and to serve 
 Thee continually. Oh ! enable me to love Thee with all my heart, with 
 all my mind, and with all my strength. All I ask is in the name, and 
 for the sake of Jesus Christ. Amen." 
 
 Mr. Thornwell s ministry in Lancaster was not of long 
 duration, extending from the middle of 1835 to the close 
 of 1837. A man of his abilities and general reputation 
 could not be retained in a retired country charge; and 
 shortly before his twenty-fifth birth-day, he received in 
 formation of his election to the Professorship of Logic 
 and Belles Lettres in the South Carolina College, ren 
 dered vacant by the recent death of the lamented Nott. 
 
CHAPTEK XI. 
 
 FIRST PROFESSORSHIP. 
 
 REORGANIZATION OF THE COLLEGE. ENTEBS IT AS PROFESSOR, INTI 
 MATE FRIENDSHIP WITH OTHERS OF THE FACULTY. Is APPOINTED TO 
 TEACH MENTAL SCIENCE. ENTHUSIASM AND SUCCESS IN THIS DEPART 
 MENT. Hrs NATIVE APTITUDE FOR THESE STUDIES. VINDICATED FROM 
 THE CHARGE THAT HE WAS WANTING IN THE ^ESTHETIC ELEMENT. 
 SCRUPLES OF CONSCIENCE. RESIGNS His PROFESSORSHIP. INSTALLED 
 PASTOR OF THE COLUMBIA CHURCH. AUTHOR S FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF 
 HIM. HE is RECALLED TO THE COLLEGE. 
 
 THE College had been completely reorganized since 
 Mr. Thornwell left it as a graduate, six years before. 
 Under the infidel influence of Dr. Cooper, it had steadily 
 languished, until the force of public sentiment compelled a 
 change of administration. In the language of the College 
 historian, Dr. Cooper "had drunk deep at the fountain of 
 infidelity ; he had sympathized with the sneering savans 
 of Paris, and sat at the feet of the most skeptical philo 
 sophers of England. If there was any feeling of his 
 nature stronger than all the rest, it was the feeling of 
 opposition to the Christian religion. He believed it to be 
 a fraud and imposture ; an artful contrivance to cheat fools, 
 and scare little children and old women."* It was not 
 wonderful that the Christian people of the State rose up 
 to defend " the altars which he proposed to subvert," and 
 to "protect their sons against the influence of a false and 
 soul-destroying philosophy, a species of Pyrrhonism, a 
 refined and subtle dialectics, which removed all the foun 
 dations of belief, and spread over the mind the dark and 
 chilling cloud of doubt and uncertainty." The issue was 
 slowly but stubbornly joined between the religious faith of 
 
 *Dr. La Borde s History of the South Carolina College, pp. 175-7. 
 
 145 
 
146 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORN WELL. 
 
 the masses, on the one hand, and a cold, bloodless Deism 
 on the other, which had enthroned itself upon the high 
 places of intelligence and power, and was poisoning the 
 very fountains of knowledge in the State. 
 
 Let the reader pause here, and adore the mystery of 
 that Providence which worketh not after the pattern of 
 human expectation. Who could have dreamed, when 
 this ribald infidelity was in the zenith of its power, that 
 it was even then nourishing in its bosom a champion for 
 the truth, who would soon enter tlxe lists, and take up the 
 gage of battle, and bear it off upon its triumphant lance ! 
 Who that, eight years before, saw a half-grown youth 
 sitting at the feet of the great apostle of Deism, and 
 drinking in his counsels as the inspiration of an oracle, 
 could foresee the advocate for Christianity, standing for 
 its defence upon the platform of its evidences, and un 
 doing the work of his own oracle and guide ! Who could 
 then have foretold that an infidel philosophy was whet 
 ting the dialectics which should unravel its own sophisms, 
 and feathering the arrow by which its own life should be 
 pierced; that Deism itself should be made to train the 
 giant strength by which its own castle should be demol 
 ished, and the spell of its foul enchantment be dissolved ! 
 Who can understand the ways of God ? It was the young 
 Saxon monk, climbing Pilate s staircase upon his knees, 
 who shook the gates of Papal Home. It was the young 
 man bearing the garments of those who stoned the first 
 martyr, who filled the world with the faith which once he 
 destroyed. 
 
 In December, 1835, the personnel of the Faculty was 
 entirely changed. The Hon. Robert W. Barn well was 
 elected to the Presidency, and the Rev. Dr. Stephen El 
 liott was appointed to the Professorship of -the Evidences 
 of Christianity and Sacred Literature, and the Chaplaincy 
 of the College a chair for the first time created, in obe 
 dience to the exactions of public opinion, and of which 
 Dr. Elliott was the first incumbent. And now, two years 
 
FIRST PROFESSORSHIP. 14:7 
 
 later, in "November, 1837, the Christian influence is 
 strengthened in the College, by the addition of Mr. 
 Thorn well to its staff of teachers. Never did three men 
 \vork together with greater harmony and efficiency. The 
 ties which bound them in the most intimate fellowship 
 were the purest and the most enduring that can exist on 
 earth : the love of sound learning, and perfect coincidence 
 in their views of evangelical religion. Messrs. Barn well 
 and Elliott were splendid types of the accomplished gen 
 tleman ; with those high and honourable instincts, and 
 with that dignity and suavity of address, which are cov 
 ered by this suggestive term. They were both distin 
 guished for what we are accustomed to express by the 
 word character / and withal were men of generous schol 
 arship, broad and public-spirited in their views, accus 
 tomed to sustain high trusts, and fully commanding the 
 respect arid homage of the citizens of the Commonwealth. 
 "With them Mr. Thornwell was soon brought into the 
 fullest sympathy ; and a personal friendship was formed 
 which even death has not interrupted, but which, as be 
 tween two out of the three, is now. perpetuated and con 
 summated in the light and glory of heaven. Thus happily 
 were the fears disappointed, entertained by some who 
 were friends of both, that two ministers of different 
 branches of the Church could not be brought together in 
 the Faculty without developing rival and sectarian inte 
 rests in the College. 
 
 The chair which Mr. Thornwell was invited to fill was 
 not, in part at least, the one which he was most fitted to 
 adorn. By a change soon after made, the department of 
 Metaphysics, as more congenial to his tastes, was com 
 mitted to him. No better opportunity than this will offer 
 itself, to repel a criticism which has been urged against 
 the character of his mind, that it was wholly deficient in 
 the aesthetic element. This will certainly appear to be a 
 superficial judgment, if one will but consider the rythm 
 and flow of his magnificent diction. The allegation will 
 
1-tS LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORNWELL. 
 
 he stranger still to those who know what a purist he was in 
 the selection of words, and the fastidious taste which 
 trammelled him as a writer, and limited the extent of his 
 authorship. His ear was oifended with everything not 
 drawn from "the pure well of English undefiled;" and 
 the slightest inaccuracy in the etymological application of 
 words jarred his nerves like the harsh filing of a saw. 
 His acquaintance ranged over the literature of his native 
 tongue, and over much of that to be found in foreign 
 dialects, both ancient and modern; and when in the vein 
 for it, he could adorn his style with the choicest gems 
 gathered from their stores. 
 
 It is freely admitted that the reason, rather than the 
 imagination, was the dominant faculty. He sought for 
 Truth herself; was never content unless he could em 
 brace her own fair form. He was a reasoner, and not a 
 dreamer; and his taste led him Out of the ideal world 
 into the actual and true. He did not linger in "the 
 chamber of imagery," upon whose walls were traced the 
 pictures of things; but he went forth into the broad 
 fields of knowledge, to find the originals of which these 
 pictures were but the shadows. There could not be as 
 cribed to him, as to his polished predecessor, " Tantus 
 amor florum et generandi gloria mellis" His style was 
 never festooned with tropes and figures, serving only to 
 embellish; but he was more than a logician, fatally en 
 tangled in the formulas of that rugged science; or the 
 subtle dialectician, 
 
 Who could distinguish and divide 
 A hair twixt south and southwest side." 
 
 He was an orator who could soar to the copestone of 
 heaven in his matchless eloquence, the spell of which was 
 never broken but with the cessation of the tones of hi& 
 voice ; and the* orator is always a poet, and a fervid im 
 agination is as necessary to the creations of the one as of 
 the other. The shallow criticism, which denies to him 
 
FIRST PROFESSORSHIP. 149 
 
 all sensibility to the beautiful, is sufficiently refuted by 
 the brilliant eloquence which enchained every audi 
 ence he addressed; for the sympathies and emotions of 
 men are never controlled, except where a living fancy 
 works as an organizing force, creating and actuating the 
 forms in which truth is painted before the mind. 
 
 A couple of incidents, happening, indeed,, at a later 
 period, during his second visit to Europe, are singularly 
 appropriate just here, as a part of the vindication we are 
 attempting. The first was related by himself to a friend, 
 who gives this account of it : " We sat in his study, 
 and had been laughing over the Doctor s sad want of 
 musical capacity, when he suddenly broke in with this 
 account of his seeing Raphael s Madonna: I had about 
 given it up as a bad case, and accepted the verdict of my 
 friends, that I had no appreciation of the aesthetic, until 
 my visit to the Dresden gallery undeceived me. I had 
 grown weary of the guide s ceaseless prosing about this 
 painting and that, and determined to turn aside to await 
 the return of my friends, after they had made the tour of 
 the gallery. I suppose that a considerable time had 
 elapsed, when I was aroused by their expression of amuse 
 ment at my deafness. I had been totally absorbed in the 
 admiration of a painting, which proved to be the Sistine 
 Madonna. I had happened upon the right place to show 
 that I had some sense of the beautiful in my composi 
 tion. " 
 
 A second incident is. given by the same friend, upon 
 the authority of one who was, a companion of the Doc 
 tor s travels, a favourite nephew, who unhappily fell in 
 the second battle of Manassas: "The tourists had been 
 climbing, with much fatigue, one of the Alps, cheered by 
 the conlident assurance of their guide that they would 
 soon be rewarded for their toil by a splendid prospect, 
 when the wind should scatter the mist which completely 
 shut them in. At length, the promised relief came. The 
 impenetrable walls of fog began to quiver as the breeze 
 
150 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORN WELL. 
 
 gathered power; and then the vapoury masses were drifted 
 up the mountain s side, like a great white curtain rolled 
 up by the deft hands of invisible spirits. The transi 
 tion was sudden, as the effect was overpowering. Fright 
 ful gorges, smiling valleys, snow-capped summits, frown 
 ing cliffs, cascades, and glaciers shimmering in the sun 
 light, stoool revealed, where all was a blank but a mo 
 ment before. My young friend told me that his atten 
 tion was withdrawn from the magnificent scenery to 
 the grotesque attitude and movements of his uncle. 
 Every feature of his countenance bespoke the most ec 
 static rapture, as he bent forward upon his mule, the 
 past toil forgotten, his hat crushed upon the back of his 
 head, his eye dilating, the under jaw relaxed, while inco 
 herent words burst from his lips. No doubt they ex 
 pressed a doring worship of the great Creator." 
 
 The accession of Mr. Thorn well to the corps of instruc 
 tors in the South Carolina College, was hailed with plea 
 sure by all who were familiar with his previous career. 
 The peculiar bent of his genius, his scholarly tastes, his 
 rare learning at so early an age, his insatiable thirst for 
 knowledge, and above all, his peculiar facility in impart 
 ing these spoils to others all pointed to academic life as 
 the sphere in which he would acquire most repute, and 
 be also the most extensively useful. These anticipations, 
 both of success and renown, were not shaded by dis 
 appointment in the least degree. Within two years from 
 his induction into office, he became so rooted into the 
 very life of the College that, during a period of eighteen 
 years, each successive effort to separate himself from its 
 venerable halls was defeated ; until at length, the Church, 
 that had so long lent him to the State, rose in her ma 
 jesty, and reclaimed the last few years of his invaluable 
 life to her immediate service. 
 
 The industry with which he ploughed the field of phil 
 osophy is proved by the existence amongst his manu 
 scripts of a course of lectures covering the entire field; 
 
FIRST PROFESSORSHIP. 151 
 
 all prepared within the two years in which only he taught 
 in this department. The value set upon these lectures at 
 the time of their delivery, is attested by the melancholy 
 gaps in the series, as they were borrowed by the students 
 and never returned. These breaks it is now impossible 
 to supply ; and they so mar the completeness as probably 
 to prevent their publication. Perhaps, too, it would 
 scarcely be just to surrender to public criticism lectures 
 written five and thirty years ago; and therefore, not 
 abreast with the later literature of a science, which has 
 been enriched by the contributions of such scholars and 
 thinkers as Sir William Hamilton and others, who would 
 be the pride and ornament of philosophy in any age of 
 the world. The editors of his works, who hold his pos 
 thumous reputation as a sacred trust, cannot fail to re 
 member that these lectures were prepared in haste, at a 
 a very early age, and were but the tentative efforts of one 
 who had just entered upon that branch of study, and 
 were never afterwards subjected to revision. 
 
 In contemplating the labours of truly great men, one 
 can scarcely repress the foolish wish that it were possible 
 to split the one man into many, and yet to carry over the 
 whole of him into each severed part. Human life is so 
 short, and the limit of physical endurance is so soon 
 reached, that the subdivision becomes almost painfully 
 minute. The comprehensive genius, which shows an 
 equal facility for every branch of knowledge, we regret 
 to see shut up within any bounds at all. It always seemed 
 to the writer that there was stuff in his friend to make a 
 dozen men ; and, in writing these lines, the fruitless sigh 
 will breathe itself out anew, that he could not have occu 
 pied all the provinces of human thought at once. His 
 studies were doubtless remanded by Providence to sub 
 jects of greater utility than that of speculative philosophy. 
 Yet, if his life could have been spent in this department, 
 his biographer would have been allowed to-apply to him 
 the splendid eulogium he has pronounced upon Sir Wil- 
 
LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORN WELL. 
 
 liam Hamilton: "In depth and acuteness of mind, a rival 
 of Aristotle; in immensity of learning, a match for Leib 
 nitz; in comprehensiveness of. thought, an equal of Bacon." 
 Even as it is, since the days of Edwards, no one has ap 
 peared on this continent so natively competent to realize 
 this grand combination, than the impassioned panegyrist 
 himself by whom it was framed. It is unfortunate that, 
 aside from the aroma which breathes through all his 
 writings, the evidence of his large acquisitions can be 
 gathered only from monographs ; and these upon topics 
 which lather implicate philosophy than lie wholly within 
 its domain. He was unquestionably master of its history, 
 from its dawii amidst the schools of Greece, through the 
 mid-day slumber in which it dozed with the schoolmen, 
 to the frenzied and fantastic dreams of our modern tran- 
 scendentalist. Acquainted with every shade of opinion, 
 his own criticism winnowed the chaff* from the wheat; 
 and every valuable contribution, made by any school or 
 age, was. safely gathered into the chambers of his memory. 
 These stores of knowledge were of course only gradually 
 acquired in the copious reading of after years ; but a solid 
 foundation was laid, during the brief period of his first 
 professorship, upon which were accumulated the results 
 of later study. 
 
 On the 1st of January, 1838, he found himself trans 
 ferred from the quiet duties of a country pastorate to the 
 still greater seclusion of academic life. He entered at 
 once, with characteristic ardour, upon the office of in 
 struction, in studies so peculiarly adapted to his taste. 
 Metaphysical science he speedily vindicated from the 
 charge of inutility, showing the application of its prin 
 ciples to the practical pursuits of men, and as implicitly 
 involved in the whole current of human intercourse. His 
 lucid exposition dispelled the haze of uncertainty hanging 
 a round themes so abstract and difficult of research. The 
 warmth of his enthusiasm quickened into life, and clothed 
 with flesh, the inarrowless bones of what was regarded 
 
FIRST PROFESSORSHIP. K>.", 
 
 only as a dead philosophy. The reanimated form, instinct 
 with the beauty which his glowing fancy diffused, invested 
 with the drapery which his varied learning supplied, and 
 speaking with the elevated tone which his eloquence in 
 spired, no longer repelled the embrace of ardent scholars, 
 as when it lay a ghastly skeleton covered with the dust of 
 centuries of barren speculation. Such was the impulse 
 given to this study, and so paramount the influence he 
 continued to wield in its behalf, during his long connection 
 with the College, that, enthroned among the sciences, its 
 ascendency has never since been disputed. 
 
 But congenial as were these pursuits to the young pro 
 fessor, his conscience began to be disturbed with scruples 
 which marred his repose. It has already been shown with 
 what unusual solemnity and depth of conviction he as 
 sumed the office of the holy ministry. His ordination vow 
 presses hard upon him. He had covenanted to make the 
 proclamation of God s grace to sinners the business of his 
 life. Did this comport with a life spent in teaching oth 
 ers only the endless see-saw of the syllogism, or even the 
 sublime mysteries of the human mind ? The opportunities 
 afforded for the occasional ministration of the Word, how 
 frequeat so ever, did not seem to fill up the measure of 
 .obligation he had contracted, by the "laying on of the hands 
 of the presbytery." He must preach with constancy and 
 system, as a man plying his vocation. " The word of the 
 Lord was in his heart, as a burning fire shut up in his 
 bones, and he was weary with forbearing." The charms 
 of scholastic retirement had not palled upon his enjoy 
 ment; but, with a stronger passion for the salvation of 
 men, he longed for the cure of souls. Under this pressure 
 of conscience, he proffered his resignation to the Board of 
 Trustees, in May, 1839, to take effect at the close of the 
 year ; with a view to accept the pastorship of the Presby 
 terian Church in Columbia, South Carolina, made vacant 
 by the retirement of the Rev. John Witherspoon, D. D., 
 LL. D. Accordingly, on the 1st day of January, 1840, 
 
154 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORNWELL. 
 
 he was installed by the Presbytery of Charleston in this 
 new relation, and finds himself once more the pastor of a 
 Christian flock. 
 
 Dr. Thornwell was, however, no stranger to the Co 
 lumbia pulpit, as he often, during the preceding year, for 
 consecutive Sabbaths, occupied the place of the pastor, 
 Dr. Witherspoon, when disabled by chronic sickness. It 
 was at this period the writer s acquaintance with his friend 
 began ; though his own position as a Divinity student did 
 not warrant the intimacy which was enjoyed a little later,, 
 when brought into the relation of a co-presbyter. The 
 impression will never be erased of the first discourse to 
 which he listened, in the year 1839. A thin, spare form, 
 with a slight stoop in the shoulders, stood in the desk, 
 with soft black hair falling obliquely over the forehead, 
 and a small eye, with a wonderful gleam when it was 
 lighted by the inspiration of his theme. The devotional 
 services offered nothing peculiar, beyond a quiet simplicity 
 and reverence. The reading was, perhaps, a trifle mono 
 tonous, and the prayer was marked rather by correctness 
 and method, than by fervour or fulness. But from the 
 opening of the discourse, there was a strange fascination, 
 such as had never been exercised by any other sp,eaker. 
 The subject was doctrinal, and Dr. Thornwell, who was 
 born into the ministry at the height of a great contro 
 versy, had on, then, the wiry edge of his youth. The first 
 impression made was that of being stunned by a peculiar 
 dogmatism in the statement of what seemed weighty pro 
 positions ; this was followed by a conscious resistance of 
 the authority which was felt to be a little brow-beating 
 with its positiveness ; and then, as lmk after link was 
 added to the chain of a consistent argument, expressed 
 with that agonistic fervour which belongs to the forum, 
 the effect at the close was to overwhelm and subdue. 
 u Who is this preacher ? " was asked of a neighbour, in 
 one of the pauses of the discourse. " That is Mr. Thorn- 
 well ; don t you know him ? " was the reply. Thornwell, 
 
FIRST PROFESSORSHIP. 155 
 
 Thorn well ! the sound came back like an echo from the 
 distant past, or like a half-remembered dream, which one 
 strives to recover; when suddenly it flashed upon the 
 memory that, eight years before, when a lad of thirteen, 
 he had heard a young collegian say, "There is a little 
 fellow just graduated in my class, of whom the world will 
 hear something, by and by ; his name is Thornwell." This 
 and that were put together ; the prophecy and the fulfil 
 ment already begun. How little did the writer dream, 
 in the wondering of that day, that nearly twenty years of 
 bosom friendship would bind him to that stranger, as 
 Jonathan was knit to David; or that, after five and thirty 
 years, he would be penning these reminiscences in this 
 biography. Let him be forgiven for floating thus a mo 
 ment upon the flood of these memories. 
 
 Dr. Thornwell remained in this, his second pastoral 
 charge, but a single twelve-month. His brief term of 
 service in the College had proved his value as an educator 
 too much to induce a general acquiescence in his with 
 drawal. An opportunity was soon presented for his recall. 
 The election of the Rev. Dr. Elliott as Bishop of the 
 diocese of Georgia, left the College pulpit without an 
 occupant. The vacant chaplaincy was at once tendered 
 him, in connection with the Professorship of Sacred Lit 
 erature and the Evidences of Christianity. The consci- 
 enHou? scruples which had withdrawn him from the chair 
 of Philosophy, did not embarrass his acceptance of a new 
 position, where he would be intrusted with the care of 
 souls, and those of a most important class in society. At 
 the opening of the year 1841, he entered upon his duties 
 in the College, amid the lamentation and tears of his de 
 serted charge. Never before or since was the -gospel 
 preached to them with the eloquence and power with 
 which it fell from his lips; and in the agony of their great 
 loss, the question was upon every tongue, " What shall 
 the man do that cometh after the king \ " The bereave 
 ment was only mitigated by the fact that lie still re- 
 
156 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORN WELL. 
 
 mained a resident of the town, and the opportunity would 
 be frequently enjoyed of listening to the music of his 
 voice. In his renewed connection with the College, he 
 remained, with only slight interruptions, through a period 
 of fifteen years, which it will be our pleasure to trace in 
 the chapters that follow. 
 
CHAPTER XII. 
 VOYAGE TO EUROPE. 
 
 SYMPTOMS OF AN ALARMING DISEASE. ORDERED TO EUROPE. LETTERS 
 BY THE WAY. SAILS FOR LIVERPOOL. JOURNAL. REFLECTIONS UPON 
 THE OCEAN ; UPON THE VALUE OF TIME ; UPON THE SEA AS A SCHOOL 
 FOR THE CHRISTIAN GRACES. DESCRIPTION OF A NEWFOUNDLAND Foo. 
 DANGERS. STORM AT SEA. AERIVES IN EUROPE. 
 
 THE College session of January, 1841, found Dr. Thorn- 
 well, as we have seen, restored to its halls. But his 
 labours were soon arrested by symptoms of an alarming 
 disease. Great prostration and several hemorrhages gave 
 tokens of that wasting consumption, which so often falls 
 as an early blight upon the most promising and useful 
 lives. A sea voyage was prescribed as necessary to his 
 restoration, including, as a motive for it, a visit to Eu 
 rope. The needful arrangements were completed by the 
 month of May, which finds him upon the journey. 
 
 It was evidently his purpose to keep a minute journal 
 of his travels, for the gratification of his family, and as a 
 memorial for himself. The distraction of sight-seeing, 
 however, prevented its execution, with the exception of 
 the record kept whilst he was at sea. Besides this, there 
 are no memoranda to be found among his papers ; and we 
 are left to glean his impressions of the Old World from 
 the letters addressed to his wife. AYith copious extracts 
 from these, the reader will have to be content, affording, 
 as they do, glimpses into his home life. The first was 
 written from Charleston, the first stage of his journey : 
 
 "CHARLESTON, S. C., May 1, 1841. 
 
 MY DEAREST WIFE : I received your very, very welcome letter this 
 evening, by Mrs. McFie ; for I was waiting for her at the depot, anxious 
 to hear from home. I have now seated myself to give you a long letter ; 
 
 157 
 
158 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORN WELL. 
 
 not so much because you have requested, as because it is a source of 
 pleasure to me to write to you, when I am away. How much we owe to 
 letters, and what a glorious invention is the art of writing ! In the first 
 place, .1 send a kiss to your own sweet lips, then one to Nannie, and 
 then another to Jenny, and my best wishes for all the rest of the fam 
 ily. I arrived in Charleston yesterday afternoon, much wearied by the 
 uncomfortable ride in the stage-coach. The wind blew severely on 
 Thursday night ; the doors of the coach had neither glass nor curtains, 
 and we had to take the wind as it came. My seat was just by the door, 
 and so I had the full benefit of all the breezes. There were nine pas 
 sengers, none of whom I knew ; and I was much amused with some of 
 their discussions. Among other things, they took up the subject of 
 Foreign Missions, and came to the conclusion that it did more harm than 
 good to send the Gospel to the heathen. They contended that the hea 
 then were happy in their ignorance ; and that to give them the Gospel 
 was only to give them the arts, and consequently tlje wants and desires 
 of civilized life, and thus to make them wretched. I could not but think 
 of the deplorable stupidity of the carnal heart. These men never once 
 adverted to the state of the soul, and the prospects of the heathen for 
 eternity. Poor creatures ! they were consistent. They never thought 
 of their own salvation ; and how could they be expected to think of the 
 salvation of others ? Their desires for themselves extended only to the 
 comfort of their bodies and the lusts of their flesh, and it was in this 
 aspect of the matter that they viewed the probable influence of the Gos 
 pel upon the dark places of the earth. * * * * 
 
 " I went down with Hall McGee, to see the different ships soon to sail 
 for Liverpool. I went all over the vessel in which Mrs. McFie expects 
 to sail. I think it a poor ship. It is very large, but its accommoda 
 tions are not good. * * * There is another ship, which sails for 
 Liverpool on Thursday, that it charms the eye to look at. She is called 
 the Colombo. I am almost tempted to go out in her. My present 
 arrangement is to go to Boston ; but if Mrs, M. will go in the Colombo, 
 I am not sure but I will go with her ; but I could not be tempted to 
 go in the ; Thetis. 
 
 " I feel, my dearest, that we are in the hands of God. He has won 
 derfully sustained me in the bitterness of separation. I feel confident 
 that all is for good, and that I shall be restored to you in health and 
 strength. I can see His hand in the whole matter. Let us endeavour to 
 love Him more and serve Him better. And now, dearest, good night. 
 I feel quite well. May God bless and keep you and the children. 
 " Your affectionate husband, 
 
 J. H. THOBNWELL." 
 
 To the same : 
 
 "BALTIMORE, MD., May 11, 1841, 
 
 " MY DEAKEST WIFE : Although I did not promise to write you until 
 I reached New York, yet having a .few hours of leisure in this place, I 
 find my thoughts recurring with fond affection to my dear wife and 
 
VOYAGK TO EUROPE. 159 
 
 
 
 children, and the beloved friends I have left behind me. It is a great 
 f-atisfaction to think of you all, and to commend- you to that God, whose 
 I am and whom I endeavour to serve. I cannot say that I am distressed 
 with anxious thoughts about your health and comfort. The Lord has 
 mercifully preserved me from painful and harrassing apprehensions in 
 regard to you ; but I often throw myself into jour company, carry on 
 an imaginary conversation with you about what I see and hear, and 
 fancy how you would feel and think, and what you would probably say, 
 if you were along by my side. * * * If God should preserve me 
 and keep me, and restore me to you all again, my heart leaps within me 
 at the rapture of our meeting. The prospect of that joy reconciles mo, 
 in some measure, to the privations and discomforts of our temporary 
 separation. Let us often pray for each other, and for the dear children, 
 our sweet, precious little babes. 
 
 "Agreeably to your own request, I shall now attempt to give you 
 some account of what has befallen me since I left Charleston. We had 
 a fine passage to Wilmington ; but the next day were detained on the 
 road by the cars breaking down. We were left at the house of a good 
 old Presbyterian family, in which there 1 were some excellent religious 
 books ; such as the Confession of Faith, Erskine and Fisher s Cate 
 chism, Watts on Prayer, and so on. I was quite edified and inter 
 ested in reading these memorials of the piety and faithfulness of a for 
 mer generation, and consequently did not feel disposed to murmur 
 at the Providence which detained us. There were two subjects which 
 bore much upon my mind, while at this house ; upon both of which I 
 intend putting my thoughts to paper when I get out to sea. They were 
 suggested to me by reading Watts on Prayer. One was the true spirit 
 and grace of prayer ; in what they consisted ; how they might be ap 
 proved : and why they were so little found among the great body of pro 
 fessors of religion. I am satisfied that there is much more formality in 
 our ordinary prayers than we, ourselves, are generally conscious of ; 
 th-tt in a multitude of instances we do nothing more than mock God, and 
 deceive ourselves. The other subject which pressed upon my mind, was 
 the defective spirit in which preaching is listened to, by those who call 
 themselves the children of God. Hearers are not sufficiently aware of 
 the true intent and end of the Christian ministry, and, therefore, do not 
 receive from the ministrations of the sanctuary that comfort and in 
 struction which, under the blessing of the Spirit, they are calculated to 
 afford. These meditations, coupled with many thoughts of home, and 
 many prayers for my precious wife and family, occupied my time dur 
 ing my delay upon my journey. 
 
 "The next day, we came safely on, and on last Saturday, at about 
 ten o clock at night, we reached the city of Baltimore, where I now am. 
 On. Sunday morning I went to Brother Breckinridge s * church, and 
 heard an excellent sermon. I went home with him, and have been stay 
 ing with -him ever since. The more I see of him, the more I love him. 
 
 *Rev. Robert J. Breckinridge, D. D., LL. D. 
 
160 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORNWELL. 
 
 % 
 
 There is no man in the Church more misrepresented and more mis 
 understood. He is exeeedingly affectionate, kind, and affable in his 
 family, and among his people. He has some habits like my own. He 
 loves to sleep in the morning, to smoke cigars, to it up at night, and to 
 tell funny stories. He is a very industrious and laborious man.* Yes 
 terday he made me write another article t in reply to the Catholic priests, 
 which will be published in the next Visitor. He has furnished me with 
 some very flattering letters to ministers in Europe, for which I am very 
 much indebted to him. 
 
 " To-morrow morning I leave for New Yovk, and then shall immedi 
 ately set sail for Europe. After much reflection and consultation, I 
 haye determined not to go in a steam packet, but in a sailing ship. The 
 steam packets are too crowded, and are said to be much more uncom 
 fortable and unsafe than the ships ; which, at this season of the year, 
 are as expeditious as the steamboats. In a few days more I shall be 
 upon the broad ocean. It is the very best season of the year for a voy 
 age. Everything seems favourable, and I hope to be in. Liverpool early 
 in June. When I reach Europe, I shall keep the journal which you de 
 sired, and send it to you regularly. My health seems to be the same as 
 usual. I have had no return of spitting blood ; the weakness in my 
 chest seems to have disappeared ; and if it were not for prudential and 
 prospective considerations. I had as lief preach as not. The sea, thus 
 far, has agreed finely with me. And now, dearest, let me exhort you to 
 be cheerful and happy until we meet again. Go among your friends and 
 kindred ; visit much, an<5 take frequent exercise, and be as hearty, as 
 strong, and as lovely, as care on your part can make you, when your 
 dear husband returns to you from abroad. He commits you and the 
 babes with confidence to God. A kiss for yourself, for Nannie and 
 Jenny, and lore to all. 
 
 " Your devoted husband, 
 
 J. H. THOENWELL." 
 
 At sea there was no opportunity for correspondence, 
 and we are thrown upon his journal for the current of his 
 thoughts. We will cite only such passages as reflect his 
 character and experience, through which the reader will 
 come into more personal and intimate acquaintance with 
 him : 
 
 " Wednesday, May 19^, 1841. About one and a half o clock, P. M., 
 we left the wharf at New York, in the packet-ship Columbus, and were- 
 towed over the bar at Sandy Hook by the steamboat Hercules. At 
 
 + The first article here referred to, was the famous Essay on the 
 Claims of the Apocrypha, which gave rise to the discussion with* Dr. 
 Lynch, and to his own book, entitled, Komanist Arguments Refuted, 
 all of which may be found in Vol. 3 of his Collected Writings. 
 
VOYAGE TO EUROPE. lf>l 
 
 three o clock the last tie which bound me to my native land was severed, 
 and we were fairly afloat upon the mighty ocean. The weather was so 
 calni that we did not lose sight of the lights upon the shore until three 
 o clock the next morning. The change in the atmosphere was remark 
 able : it became so cold after crossing the bar that I was compelled to 
 pull my overcoat closely around me, and would have been delighted at 
 the prospect of such comfortable fires as I left in Columbia. While 
 passing the bar we sat down to dinner. Our captain, a fine, jovial, 
 good uatured man, did the honours of the table ; and his fare would 
 have done credit to a New York hotel." 
 
 Here follows a sketch of the persons who were his 
 companions during the voyage, and the journal continues: 
 
 " We were indeed an ill-assorted collection, bound together by no 
 affinities at all ; and consequently each pursued, without any especial 
 regard to the comfort and convenience of others, the even tenor of 
 his way. 
 
 Thursday, May 20th. "When I arose (which, by the way, I did not 
 do until nine o clock) there was nothing to be seen but sky and water. 
 It was a beautiful morning ; the sun shone out in brightness and beauty ; 
 not a cloud fringed the sky ; the wind was so gentle that we moved at 
 the rate of only two or three miles an hour, and the whole prospect was 
 one of surpassing loveliness. I thought of Byron s beautiful apostrophe 
 to the ocean ; but I confess that I cannot enter fully into the spirit of 
 it. One labours under a sense of confinement in gazing upon the sea, 
 when smooth and unruffled. The horizon is too limited ; you feel that the 
 waters stretch beyond it, and hence yoTi are conscious of a constant effort 
 to enlarge the sphere of your vision, and to make your view co-extensive 
 with the vast expanse, which you know is spread out before you. The 
 ocean at rest is beautiful, but not sublime ; lovely, but not majestic ; it 
 soothes and charms the mind, but does not elate and expand it. A 
 storm at sea is doubtless a sublime spectacle ; but the mere expansive- 
 ness of the waters conduces nothing to the impression. It is the rolling 
 and dashing and heaving of the waves, the tremendous roar of the bil 
 lows, the tossing of the vessel, the threatening aspect of the heavens, 
 the dismal howling of the winds, and the appalling prospect of terror 
 which storm and tempest spread before them. It is not the vastness of 
 the ocean, but the impressions of the moment, the associations of terror, 
 and danger, and awful power ; the sense of the Godhead riding forth in 
 vengeance and majesty : these are the things which render a storm so 
 transcendently sublime. But the mere extent of the ocean makes a 
 very vague and indistinct impression. You cannot feel as you think 
 you ought to feel. You are disappointed in your own sensations ; the 
 prospect is more circumscribed than you had been led to anticipate, 
 and you exhatist yourself in vain attempts to stretch the volume of 
 waters beyond the capacity of your vision. Such, at least, was the 
 
162 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORN WELL. 
 
 case with myself. After gazing to the full upon the loveliness of a calru 
 and unruffled sea, reflecting, as a mirror, the bright rays of the sun, I 
 turned my thoughts, or rather they turned themselves with something 
 like magnetic attraction, to my own beloved home. Thoughts of home, 
 under such circumstances, are unutterably sweet. But it were vain to 
 attempt a description of the imaginary interviews which I held with her 
 whom I early led to the altar, and to whom I have plighted my faith, 
 and the precious little babes, the fair fruits of our early love. Though 
 far away, I can commend them with confidence to the .care and protec 
 tion of the Shepherd of Israel, who never slumbers nor sleeps. 
 
 "In walking to and fro upon the deck of the ship, my attention was 
 arrested by the motly character of the steerage passengers. Some ap 
 peared to be decent and respectable people ; they were neatly and tidily 
 dressed, and were quite prepossessing in their carriage and demeanour. 
 Poverty had doomed them to that quarter of the ship. Others were 
 the very picture of filth, meanness, and consummate wretchedness. 
 Dirty and ragged in their apparel, squalid in their countenances, low 
 and vulgar in their behaviour, the very refuse and off-scouring of the 
 earth, I was really glad that they were going away from our shores. 
 Our ship, in its cabin and steerage passengers, its officers and crew, pre 
 sents no mean picture of the world, in its various divisions and classes 
 of society. 
 
 I was much struck with the various efforts of my fellow-passengers 
 to while away the time. Though they would have shuddered at the 
 thought of death, they evidently had more time than they knew what to 
 do with. They tried cards, and dice, and chess ; they would walk, and 
 yawn, and smoke, and loll ; and, after all, sigh out in awful moans under 
 the intolerable burden of too much time. Ah me! on a dying bed 
 these wasted hours will be like fiends from hell!, to torture and harass the 
 burdened soul. How important is the caution of the Apostle, Ee- 
 deeming the time P Mark that word, redeeming. It implies scarcity ; 
 it teaches that time must be purcJiased; but who, until a dying hour, 
 now finds time scarce, or feels constrained to buy it ? 
 
 "Saturday, May 22d. It is now Saturday night, and I must prepare 
 for the holy Sabbath. My Bible and Confession of Faith are my tra 
 velling companions, and precious friends have they been to me. I 
 bless God for that glorious summary of Christian doctrine contained in 
 our noble standards. It has cheered my soul in many a dark hour, and 
 sustained me in many a desponding moment. I love to read it, and 
 ponder carefully each proof -text as I pass along. 
 
 "Monday, May 2th. I begin to feel very strongly the tameness 
 and monotony of a sea voyage. When your curiosity is gratified, and 
 the freshness of novelty subsides, you become very much wearied with the_ 
 continual recurrence of the same prospects and the same events. Sky 
 and water, sky and water, morning, noon, and night, are the constant 
 objects of contemplation presented to the eye. The only variety in the 
 scene is made by the changes in the wind, the sporting of the fish, the 
 
VOYAGE TO EUROPE. 163 
 
 flying of the sea-gulls, and the curious movements of Mother Carey s 
 chickens ; and even these partake, in a few days, of the same general 
 monotony. Calms are the school of patience ; storms, of faith ; and a 
 voyage, as a whole, a fine school for every Christian grace. And yet the 
 very circumstances by which it is adapted to discipline the graces of 
 the spirit, call out into powerful actfon the contrary vices of the carnal 
 heart ; and hence sailors are proverbially the most wicked and aban 
 doned men on earth. Those who, of all others, have the most to re 
 mind them of their dependence upon God, who require His breezes to 
 waft them on their way, and His protection in the perils of the storm, 
 are. of all others, the most forgetful of His claims, and most thoroughly 
 unmindful of His being. What a proof of His goodness when so many 
 ships are spared, manned by blasphemers, and mingling the voice of 
 cursing and imprecation with every murmur of the wind ! Surely His 
 tender mercies are over all His works. 
 
 "It is now ten o clock at night. I was forcibly struck to-day with 
 the propensity of my heart to trust in the creature rather than the Al 
 mighty. About twelve o clock we were threatened with a squall ; the 
 wind was high, the heavens were gathering blackness ; and some of the 
 passengers began to be alarmed. I at once, though I trust I was not 
 wholly forgetful of God, turned my attention to the strength of the 
 ship and the skill of our sailors ; and found, I am afraid, full as much 
 quietude of mind, from contemplating the calmness and self -possession 
 of the captain, as from the gracious promises of Him who says to the 
 ocean, Thus far shalt thou come, and here shall thy proud waves be 
 stayed. I pray that God may deliver me from the sin of unbelief. I 
 know its wickedness, but I feel its power. I strive and fight against 
 it, and sometimes am ready to congratulate myself that the victory is 
 won ; but in an evil hour I have fresh and mortifying evidence that I 
 am sinful dust and ashes. 
 
 " Tuesday, May 2>th. We have been nearly becalmed all day, and what 
 little progress we have made has been out of our course. The effects 
 of a calm in crushing the spirits of the passengers were very observable 
 at dinner. We all sat for a long time as mute as mice, until the captain, 
 with his usual good humour and pleasantry, broke the dismal silence with 
 some of his lively jokes. Such is his exhaustless store of anecdotes 
 and bon-mots, that the most austere ascetic would find it difficult to 
 preserve his gravity, or maintain the rigid contraction of his features. 
 He fills up my idea of what a sea-captain should be; in every respect but 
 one, and that is piety. Polite, without affectation ; decided, without se 
 verity ; gay. without levity ; and humorous, without buffoonery, he is 
 always pleasant himself, and renders every one pleasant around him. 
 He is a fair specimen of the moral effects which a religious education 
 will produce, even under the most unfavourable circumstances. He was 
 trained among the genuine old Puritans of New England ; and though 
 he went to sea very early in life, the habits and impressions of his child 
 hood adhere to him ; and he has been preserved, by his early instruc- 
 
164 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THOBNWELL. 
 
 tion, from the countless temptations and abandoned dissipations of a 
 sailor s life. His external deportment is not only blameless and irre 
 proachable, but to a certain extent, exemplary ; and apparently, all that 
 he wants is a new heart. Ah ! what a want is that. 
 
 " Wednesday, May 2th. At this moment, ten o clock at night, we 
 have a most convincing illustration* of the vanity and folly of trusting 
 in the flesh. We are now on the edge of the banks of Newfoundland, 
 enveloped in a mist so thick and dark that we can hardly see twice the 
 length of the ship ahead ; in the very regions of mountains of ice, 
 without the probability of discerning when we approach them, and com 
 pelled to sound a constant alarm of bells, to prevent ourselves from 
 coming in collision with other vessels. In such circumstances what can 
 the skill of man accomplish ? What can human prudence or sagacity 
 achieve ? When we consider the multitude of vessels that pass these 
 banks, shrouded in almost midnight darkness at noonday, and yet pre 
 served from the desolation of the icebergs, how clear is the proof of a 
 guiding hand upon us, and of a superintending Providence above us ! 
 Those who have not seen it, can form no conception of the impenetra 
 ble thickness of the mists that here overhang the sea. It is like an im 
 mense body of smoke lying upon the bosom of the waters, and shutting 
 out every prospect, either of sky or ocean, from the eye of the observer. 
 It is, indeed, awful to witness ! 
 
 " Thursday, May 27th. We sail to-day amid unseen dangers on 
 every hand. The water is very near the freezing point, an impenetra 
 ble fog hangs around the ship, and we know not at what moment we 
 may be dashed against a mountain of ice, and consigned to a watery 
 grave. Already this morning have we met the shattered fragments of 
 some vessel that has recently met her fate in these dreary regions. How 
 awful is a wreck ! How solemn and how prayerful should we be, when, 
 we pass among the melancholy memorials of those who have been lost 
 suddenly, unexpectedly, awfully lost upon the yawning deep ! Oh ! it is 
 fearful ; in the full career of manhood, in health and strength, with all 
 our energies about us, buoyant with hope, away from friends that we 
 love, and a family that we fondly cherish, to meet death riding in terror 
 upon the foaming billows ; to die in the full consciousness of death ; 
 to die when we feel that we are full of life. Great God ! preserve me, 
 preserve us all from this dreadful end ! 
 
 "About sunset it became so frightfully dark that the captain could 
 not venture to proceed, and accordingly, in sailor dialect, lay to. 1 
 In about two hours afterwards the wind shifted to the northwest, and 
 dissipated the fog so that we were able to go on. And here we are 
 now under full sail, with a fine breeze and a clear sky, and the moon 
 reflecting her silver light upon the bosom of the waters. I here record 
 my solemn conviction, that God has favoured us in answer to prayer. 
 My own heart has been going out in humble supplication, and I am 
 sure that others on board have an interest at the throne of grace. Oh ! 
 it is a delightful view of the Divine character, which the psalmist gives- 
 us in these words : Thou that hearest prayer. 
 
VOYAGE TO EUROPE. 165 
 
 "I shudder to think of the dangers through which we have passed 
 to-day. Every precaution which human skill or prudence could suggest 
 was adopted ; but still our limited vision rendered our situation appall 
 ing, and OUT safety must be ascribed to Him who holds the sea in the 
 hollow of His hand. By the grace of God, which marvellously enabled 
 me to trust in His protection, I was calm and composed ; and never in 
 my life enjoyed so richly the portion of the Larger Catechism extending 
 from question 178 to the close. The answers there set down, and the 
 various proof-texts, precious jewels from the exhaustless mine of God s 
 holy Word, contain a summary of Christian instruction, and a model of 
 Christian spirit, which cannot be too faithfully studied. I have read 
 the creeds of most Christian bodies ; I have been rejoiced at the general 
 harmony of Protestant Christendom in the great doctrines of the gos 
 pel ; but I know of no uninspired production, in any language, or of any 
 denomination, that, for richness of matter, clearness of statement, 
 soundness of doctrine, scriptural expression, and edifying tendency, 
 can for a moment enter into competition with the Westminster Confes 
 sion and Catechisms. It was a noble body of divines, called by a noble 
 body of statesmen, that composed them ; and there they stand, and will 
 stand for ever, the monuments alike of religious truth and civil freedom. 
 
 "Monday, May 3lst. To-day we have a rough sea; our vessel is 
 tossing upon the waters like an egg-shell, and most of the passengers 
 are sick. About five o clock in the afternoon we had a most terrific 
 squall. The waves were rolling like mountains, and every moment it 
 seemed that our gallant ship must be engulphed. She was dashed now 
 upon one side, now upon the other, now plunging her bow under huge 
 billows which broke over her, and seemed as if they would sink her ; 
 and then riding the waves as if in defiance of their fury ; the sea mean 
 while foaming, and dashing, and roaring like constant thunder, and the 
 wind howling through the rigging with deafening violence, while the 
 heavens were scowling in blackness. The whole scene was one of ter 
 ror and sublimity, which baffles all description. One could hardly re 
 sist the impression that the vessel was conscious of her danger. She 
 appeared to prepare herself to meet every wave, and to withstand every 
 gust of wind. Sometimes we would appear to be several feet beneath 
 the general level of the whole body of the sea ahead, which seemed 
 rolling on to meet and crush us ; but the vessel, as if instinct with life, 
 would raise her bow and dash forward, as if driven by ten thousand 
 furies, and fleeing for her safety. 
 
 " Thursday \ June Ad. Wind against us all day. Six weeks this 
 night have rolled around, since I bid farewell to my beloved family. I 
 can see my wife now in the posture of patient resignation and holy sor 
 row, in which she sat when, with a throbbing heart, I bid her a mourn 
 ful farewell. I can see my cherub babes, all unconscious as they were 
 that evening of what was taking place ; I can see them now smiling be 
 fore me in the loveliness of infancy, and all the fond endearments of 
 home are crowding around my heart. Well might Cowper say, 
 
166 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORNWELL. 
 
 " Domestic happiness ! thou only bliss 
 Of Paradi.se, that hast survived, the fall ! 
 Thou art the nurse of virtue ; in thine arms 
 She smiles, appearing, as in truth she is, 
 Heaven-born, and destined to the skies again. 
 
 " Monday, June 7th. I preached yesterday. The cabin and steerage 
 passengers, with the crew, made a very good congregation, and they lis 
 tened very attentively. Wind against us yesterday and to-day." 
 
 " Monday, June lth. After a succession of head-winds we at length 
 have a favourable breeze, which has diffused joy and gladness through 
 out the ship. We have been sailing to-day along the coast of Ireland, 
 having passed Kensale, Cork, and Waterford. 
 
 " Tuesday, June 15th. Sailing to-day along the coast of Wales, and 
 a picturesque coast it is. We took a pilot on board about two o clock 
 P. M 
 
 " Wednesday, June 16th. We entered the docks at Liverpool early 
 this morning ; and I took my breakfast in the Grecian Hotel, devoutly 
 thankful for my safe passage. The Lord s name be praised for all Kis 
 mercies, and may He continue his loving kindness through all my wan 
 derings, and through all my life." 
 
CHAPTER XIII. 
 LETTERS FROM EUROPE. 
 
 DESCRIPTION OF LIVERPOOL. WARMTH OF ENGLISH POLITICS. DE 
 SCRIPTION OF CHESTER AND ITS ANTIQUITIES. A NOBLEMAN S ESTATE. 
 DESCRIPTION OF LONDON. ITS INTERESTING ASSOCIATIONS AND 
 STRIKING CONTRASTS. GOES TO SCOTLAND. DESCRIPTION OF GLAS 
 GOW. INTERCOURSE WITH THE SECEDERS. ACCOUNT OF PLACES VIS 
 ITED ON HIS JOURNEY. KENILWORTH. WARWICK. STRATFORD-UPON- 
 AVON. MELROSE ABBEY. DRYBURGH. IMPRESSIONS OF PARIS. ITS 
 LIONS. RETURN HOME. PATRIOTISM. 
 
 IT is tantalizing that Dr. Thornwell should have made 
 two visits to Europe, leaving behind no detailed ac 
 count of what he saw, and of the impressions made upon 
 his own mind. In both instances, however, he was in 
 feeble health, and his stay exceedingly brief. Little more 
 could be accomplished by him than to maintain a regular 
 correspondence with his family, upon which we are thrown, 
 in this chapter, for all that is known of his first trip : 
 
 "LIVERPOOL, June 16, 1841. 
 
 "MY DEAREST, MOST PRECIOUS WIFE: Twenty-eight days have 
 elapsed since I left New York, in the fine packet-ship, Columbus, 
 under the command of my old friend, Captain Barstowe ; and here I 
 am now in merry old England, safe, sound, and hearty. * * * As 
 I know that you must be very anxious in regard to my health, I shall 
 state at once that the voyage has been of immense service to me. I 
 look fifty per cent, better than I did when I left New York, and a hun 
 dred times better than when I left Charleston and Columbia. I am 
 sorry that you were distressed with the false report of my having had a 
 hemorrhage on the road. I hare had none since I left home. I had a 
 cold in Charleston, from riding at night, but that passed off before I 
 left the city. At this time my appetite is unusually fine ; and, in jus 
 tice to England, I must say that there is everything to gratify it. My 
 complexion is clear and healthful, my digestion uncommonly good, and 
 in every respect I have abundant reasons for thankfulness to the Giver 
 of all good. I firmly believe that the crossing of the ocean has been 
 
 167 
 
168 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THOKNWELL. 
 
 the very making of me ; and I now rejoice that the passage was long, 
 because the sea-air has been so eminently serviceable. You cannot 
 imagine how it has strengthened me. 
 
 You may wish to know something about Liverpool. As a matter 
 of course, one day s acquaintance is too short for forming a very correct 
 opinion. The docks, which are about the greatest curiosity here, are 
 immensely large ; built of stone, and crowded with vessels from all 
 parts of the world. They extend something like two miles, and for all 
 that space are literally crammed with ships, their masts pointing to the 
 skies like huge forests, and their colours gracefully floating to the 
 breeze. There is nothing in all America like these spacious docks. 
 The tides in our country do not rise high enough to adirit of them ; 
 and here they rise too high to admit of what we have in all our cities 
 wharves. At high tide here the water rises nineteen feet. The public 
 buildings in Liverpool are on a magnificent scale, much larger and finer 
 than buildings of the same sort in America ; but they are deplorably 
 smoky and dingy from the immense quantities of coal consumed here. 
 The stores and private buildings are not so handsome as they are in 
 New York or Philadelphia. The streets are narrow and crowded, and, 
 in some parts of the town, disgustingly filthy. The police is stationed, 
 a man for about every fifty yards, along every street, so as to be within 
 a moment s call for the purpose of suppressing mobs, riots, and all dis 
 order. You see an immense poor population here, all ragged and dirty, 
 and begging for alms at almost every corner you turn. Sometimes 
 you meet a wretched, squalid woman in ragged clothes, barefooted, 
 with a sheet, or something like it, tied around her, and two or three 
 little children fastened in it, begging for bread, or alms of some sort, 
 and exciting your compassion by pointing to the helpless condition of 
 her babes. I am told that these children are frequently borrowed, and 
 carried about fraudulently, for the purpose of touching the feelings of 
 spectators. I was walking along in a street to-day, in a very dirty part 
 of the town, and found the cellars, damp, dark, and filthy, occupied by 
 families poorer than the poorest that I ever saw in America. Some 
 times two or three families, amounting to about twenty persons, live in 
 a single room, several feet under ground, in a hole not larger than our 
 pantry, with not a single window in it, and pay nearly all that they can 
 earn by hard labour for their rent. This is tcretchedness, this is poverty 
 indeed. Those who can get enough to eat have a very healthful, ruddy 
 appearance. Their faces looked so red and rosy that my first impres 
 sion was that they painted. But I am told it is the natural complexion 
 of the people. 
 
 " I like the plan of the English hotels very much. A man is as private 
 in them as in his o\vn house. You order whatever you wish for your 
 meals ; are charged for what you get, and eat it in your own dining 
 room. There is no such thing as a public table. Every man or family, 
 eats when and what he pleases. The cooking is superb ; everything is 
 clean and tidy ; nothing out of place ; and the servants are prompt, and 
 
LETTERS FROM EUROPE. 169 
 
 active, and as polite as French dancing-masters. I have arrived here at 
 the finest season of the year. Strawberries and cherries are just ripe, 
 and Liverpool abounds with them. The strawberries are about four 
 times as large as ours. We have also gooseberries in abundance, but 
 they are dreadfully sour. The beef is delicious ; and such coffee as I 
 have drunk here I have not tasted in many a day before. In short, so 
 far as my outer man is concerned, I abound in comforts. * * * I 
 have no difficulty in getting along here. I feel perfectly at home. I 
 hear my own language, see many of the customs with which I am famil 
 iar, and cannot realize that I am among strangers. 
 
 "I have been amused here with the warmth with which the people 
 discuss politics. They are just as violent as they are in America. You 
 see handbills stuck up along the streets, by the different parties, just as 
 there was in Columbia, during the contest between Van Buren and Har 
 rison. The tories and whigs are equally violent, and equally abusive. 
 They have ptiblic meetings, make furious speeches, abiise the Govern 
 ment, curse one another, generally close by raising a mob, and these are 
 scattered by the police. Another wonder to me, was the prodigious size 
 of the dray horses. They are nearly as large as elephants, very muscular, 
 and two of them draw the weight of six or eight with us. They are too 
 large, however, to be active ; and hence I have never seen them move 
 faster than a walk. I believe, now, dearest, I have told you all that I 
 have seen during my first day in Europe. There is but one thing. which 
 prevents me from being perfectly happy, so far as this world is concerned ; 
 and that is, you are not with me. I seldom see anything new, strange. 
 or interesting, without thinking of you, and wishing that you could see 
 it too. May God bless you, and keep you. Have no fears about me ; 
 the Lord will preserve me ; and I feel every confidence that in His own 
 good time we shall meet again. His hand is risible in my leaving home. 
 Just think of the very little matter upon Avhich all my subsequent 
 
 movements have turned. Prof. failed to fill an appointment, 
 
 and that sent me to Europe. Two months ago, and who dreamed that 
 I should be in Liverpool to-day ? It is the Lord s doing, and it is mar 
 vellous in my eyes. I feel that I am a child of a wonderful and myste 
 rious Providence ; and I am satisfied that good is to arise out of this 
 matter. I have never enjoyed the Bible and communion with God so 
 much in all rny life, as I did upon the ocean. I lived upon the Scrip 
 ture, and can truly say, that, in a spiritual point of view, my voyage 
 has been of as much service to my soul, as, in a physical respect, it has 
 been to my body. It has been, too, a great comfort to me to think that 
 many of God s people are praying for my prosperity. I wept freely 
 when I read Coifs letter. Such a friend is a treasure beyond all price. 
 * * * 
 
 "In a day or two, I shall leave Liverpool for Ireland, where I shall 
 visit Dublin, Belfast, etc.; and from Ireland proceed to Scotland, and 
 make a tour of two or three weeks there ; and then proceed to London ; 
 so that I shall not be in London until the last of July. After finishing 
 
170 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORN WELL. 
 
 the tour of Ireland, Scotland, and England, I shall proceed to Paris ; 
 thence to Switzerland ; thence to Germany ; and, if I have time, to 
 Rome. If not, I shah 1 return to Liverpool, and probably take a ship 
 directly for Charleston. But it is useless to calculate so far ahead ; I may 
 change my mind a hundred times. And now, dearest, I must bring this 
 long, hasty scrawl to a close. Kiss the dear little babes for me, remem 
 ber me to all our friends, and be perfectly at ease about my health, com 
 mitting me to the care of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. God 
 bless you with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. 
 " Your devoted husband. 
 
 J. H. THORNWELL." 
 
 "LONDON, June 28th, 1841. 
 
 "My OWN MOST PRECIOUS NANCY : You will probably be greatly sur 
 prised to find that I am in London so soon, having written to you that 
 I purposed visiting Ireland and Scotland first. But two circumstances 
 induced me to change ruy route. One was the badness of the weather. 
 The day that I had fixed on for going to Dublin was a windy, gusty 
 day, and I did not feel like going to sea in a strong gale. Another in- 
 ducement for coming to London at once, was my anxiety to witness the 
 ceremony of proroguing Parliament, which was done last Tuesday. 
 After all, however, I did not see it, as I was misinformed aboiit the 
 time, and got there too late. I must now attempt to give an account 
 of myself since I last wrote you. 
 
 From Liverpool I went to Chester, about sixteen miles off, one of 
 the oldest towns in England. It is situated upon the river Dee, has a 
 large thick wall built entirely around it, which affords a splendid walk 
 of a summer afternoon, the wall having a balustraded walk on the top, 
 large enough for two persons to go abreast This wall was built when 
 England was in possession of the Romans. It has several towers, in 
 tended originally as stations for watchmen upon the wall, and which no77 
 afford very fine views of the country around. Upon one of these towers 
 Charles the First beheld the rout of his army at Marston moor. There ia 
 an inscription upon it commemorative of the fact. Most of the houses in 
 Chester are constructed Tipon a very peculiar plan. They are excavated 
 from the rock (Chester being situated on a rocky eminence) to the depth 
 of one story beneath the level of the ground on each side, and have a 
 portico running along their front, level with the ground at their back, 
 but one story above the street. These porticoes, which are called the 
 Rows, afford a covered walk to pedestrians ; and beneath them are 
 shops and warehouses on a level with the street. While you are walk 
 ing along these Rows, you are walking between shops and stalls. Among 
 the lions of Chester, which, after all, is distinguished for nothing but 
 its antiquities, is the Castle, part of which was built during the time 
 of William the Conqueror, and part in modern times. It is a very 
 magnificent building, comprising an armoury containing nearly thirty 
 
LETTERS FROM EUROPE. 171 
 
 thousand stand of arms, tastefully disposed, a gunpowder magazine, the 
 shire hall, with a noble portico, the county gaol. etc. 
 
 44 Next comes the Cathedral, a huge Gothic pile, parts of which were 
 built nearly twelve hundred years ago. Like all buildings of its class, 
 it is in form of a cross. It contains some curious monuments, the 
 inscriptions upon which have been effaced by the hand of time. Among 
 the illustrious dead deposited within its walls lie the remains of Travis 
 and Smith. The cloisters of the priests and monks, when it was an 
 abbey, in the possession of the Roman Catholics, prior to the Reforma- 
 tion, are very much worn by age. Though the edifice is constructed of 
 solid stone, its huge colossal pillars look as if there had been floods of 
 water constantly but slowly washing them away. The bishop s throne, 
 upon which I had the impudence to seat myself, feeling myself to be as 
 much of a bishop as any body, was formerly Saint Werburgh s shrine. 
 I felt, in traversing its huge nave, and walking under its lofty ceiling, 
 that I was conversing with men of a by-gone age. I could almost hear 
 the monks counting their beads and muttering their idle prayers, as 
 they did in days of yore in this prodigious pile. There is nothing spe 
 cially to recommend this building, but its hugeness and antiquity. I 
 noticed within it the monument of the venerable Bishop Hall. I at 
 tended worship at Chester, in the morning at an Independent chapel, 
 and in the afternoon at Saint Peter s church, where I heard Rev. E. 
 Bickersteth, whose works, you know, I own. Both preachers wero 
 evangelical, but their delivery was shocking, a real school-boy whine. 
 Their gowns seemed too much in their way ; they were constantly 
 shrugging their shoulders to keep these worthless appendages from 
 tumbling off. Saint Peter s church, like the Cathedral, tells of other 
 days. The hand of time is visibly marked in the wasting of its pillars; 
 its shape and structure also indicate a high antiquity. I was glad to 
 hear the pure gospel preached, however badly preached, where, three 
 centuries ago, the absurd fooleries of Rome held undisputed sway. 
 God grant that every papist chapel on earth may witness the same 
 change. In Trinity church, another ancient edifice in Chester, lie the 
 mortal remains of Matthew Henry, the commentator, and the . poet, 
 Parnell. The style of architecture, if bricks apparently thrown to 
 gether in heedless confusion can be called a style, is evidently ancient. 
 The houses are low, dreadfully smoked, thrown up without taste or ele 
 gance, and shockingly crowded together. Nothing but their age redeems, 
 them from contempt ; and yet the situation of the town is fine. Almost 
 around it flows the river Dee. On one side you have a beautiful view 
 of the mountains of Wales, on the other a commanding prospect of the 
 hills of Cheshire, while all around the country is lovely from its striking 
 undulations. In this city is the famous cheese mart of England. It is 
 a large area enclosed on all sides, where fairs are held of cheese brought 
 from all parts of the country. 
 
 " There are still to be seen here the remains of an old Roman hot and 
 cold bath ; and some houses with grotesque devices, that might have 
 
172} LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THOKNWELL. 
 
 been erected in the earlier stages of British history ; evidently put up 
 as early as the Roman invasion. This town, seven hundred years ago, 
 was the scene of the interview between Henry the Second and Malcolm 
 the Fourth ; and here, more than five hundred years ago, Edward re 
 ceived the submission of the Welsh. It stood out for the King during 
 the civil wars, but was finally taken by the Parliament, in 1645. Its pop 
 ulation is about twenty-two thousand. There are as many buildings now 
 without as within the walls. The old town is on a rocky eminence ; 
 many of the new buildings are in a valley ; and as you walk upon the 
 old wall, you have these buildings beneath your feet ; and the whole de 
 clivity, down to their level, is in a rich state of cultivation. About 
 three miles from Chester is Eaton Hall, the magnificent seat of the Mar 
 quis of Westminster, one of the richest noblemen in England. His in 
 come is about five thousand dollars a day. His yard, as we would call it, 
 embraces about thirty square miles, beatitifully laid out in forests, gar 
 dens, and parks. He has been at immense expense to import every variety 
 of trees, and flowers, and fruits, from all parts of the world. His hot 
 houses cover several acres of ground ; and include a fine peach orchard, a 
 rich grape arbour, thousands of pine-apple trees, oranges, lemons, and 
 every fruit of every climate ; and that, too, in full perfection. In the midst 
 of his gardens, and just before his door, winds the river Dee ; from the 
 portico of his mansion, on one side, you have a beautiful view of the 
 mountains of North Wales, and on the other, of the hills of Cheshire. 
 His park is stocked with deer, grazing about as tame as sheep. I went 
 all over his building, which has recently been fitted up ; but its rich and 
 gorgeous saloons, its plated furniture, its spacious halls, I am utterly 
 unable to describe. His stables are fine, rich buildings, with heavy 
 Gothic arches and windows. They would be a palace for men, much 
 less for horses. In the gardens is an old Eornan altar, with nymphs 
 and fountains, which the Marquis has preserved. 
 
 " I have now gone through my description of Chester; from which I 
 came on to London, without stopping at any of the intermediate towns. 
 I reached London the day that Parliament was prorogued by Her Maj 
 esty, the Queen, but I did not witness the ceremony. I was in the 
 Houses of Lords and Commons, however, immediately after ; and guess 
 my surprise to see what little, narrow, contracted halls they were ; and 
 the benches were, for all the world, like school benches, except that they 
 .were cushioned. On expressing my astonishment that the British Legis 
 lature should meet in such quarters, I was reminded of what I knew 
 before, that these were only temporary accommodations, the old ones 
 having been burnt ; and that they were now putting up magnificent 
 buildings for the purpose. From these halls I went to Whitehall, where 
 Charles the First was executed ; then to Westminster Abbey, where our 
 noble Confession of Faith was drawn up, and where lie crowded to 
 gether the mighty dead of many centuries. Thence I went to West 
 minster Hall, a spacious area, originally built for a banquetiiig-house ; 
 thence to the Parks Hyde Park. Saint James , the Palace, and Regent s 
 
LETTERS FROM EUROPE. 173 
 
 Park ; but as I have been here a week, and have seen yet only a corne r of 
 London, I must reserve a description of this vast metropolis for axi- 
 other of my short epistles. One of my first achievements was to hunt- 
 out the book range, the famous Pater Noster Kow ; and imagine my 
 surprise to. find it a little, narrow, dirty lane, where a carriage could 
 hardly pass. The whole region smelt of Popery : Pater Noster, Ave 
 Maria, Amen, &c., being the streets of the square. And now, dearest, 
 I must draw to a close. In about ten days more I leave for Scotland. 
 " Your most devoted husband, 
 
 J. H. THORN WELL." 
 
 His third letter, dated London, July 2d, 1841, is largely 
 occupied with personal and domestic allusions, which would 
 have little interest for the general reader; after which he 
 proceeds to "say: 
 
 "I have not yet flirted with the Queen, neither have I seen Her 
 Majesty ; and as I am not disposed to pay one or two hundred dollars 
 for the privilege of paying obeisance .to royalty, I shall not seek the 
 honour of an introduction. You can only be introduced in a court 
 dress ; which consists of knee-breeches, silk stockings, silver buckles, 
 and I know not what trumpery besides. I have been all around and 
 about, though not in, the Palace. I have seen most of the noblemen s 
 houses, and almost all the lions of London. Mr. Trezevant s family, 
 who have shown me great kindness, and Mr. Stevenson, are the only ac 
 quaintances I have made. My object has been to see ; and hence I have 
 not been anxious to get into society. I have traced out all the leading 
 places in London, rendered illustrious by literary association. I have 
 been in the very cell in the famous tower, where Sir Walter Kaleigh was 
 confined, and where he wrote his history of the world. I have stood 
 upon the spot where Anne Boleyn was executed, and have lifted the axe 
 which took off her head. I have seen the armours of kings and 
 knights, from eight hundred years ago to the present time. I have sat 
 in the great chair in which all the Kings of England have been crowned 
 for eight hundred years. I have seen the monuments of the mighty 
 dead, extending ten centuries back ; I have stood upon the place where 
 Charles the First was gloriously executed, and have been entranced in 
 the chapel where our noble standards were compiled. I have gazed 
 upon the edifice in which Watts and Owen preached, though it is now 
 sadly dilapidated, and has ceased to be a church. I have been in the 
 range where Johnson lived, and where the literary men of his day mot 
 their clubs. The inn is still standing where the poet Chaucer and 
 twenty-nine pilgrims, were accommodated on their journey to Canter 
 bury. London is full of literary associations. It has been the scene of 
 great and glorious events, as well as others of a contrary character. I 
 
174: 
 
 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORN WELL. 
 
 havj been in all the villages for ten miles around London, visiting some 
 b; land, and others by boats upon the river Thames. It is impossible, 
 Jo. the compass of a single letter, to give anything like a description 
 of this vast metropolis, and of the exquisite loveliness and beauty of the 
 country and villages around. But I often think of Byron s description 
 of it in Don Juan : 
 
 " A mighty mass of brick, and stone, and shipping, 
 Dirty and dusky, but as wide as eye 
 Can reach ; with here and there a sail just skipping 
 In sight, then lost amid the forestry 
 Of masts ; a wilderness of steeples peeping 
 On tip-toe, through their sea-coal canopy ; 
 A huge dun cupola, like a foolscap crown 
 On a fool s head and there is London town. 
 
 "The west end of London, always bating the smoke, surpasses the 
 most extravagant conception which a stranger can form of it. Its parks 
 and squares, its crescents and public buildings, are almost like enchanted 
 ground ; and then, the great variety, the astonishing contrasts, which a 
 short walk will present you with, from the Palace to Billingsgate, It is, 
 in fact, a faithful picture of the world. Greenwich Hospital, and 
 Greenwich Park, are themselves worth a trip across the Atlantic to see. 
 They are about three miles from what is called London, though it is 
 built up nearly all the way. I walk, on an average, about ten miles 
 every day, gazing, wondering, and cogitating. I have seen much of the 
 common people, having arrived here at the time of the general elections. 
 I have attended some of their meetings, worming myself through the vast 
 crowds with my hands on my watch and my purse, for there are some 
 prodigiously light-fingered gentry here ; and I have witnessed something 
 of bribery, fraud, and intimidation, which are practised by the rich and 
 great. It is now a time of intense political excitement. I must say. 
 that in all that makes life precious, and exalts, refines, and elevates the 
 mass of the people, America is immeasurably superior to England. 
 Give me my own country forever. I see what is excellent in England ; 
 but I see so much of an opposite character, that I must still sigh for 
 my native land. The tories here have a prodigious prejudice against us, 
 and abolitionism is, if possible, more fanatical here than in America. 
 
 "Next week I shall leave London for Scotland. I shall travel leis 
 urely, visiting all the principal places. My health is quite good. I feel 
 as strong as I ever did ; much more elastic, and have not the slightest 
 sensation of weakness in the chest. I feel confident that, by the bless 
 ing of God, my health will be quite restored, so that I can return to my 
 duties by the first of December. In regard to journalizing, I cannot 
 write anything of interest, from want of time. I could only give a 
 meagre skeleton of names and places, with some general description, that 
 would amount to nothing. My letters, I hope, will be as interesting as 
 a journal, such as I should be compelled to write. And now dearest, 
 
I.KTTERS FROM EUROPE. 175 
 
 precious Nancy, I commend you to God, aud the word of His grace ; 
 and believe me as ever, 
 
 " Your devoted husband, 
 
 J. H, TlIORNWELL/ 
 
 The next letter is dated, 
 
 "GLASGOW, SCOTLAND, July 15, 1841. 
 
 "Mr DEAREST WIFE : It is with heartfelt pleasure that I sit down to 
 hold communication with her whom my soul loves, in the only way 
 which is now left me. I feel that, in your affections, I possess a prize 
 of inestimable value ; and I look forward, with interest and delight, to 
 the renewed joys which we shall experience in the society of each other, 
 when God shall bring us together again, after our long and painful sepa 
 ration. I have thought much of the best methods of sanctifying our 
 love, and of being fellow-helpers to each other in our heavenly pil 
 grimage. I feel a renewed obligation, from God s great goodness to 
 me since I left home, to devote myself wholly, unreservedly, to His 
 service and glory. He has protected me from danger, and has, I trust, 
 entirely restored my health. What can I render to Him but that life 
 which He has preserved, that health which He has restored, and that 
 strength which He has increased? Let us both endeavoiir to be more 
 holy, watchful and devoted ; let us endeavour to build each other up in 
 the most holy faith. I am afraid that, in past times, our intercourse 
 has not been sufficiently of a religious character. We have both been 
 a little shy in communicating our spiritual states, our joys or sorrows, 
 our hopes and fears. If there has been an error of this sort, let us try 
 to correct it hereafter, and delight more in being heirs together of the 
 grace of life. It is. my earnest prayer that God may give us grace to 
 glorify His name in all things. 
 
 "I have been in Glasgow five days, and have made the acquaintance 
 of several clergymen, who have treated me with the utmost cordiality, 
 and insisted upon my protracting my stay in order to preach for them. 
 I had the opportunity also of attending the meeting of the Presbytery 
 of Glasgow. The leaven of New Schoolism, I am sorry to say, is be 
 ginning to work its way, even here. The Presbytery of Kilmarnock, at 
 its last meeting, deppsed a man from the ministry for holding senti 
 ments somewhat similar to those of Albert Barnes. Error, howeve^ 
 has yet made little progress ; and the prompt steps of the Presbytery, 
 which were confirmed and applauded by the Synod, I sincerely hope 
 may arrest it. The Scotch are indeed a noble race ; a little too much 
 inclined to bigotry ; but if the spirit of speculation on theological sub 
 jects should once become propagated among them, there is no telling 
 where the evil would stop. Some of the fathers of the. Church here say 
 that I am exactly right on the subject of Boards and Agencies, and urge 
 me to cry aloud and spare not. They have strong sympathy with the 
 orthodox among us. I am glad to see that they are taking a decided 
 
176 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORN WELL. 
 
 interest in missionary operations ; and have really adopted the very 
 plan, so far as I have yet been able to learn their system, which I re 
 commended in my article. These Presbyterians of whom I am speak 
 ing are all Seceders. I have made no acquaintances yet among the 
 ministers of the Establishment, though I have heard one of their most 
 distinguished men, Dr. Buchanan, preach ; and a very fine preacher 
 he is. 
 
 "It is really a treat, after coming out of England, to see how the 
 Sabbath is observed in Scotland. Everything on the streets is as still 
 as death ; no travelling is allowed, and their churches are all full of at 
 tentive listeners. The style of preaching among the Seceders is emi 
 nently instructive and edifying. They do not allow the minister to 
 read. In the Established Church, however, they generally read their 
 sermons. I have been much interested in the old Cathedral here, where 
 the famous Assembly of 1638 was held, which deposed the bishops, de 
 fied the government, and broke up Episcopacy in Scotland. It was a 
 glorious body, with Henderson at its head ; and I could not but pray that 
 the land which had been rendered illustrious by such a body, might always 
 maintain and defend the noble and precious doctrines, for which that As 
 sembly testified and suffered. It is now vacation in the University of 
 Glasgow ; all the Professors are out of town, so that I have had no op 
 portunity of becoming acquainted with them. Glasgow is a much 
 larger city than I expected to find it, and much more elegantly built ; 
 it is about the size of Philadelphia. I came to Glasgow with the inten 
 tion of visiting the Highlands of Scotland; but the constant rains and 
 the severe cold, for the season, have led me to abandon the project. It 
 has rained every day since I left London, and there is not the least like 
 lihood of its clearing up soon. I could not go to the Highlands, without 
 being cold and wet all the time, and I shall not suffer my curiosity to 
 lead me into such folly. To-morrow I leave for England again, intend 
 ing to stop a few days at Edinburgh ; and from London shall set out 
 immediately for the Continent. I am extremely anxious to get some 
 where where I can see and feel the sun. 
 
 "In coming to Scotland I made an extensive and interesting tour 
 through the country. I visited Kenilworth. where are the ruins of the 
 ancient and magnificent castle, where Elizabeth was sumptuously enter 
 tained by Leicester for seventeen days. The gorgeous structure is now a 
 mere waste, and part of its former enclosure is now a grazing ground 
 for sheep. From Kenilworth I went to Warwick, where there still ex 
 ists, in all its original grandeur, one of the finest baronial castles in 
 England. There, among a thousand memorials of ancient times, I saw 
 the bed and bed-room furniture of Queen Anne, which had been presented 
 to the Earl of Warwick by George the Fourth. From Warwick I went 
 to Stratford-upon-Avon, and saw the room in which Shakespeare was 
 born, and trod upon the grave where his ashes repose. The walls of 
 the room are covered with the names of those who have visited the spot, 
 as also are several large albums. Two Americans, in their folly and 
 
LETTERS FROM EUROPE. 177 
 
 enthusiasm, had beds made for them in the room, and slept there all 
 night. Probably they thought that they might catch something of 
 Shakespeare s genius. From Stratford I went to Henley, on account 
 of its name, and found it a miserable, dirty little village. From there 
 I went to Birmingham ; thence to Tamworth, Derby, Chesterfield, York 
 (the chief city of the North of England, with the finest Cathedral in the 
 country), Darlington, Durham (another fine Cathedral), and Newcastle- 
 upon-Tyne ; thence I had a dreary ride over the bleak, sterile, and 
 desolate Cheviot hills to Melrose, in Scotland. Here I visited the in 
 teresting ruins of Melrose Abbey, the scene of Scott s Monastery. About 
 four miles off, I visited the ruins of Dryburgh Abbey, and saw the grave 
 of Sir Walter Scott, and the monuments of Ralph and Ebenezer Ersk- 
 ine, the Seceder divines. This Abbey is really enchanted ground. It 
 is embowered in a lovely grove of trees, some of which are as old as the 
 Abbey itself (seven hundred years), while the Tweed gently murmurs 
 close by it. After musing at Dryburgh, I returned to Melrose, and 
 then visited Abbotsford. the late residence of Scott. But I found no 
 thing specially remarkable there. The name of Scott gives it all its 
 charm. I then proceeded to Edinburgh, passing through Galashiels and 
 Dalkeith, and passing by Craigmuller castle, in which Mary, Queen 
 of Scots, was confined. From Edinburgh I came to Glasgow, passing 
 the ancient palace of Linlithgow, in which the same unfortunate Mary 
 was born. 
 
 "Such is the rapid outline cf my travels since I last wrote. I have 
 been much charmed with the beautiful, undulating surface of England, 
 and the variegated scenery of Scotland. 
 
 "And now, dearest, I must draw to a close. Kiss the children again 
 and again ; and may God be with yon and keep you, and restore us 
 speedily to the beloved society of each other. 
 
 " Your devoted husband, 
 
 J. H. THOBNWELL." 
 
 The last letter from Europe contains little of general 
 interest to the reader. It is dated, 
 
 "PARIS, July 31, 1841. 
 
 " Here I am again writing to my beloved Nancy, ten thousand times 
 dearer to me than all the world besides. You see that I am in France, 
 as the French say, La belle France. I had a rough passage across the 
 English channel. The boat did not strike me as being the best in the 
 world ; it was old and small, and we had one hundred and twenty pas 
 sengers on board. There blew up a severe gale, and we had to put into 
 the most convenient port until the gale was over. I do not think I ever 
 saw so much alarm and sea-sickness. We were about the most weather- 
 beaten set you ever saw when we reached Boulogne, the French port at 
 which we were landed. We were marched up in files to an office, under 
 
ITS LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THOKNWELL. 
 
 an escort of a few soldiers, where our passports were examined. Oui 
 luggage was all sent to the custom-house, where it was examined ; and 
 if all proved straight, as it did with me, we were permitted to travel on 
 without interruption to Paris. 
 
 "The ride from Boulogne to Paris was not particularly interesting 
 The country was in a high state of cultivation ; some of the towns, such 
 as Montreuil and Abbeville, powerfully and strongly fortified. On yes 
 terday morning, about 6 o clock, I reached Paris ; and I must confess 
 that I was prodigiously disappointed in the general appearance of the 
 city. The streets are narrow and dirty ; the buildings tall, dingy, and 
 irregular, and I did think utterly destitute of taste in their arrangements 
 and external appearance ; and then, again, the extent and magnitude of 
 the city were far short of what I had been led to anticipate. Compared 
 with London, Paris is a mere child in size, richness, and grandeur. But 
 although I was disappointed in the French metropolis as a whole, when 
 I descended to the examination of its particular parts, my most san 
 guine expectations were more than realized. The public buildings, the 
 Tuileries, with its spacious gardens ; the Champs d Elysees, the cathe 
 drals, the libraries, the galleries of painting and statuary, exceed any des 
 cription which I could be able to give. You have heard a great deal of 
 the Boulevards. What do you suppose-they are ? Why, nothing in the 
 world but a long street with trees planted along the sidewalks for shade. 
 It extends about four miles ; it is pleasant and beautiful, and that is 
 about all you can say of it. The gardens of the Tuileries are splendid, 
 and all through the walks are scattered various specimens of statuary. 
 The French have a perfect passion for paintings and statues, and in this 
 respect Paris excels London. The Elysian Fields are lovely beyond 
 all comparison. The Chamber of Deputies is a fine Grecian building, 
 and the Madeline is the most magnificent edifice I ever beheld. The 
 Royal Library, which I traversed through and through, contains eight 
 hundred thousand volumes. The French hotels are far inferior to the 
 English or American in neatness, elegance, and comfort ; but their ser 
 vants are much more interesting. The French, from the lowest to the 
 highest, are naturally polite, and are free from the stiffness and formality 
 of English manners. * * * * 
 
 " Of course there is no such thing as Sunday here. A tradesman will 
 engage to have your boots or your coat done on Sunday as readily as on 
 Saturday. Such is the blessed result of Popery. It is religion enough 
 to have splendid churches, and burn candles all day before doll-baby 
 images. Nothing more is required to get to heaven. Alas, for the 
 superstition, the wretched superstition, which in this enlightened age 
 covers so fair a portion of the globe ! But the Protestants are bestirring 
 themselves in France. God grant them rich and glorious success. * * * 
 
 "Next week I intend setting out for Geneva, the scene of Calvin s 
 labours. I think it doubtful if I shall be able to get to Kome. If the 
 snows are very heavy in the Alps, I shall not attempt it ; but shall go 
 probably into Belgium and Prussia, and then return to England. If I 
 
LETTERS FROM EUROPE. 179 
 
 find, however, that I can go to Rome without any difficulty, and make 
 up my mind to do so, I shall not go into Belgium or Germany at all. 
 It will be too cold by the time of my return from Italy. When I shall 
 direct my steps homeward I cannot positively say now. If I were to 
 consult my own feelings instead of my interest, I should set out at 
 once. * * * * My health now is as good as it ever has been in my 
 life ; and I have no doubt that it would have been better still, if I had 
 not staid so long in the trying, cold, and rainy climate of England. I 
 have no cough, no blood-spitting ; a fine appetite, a good digestion. I 
 do not know that I am any fatter than I always was. I belong to the 
 lean tribe, and am afraid there is no prospect of my ever getting much 
 meat upon my bones. * * * 
 
 "The General Assembly of Scotland was over before I reached 
 Europe. It was held in May, about the same time with our own. I 
 have seen the proceedings of our own, which really amounted to noth 
 ing. Some very important matters were completely slurred over. But 
 still, I think the prospect of a return to the old paths is encouraging, 
 and I thank God for what He has already done for us, I have gath 
 ered some important facts about the state of religion in England and 
 America, which I shall be able to use to advantage when I get home. 
 You will be delighted to hear that the religious condition of America is 
 far superior to that of Europe. 
 
 "And now, dearest Nancy, I am at the end of my paper. A thousand 
 kisses for you and the children. May heaven s richest blessings rest 
 upon you. Pray constantly for me, love, as I do for you. The Lord 
 has preserved me hitherto, and I shall need His protection to the end. 
 As soon as I can return, I will. Besides the charms of my own family, 
 my own country has a thousand attractions for me. I candidly believe 
 that America is the first nation on the globe ; and all through the conti 
 nent of Europe, the American flag is honoured and respected. I am 
 proud of my nation, and prouder still, after having seen others. May 
 God bless you and keep you. 
 
 Believe me, as ever, your devoted husband, 
 
 J. H. THORNWELL." 
 
 The chart of travel here laid down does not appear to 
 have been pursued; for, on the 3d of September, we find 
 a letter, written in New York, announcing his arrival in 
 his native land, and that a few days of railroad speed will 
 place him once more in the bosom of his family. The 
 patriotic fervour which glows in the closing sentence of 
 the preceding letter was one of the deepest sentiments in 
 Dr. Thorn well s heart ; of which there will be occasion to 
 speak more fully hereafter. Perhaps the most amusing, 
 
180 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORN WELL. 
 
 as well as enthusiastic, exhibition of it, was given in con 
 nexion with this return. In his land journey from Char 
 lotte, North Carolina, to Lancaster, where his family then 
 was, it is related of him that, upon crossing the line 
 which separates the two Carolinas, he sprung suddenly 
 out of the carriage, prostrated himself upon the soil of his 
 native State, and kissed it reverently with his lips. It 
 was but the sign of a devotion more conspicuously illus 
 trated at a later date. In truly earnest natures, w r hat is 
 merely sentiment with others becomqs a deep and con 
 suming passion ; and there was a depth in this man s soul,, 
 which it took a mighty civil revolution to disclose. 
 
CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 OLD AND NEW SCHOOL CONTROVERSY. 
 
 THIS CHAPTER A DIGRESSION. REASONS FOR IT. STRICT ADHERENCE TO 
 THE STANDARDS IN THE EARLY CHURCH. CUMULATIVE PROOF OF THIS. 
 EARLY SYMPATHY WITH CONGREGATIONALISTS. CAUSES OF IT. PLAN 
 OF UNION FORMED. ITS LEADING FEATURES. PRESBYTERIAN OR DEB 
 UNDERMINED. THEOLOGICAL SPECULATIONS IN NEW ENGLAND. DIS 
 SEMINATED IN THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. SPECIFICATIONS OF DOC 
 TRINAL ERROR SUBSTANCE OF DOCTRINE DEFINED. ORGANIZATION 
 OF NATIONAL SOCIETIES. CONFLICT WITH EACH OF THESE. THE RE 
 SULTS. ELECTIVE AFFINITY PRESBYTERIANS. MR. BARNES TRIAL. 
 MEASURES OF REFORM. ACT AND TESTIMONY. ASSEMBLY OF 1837. 
 PLAN OF UNION ABOLISHED. FINAL DISRUPTION. 
 
 pHE current of the narrative has borne us to a point at 
 -L which we must pause and retrace our course, in .order 
 to place the suhject of our story in the councils of the 
 Church, and to sketch the active part he bore in the reli 
 gious controversies of his day. No part of his public 
 work was more important than that which he performed 
 as a polemic; and no man in the Southern Presbyterian 
 Church wielded so vast and so acknowledged an influence, 
 in moulding the legislation of the body to which he be 
 longed. He was introduced into the ministry just as the 
 great controversy was culminating in the schism, which 
 rent the Presbyterian Church into two large rival com 
 munions ; and the first General Assembly in which he sat 
 as a member was that of 1837, famous in our annals as 
 the Assembly in which the Reform measures were carried 
 through, which precipitated and effected the rupture. To 
 many readers of this book the story is familiar as a thrice- 
 told tale, for the actors in those stirring scenes have not 
 all passed away; and many who began their ministry 
 shortly after, were compelled to be conversant with all the 
 
 181 
 
182 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORN WELL. 
 
 details of that painful struggle to maintain the ascen 
 dency of truth. But after the lapse of more than a gene 
 ration, there must be large numbers to whom the story is 
 known only in its general results ; whilst readers outside 
 the pale of the Presbyterian Church, into whose hands 
 this book may fall, know nothing of the principles that 
 were involved, nor of the agony of effort by which they 
 were at length preserved. 
 
 The discussions, in which Dr. Thornwell took so lively 
 an interest, were left over as a residuary bequest of this 
 fierce controversy, and cannot be adequately compre 
 hended without some acquaintance with that out of which 
 they were born. It seems indispensable, therefore, to 
 arrest the continuity of this biography, by a preliminary 
 sketch of the original controversy, and of the schism in 
 which it terminated; to which, accordingly, the present 
 chapter will be devoted. 
 
 The cardinal issue, in the whole dispute, was that of a 
 strict or a lax construction of the acknowledged standards; 
 since all the deviation from sound doctrine claimed to be 
 salva fide, and therefore within the limits of the Con 
 fession of Faith; and the authority of the Form of 
 Government was held not to be infringed in the practical 
 administration of Church affairs. The evidence, however, 
 is cumulative, that, up to the beginning of the present 
 century, through a period of nearly one hundred years, no 
 subscription of the Westminster Confession was tolerated 
 which did not accept it in its entirety. The ingenious 
 artifice of receiving it only for " substance of doctrine," 
 was the invention of a later and more degenerate age. 
 
 The first proof of this is found in the language of the 
 Adopting Act, passed in 1728-29 ; showing a formal and 
 judicial promulgation of these Standards to be necessary 
 as a test of orthodoxy, and a barrier against erroneous 
 opinions setting in from various quarters, especially from 
 England and the north of Ireland. The pioneers, who 
 first planted Presbyterianism upon this continent, had all 
 
OLD AND NEW SCHOOL CONTROVERSY. 183 
 
 subscribed these Standards at the time of their ordination ; 
 and though now living in a foreign country, they natu 
 rally regarded themselves as members of the mother 
 Church at home. It was not until the Church of their 
 own planting had expanded into fair proportions, that 
 they recognized her distinct and independent existence. 
 The omission, so natural at first, of not having adopted, 
 " as a body politic, and by the conjunct act of their own 
 representatives," a public Confession, was corrected just 
 so soon as the necessity became apparent that doctrinal 
 tests were needed to guard against the influx of error. 
 
 The second proof is, that, after the agitation produced 
 by this proposed measure was calmed, and the opposing 
 parties came, through discussion, to fuller acquaintance 
 with each other s views, the Westminster Confession was 
 adopted with entire unanimity, after excepting certain 
 clauses in the twentieth and twenty-third chapters, which 
 related to the jurisdiction of the civil magistrate in eccle 
 siastical matters ; which could have no application in this 
 country, and for resistance to which interference these 
 men had been driven as martyrs from country and home. 
 Now, exclusio unius est expressio alterius : t\\Q exception 
 . of these specified clauses was the adoption of all that re 
 mained; so that, as the historian remarks, "as these clauses 
 are no longer in the Confession, there is not an article or 
 expression in that formula to which these men did not 
 assent. Such was the latitudinarianism of those days" ! * 
 
 If doubt can linger upon any mind as to the strictness 
 of this subscription, it will be removed by a subsequent 
 declaration of the same body, when, in 1736, they explain 
 certain ambiguities of expression in the original instru 
 ment, which had alarmed the jealousy of some: "The 
 Synod doth declare that the Synod have adopted, and 
 still do adhere to, the Westminister Confession, Cate 
 chisms, and Directory, without the least variation or 
 alteration, and without any regard to said distinc- 
 
 *Dr. Hodge s History of the Presbyterian Church, vol. I, p. 183. 
 
184 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORN WELL. 
 
 tions,"* alluding to certain expressions in the Adopting Act 
 by which these persons were stumbled. Earlier than this 
 in 1Y30, the Presbytery of New Castle, anticipating this 
 explanatory act of the Synod, "solemnly declared and 
 testified that they own and acknowledge the Westminster 
 Confession and Catechisms to be the confession of our 
 faith, being in all things agreeable to the Word of God, 
 so far as we are able to judge and discern, taking them 
 in the true, genuine, and obvious sense of the words." 
 The Presbytery of Donegal uses similar language, in the 
 formula of subscription which they drew up : " In all 
 things agreeable to the Word of God, taking them in the 
 plain and obvious meaning of the words. ! The whole 
 body of the Church, and the several parts thereof, speak, 
 therefore, with the same explicitness on this point. 
 
 A third link in this chain of evidence is, the enforcement 
 of the same strict subscription upon all intrants into the 
 ministry, in the following Act, passed by the Synod in 
 1730 : " Whereas, some persons have been dissatisfied at 
 the manner of wording our last year s agreement about 
 the Confession, etc., supposing some expressions not suf 
 ficiently obligatory upon intrants, the Synod do now de 
 clare that they understood these clauses, that respect the 
 admission of intrants or candidates, in such a sense as to 
 oblige them to receive and adopt the Confession and 
 Catechisms, at their admission, in the same manner, and 
 as fully, as the members of the Synod did that were then 
 present. "| To render this act operative, inquisition was 
 made each year of the Presbyteries, as to their compliance 
 with it ; so that " there is not the slightest evidence that 
 any of the Presbyteries ever admitted, during the period 
 under review, any minister who dissented from any of the 
 doctrinal articles of the Confession of Faith. " . 
 
 * Records of the Presbyterian Church, p. 125. 
 
 t Dr. Hodge s History of the Presbyterian Church, vol. I, pp. 190, 194. 
 
 | Records of the Presbyterian Church, p. 96. 
 
 Dr. Hodge s History of the Presbyterian Church, vol. I, p. 197. 
 
OLD AND NEW SCHOOL CONTUOV KKSY. 185 
 
 Fourthly, the marked contrast in the terms used in 
 adopting the Form of Government, lixes the sense in 
 which the purely doctrinal symbols were received. As 
 to the former, we have the following Deliverance in 1729 : 
 " The Synod do unanimously acknowledge and declare, 
 that they judge the Directory for Worship, Discipline, 
 and Government of the Church, commonly annexed to 
 the Westminster Confession, to be agreeable in substance 
 to the Word of God, and founded thereupon; and there 
 fore do earnestly recommend the same to all their mem 
 bers, to be by them observed as near as circumstances 
 will allow, and Christian prudence direct."* Fifty-seven 
 years later that is to say, in 1786 we have the reason 
 given for this precise language : " The Synod also receives 
 the Directory for Public Worship and the Form of 
 Church Government, recommended by the Westminster 
 Assembly, as in substance agreeable to the institutions of 
 the New Testament. This mode of adoption we use, be 
 cause we believe the general platform of our Government 
 to be agreeable to the Sacred Scriptures; but we do not 
 believe that God has been pleased so to reveal and enjoin 
 every minute circumstance of ecclesiastic government and 
 discipline, as not to leave room for orthodox churches of 
 Christ, in these minutiae, to differ with charity from one 
 another."! Here, then, for the first time in our eccle 
 siastical annals, we meet with the relaxed phrase, "agree 
 able for substance;" which a later period sought to carry 
 over into the Confession of Faith, but which is employed 
 by these fathers expressly to discriminate betwixt the 
 two. In regard to the Confession, the subscription is 
 explicit and particular. It is not received for substance, 
 but in all its articles, with a single specified exception ; 
 whereas a latitude is allowed in the adoption of the Form 
 of Government, it being comprehensively embraced only 
 in its general principles; and even in these a clear dis- 
 
 * Records of the Presbyterian Church, p. 93. f Ibid. p. 519. 
 
186 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORN WELL. 
 
 tinction is recognized as to their relative importance, when 
 compared with the doctrines of grace. 
 
 The fact is, the principles of Presbyterian Church 
 government have never been as articulately wrought out,, 
 nor as fully expounded, as the doctrines of its faith. Un 
 friendly influences have warped them from the period of 
 the Reformation, giving them a set which- it has been 
 impossible, even to the present day, wholly to overcome. 
 It is well known that the famous Westminster Assembly 
 itself was not exclusively a Presbyterian council. As at 
 first constituted, it embraced Episcopalians and Inde 
 pendents as well ; and though the former goon withdrew, 
 the Independents remained through its entire sessions 
 few in number, perhaps, but powerful in influence. Sound 
 Calvinists as they were, they harmonized perfectly with 
 Presbyterians in the statement of Christian doctrine; but 
 differences emerged as soon as the Constitution and Polity 
 of the Church were touched. The Form of Government 
 bears thus upon its face the traces of a compromise, espe 
 cially in the exposition of the Eldership.* It was not 
 such an instrument as strict Presbyterians would have 
 prepared, as a full statement of their principles. We 
 signalize this difference of terms in the adoption of the 
 Form of Government, as showing that the fathers of the 
 
 O 
 
 Church in this country were not so rigid in their views of 
 order as of doctrine; and because, as we shall presently 
 see, it was precisely through this breach in the walls the 
 Trojan horse, with its belly full of armed Greeks, was 
 introduced within the citadel of the Presbyterian Church. 
 It gives the key to the Plan of Union in 1801, to many 
 of the questions which occasioned the disruption in 1837, 
 
 * The Westminster Assembly, after a triangular conflict between the 
 Presbyterians, Independents, and Erastians, did affirm the Divine Right 
 of Presbytery. This, however, was disallowed by the Parliament ; who 
 softened its language into the folio wing declaration : " That it is lawful, 
 and agreeable to the Word of God, that the Church be governed by 
 Congregational, Classical, and Synodical Assemblies." See Neal s His 
 tory of the Puritans, Part 3d, Chap. 6. 
 
OLD AND NEW SCHOOL CONTROVERSY. 187 
 
 and to all the discussions in which the subject of these 
 Memoirs, and others of like mind, were afterwards en 
 gaged. 
 
 Fifthly, if there had been a disposition to abate the 
 authority of the Confession, it would most naturally have 
 revealed itself during the memorable schism, in 1741, be 
 tween what was then designated as "the Old and New 
 Side." But so far from this, both sections, immediately 
 upon their separation, renewed their subscription of the 
 Standards, in identical terms as at first;* and upon their 
 reunion, in 1758, the first article in the basis was a joint 
 declaration of their adherence to the same.f This chain 
 of proof runs down to the formation of the General As 
 sembly in 1788 ; which, having purged the Confession of 
 the objectionable clauses relative to the civil magistrate, 
 declared it to be a part of the Constitution of the Church. 
 This is certainly emphatic ; for, " whoever heard," says 
 Dr. Hodge, "of adopting a Constitution for substance? 
 Is the Constitution of the United States thus adopted or 
 interpreted ? It is, on the contrary, the supreme law of 
 the land ; and all who take office under it are bound to 
 observe it, in all its parts."}: 
 
 Sixthly, in addition to this documentary evidence, we 
 have also the testimony of contemporary writers to the 
 same fact; and a series of judicial decisions, extending 
 from 1763 to 1810, in which the Confession is rigidly 
 applied in the repression of error. A simple allusion to 
 this is sufficient; as the cases in detail may be found, by 
 those who desire it, in the records of those times. 
 
 This summary necessarily imperfect, because so con 
 densed establishes the historic sense in which these 
 Standards were received by the Church, from the be 
 ginning. It is important, as justifying the measures by 
 which, after a temporary departure, she was reformed 
 back to her original orthodoxy; and because the attempt 
 
 * Records of the Presbyterian Church, pp. l. r >7, 232. + Ibid. p. 286. 
 t History of the Presbyterian Church, vol. 1, p. 218. 
 
188 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THOR^WELL. 
 
 will be renewed from age to age to escape from the obli 
 gation of an extended creed, by an ambiguous subscription 
 of its articles. 
 
 In an evil day the Presbyterian Church paused in the 
 development of her distinctive principles, and formed an 
 alliance with New England Congregationalism ; which, 
 in a third of one century, brought her to the brink of ruin. 
 The controversies of this period have so revealed the es 
 sential differences of the two systems, that we now look 
 back with wonder at the attempt to amalgamate them. 
 But we should do great injustice to both the parties, if 
 we fail to notice the influences which drew them to 
 gether in relations that could not be established now. The 
 first settlers in New England were largely Presbyterian 
 in sentiment; carrying with them their symbols of faith, 
 w T liich were used for household instruction almost as fa 
 miliarly, in that province, as in the districts where Pres- 
 byterianism gained the ascendency. It does not concern 
 us now to consider the causes which in New England put 
 the Congregational system in the advance, and repressed 
 the development of pure Presbyterianism. It is sufficient 
 to notice the general historical fact, that two systems, 
 identical in doctrinal belief, and separated only by dif 
 ferences of external administration, are never found to 
 prosper equally upon the same soil. The one almost of 
 necessity absorbs the other; because the distinction ap 
 pears too immaterial, to resist the tendency to union in 
 points that are essential. Thus Presbytery has never 
 been able to push its way in New England, pre-occupied, 
 as it is, by a system so nearly co-ordinate with it; and In 
 dependency has never struck its roots into the soil already 
 covered by Presbytery. The process of absorption, how 
 ever, rarely leaves either system unaffected by the foreign 
 ingredients that are incorporated. Thus it happened, that 
 the early Congregationalism of New England was largely 
 moulded in its form by the Presbyterian influence with 
 which it was knpregiiHted. Especially was this true in 
 
OLD AND iVEW SCHOOL CONTROVERSY. 189 
 
 Connecticut, where, at the close of the Seventeenth Cen 
 tury, the Presbyterians formed nearly half of the entire 
 population. Thus, the Cambridge Platform, adopted in 
 1648, acknowledged the Westminster Confession " to be 
 very holy, orthodox, and judicious, in all matters of faith ; 
 and we do, therefore, full} 7 and freely, consent thereunto, 
 for the substance thereof; only in those tilings which have 
 respect to Church government and discipline, we refer 
 ourselves to the platform of Church discipline agreed 
 upon by this present Assembly."* It is astonishing how 
 nearly, even in government, this platform approximates 
 the two systems/ It recognizes the Eldership, and dis 
 tinguishes between the two classes of those who teach 
 and those who only rule. It demies exactly the office of 
 the deacon. It affirms that "Church government, or rule, 
 is placed by Christ in the officers of the Church." It 
 recognizes "Synods, orderly assembled, according to the 
 pattern, Acts xv., as the ordinance of Christ; 7 whose de 
 cisions are binding, so far as consonant to the Word of 
 God, not only because of that agreement, but " also for 
 the power whereby they are made, as being an ordinance 
 of God." In like manner, the Saybrook Platform, formed 
 in Connecticut, in 1T08, "provided that the elders of a 
 particular church, with the consent of the brethren, have 
 power, and ought to exercise discipline, in all cases within 
 that church. The churches in each county form a Con 
 sociation. The council of this body consists of all the 
 teaching and ruling elders of the churches; which are 
 also at liberty to delegate lay messengers, who are enti 
 tled to deliberate and vote as members; provided, how- 
 
 * See the original authorities quoted in Dr. Samuel J. Baird s History 
 of the New School, p. 143. We take this opportunity to acknowledge 
 our indebtedness to this work, published by the author in 18G8, for the 
 remaining facts in this chapter, which are simply condensed from its 
 pages. It is a book of great value, from the skill with which its materials 
 are compiled, and from the documentary evidence with which its state 
 ments are substantiated. It brings the history of this great struggle 
 within narrow compass, and is perfectly accessible to all. 
 
190 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORN WELL. 
 
 ever, that no matter shall be determined without a ma 
 jority of the elders."* 
 
 Still later, in 1799, we have the following statement from 
 the old Hartford North Association, as to the constitution 
 of the Connecticut churches: "This Association gives in 
 formation to all whom it may concern, that the consti 
 tution of the churches in the State of Connecticut, founded 
 on, etc., is not Congregational, but contains the essentials 
 of the government of the Church of Scotland, or Presby 
 terian Church in America, particularly as it gives a 
 decisive power to Ecclesiastical Councils; and a Conso 
 ciation, consisting of ministers and messengers, or lay 
 representatives from the churches, is possessed substan 
 tially of the same authority as a Presbytery. The judg 
 ments, decisions, and censures, in our churches, and in 
 the Presbyterian, are mutually deemed valid. The 
 churches, therefore, in Connecticut at large, and in our 
 district in particular, are not now, and never were, from 
 the earliest period of our settlement, ^Congregational 
 churches, according to the ideas and forms of Church 
 order contained in the book of discipline called the Cam 
 bridge Platform. There are, however, scattered over the 
 State, perhaps ten or twelve churches (unconsociated), 
 who are properly called Congregational, agreeably to the 
 rules of Church discipline in the book above mentioned. 
 Sometimes, indeed, the associated churches of Connecticut 
 are loosely and vaguely, though improperly, termed Con 
 gregational. While our churches, in the State at large, 
 are, in the most essential and important respects, the 
 same as the Presbyterian ; still, in minute and unimportant 
 points of Church order and discipline, both we and the 
 Presbyterian Church in America acknowledge a differ 
 ence. ! 
 
 It is not strange that the Presbyterian fathers who, 
 as we have seen, never took the highest ground as to the 
 Divine authority of their system should feel a cordial 
 "Baird s History of the New School, pp. 145- 6. t Ibid. pp. 146-7. 
 
OLD AND NEW SCHOOL CONTROVERSY. 191 
 
 sympathy with Congregationalism of this modified type ; 
 nor that the pressure of mutual interests should bring the 
 two into confidential relations. And it is a notable fact, 
 that the intercourse always began witli the churches of 
 Connecticut, the most predisposed to Presbyterian views, 
 and afterwards extended to those of the other eastern 
 States. As early as 1723, hopes were entertained of union 
 between the General Synod and the churches of Con 
 necticut; which, however, was not then consummated. 
 Again, in 1766, they drew together in prolonged con 
 ference, in joint resistance to the introduction of an 
 American Episcopate; the objection being, not to the 
 office itself, but to the authority of Parliament in ap 
 pointing it; which, it was feared, would draw after it a 
 Church Establishment, with its attendant dangers, of 
 which they had had such sensible experience in Europe. 
 The correspondence thus begun was suspended by the 
 American Revolution, and was not resumed till 1791. 
 The two parties each appointed delegates to attend the 
 sessions of the other, with the right only to deliberate; 
 which right was enlarged, in 1794, so as to include the 
 privilege of a vote. 
 
 The way was thus gradually opened for what is known 
 as "the Plan of Union," formed in 1801 : a more en 
 larged and methodized convention between the two 
 bodies, which, during the six and thirty years of its con 
 tinuance, brought upon the Presbyterian Church an 
 " Illiad of woes." History does not afford a better illus 
 tration of the evil wrought by good men, whenever, from 
 motives of policy, they swerve from principle. Their 
 virtue lends a sanction to their schemes, while it does not 
 estop the fatal results. This agreement was not only 
 established by good men, but it originated in the sweetest 
 and most godly intentions. The tide of population setting 
 in from the Atlantic coast into the interior of the country, 
 bore upon its bosom a mixed material for the formation 
 of churches. In the western portions of New York, and 
 
192 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORN WELL. 
 
 in Ohio, Presbyterians and Congregationalists found 
 themselves side by side, both being too weak to enforce 
 the Church organization which each preferred. What 
 more Christian object could be proposed than to facilitate 
 a union between these discordant elements ? Unfortu 
 nately, this was not attempted by a process of natural 
 fusion, each giving way and conforming to the other as 
 circumstances might dictate; but by an artificial conven 
 tion, making a composite of both. This Plan of Union, 
 as it was termed, contained the following provisions : 
 That Congregational and Presbyterian churches might 
 select their pastor, each from the communion of the 
 other, the church in each case conducting its discipline 
 according to the principles of the body to which it be 
 longed; that difficulties arising between the minister and 
 his people should be referred to the Presbytery, or to the 
 Association, just as he might happen to be a Presbyterian 
 or Congregationalist ; or, if both parties preferred, to a 
 Council equally composed of both sides; that if the 
 church was made up of both Presbyterians and Congre 
 gationalists, it might settle a minister of either persuasion, 
 in which case the government should be in the hands of 
 a Standing Committee, chosen by the church, from whose 
 decisions an appeal might be taken by a Presbyterian to 
 the Presbytery, or by a Congregationalist to the body of 
 the communicants; and the members of these Standing 
 Committees, if deputed, should have the same right to sit 
 and act in Presbytery as ruling elders of the Presbyterian 
 Church."* 
 
 It is scarcely necessary to point out the anomalies in 
 this hybrid system, which was really less conformed to 
 Presbyterianism than the very platforms which Congre 
 gationalists had constructed tor their own government. 
 Under these, indeed, a sufficient diversity had been ex 
 hibited in churches associated and churches dissociated ; 
 in churches governed by the brotherhood, governed by 
 
 * Assembly s Digest, Ed. 185G, p, 555. 
 
OLD AND NEW SCHOOL CONTROVERSY. 193 
 
 elders, and governed by a mixture of both ; in Con 
 sociations to which laymen were admitted, and Asso 
 ciations from which they were excluded : but under this 
 arrangement, with its committee-men, who had given no 
 pledge of adherence to any symbols of faith, admitted to 
 all the functions of the eldership; with its complex ad 
 justments between two distinct systems of discipline, and 
 with the constant overlapping of the two jurisdictions on 
 either side; we are presented with a conglomerate the 
 strangest that was ever conceived. Churches, Presby 
 teries, and finally Synods, were born of it; which, like 
 Jacob s cattle, were " ringstreaked, speckled, and grizzled" 
 a motley assemblage, with every hue and colour of the 
 ecclesiastical prism. The new districts, in which the pro 
 visional scheme was intended to operate, soon filled up 
 with a teeming population. Under this altered condition 
 of things, the scheme itself should have been superseded 
 by an orderly separation of the two elements; which, as 
 distinct communions, might have lived side by side in 
 friendly relations. It was, however, continued in force, 
 after the necessity for its existence had ceased. We 
 condense the following facts to illustrate its practical oper 
 ation : In 1808, the Middle Association was received into 
 the Synod of Albany, with its twenty-one churches, all 
 Congregational, and which "retained its own name and 
 usages in the administration of government." The year 
 after, it was sub-divided into two Presbyteries, "both of 
 which, in written constitutions, planted themselves on the 
 Plan of Union, and were Presbyterian only in name." In 
 1812, these, with -the Presbytery of Geneva, were erected 
 into the Synod of Geneva; which was soon enlarged by 
 the addition of the Congregational Association of Onon- 
 daira. In 1821, the Synod of Genesee was erected out of 
 four Presbyteries detached from the Synod of Geneva; 
 in which, also, "the Plan of Union was recognized as par 
 amount to the Constitution of the Presbyterian Church." 
 In 1826, the Presbytery of Chenango was organized, w^th 
 
194: LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORN WELL. 
 
 five ministers, and without a single church; but, placing 
 itself upon "the Plan," drew into it the Union Congre 
 gational Association. In 1829, the Synod of Utica was 
 erected, largely composed of Congregational material, 
 having swallowed up the Oneida Association, besides the 
 accession of other churches. Thus, within the space of 
 twenty-eight years, in the State of New York alone, three 
 Synods were constituted, to a large extent of elements ab 
 sorbed from Congregational churches, and resting upon 
 the Plan of Union for a basis. In Ohio, the Synod of 
 Western Reserve was formed, in 1825, in precisely the 
 same manner, and chiefly of the same materials. It was 
 composed of the Presbytery of Grand River, organized in 
 1814, of Portage, in 1819, and of Huron, in 1824; which, 
 by written constitutions, recognized the Plan of Union as 
 their charter.* Four great Synods were thus created, 
 which never assimilated with the Presbyterian body, of 
 which they professed to be a part. This brief recapitu 
 lation will enable the reader better to understand the 
 character of the Reform measures of 1837. 
 
 This gradual undermining of Presbyterian government 
 was of itself sufficient to condemn this wild scheme of 
 comprehension; but it was far from being its worst result. 
 In the history of the Church, laxity in doctrine is always 
 sure to accompany contempt of discipline and order. It 
 is notorious that, during this period, New England was 
 rife with dangerous theological speculations. The meta 
 physical writings of the elder Edwards had stimulated 
 the naturally subtle New England mind to very bold in 
 vasions of the orthodox faith. The limits of this digressive 
 chapter will not allow a detailed statement of these va 
 rious aberrations from the sound doctrine of earlier times ; 
 nor of the swift progress from the ambiguities of the 
 Hopkinsian School, to the scarcely disguised Pelagianism 
 of the New Haven divines. Indeed, any private expo- 
 
 * These statements are all condensed from Dr. Baird s History of the 
 New School, pp. 159 to 166. 
 
OLD AND NEW SCHOOL CONTROVERSY. 195 
 
 sition of these issues would be open to the suspicion of 
 prejudice, unless substantiated by large quotations, upon 
 which the reader might rest an independent judgment. 
 We prefer, therefore, to leap at once to an official docu 
 ment, the Testimony and Memorial adopted by the As 
 sembly of 1837, in which there is a specification of errors 
 widely disseminated in the Presbyterian Church, viz.: 
 
 " 1. That God would have prevented the existence of sin in our world, 
 but was not able, without destroying the moral agency of man ; or that, 
 for aught that appears in the Bible to the contrary, sin is incidental to 
 any wise moral system. 
 
 " 2. That election to eternal life is founded on a foresight of faith 
 and obedience. 
 
 " 3. That we have no more to do with the first sin of Adam than with 
 the sin of any other parent. 
 
 "4. That infants come into the world as free from moral defilement, 
 as was Adam, when he was created. 
 
 "5. That infants sustain the same relation to the moral government 
 of God, in this world, as brute animals ; and that their sufferings and 
 death are to be accounted for on the same principles as those of brutes, 
 and not, by any means, to be considered as penal. 
 
 "6. That there is no other original sin than the fact, that all the pos 
 terity of Adam, though by nature innocent, or possessed of no moral 
 character, will always begin to sin when they begin to exercise moral 
 agency ; that original sin does not include a sinful bias of the human 
 mind, and a just exposure to penal suffering ; and that there is no evi 
 dence in Scripture that infants, in order to salvation, do need redemp 
 tion by the blood of Christ, and regeneration by the Holy Spirit. 
 
 " 7. That the doctrine of imputation, whether of the guilt of Adam s 
 sin, or of the righteousness of Christ, has no foundation in the Word of 
 God, and is both unjust and absurd. 
 
 "8. That the sufferings and death of Christ were not truly vicarious 
 and penal, but symbolical, governmental, and instructive only. 
 
 "9. That the impenitent sinner is, by nature, and independently of 
 the renewing influence or almighty energy of the Holy Spirit, in full 
 possession of all the ability necessary to a full compliance with all the 
 commands of God. 
 
 "10. That Christ does not intercede for the elect until after regeneration. 
 
 "11. That saving faith is not an effect of the special operation of the 
 Holy Spirit, but a mere rational belief of the truth, or assent to the 
 Word of God. 
 
 " 12. That regeneration is the act of the sinner himself, and that it 
 consists in a change of his governing purpose, which he himself must 
 produce, and which is the result, not of any direct influence of the 
 
196 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORNWELL. 
 
 Holy Spirit on the heart, but chiefly of a persuasive exhibition of the 
 truth, analogous to the influence which one man exerts over the mind of 
 another ; or that regeneration is not an instantaneous act, but a pro 
 gressive work. 
 
 " 13. That God has done all that He can do for the salvation of all 
 men. and that man himself must do the rest. 
 
 " 14. That God cannot exert such influence on the minds of men, 
 as shall make it certain that they will choose and act in a particular 
 manner, without impairing their moral agency. 
 
 "15. That the righteousness of Christ is not the sole ground of the 
 sinner s acceptance with God ; and that in no sense does the righteous 
 ness of Christ become ours. 
 
 " 16. That the reason why some differ from others in regard to their 
 reception of the Gospel, is that they make themselves to differ."* 
 
 The close affiliation with Congregationalists, under the 
 Plan of Union, opened wide the door to the influx of 
 these errors ; and they were especially prevalent in those 
 districts which this Plan covered with its influence. Yet 
 the men who, in the Presbyterian Church, embraced and 
 taught these views, had subscribed the Confession of 
 Faith, from which they deviated so widely. This course 
 was reconciled with honesty only on the plea, that no 
 subscription to any extended creed could be exacted, con 
 sistently with freedom of thought and the right of con 
 science, except it be restricted to the general system 
 inculcated, and for " substance of doctrine" merely. This 
 elastic and slippery phrase is scarcely susceptible of defl- 
 
 * Assembly s Digest, Edition of 1856, pp. 728-9. A protest against 
 this paper, signed by fifteen members of the Assembly, disclaiming 
 these errors, and giving their exposition of the points involved, was 
 presented and admitted to record. (See Assembly s Digest, Edition of 
 1856, pp. 730- 5.) This exposition, even if satisfactory, could do no 
 thing more than purge the individual signers of suspicion in the premi 
 ses. It did not touch the design of the paper itself ; which was to tes 
 tify against errors widely diffused, and to show the necessity of a strict 
 subscription of the standards, in order to protect the Church from 
 being infected with the same. The Assembly made an unusual disposi 
 tion of this protest, in sending it down to the Presbyteries of the sign 
 ers, "calling attention to the developments of theological views con 
 tained in it," and ordering an " inquiry into the soundness of the faith 
 of those who have ventured to make so strange avowals as some of these 
 are." Digest, p. 735. 
 
OLD AND NEW SCHOOL CONTROVERSY. 197 
 
 nition or limitation. By far the most exact expression of 
 its meaning, is that put forth by the New Haven Profes 
 sors, in the attempt to reconcile their speculations with 
 the pledges they had given when inducted into office. It 
 is worthy of being preserved, as the nearest to a suc 
 cessful effort to imprison in words what is inconstant and 
 shifting as caprice itself. It is in these terms : 
 
 " It will be generally agreed, that the cardinal doctrines of the Refor 
 mation were the following : The entire depravity and ruin of man by 
 nature, as the result of tiie sin of Adam ; justification by faith, through 
 the atonement of Christ, to the exclusion of all merit in the recipient ; 
 the necessity of regeneration, by the special or distinguishing influences 
 of the Holy Spirit ; the eternal and personal election of a part of our 
 race to holiness and salvation ; the final perseverance of all who are 
 thus chosen unto eternal life. These, taken in connexion with the doc 
 trine of the Trinity, of the eternal punishment of the finally iinpeni- 
 tent, and of the divine decrees, -which is partly involved in that of elec 
 tion, constitute what may be called the Primary Doctrines of the Ref or- 
 tion. In addition to these, we find, in the writings of some of the 
 Reformers and of the Puritan divines, another class of statements, 
 whose object was to reconcile the doctrines above enumerated with the 
 principles of right reason, and to reduce them to a harmonious system 
 of faith. These may be called the Secondary or Explanatory Doctrines. 
 As examples of these, we may mention, the imputation of Adam s sin 
 to all his descendants, in such a sense as to make them guilty, and pun 
 ished, in the operation of strict justice, on account of his act ; the im 
 putation of Christ s righteousness to the believer, as the ground of his 
 participating, on the same principle of strict justice, in the benefits of 
 His death ; the doctrine of particular redemption,- or the limitation of 
 the atonement to the elect ; the doctrine of man s entire want of power, 
 to any but sinful actions, as accounting for his dependence on God for 
 a change of heart, etc. 
 
 " Many of the old divines attached high importance to this latter class 
 of doctrines, though differently stated by different writers ; but they did 
 so only because they considered them essential to a defence of the pri 
 mary doctrines enumerated above In the progress of mental and moral 
 science, however, a great change of sentiment has taken place in this 
 respect. One after another of these secondary or explanatory doctrines 
 has been laid aside. Other modes have been adopted of harmonizing 
 the orthodox system of faith, and reconciling it to the principles of 
 right reason, more conformable, it is believed, to the simplicity of the 
 gospel ; without diminishing, but rather increasing, the attachment felt 
 for the primary doctrines of the Reformation."* 
 
 *Dr. Baird> History of the New School, pp. 209, 210. 
 
198 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THOBNWELL. 
 
 To receive a creed, then, "for substance of doctrine," 
 means simply to get all the substance out of the doctrine, 
 and to hold the shell, which is harmless from its empti 
 ness. "No one acquainted with the Calvinistic system 
 would care to contend long for the primary doctrines, 
 after the secondary were all of -them eliminated; and the 
 Confession of Faith may innocently be subscribed, when 
 it has been eviscerated of all that renders its testimony of 
 any value. Such is a brief account of the doctrinal issues 
 that were involved in the schism of 183T- 8. 
 
 There is another branch of the controversy, which con 
 tributed an almost equal share in effecting the breach: 
 it was the question whether the Church should do her 
 own evangelistic work, or remit it to irresponsible agen 
 cies outside of her pale. In her early history, the duty 
 was plainly recognized of doing, in her organic form, the 
 work for which she was instituted. Itinerant missionaries 
 were sent out to explore the waste places; and settled 
 pastors were detached, for weeks and months, from their 
 respective charges, to supply the destitute with the gospel. 
 The Church courts were occupied, at every session, in 
 devising means to spread the knowledge of Christianity 
 into "the regions beyond." The work of training min 
 isters was undertaken at the very outset; and in 1771, 
 the General Synod, before the organization of the Assem 
 bly, entered upon a systematic plan for the support and 
 education of her candidates. As early as 1751, a collec 
 tion was ordered to be taken each year, in every church, 
 to propagate the gospel among the heathen; and upon 
 this fund Mr. Brainard was sustained among the Indians, 
 until his death, in 1781. In 1802, the Synod of Pitts 
 burgh resolved itself into a missionary society, with a regu 
 lar constitution and officers. In the same year, the Synod 
 of the Carolinas sent two missionaries to the batches 
 Indians, and one to the Catawbas ; conducting the work 
 through a commission, regularly appointed. At the same 
 period, 1802, the General Assembly appointed a Standing 
 
OLD AND NEW SCHOOL CONTROVERSY. 199 
 
 Committee of Missions, whose powers were gradually in 
 creased, until, at length, in 1816, it was erected into a 
 Board.* Had the Church been allowed to pursue tier 
 course untrammelled, with her own expansion there would 
 have been a corresponding enlargement of her efforts; 
 and her history would have been, what the history of the 
 Church ought ever to be, that <3f a great evangelistic so 
 ciety. But the fatal complication with Congregationalism, 
 which so nearly corrupted her faith, almost brought her in 
 bondage to the great national societies, which boldly at 
 tempted to usurp her functions. 
 
 Independency, from the incompleteness of its organi 
 zation, is compelled to work through agencies outside of 
 itself. Hence originated, in New England, three large 
 corporations, known as the American Education and the 
 American Home Mission Societies, and the American 
 Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions. The pre 
 fix, American, to each of these, sufficiently indicates the 
 ambition of their aim. It was nothing less than to be 
 come, to the largest possible extent, national in their 
 scope; by uniting the Congregationalists, the Presby 
 terians, the Dutch Reformed, and the Associate Re 
 formed, in one phalanx, to carry out these several enter 
 prises conjointly. Of course, this involved, on the part 
 of the three last named, the abdication of their trust as 
 distinct and separate churches, who must all become tri 
 butary to the first, as auxiliaries to the only agency which 
 they could possibly construct. It was a splendid scheme 
 of unification, similar to that which is dazzling the minds 
 of so many at this day; and perhaps the careful reader 
 will be struck with the parallel, in more than one par 
 ticular, between the history of the Church in the first and 
 last third of the present century. It is necessary to trace 
 the conflict with each of these three associations. 
 
 The American Education Society was organized in 
 1815, in the city of Boston, "with admirable skill for 
 
 * For these facts, see Baird s History, pp. 271-282. 
 
200 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORNWELL. 
 
 acquiring complete control over ministerial education 
 throughout the country." With its close corporation, 
 and independence of all supervision; with its large 
 receipts, and honorary memberships purchased with 
 money; and with its branch- societies distributed over the 
 country; it was armed with power to beat down any 
 feeble competitors that might enter the field. But the 
 instinct of danger, which never wholly deserts a living 
 Church, took in at once the fatal consequences of yielding 
 to the supremacy of so ambitious an agency. In 1818, 
 measures were concerted which resulted in the organi 
 zation of a Presbyterian Education Society, in Phila 
 delphia, "which should be under the inspection of the 
 General Assembly, and a faithful representative of the 
 whole denomination." But the Church could not be a 
 unit. The foreign influences, which had been imported 
 into the body, set themselves at once to counteract the 
 policy thus indicated. A rival organization was instantly 
 created, under a similar name, which refused to acknow 
 ledge Assembly control, and soon went over bodily to the 
 American Education Society, and became its active in 
 strument in promoting -its ascendency within the entire 
 limits of the Presbyterian Church. Meanwhile, the Church 
 Board languished for years, by reason of this opposition, 
 its own restricted powers, and general inefficiency in its 
 management, until, in 1831, it was re-organized under the 
 auspices of the Rev. John Breckinridge, D. D., as its 
 Secretary; when it sprung into vigour, anji held its own 
 against all rivalry, until the hour of complete deliverance 
 from all this thraldom was chimed in 1837.* So far, then, 
 the Church, though crippled and harassed, has refused to 
 subordinate herself to a foreign power. 
 
 The triumph, however, of the American Board of Com 
 missioners for Foreign Missions was complete. We have 
 sketched the early efforts of Presbyterians to extend the 
 gospel among the heathen. Besides the organization of 
 * Dr. Baird s History, pp. 283-292, 
 
OLD AND NEW SCHOOL CONTROVERSY. 201 
 
 the Synods of Pittsburgh and of the Carolinas to that 
 end, various local societies had sprung up, all subject to 
 the Church. But, in 1817, this great subject was brought 
 before the Assembly ; and the result was the organization 
 of "the United Foreign Missionary Society," so called 
 because it was composed of members of the Presbyterian, 
 Reformed Dutch, and Associate Reformed Churches, and 
 received the sanction of these bodies respectively. It was, 
 however, from the nature of the case, a voluntary society, 
 and in its management independent of ecclesiastical con 
 trol. It prosecuted its work with vigour, gradually ab 
 sorbing the different local societies, and was able, within 
 eight years from its establishment, to make a favourable 
 comparative exhibit of its success with that of the Amer 
 ican, or Congregational, Board, during its first eight years. 
 In 1824, the Synod of Pittsburgh transferred tUeir mis 
 sions to its care, under the impression that it was, and 
 would remain, distinctly Presbyterian in its character. At 
 the very moment, however, of this transfer, negotiations 
 were pending with the A. B. C. F. M.,* by which it was 
 soon absorbed. The only remaining missions of the Pres 
 byterian Church were those conducted by the Synod of 
 the Carolinas, dating back to 1802. In 1818, these were 
 in turn transferred by treaty to the American Board, 
 which was thus sole master of the field. 
 
 This termination filled many with profound grief, and 
 measures were soon concerted for rallying the Church to 
 her appointed work. The proposal was to organize an 
 Assembly Board of Foreign Missions, which should not 
 be antagonistic, but co-operative with -the American 
 Board. The lamented Dr. John H. Rice penned, from 
 his death-bed, the overture to the General Assembly of 
 18-31, which appointed a committee of conference on the 
 subject; but, "to the proposition for a co-ordinate Board, 
 the reply was, without alternative, the American Board, 
 
 * The abbreviated title of the American Board of Commissioners for 
 
 Foreign Missions." 
 
202 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORNWELL. 
 
 and that only." Renewed defeat served but to arouse the 
 Church the more. The next measure was to revive " the 
 Western Foreign Missionary Society," at Pittsburgh,, 
 which had been sold out in 1824. It was accordingly 
 organized, and presented itself for recognition before the 
 Assembly of 1832, with its first missionaries chosen, and 
 Africa as its field of operations. It was so prospered in 
 its work, that, within three years, it represented twenty 
 missionaries under its care, labouring in western Africa, 
 northern India, and among several Indian tribes at homo. 
 In the Assembly of 1835, a committee was appointed to 
 confer with the Synod of Pittsburgh, relative to the 
 transfer of this Society to the General Assembly. In the 
 following year, however, the Assembly, under the foreign 
 influences which controlled it, receded from the proposals 
 of its predecessor, and the Western Society was rejected 
 as a recognized institution for the whole Church.* The 
 consternation and alarm created by this decision contri 
 buted not a little to the revolution which, one year later,, 
 swept Moderatism, as it did heresy, out of the bosom of 
 the Church. 
 
 The great battle, however, for the liberties of the 
 Church, was fought upon the Home Mission field; where, 
 by God s grace, a full victory was achieved. We have 
 seen the Assembly Committee of 1802 expanding, in 
 1816, into a Board, with enlarged powers. Its efficiency 
 was nevertheless crippled by the opposition of the "lib- 
 
 *Dr. Baird s History, pp. 298-308, 447-461, 490-49(5. The line of 
 argument pursued, in the Assembly of 1836, against the Church s en 
 gaging in the work of Foreign Missions, illustrates the nature of the 
 struggle, and fills the reader with equal astonishment and sorrow. It 
 was denied that the Assembly had any authority to undertake this work ;. 
 that it had received no authorization from the Presbyteries ; that the 
 command to evangelize the world was given to the Church universal, 
 which is an unorganized body ; that the Assembly cannot delegate the 
 power of creating missions to any Board ; that, if it does, this is to per 
 petuate itself after its own dissolution ; that the gospel is not sectarian, 
 and should not be so exhibited to the heathen, etc. See Baird s History, 
 p. 495. 
 
OLD AND NEW SCHOOL CONTROVERSY. 203 
 
 eral" party in the Church; who set to work organizing 
 local societies, in which some indulgence would be ex 
 tended to theological -aberrations. These were, in 1822, 
 consolidated into what was termed " The United Domestic 
 Missionary Society;" which, in 1826, resolved itself into 
 "The American Home Missionary Society," "planned in 
 a meeting of delegates from the New England churches," 
 held in Boston early in the same year." Dr. Absalom 
 Peters, the determined head of this institution, addressed 
 himself to the task, which he unflinchingly pursued, of 
 absorbing the Assembly Board, or at least of making it 
 wholly tributary. He accordingly, in 1828, communicated 
 his views to the General Assembly. The result, however, 
 was the adopting, by that body, of a paper recognizing 
 prerogatives in its own agent that had never been con 
 ferred before. A correspondence was then begun between 
 the two Boards, in which an elaborate argument was at 
 tempted to show that they could not co-exist in harmony, 
 if independent. Dr. Peters next visited Philadelphia, and 
 succeeded in gaming over to his views Dr. Ely, the Sec 
 retary of the Assembly Board. The two laboured to 
 gether for the amalgamation of the agencies which they 
 represented, upon the basis that fifty directors should be 
 chosen from the different bodies that should embark in 
 the scheme, distributed to each in proportion to the num- 
 ber of ministers upon its roll. This bold proposition wa& 
 promptly rejected by the Assembly Board, on the ground 
 that it had no authority to entertain it, and also from a 
 deep conviction that "the interests of the Presbyterian 
 Church, and the sacred cause of missions, require that the 
 character and powers of the Board should remain as they 
 are." In consequence of this resistance, the matter wa& 
 not brought before the Assembly at all, and a new system 
 of tactics was compelled. This was to plant a branch of 
 the American Society in the West, at Cincinnati, and to 
 invite the Assembly to transact its operations in the West 
 through this branch, as a common agency. This project, 
 
204- LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORNWELL. 
 
 however, failed to secure the approval of the Assembly. 
 The design evidently was, either to drive the Presby 
 terian Church out of the West, as -a field of operations, 
 or so to control her movements that they should be 
 wholly subordinate to the interests of Congregationalism. 
 
 In the Assembly of 1831, a long discussion ensued 
 upon certain overtures relating to missions in the West; 
 which resulted in a recommendation to all the Western 
 Synods to correspond with each other, and to agree upon 
 some plan which should be satisfactory to themselves, and 
 report the same to the next Assembly. In pursuance of 
 this advice, a general Convention of these Synods was 
 held, in November of that year, at Cincinnati. After a 
 week s session, in which various measures were discussed, 
 the question at issue was definitely settled, in the following 
 resolution, to the entire and final defeat of all the schemes 
 of the American Society: "Resolved, that, under these 
 circumstances, they deem it inexpedient to propose any 
 change in the General Assembly s mode of conducting 
 missions, as they fully approve of that now in such suc 
 cessful operation; and that the purity, peace, and pros 
 perity of the Presbyterian Church materially depend on 
 the active and efficient aid the Sessions and Presbyteries 
 under its care may afford to the Assembly s Board."* 
 
 The vigour of the assault upon this particular arm of 
 the Church will be understood at a glance. It was the. 
 precise spot in which a breach was to be effected in the 
 Presbyteriaji Church, and the defences here were to be 
 carried by storm. With the American Education Society 
 to train a ministry in the lax theology, and with the 
 American Home Missionary Society to distribute and 
 support them in their field of labour, it was simply a 
 question of time to trample the Confession of Faith in the 
 dust, to lay prostrate the whole constitution and order of 
 the Church, and to render the entire Presbyterian Church 
 the bound vassal under New England theology and New 
 
 * Dr. Baird s History, pp. 310-320, 37G-386. 
 
OLD AND NEW SCHOOL CONTROVERSY. 205 
 
 England control. The instinct of life alone preserved her 
 from surrendering, just where defeat would have been 
 fatal. 
 
 Such were the issues, both in doctrine and polity, by 
 which the Presbyterian Church was agitated; widening 
 with the discussion of every passing year, and finding no 
 solution but in open disruption. The doctrinal contro 
 versy was brought to a head, in the trial of Rev. Albert 
 Barnes; which was accepted on both sides as a test case, 
 and to which, therefore, an extraordinary interest was at 
 tached. Certain views announced by him as early as 
 1828, in a sermon, entitled, "The Way of Salvation," led 
 to resistance, in the Presbytery of Philadelphia, to his 
 settlement as a pastor within its bounds. The case went 
 up through the Synod, and came, by reference, before the 
 Assembly of 1831. It was disposed of by a minute, cen 
 suring the sermon of Mr. Barnes as "containing a num 
 ber of unguarded and objectionable passages;" but ac 
 cepting his own explanation of the same, and deciding 
 that the Presbytery ought to suspend all further proceed 
 ings. Thus ended Mr. Barnes s first trial. In 1835, 
 however, he was a second time prosecuted, by the Rev. 
 Dr. George Junkin, upon charges based upon alleged 
 errors in his " Commentary on Romans," recently issued 
 from the press. By reason of various delays, it did not 
 reach the Assembly till 1836, when Mr. Barnes appealed 
 from the condemnatory sentence of the Synod, and was 
 sustained in it by the decision of the Assembly. This 
 decision, in a confessedly test case, was regarded as fixing 
 the doctrinal complexion of the Church, and determined 
 the orthodox upon vigorous measures of reform. 
 
 The utter disregard of constitutional principles which 
 now exhibited itself in the highest court of the Church, 
 led to another flagrant outrage; which was the creation 
 of what was appropriately designated an "Elective Afiin 
 ity Presbytery," in the Synod of Philadelphia, and against 
 its remonstrances; which consisted of certain enumerated 
 
206 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THOR17WELL. 
 
 ministers and -churches thrown together because of their 
 doctrinal sympathies, and irrespective of geographical 
 boundaries. Still worse, in order to place this Presbytery 
 beyond the reach of Synodical .action, it was erected, 
 with two others of like sentiments, into the Synod of Del 
 aware. Thus was not only a secure asylum provided for 
 those who were unsound in the faith, but a fit instrument 
 was created for licensing candidates who would elsewhere 
 be rejected, and sending them forth with clean papers to 
 demand admission into every other Presbytery in the land. 
 Clearly, it was high time to act, for each year saw the 
 sound and evangelical portion of the Church drifting 
 under the power of a majority becoming larger and lar 
 ger by means the most unscrupulous. 
 
 The nature of the steps necessary to recover the Church 
 from her deep declension had been foreshadowed as early 
 as 1831, in an overture from the Synod of Pittsburgh, to 
 the effect "that every Church Session and Presbytery be 
 required to keep a book, in which the following formula 
 shall be recorded, viz. : I, A. B., do sincerely receive and 
 adopt the Confession of Faith and Catechisms of the 
 Presbyterian Church, according to the plain and obvious 
 meaning of the words in which they are expressed," etc;.; 
 and "that any Synod, Presbytery, minister, or elder, re 
 fusing to comply with the above conditions, shall be con 
 sidered as renouncing the jurisdiction of the Presbyterian 
 Church, and consequently no longer to be considered in 
 connexion with that body." In July, 1833, a conference 
 was held of certain gentlemen in Ohio, which addressed 
 to the General Assembly of the following year, what is 
 known as "The Western Memorial," testifying against 
 nine specified doctrinal errors, and urging the repeal of 
 the Plan of Union, and of any special arrangement with 
 the Congregational churches. During the session of the 
 Assembly, in 1834, a conference was held, at which the 
 famous "Act and Testimony" was drawn up, of which 
 the Eev. Dr. K. J. Breckinridge was the author, who, as 
 
OLD AND NEW SCHOOL CONTROVERSY. 207 
 
 an elder from Kentucky, had three years before signalized 
 himself as a champion of sound doctrine and constitu 
 tional order. This paper, after the enumeration of doc 
 trinal errors, and suggesting measures for their repression, 
 closed with the recommendation of a convention, to be 
 held the next year, to "deliberate and consult on the 
 present state of the Church, and to adopt such measures 
 as may be best suited to restore her prostrated standards." 
 At this convention a careful memorial was prepared, iden 
 tical with the "Act and Testimony," which received a 
 measure of consideration from the Assembly, and raised, 
 in some, the hope of ultimate reform. It was a hope ex 
 cited only to be blasted. The Assembly of 1836 was the 
 most radical of all that had preceded; and, as we have 
 seen, the acquittal of Mr. Barnes dashed the expectations 
 of the most sanguine to the ground. In 1837, for the 
 first time. in several consecutive years, the orthodox party 
 found itself in a small majority. The memorials and tes 
 timonies of preceding years had not been without effect 
 in arousing the supine, and in convincing those who had 
 heretofore been sceptical as to the extent of the danger 
 in which the Church stood. The business of reform was 
 brought before this body in an able " Testimony and 
 Memorial," from the pen of Dr. Breckinridge, making 
 sixteen specifications as to" false doctrine, which have been 
 already transcribed in this chapter, and proposing the 
 immediate abrogation of the Plan of Union, the discoun 
 tenancing of the American Education and Home Mis 
 sionary Societies, and other measures likely to promote 
 discipline and sound government. Pending the discussion 
 upon this paper, committees were appointed from both 
 sides, to agree, if possible, upon an amicable separation ; 
 which, having failed, the vote was taken upon the abro 
 gation of the Plan of Union, which passed by a majority 
 of thirty-three. It was then carried, that, by this abro 
 gation, the four Synods of Utica, Geneva, Genessee, and 
 Western Reserve, which were founded upon this platform, 
 
208 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORNWELL. 
 
 "are, and are hereby declared to be, no longer a part of the 
 Presbyterian Church in the United States of America." 
 This action has been assailed as unconstitutional and severe, 
 and as reaching, by one sweeping legislative decree, an evil 
 that should have been redressed by judicial process. But 
 if anything was clearly demonstrated, it was the utter fu 
 tility, in the existing state of the Church, of bringing any 
 party to public trial on charge of heresy. The cases of 
 Barnes, Beecher, Duffield, Sturdevant, and Kirby, were 
 all on record as warnings of this fact. Besides, the error 
 to be reached was so diffused as almost to defy prosecu 
 tion by its universality ; and in the districts which were 
 covered by the operation of the Plan of Union, the guilty 
 were safe in the mutual protection of each other, and 
 process could not be begun in the courts having imme 
 diate jurisdiction. If, too, the Plan of Union was estab 
 lished by a legislative act, it could ex cequali be legisla 
 tively declared null and void, as unconstitutionally created 
 in the first instance.* Of course, as soon as the platform 
 was stricken away upon which they rested, the Presby 
 teries and Synods that were erected upon it as a basis 
 naturally and necessarily fell through. 
 
 The last struggle, however, remained which was to 
 test the Assembly s power to enforce its own decree. In. 
 the following year, 1838, the commissioners from these 
 " exscinded" Synods presented themselves with their cre 
 dentials.. No sooner had the opening prayer been offered 
 than Dr. Patton arose, with certain resolutions in his 
 hand. The Moderator, adhering closely to the rules, 
 pronounced him out of order, since, until the roll was 
 reported of those with regular commissions, there was 
 no house to deliberate. Dr. Patton appealed from the 
 chair to the house. The Moderator replied, there was 
 no house to appeal to. The scheme was to intrude these 
 excluded commissioners upon the house before the organ- 
 
 * See Assembly s Pastoral Letter, from the pen of Dr. Alexander : Di 
 gest, Ed. 1856, p. 745. 
 
OLD AND NEW SCHOOL CONTROVERSY. 209 
 
 :/;ition; and failing in this, to organize the minority as 
 the Assembly, and to supersede it. Being defeated by 
 the tact and firmness of the Moderator, the only resource 
 was to organize in a tumultuous way, in the midst of the 
 business of the Assembly, by a loud call from Mr. Cleave- 
 land, in the body of the house, upon Dr. Beman to take 
 the chair. This gentleman stepped into the aisle, where, 
 in the utmost confusion, the throng about him responded 
 to several questions, and the whole party retired to -or 
 ganize in another building. The disruption was effected. 
 The Old and the New Schools were now distinctly apart ; 
 and those who stood by the Constitution of the Church, 
 in a strict interpretation of her symbols of doctrine and 
 principles of government, rejoiced in a great deliverance. 
 
CHAPTEK XY. 
 POLEMIC CAREER BEGUN. 
 
 PBOVIDENTIAL TRAINING FOB HIS FUTUBE WOBK. MEMBEB OP ASSEMBLY 
 IN 1837. INSUTE VIEW OF THAT COUNCIL. GBADUAL SIFTING OF THE 
 CHUBCH. TESTIMONY BEFOBE THE SYNOD. TRACT PUBLICATION. 
 LETTER OF CONDOLENCE. CALLED BACK TO THE COLLEGE. His DE 
 CISION ANNOUNCED. PASTORAL RELATION DISSOLVED. ASSUMES THE 
 CHAPLAINCY IN THE COLLEGE. 
 
 DR. THORSTWELL was licensed in the fall of 1834, 
 and was ordained the following spring. His ministry 
 opened, therefore, just as the two parties in the Church 
 were marshalling their forces for the final struggle. His 
 was not the temperament to remain a listless spectator of 
 these movements. Endowed with all the natural charac 
 teristics of a leader, his place could not be other than in 
 the front. His intense love of truth, simply as truth, 
 made him regardless of considerations merely prudential. 
 As we have seen, too, his first religious impressions were 
 derived from a mother whose teachings were strongly 
 Calvinistic; and his determination to the Presbyterian 
 Church was through a casual introduction to the West 
 minster Confession, at the time his first serious investi 
 gations in religion were set on foot. His future work 
 was to be that of a reformer, in an age of great spiritual 
 declension; and Divine Providence chose to cast him, at 
 the outset, into the mould of those venerable symbols 
 which most accurately defined the faith of the universal 
 Church. 
 
 The distant South was fortunately too far removed 
 from New England to be easily manipulated; and the 
 Presbyterianism which existed there was of that sturdy 
 Scotch type, which had proved itself so competent around 
 
 211 
 
212 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORN WELL. 
 
 Pittsburgh to enter the lists with error. His first ap 
 pearance in this conflict was as a member of the famous 
 Assembly of 1837, in whose proceedings, however, he 
 took no conspicuous part. He did not appear in the 
 body until the ninth day of its sessions, and therefore had 
 no hand in the Convention which preceded it, nor in pre 
 paring the Memorial and Testimony that shaped its de 
 liberations . The modesty of youth kept him in the 
 background; especially since, as he afterwards expressed 
 it to his friend Dr. Breckinridge, there were others in the 
 lead who were doing the work bravely and well. The 
 following extracts from letters, written at the time, reveal 
 the deep interest he felt in the proceedings, arid give also 
 an inside view of the same: 
 
 "PHILADELPHIA, May 26, 1837, 
 
 "MY VERY DEAR WIFE: After many delays and unforeseen hin 
 drances, I reached this city about four o clock this afternoon. * * * 
 
 * * I just reached here at the point of time for the agitating questions 
 that will come up before us. Mr. Robert J. Breckinridge gave notice 
 this evening, that he would introduce a motion to-morrow for the ap 
 pointment of a committee, to consist of equal members of both parties, 
 for the purpose of devising the most peaceable mode of dividing the 
 Presbyterian Church. I have no doubt but that this Assembly will 
 settle all the difficulties of the Church. We shall, in all probability, 
 get rid of the New School men, and be enabled^hereafter to preach and 
 propagate the gospel without molestation or controversy. Men, who 
 heretofore have been moderate, are now taking high ground. The im 
 portance of the questions at issue begins to be generally felt. * * * 
 
 * * * The results of this Assembly may and will be felt to the end 
 of time. The future history of the Presbyterian Church will depend, 
 under God, upon the measures adopted now, by the highest of her judi- 
 catories. There should be much prayer, much study of the Scriptures, 
 and much watchfulness over our words and thoughts. May the Lord 
 preside in all our deliberations, and order all things so as to promote 
 His glory, in the up-building of Zion and the spread of the truth. * * * 
 
 " Your affectionate husband, 
 
 J. H. THORN WELL." 
 
 Ill another letter, of date June 5th, he writes : 
 
 The vote was taken to-day on excluding the Synods of Utica, Geneva, 
 and Genessee, which, with the Synod of Western Reserve, will make 
 four Synods that have been excluded from the Church. They never, 
 
POLEMIC CAREER BEGUN. 213 
 
 constitutionally and regularly, formed a part of the Clmrch, and therefore 
 it was no hardship to say so. We shall probably dissolve the Third 
 Presbytery of Philadelphia and the Presbytery of Wilmington, w,hich 
 were formed upon the Elective Affinity principle ; and then cite to the 
 bar of the next Assembly such other ecclesiastical bodies as are reported 
 to be unsound. The work of reform seems to go on prosperously ; the 
 Lord has opened up an unexpected door of deliverance to His people. 
 I know that you feel anxious about me, that you entertain fears about 
 my temper and spirit. You may make yourself easy on these points. I 
 have not opened my mouth in the Assembly or Convention, except to 
 give a vote, and I do not expect to do so. I have sought constantly guid 
 ance and direction from the Lord ; and though I am conscious of much 
 sin and imperfection, yet I have endeavoured, in the strength of Divine 
 grace, to discharge my duties faithfully. I have been deeply grieved 
 and humbled at the spirit which has been too frequently manifested in 
 this body ; and in the midst of the excitement, and the mutual recrimi 
 nation and personality, which have been too freely indulged, I have 
 often wished myself at home, where I could enjoy the peace and comfort 
 of my own family. The Lord has shown me, in the proceedings of this 
 General Assembly, that there is no confidence to be placed in man ; that 
 the best of us are weak and erring mprtals, who cannot see afar off. I 
 rejoice, however, that the agitating subjects, on which we have hereto 
 fore been employed, are drawing to a close. We will soon be eng iged 
 in more peaceful and quiet business, unless the members who have been 
 excluded should undertake to distiirb our deliberations. The spectators 
 who have attended our deliberations have behaved, in several instances, 
 very uucourteously. We have been hissed from the galleries three or 
 four times to-day. Our New School brethren, in too many instances, 
 have made their speeches only to the galleries; in other words, their 
 object seems to have been to produce a popular impression against the 
 orthodox. They have treated the questions which came up before us 
 with a great deal of unfairness ; and one hour spent in the General 
 Assembly would convince your mind that the two parties ought never 
 to meet again in the same body. They have no confidence in one an 
 other ; they are wide apart in spirit, principle, and doctrines ; and no 
 thing but confusion and disorder can result from their being united. " * * 
 
 Such a schism, as described in the preceding chapter, 
 could not but shake the Church, from its centre to its cir 
 cumference. In all parts of the land were to be found 
 many who were disaffected to those measures by which 
 the rupture had been produced; some, perhaps, because 
 themselves tainted with the prevalent unsoundness in 
 doctrine, but many more influenced by mere sympathy 
 with the excluded Synods, and who regarded the abro- 
 
214 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THOKNWELL. 
 
 gation of the Plan of Union as the violation of a covenant, 
 and as having been accomplished in an extra-constitu 
 tional, if not unconstitutional, way. The sifting of the 
 two parties, throughout the whole country, could only be 
 gradually secured. In some places, after the disruption 
 and formation of two rival Assemblies, there was a dis 
 position in Presbyteries and parts of Presbyteries to hang 
 undecided between the two. It became necessary, there 
 fore, to push the question, until the position of every one 
 in the Church should be definitely ascertained. Accord 
 ingly, the Assembly of 1838 passed an Act, enjoining upon 
 all Presbyteries in its connection to take order in the 
 premises for the general reform and pacification of the 
 Church, and to do so between the dissolution of that As 
 sembly and the fall meetings of the Synods. 
 
 It so -happened that, within the bounds of the Synods 
 of South Carolina and Georgia, some dissatisfaction with 
 these Reform measures did exist, though confined to but 
 one locality in either State. When this Synod met, in 
 the autumn, Mr. Thornwell presented the following paper, 
 which was adopted by that body by a vote of forty -nine 
 to eight : 
 
 " Whereas, disputes and contentions, which have existed among the 
 members of the Presbyterian Church, have resulted in a division of our 
 communion into two denominations, differing from each other, as we 
 suppose, on topics of faith, involving essential elements of the Gospel 
 plan ; and whereas, it is the duty of all the courts of the Church to con 
 tend earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints ; we, as a Synod, 
 feel called upon, in the present crisis of our ecclesiastical affairs, to 
 bear this ; our solemn testimony, for the truth as it is in Jesus, in oppo 
 sition to the errors and heresies which are now abroad in the land. 
 
 "1. It is a fundamental article of the Christian faith, that the guilt 
 of Adam s first sin is imputed to all his posterity, descended from him 
 by ordinary generation, so that they are born in a state of condemna 
 tion and depravity ; that this imputation is immediate and direct, having 
 no reference to their subsequent concurrence in his sin by voluntary 
 transgression, but founded solely upon the fact, that he was constituted, 
 by the sovereign appointment of God, their federal head and represen 
 tative. 
 
 "2. It is a fundamental doctrine of the Gospel, that Jesus Christ 
 
POLEMIC CAREER BEGUN. 215 
 
 was actually the substitute of a chosen seed ; that He assumed their le 
 gal responsibilities, and rendered a true and proper satisfaction to Divine 
 justice on their behalf, by enduring the penalty of the law in their name 
 and stead ; that the obedience and death of Christ constitute the alone 
 ground of a sinner s acceptance before God, and that to all those for 
 whom Christ purchased redemption, He doth certainly and effectually 
 apply and communicate the same. 
 
 "3. The inability of the sinner to comply with the demands of the 
 Divine law, to believe the Gospel, or to exercise any holy affection, is 
 absolute and entire ; so that regeneration is effected alone by the direct 
 and immediate agency and power of God the Spirit ; the subject of 
 this work of grace being passive, in respect to the vital operation of re 
 newing the heart. We believe, moreover, that the saving grace of God 
 is always efficacious and invincible, and its final triumph sure. 
 
 " 4. We believe that the form of doctrine usually called Hopkinsian- 
 ism, though a milder form of error than Taylorism, or Pelagianism, is 
 inconsistent with the Presbyterian standards ; and if fully carried out 
 in its consequences and results, is utterly destructive of the fundamen 
 tal principles of the Gospel. 
 
 " 5. This is our solemn testimony of the truths of the Gospel. And 
 for the satisfaction of those brethren who have been perplexed with 
 anxiety and doubt in regard to the theological instruction which is given 
 in our Seminary, we, the members of this Synod, including the Profes 
 sors of the Theological Seminary, do pledge ourselves, that no contrary 
 doctrine shall be taught in the Seminary, or in our pulpits ; and that, as 
 professors and ministers, we will endeavour to guard our pupils and 
 hearers against all the heresies condemned in this testimony." 
 
 He was at this time not quite twenty-six years of age, 
 and had been but a few months a Professor in the South 
 Carolina College, when his influence began to be felt thus 
 in the councils of the Church. In 1840, when, it will be 
 remembered, he was settled as a pastor in the town of 
 Columbia, his zeal for the spread of orthodox views was 
 displayed in another direction. He conceived the project 
 of publishing a series of tracts, chiefly the reproduction of 
 the writings of the old divines, relying upon their sale to 
 meet the expenses of publication. Such a scheme, how 
 ever, requires an energetic agency for the purpose of dis 
 tribution, for want of which this particular enterprise fell 
 through, after issuing two of the series. The first was an 
 fxtract from the writings of Traill; the other was a bro 
 chure from his own pen, on Election and Reprobation, 
 
210 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORN WELL. 
 
 which will be found in the second volume of his works. 
 This scheme is brought to view in the following letter to 
 his friend and brother-in-law. Dr. J. J. Wardlaw, of Abbe 
 ville, S. C. : 
 
 "COLUMBIA, February 14, 1840. 
 
 MY DEAR SIR : I write you at present for the purpose of enlisting 
 your interest in behalf of an enterprise in which I am warmly engaged, 
 and for which I feel a lively concern. After much deliberation, I have 
 determined to publish a series of theological tracts on the fundamental 
 doctrines of the Gospel, selected from the writings of standard orthodox 
 divines, if the sale will cover the expenses. The first of the series, 
 which is a letter of the Rev. Eobert Traill, vindicating the doctrine of Jus 
 tification from the unjust charge of Antinomianism, is now in the press, 
 and will be ready for delivery in a few days. It is printed in octavo 
 form, and will consist of upwards of thirty pages, and will be sold at 
 twenl y-five cents per copy. If it shouM fail to pay for itself, the whole 
 project will be abandoned. Now, I am anxious that you should see Dr. 
 Barr, and get him to interest himself in the matter. He can do much, 
 if he can only be brought to take an active part in the matter. He 
 knows that such things are desperately needed. We have had a national 
 religion long enough. We want something on the peculiar and distin 
 guishing doctrines of the Gospel. You can tell him that the tracts are 
 intended to be after the most straitest sect of ancient Presbyterianism ; 
 for they will be selected from the writings of the divines of the seven 
 teenth and eighteenth centuries. I wish all your ministers and people 
 in Abbeville District could be waked up, and made to take a lively in 
 terest in the spread of unadulterated truth. I do not ask for contribu 
 tions ; I barely ask that they would buy the tracts and read them. 
 
 We were very sorry to hear that your dear little son has had to fare so 
 uncomfortably. You begin to know now something of the anxieties of 
 a father. I pray that the Lord may give you grace to discharge faithfully 
 and acceptably the solemn and interesting duties of that relationship. 
 At such times, when such serious obligations are crowding upon us, we 
 should seek the special favour and assistance of God. He only can 
 make us a blessing to our children^ and them a blessing to us, and to 
 the world. Satis verbum sapienti. * * * Yours sincerely, 
 
 J. H. THORNWELL . ?l 
 
 The following letter is addressed to his friend and for- 
 
 O 
 
 mer patron, General James Grillespie, and reveals him as 
 a "son of consolation:" 
 
 "COLUMBIA, October 2nd, 1840. 
 
 " MY VERY DEAR GENERAL : The mournful event which has recently 
 occurred in your sister s family,* has produced a deep impression upon 
 * Death of the eldest son. 
 
POLEMIC CAREER BEGUN. 217 
 
 my mind. It is one of those riddles in the dispensation of Divine Provi 
 dence which baffles the wisdom of the wisest, and brings tbo most care 
 less to reflection. My heart has bled, as I thought of the blasted hopes 
 and disappointed expectations of a fond mother. I know that she had 
 looked upon him as, in some measure, the head of the family, and was 
 preparing to lean upon him as the prop of her declining years ; but in 
 a moment, the bright anticipations of a parent s heart are shrouded in 
 the darkness of cheerless despair. I could well conceive the agony of 
 that dreadful moment, when all the hopes of his recovery were found to 
 be delusive, and the avvful certainty of death was irresistibly felt. It 
 was, indeed, a moment of fiery trial : and I am seriously apprehensive 
 that the shock has been too great for your sister s frame. But I rejoice 
 that she is in the hands of a merciful God, and most sincerely pray that 
 He may preserve her from all temptation to distrust His goodness, or 
 murmur at His ways. Though clouds and darkness are round about 
 Him, righteousness and truth are still the habitation of His throne. It 
 should always be a sufficient argument to reconcile our minds to any 
 proceeding, however mysterious, that it is the Lord s doing ; and since He 
 is as merciful as He is wise, we may rest assured that He doth not will 
 ingly afflict, nor grieve the children of men. Our times of trial are 
 times of temptation ; and precious is that faith which loses nothing but 
 its dross in the heat of the furnace. 
 
 " I know that your own feelings have been deep and strong. I sym 
 pathize most heartily and unfeignedly with you ; and should much re 
 joice to see you. that I might walk with you through these deep waters 
 of affliction. Oh ! how it endears the Saviour, when the cords which 
 bind us to life are successively snapping asunder, and leaving nothing in 
 time but a dreary prospect of desolation ! Every day I am becoming 
 more and more convinced of the utter vanity of the creature. I feel 
 that God is the only adequate portion of the soul ; and I endeavour to 
 sit loose to ah 1 the things of earth. Every death reminds us that the 
 distance between time and eternity is very short, and that the Judge 
 stands ever at the door. Our highest wisdom is to be always ready. 
 
 My church is growing ; the congregation has been almost doubled, 
 and the Lord has accompanied the truth in several instances with re 
 markable outpourings of the Spirit. My people are devoted to me. To 
 a man they will bitterly protest against the efforts of the Board to carry 
 me back to the College. In regard to that matter, I am in a perplexing 
 strait. I know not what to do ; but I have no doubt of being directed 
 by Him who has promised to give wisdom to those who ask. When first 
 solicited, I positively and unconditionally declined ; but when urgent 
 entreaties came from different individuals in different parts of the State, 
 I felt bound to pause and consider ; and there the matter rests 
 
 " Yours as ever, J. H. THOBNWELL." 
 
 His restoration to the College, alluded to above, was 
 the great turning-point in his career. Having occupied 
 
218 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORNWELL. 
 
 the chair of Metaphysics, with great acceptance, during 
 the year 1838 and 1839, he had been pressed in conscience 
 to resign, in order that, as a minister of the gospel, he 
 might preach the Word. For one year (1840) he filled 
 the pastorate of the Columbia church, with the results 
 detailed in the preceding letter. The election, however, 
 of the Rev. Dr. Elliott, to the Episcopal Diocese of Geor 
 gia, left vacant the chaplaincy of the College, together 
 with the professorship of Sacred Literature, to which it 
 was united. All eyes, not only in the Board, but also in 
 the State, were turned to Mr. Thornwell, as a most suit- 
 ^able successor. Amongst the loose papers which he left 
 behind, is a carefully prepared "Statement of Reasons, " 
 for and against the proposed transfer; showing how anx 
 iously he surveyed the whole ground, and with what con 
 scientiousness a decision was finally reached. This deci 
 sion was formally announced in a communication to tho- 
 congregation, from which a single extract will suffice; 
 which we give simply because it covers a principle which 
 he had occasion to apply at other critical periods of his 
 life, and upon which he always laid a peculiar emphasis : 
 " The general principle upon which I acted and I think 
 that the principle will commend itself to your judgment 
 was this: that the dispensations of Providence are in 
 tended for our guidance and direction, whenever they da 
 not come into collision with the express and implied pre 
 cepts of the Word of God. In all other cases they are 
 designed to try us, but in these to lead us, being unam 
 biguous intimations of the Divine will. In the present 
 instance you are familiar with the facts, and can apply 
 the principle. * * * * Guided by this principle, 
 and from .a spirit, as I trust, of obedience to God, I con 
 sented, after a long and painful struggle, and after much 
 earnest prayer, to accept the appointment which was 
 unanimously tendered to me. I can truly say, with Paul, 
 that * I go bound in the Spirit, " etc. 
 
 In January, 1841, the pastoral relation was accordingly 
 
POLEMIC CAREER BEGUN. 219 
 
 dissolved, and he entered upon his duties immediately as 
 chaplain in the College, and a second time filling a Pro 
 fessor s chair within the same. It is a little curious, how 
 often the station we are called to fill in life differs from that 
 we would ourselves have chosen. A series of providential 
 events, through a succession of years, shuts up a man to 
 academic life, who, three years before, could write, upon 
 the occasion of his first appointment, " I confess that it is 
 not the situation of my choice. I had rather be the pastor 
 of a church than to be the most distinguished Professor 
 of whom the world could boast." The position, however, 
 which he now filled, gave to him the cure of souls, in 
 which the scruples of his conscience and the longings of 
 his heart were alike satisfied. The interruption of his 
 labours in his new calling, and the voyage to Europe for 
 the recovery of health, have already been recited. 
 
CHAPTER XYI. 
 THE BOARD QUESTION. 
 
 DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THE BOARDS OF THE CHURCH. RlSES OUT OF THE 
 PREVIOUS CONTROVERSY. DEBATE IN SYNOD. INCIDENT IN THE SAME. 
 FIRST WRITTEN ATTACK ON THE BOARDS. ARTICLE ON APOCRYPHA. 
 SECOND ARTICLE ON THE BOARDS. LETTERS ON THE SAME SUBJECT. 
 
 IT has been stated, in a preceding chapter, that most of 
 the discussions in which Dr. Thornwell was engaged, 
 were a sort of remainder from the original controversy by 
 which the Church was rent, in 1837- 8. The first that 
 emerged into view was the discussion about Boards. 
 During the period when the Church was brought under 
 a species of vassalage to Congregationalism, the great 
 National Societies, which usurped her functions, con 
 ducted their operations by the agency of Boards. The 
 Church had become familiar with that mode of action; 
 and when the effectual blow was struck for her emanci 
 pation, this was supposed to be fully accomplished, when 
 these national organizations were disowned. The great 
 principle upon which the argument turned, that the 
 Church, in her organized form, must do her own work, 
 was supposed to be satisfied, when Boards exactly anala- 
 gous were established by the Church herself, as the agents 
 by whom her will was to be carried out. It could not be 
 long, however, before it was perceived that the above- 
 named cardinal principle must be extended further : that 
 a Board, consisting of many members, distributed over a 
 large territory, to whom her evangelistic functions were 
 remitted, did not satisfy the idea of the Church acting in 
 her own capacity, and under the rules which the Consti- 
 
222 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORNWELL. 
 
 tution prescribed for her guidance. Dr. Thornwell was 
 one of those who planted themselves firmly against their 
 continuance in the Church. It is not the business of the 
 biographer to discuss his views, but only to afford him 
 the opportunity of presenting them. It may be remarked, 
 however, that he was not opposed to combined or united 
 action on the part of the Church, but only insisted that 
 the central agency should be simply executive: the mere 
 instrument by which the Assembly acts, and not an agent 
 standing in the place of the Assembly, and acting for it. 
 The first occasion on which he publicly developed his 
 views was at the meeting of the Synod of South Carolina 
 and Georgia ; where a stiff debate was held upon the prin 
 ciples involved, and in which the Rev. Thomas Smyth, 
 D. D., of Charleston, S. C., was his chief antagonist. An 
 incident is related of this debate, so characteristic of the 
 man, that it deserves to be recorded. In the heat of the 
 discussion, he suffered himself to be borne beyond the 
 bounds of strict propriety. The old spirit of invective 
 and sarcasm, which later years so perfectly subdued, 
 manifested itself in expressions a little too scornful of his 
 opponent, and the impression was not pleasant upon the 
 house. It so happened that his speech closed exactly at 
 the hour of recess at noon, and there was no opportunity 
 for rejoinder. Immediately upon re-assembling, he arose 
 and apologised in handsome terms for the discourtesy into 
 which he had been betrayed, and declared his profound 
 esteem for the learning, ability, and piety of his adversary. 
 It was done so spontaneously, and with such evident sin 
 cerity, that criticism was completely disarmed ; and there 
 was a universal feeling of admiration for the magnanimity 
 and courage which could so fully redeem a fault. 
 
 This discussion is thus referred to in the first of many 
 letters it will be our pleasure to transcribe, addressed to- 
 Dr. R. J. Breckinridge, with whom he was thoroughly 
 associated in the discussion of all these Church ques 
 tions : 
 
THE BOARD QUESTION. 223 
 
 "COLUMBIA, December 17, 1840. 
 
 " EEV. AND DEAR SIB : Above you have a draft on the Commercial Bank 
 of Pennsylvania for seventy dollars. I endeavoured to procure one on 
 some of the banks of Baltimore, but could not succeed. You \vill please 
 apply the money to the Evangelical church at Lyons, and the Theolo 
 gical Seminary at Geneva. I read to my people the correspondence be 
 tween your church and that of Lyons, and between yourself and J. H. 
 Merle d Aubigne ; and without any other solicitation than what is con 
 tained in your Magazine, they made up among themselves the amount 
 forwarded. It is but a pittance, but still it is a free-will offering. You 
 may give half to the church and half to the Seminary. 
 
 You will probably hear exaggerated accounts of the discussion in our 
 Synod on the subject of Boards and Agencies. For your February 
 number, I intend to send you a document which I have carefully pre 
 pared upon this subject, and which has received the sanction of a very 
 respectable minorit} 7 among us. I would have sent it to you before ; 
 but affliction in my family, combined with other circumstances which 
 it is useless to mention, prevented me from complying with the promise 
 which I made in Philadelphia 
 
 " Your sincere friend and Christian brother, 
 
 J. H. THORNWELL." 
 
 This was followed, a month later, with a fuller expo 
 sition of his views on the same subject, in a letter ad 
 dressed also to Dr. Breckinridge : 
 
 * COLUMBIA, January 27, 1841. 
 
 "REV. AND DEAR SIR: I have detained my manuscript in my hands 
 much longer than I had any idea of doing, when I wrote to you before. 
 My object in the delay has been to copy it; but day after day has 
 passed over, and I have been so constantly occupied that I have had 
 no time for the drudgery of re-writing it. I send it to you, therefore, 
 with all the imperfections of a first draft. It was written before the 
 meeting of our Synod, with the view of presenting it to that body, and 
 in their name sending it as a memorial to the Assembly. This, how 
 ever, was not done. I submitted the manuscript to a few members of 
 Synod, who cordially concurred in its leading statements. My ob 
 ject in publishing it is not to gain a point, but to elicit discussion. I 
 believe that the Boards will eventually prove our masters, unless they 
 are crushed in their infancy. They are founded upon a radical mis 
 conception of the true nature and extent of ecclesiastical power ; and 
 they can only be defended, by running into the principle against which 
 the Reformers protested, and for which the Oxford divines are now 
 zealously contending. This view of the subject ought to have been 
 enlarged on more fully than has been done in the article, because the 
 
224 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORNWELL. 
 
 principle involved in it is of vital importance ; but I thought it better 
 to reserve a full discussion of it for some subsequent article. 
 
 "There is a fact connected with the influence of the Boards that 
 speaks volumes against them. A few men in the Church have presumed 
 to question the wisdom of their organization. These men are met with 
 a universal cry of denunciation from all parts of the land. If, in their 
 infancy, they (the Boards) can thus brow-beat discussion, what may we 
 not expect from them in the maturity of manhood ? 
 
 "It is not to be disguised, that our Church is becoming deplorably 
 secular. She has degenerated from a spiritual body into a mere petty 
 corporation. "When we meet in our ecclesiastical courts, instead of at 
 tending to the spiritual interests of God s kingdom, we scarcely do any 
 thing more than examine and audit accounts, and devise ways and means 
 for raising money. We are for doing God s work by human wisdom and 
 human policy ; and what renders the evil still more alarming, is that so 
 few are awake to the real state of the case. Your Magazine is the only 
 paper in the Church that can be called a faithful witness for the truth. 
 I do sincerely and heartily thank God for the large measure of grace 
 which He has bestowed upon you. I regard the principles which you 
 advocate of so much importance, that I could make any sacrifice of com 
 fort or of means, consistent with other obligations, to aid and support 
 you. 
 
 " I rejoice that you remember me and my poor labours in your 
 prayers. My field of labour in the College is arduous and trying ; but 
 God has given me the ascendency among the students. I have an in 
 teresting prayer-meeting and a Bible-class. My sermons on Sunday are 
 very seriously listened to ; and I have succeeded in awaking a strong 
 interest in the evidences of our religion. 
 
 "I have formed the plan of publishing an edition of Butler s An 
 alogy, with an analysis of each chapter, a general view of the whole 
 argument, and a special consideration of the glaring defects in the 
 statement of Christian doctrine, with which the book abounds. It is a 
 subject on which I have spent much patient thought, and on which I 
 feel somewhat prepared to write. What think you of the scheme ? If 
 you should favour it, any suggestions from you would be gratefully re 
 ceived. At some future day I shall not venture to fix the time you 
 may expect an article from me on Natural Theology. I have been care 
 fully collecting materials on the subject, and shall embody them in a re 
 view of Paley s Theology, Bell and Brougham s edition. 
 
 " In regard to the article on Boards,* I give you leave to abridge, 
 amend, correct, wherever you deem it necessary. If you can conve 
 niently do so, I would be glad to have you return the manuscript, as 1 
 have no copy of it. 
 
 " Sincerely yours, J. H. THOKNWELL." 
 
 * This article appeared in the Baltimore Literary and Religious Maga- 
 zirie, in 1841. It will be found in the fourth volume of his collected 
 writings. 
 
THE BOARD QUESTION. 225 
 
 A little earlier than this, his opinions on this and kin 
 dred topics are given in a letter addressed to the Rev. 
 John Douglas, one of his bosorn friends through life: 
 
 " COLUMBIA, August 4, 1840. 
 
 " MY DEAR BROTHER : I received your letter of inquiry, warning, and 
 rebuke, a few days ago ; and was not a little amused at the apprehen 
 sions which you expressed in relation to the rectitude (I use the word in 
 its primitive acceptation) of my course. If I were disposed at this 
 time, I might break a lance with you on the great principle which you 
 have assumed, as axiomatic in relation to the use of reason in matters of 
 religious worship. I shall just refer you to the second question in the 
 "Shorter Catechism," with its answer, for the only rule of practice as 
 well as faith ; and the answers to the one hundred and eighth and the one 
 hundred and ninth questions of the "Larger Catechism," for the true 
 ground on which all the inventions of man, no matter how reasonable, 
 are to be disapproved, detested, and opposed. And if I am singular, at 
 the present day, in maintaining that the Bible is our only rule, and that 
 where it is silent we have no right to speak, I have the consolatku of 
 knowing, that I stand on the same ground which was occupied by Calvin, 
 Chillingworth, Owen, and the venerable Assembly of Divines at West 
 minster. I weuld particularly direct your attention to ; Calvin s Insti 
 tutes, Book IV, chapters 8th, 9th, 10th, and llth. 
 
 " I am satisfied that there is a dangerous departure, in the present 
 age of bustle, activity, and vain-glorious enterprise, from the simplicity 
 of the institutions which Christ has established for the legitimate action 
 of the CUurch. He has appointed one set of instrumentalities, and or 
 dained one kind of agency in His kingdom ; but we have made void His 
 commandments, in order to establish our own inventions. I believe 
 that the entire system of voluntary Societies and ecclesiastical Boards, 
 for religious purposes, is fundamentally wrong. The Church, as organ 
 ized by her Head, is competent to do all that He requires of her. Ho 
 has furnished her with the necessary apparatus of means, officers, and 
 institutions, in Sessions, Presbyteries, Elders, Pastors, and Evangelists. 
 Let us take Presbyterianism as we have it described in our Form of 
 Government, and let us carry it out in its true spirit, and we shall have 
 no use for the sore evil of incorporated Boards, vested funds, and travel 
 ling agencies. If it is wrong to hold these principles, it was certainly 
 wrong to lay down such a form for the goverment of the Church ; and 
 if we do not intend to execute the form, let us cease requiring our 
 ministers to assent to it. Such is a skeleton of my views. I should like to 
 go into a full investigation of the subject with you, but a single letter 
 would hardly give room for an introduction. 
 
 " In relation to Temperance Societies, I am accustomed to draw a dis 
 tinction. I regard them as secular enterprises, for temporal good, having 
 no connection whatever with the kingdom of Christ ; a mere embalming 
 
226 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THOKNWELL. 
 
 of the corpse to arrest the progress of putrefaction. In this light, I think 
 it well that the potsherds of the earth should engage in them. They are 
 of great service to society. Others regard them as really helps to the cause 
 of Christ, instruments of building up His kingdom ; that is, as a means 
 of grace, for the kingdom of Christ on earth consists in grace. In this 
 sense, I oppose them, because they are not appointed by Christ. Their 
 true position is among the institutions of civil society. There I cordially 
 recommend and encourage them. 
 
 " Remember us kindly to Mrs. D., and let us have a full chat before 
 you set me down as an Antinomian. 
 
 " Your friend and brother, 
 
 J, H. THOKNWELL." 
 
 The next contribution of his pen was destined to bring 
 him more conspicuously before the public as a contro 
 versialist, and involved him in labours which he never 
 anticipated. It was an article on the Apocrypha, written 
 at Dr. Breckinridge s request, and published in his Maga 
 zine in 1841. Being subsequently reprinted in a local 
 paper in South Carolina, it drew forth a reply from Dr. 
 Lynch, subsequently a Bishop of the Roman Catholic 
 church in Charleston. Dr. Thornwell s rejoinder ex 
 panded into a book, which was published in 1845, and 
 entitled "Romanist Arguments Refuted." They may all 
 be found in the third volume of Dr. Thornwell s " Col 
 lected Writings." With this preliminary statement, the 
 reader will readily understand the allusions in the corre 
 spondence which follows, opening with a letter to the 
 Rev. Dr. Breckinridge : 
 
 " SOUTH CABOLINA COLLEGE, March 3, 1841. 
 
 " MY DEAB BBOTHER : According to your request, I send a short 
 article on the Canonical Authority of the Apocrypha. As I write a 
 free and open hand, and the sheets are small, I do not suppose that it 
 will fill more than two columns of such a paper as the Visitor. I have 
 written under some disadvantage. I presume that it was your desire that 
 I should keep my eye upon the article of the Priests, in one of the pa 
 pers sent me. This I endeavoured to do, but I had to rely exclusively 
 upon my recollection of its contents, as one of my servants destroyed 
 the paper soon after I received it. Whether my article notices all that 
 was important in their s, I cannot say. I have noticed all that made 
 sufficient impression upon my mind to be remembered. If what I have 
 written meets your approbation, and will be of any sort of service to 
 
THE BOARD QUESTION. 227 
 
 you in this controversy, it is at your disposal. I sincerely hope that God 
 may bring great good out of this unexpected movement in Baltimore. 
 
 " The destruction of the paper is my excuse for not verifying the 
 quotations of the Priests for you. If you are at any expense in sending 
 the numbers of the Visitor, containing this controversy, I would thank 
 you to put down my name as a subscriber for the year. By the first op 
 portunity, I wish to send for your Papism in the Nineteenth Century 
 in the United States. 
 
 " Praying that God may guide you and bless you in all your ways, I 
 
 remain > 
 
 " Your sincere friend and brother in Christ, 
 
 J. H. THOBNWELL." 
 
 Upon his return from Europe, and resumption of his 
 duties in the College, the discussion on the subject of the 
 Boards was revived. This was occasioned by a reply to 
 his first article, from the pen of Dr. Smyth. The history 
 will be developed in the correspondence that follows : 
 
 "SOUTH CAROLINA COLLEGE, October 14, 1841. 
 
 "MY DEAR BROTHER: Having recently returned home, I have been 
 able to accomplish nothing yet. In fact, I have been threatened with 
 fever every day since my return. I sent you Paxtou s tract, * Heading 
 no Preaching, which I have had copied ; how correctly, I cannot say. 
 If you think it worth publishing, it is at your service. I presume that 
 Smyth is the reviewer of my article on Boards. I shall soon notice his 
 lucubrations. I have many things to say to you, but have not time 
 now. May grace, mercy and peace be multiplied upon you. 
 "Your sincere friend, 
 
 J. H. T." 
 
 To this Dr. Breckinridge replies : 
 
 "BALTIMORE, November 12, 1841. 
 
 "DEAR THORNWELL : After a long and painful absence, I returned to 
 this city the last of October ; and found here your favour of October 
 14, with the tract inclosed. I will print it in our January number. If 
 you can, let us have something about your European trip. We and the 
 public will be glad ; when, and as you please. Your reply on the -Boards, 
 (which should cover the whole ground, nearly all which is given up in 
 the long review of your article,) should be in time for our spring Pres 
 byteries. By the way, there is a deep and wide feeling growing up in 
 our Church ; and there must be, and will be, a change in our mode of 
 conducting benevolent operations. The review rather confirms me 
 in my former opinions. The writer seems to consider the brief and 
 annual meetings of the Assembly conclusive against its doing its work 
 
228 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THOENWELL. 
 
 personally. Bui besides the clear distinction between a small, stand 
 ing, and responsible Committee, and a large, permanent, ill-constituted r 
 and virtually irresponsible Board, what should forbid the Assembly it 
 self, or a commission of it, to meet as often, by adjournment, as our 
 Boards do ? none of which meet oftener than monthly ; one, at least 
 (the Foreign one,) only yearly ; and as fourteen commissioners, by our 
 constitution, make an Assembly, (and, in point of fact, not so many as 
 fourteen persons regularly attend our Boards,) the argument is for us, 
 and not for the reviewer. Excuse this. God bless you. 
 
 "In much haste and much esteem, yours ever, 
 
 R. J. BRECKINKIDGE." 
 
 Three letters from Dr. Thornwell follow in quick suc 
 cession, on the same subject, and addressed to Dr. Breck- 
 inridge : 
 
 "SOUTH CAEOLINA COLLEGE, January 17, 1842. 
 
 "Mr DEAB BEOTHEB: I am sorry that my reply to Smyth s review 
 will not be ready for the next number of your Magazine. I shall com 
 mence writing it to-morrow, and shall easily finish it in a week ; so that 
 you will receive it early next month. You may think me very slow in 
 my motions ; but I have been waiting for some books which I purchased 
 in Europe, and which I have been expecting every day. They have not 
 yet arrived ; and wind and tide are so uncertain, that I do not know 
 when they will arrive. Some passages in the review have filled me 
 with grief and amazement, and show but too plainly that the first prin 
 ciples of ecclesiastical polity are not clearly understood among us. The 
 fundamental fallacy of the whole production, and of the system which 
 it is designed to uphold, is that the Church, instead of being the king 
 dom of the Lord Jesus Christ, is really one of His counsellors and His 
 confidential agent. This rotten principle is the basis of the whole fabric 
 of discretionary power, and the multitude of inventions which have 
 sprung from human prudence. But I have no idea of troubling you 
 with an argument here, of which you will have enough in due time. 
 I am satisfied that what of all things we need most, is a revival of pure 
 religion in all our churches. The cause of Missions lags, and all our 
 interests decay, because the Spirit of Life, to a mournful extent, is with 
 drawn from our congregations. The Church has almost dwindled down 
 into a secular corporation ; and the principles of this world, a mere car 
 nal policy, which we have nick-named prudence, presides in our councils. 
 Uutil she becomes a spiritual body, and aims at spiritual ends by ap 
 pointed means, and makes faith in God the impulsive cause of her 
 efforts, our Zion can never arise and shine, and become a joy and a 
 praise in the whole earth. It is my fervent prayer that God would bless 
 us, and that right early. I am satisfied that our Church has a noble des 
 tiny to accomplish. With all her defects, I believe her to be the purest 
 Church on earth ; and as I am fully persuaded that our beloved country 
 
THE BOARD QUESTION. 229 
 
 must take the lead, and that at no distant period, in the civilization of 
 the world, I would fain hope, that the purest Church in our land will be 
 particularly prominent in sending forth the waters of salvation, to glad 
 den and fertilize. the earth. Hence, I am earnestly desirous that she 
 should be furnished for the enterprise to which I believe her to be 
 called. ****** 
 
 " You ask me to give some account of my excursion abroad. You will 
 laugh when I tell you, that the notes which I took have never been writ 
 ten out, nor reduced to any kind of order. These are mere memoranda, 
 made for my own satisfaction, and not worth publishing. Still, I would 
 cheerfully comply with your request, if I had the leisure to write them 
 out ; but in addition to two sermons every Sunday, I am preparing lectures 
 on Natural Theology, and certain branches of Christian Evidences, and 
 a series of discourses on the Inspiration of the Scriptures. These la 
 bours are as much as a feeble body can sustain. Your kind letters were 
 of great service to me, particularly in Glasgow. I left there your reply 
 to Wardlaw, and would have had it published, if Dr. Mitchel had not 
 dissuaded me from it. In the hope, and with the earnest prayer, that 
 God may be with you, and abundantly bless you, I am 
 11 Your sincere friend, 
 
 J. H. THORNWELL." 
 
 "SOUTH CAEOLINA COLLEGE, February 7, 1842. 
 
 " MY DEAR BROTHER : I send you my reply to Smyth. I am sorry 
 that I have been obliged to confine myself to a mere reply to his argu 
 ment. I should have liked to enter into a full and positive vindication 
 of my own principles, but my article would have been too outrageously 
 protracted. I hope I have said nothing offensive or unchristian. If I 
 have, please strike it out. I have been obliged to write in mere scraps of 
 time, and therefore have indulged in repetition, which would be corrected 
 if I had time to copy. I wish you would take up Boards on the ground of 
 experience, and show how little they have really accomplished. I have 
 not the details which are necessary for an argument of this sort. The 
 thought has occurred to me, that the next General Assembly ought to ap 
 point a committee, to take the whole question of Boards into considera 
 tion, and report to the succeeding Assembly. Let the committee con 
 sist of men on both sides, and let two reports go up, bringing the whole 
 matter fully before the body. Something must be done. I trust my ar 
 ticle may be in time for the March number. 
 
 "In great haste, I am your sincere friend and brother, 
 
 J. H. THORN WELL." 
 
 " SOUTH CAROLINA COLLEGE, February 23, 1842. 
 "MY DEAR BROTHER: I received your letter this morning, acknow 
 ledging the receipt of my manuscript, and of the letter which succeeded 
 it. In regard to a central agency, I have expressed no opinion, because 
 my object has chiefly been to awaken our Presbyteries to a proper sense 
 
230 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORNWELL. 
 
 of their own responsibilities. Whenever they shall undertake, in good 
 earnest, the work of the Lord, in conformity with the spirit of our sys 
 tem, the details of their plans will not be found, I apprehend, very hard 
 to settle. On the present plan, our churches are not reached ; the whole 
 body is not, and cannot be engaged as one man ; the principles of our 
 polity, by which we are bound together and united into one body, are set 
 aside ; and we are evidently proceeding in a method suited only to the 
 lame and crippled constitution of the Independents. This clumsy me 
 thod I wish to see abandoned ; I want our distinctive principles clearly 
 brought out ; and I am very indifferent as to the details by which this 
 inay be done, so that it is effectually done. If a central agency can be 
 suggested, which shall give us a proper security against error and abuse, 
 and interfere with the regular operations of no part of our system, I 
 shall have not a word to say against it. 
 
 "I deplore bitterly that our ecclesiastical courts, to such a mournful 
 extent, have ceased to be spiritual bodies, and degenerated into hewers 
 of wood and drawers of water. Our business is, for the most part, 
 purely secular ; and when we have nothing of this sort to engage our at 
 tention, we are apt to complain that we have no business ; are impatient 
 to adjourn and return home ; though a world is lying in wickedness, and 
 millions are perishing daily for lack of knowledge. Our courts must be 
 roused up to a just sense of their true relation to our dying race ; they must 
 be brought to feel the spiritual nature of their vocation, and to appre 
 ciate the work which they are required to do in the vineyard of the 
 Lord. This deplorable state of things the Boards have a tendency to 
 engender and perpetuate. And on this account, apart from all other 
 considerations, I must regard them as an incubus upon the body. But 
 when you combine with their dangerous results their unsoundness of 
 principle, I cannot see how any true hearted Presbyterian can give them 
 his sanction. I must again urge you to expose, more fully than yon 
 have done, their inefficiency. Do join issue with their advocates, upon 
 the plain matter of fact, and show that they have not accomplished what 
 they were established to do ; that, in sober truth, they are an utter failure, 
 as agents of the Church. This you can do, and I cannot. I have not the 
 facts ; and a method of reasoning like this would be ten-fold more effective 
 than all the abstract arguments that could be produced from now till 
 dooms-day. It would absolutely demolish them ; for they stand only by 
 creating the " impression that the Church can, by no manner of means, 
 get along without them. 
 
 "Your Magazine will soon become the favourite periodical of this 
 part of the Church, You have only to be as diligent, faithful, and un 
 compromising as heretofore, and the Lord will richly and abundantly 
 bless you and your labours. I cannot better express to you my .sense 
 of the value and importance of your labours, than by mentioning to you 
 a fact, which I do simply to encourage you. During my absence from 
 home, when tossed upon the ocean, and wandering in a foreign land, I 
 do not know that I ever bowed my knees to the God and Father of our 
 
THE HOARD QUESTION. 231 
 
 Lord Jesus Christ without specially remembering you. I sometimes 
 had reason to think that I was very near the eternal world ; and as I 
 thought myself approaching the Church above, I felt a deeper interest 
 in the Church below ; and loved to pour out my heart before God in 
 regard to its faithful and tried servants. The children of God, how 
 widely soever separated, form but one family ; their hearts and sympa 
 thies are one, their aims are one, and their home shall finally be the 
 same. 
 
 "lam very busily engaged in preparing my course of lectures on 
 Natural Theology. I remember that we had a conversation on Paley s 
 argument, in Baltimore ; but I am not sure that I am master of the 
 process of reasoning by which you made him prove an indefinite num 
 ber of gods. I should be glad that you should state it in your next 
 letter. By the first private hand, I will send you an article, which 
 comprises the substance of my first sermon here as chaplain. I think it 
 suited to the design of your paper, and I hope it is calculated to do good. 
 You need not be afraid that I intend to flood you with my lucubrations ; 
 I shall probably not trouble you in this way very often. I am very 
 busily engaged, just now, upon my lectures. * * * * 
 " Your sincere friend and brother, 
 
 J. H. THORNWELL. " 
 
CHAPTEK XVII. 
 GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE. 
 
 VIEWS UPON FRENCH CHARACTER. KELATIONS WITH DR. BRECKINRIDOE. 
 LETTERS or CHRISTIAN SYMPATHY. PROPOSED WORK ON THE ATONE 
 MENT. CONTROVERSY WITH ROMANISTS. DEATH OF MB. BOBBINS. 
 LETTER TO HIS WIDOW. 
 
 HIS own experience of the benefit of a sea trip induced 
 him, after his return from Europe, to urge the ex 
 periment upon Mr. Bobbins, whose failing health gave 
 tokens of the fatal disease which finally terminated his 
 life. In terms of strong affection, begotten of the old 
 relations when Mr. Bobbins stood to him as a second 
 father, he pleads with this gentleman to " flee for his life, 
 not to the plains, but to the sea." The voyage was 
 eventually undertaken; and in a letter addressed to him 
 in Paris, dated the 27th August, 1842, this paragraph 
 occurs, in which his views are expressed as to the political 
 prospects of France : 
 
 "Your items of French news were quite interesting. There are evi 
 dently three parties in that beautiful but unsettled country, which God 
 seems to have made a striking example of the weakness, ignorance, and 
 folly of man ; and which of these parties will ultimately prevail, it is 
 hard to determine. The old Bourbon dynasty still has strong friends, 
 the present royal family has its own alliances, and republicanism is still 
 a golden vision to the minds of multitudes of the French people. Liberty 
 and Protestantism are the only things, in my poor judgment, which can 
 give dignity and stability to the French character." 
 
 It is curious to read these lines, written two and thirty 
 years ago, and to record their exact application to the 
 same terms which enter into the French problem after 
 the lapse of an entire generation. 
 
 233 
 
234: LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORN WELL. 
 
 On the same day in which these words are mailed to 
 Paris, a similar expression is directed to his correspondent 
 at Baltimore : 
 
 " SOUTH CAROLINA COLLEGE, August 27, 1842. 
 
 MY DEAR BROTHER : I had hoped to see you this summer, but have 
 been prevented from going northward by the circumstances of my 
 family. Mrs. Thornwell has recently lost her father, and she could not 
 bear the thought of being left alone ; neither could I reconcile it with my 
 own feelings to be separated from her, when her spirit was bowed down 
 with affliction. 
 
 " The two letters which you were kind enough to enclose to me, I read 
 with great interest, and shall return them by the first safe opportunity. 
 The condition of France at this time is particularly interesting. Liberty 
 and Protestantism are the only things which can give dignity, stability, 
 and real glory to the French people. As long as they continue to be 
 cursed with Popery, their efforts to establish free institutions must be 
 abortive. Protestantism would redeem them from their national in 
 firmities, and make them truly great. They have the elements of a noble- 
 character; but their atheism, idolatry, and philosophy, prevent them 
 from being developed. I know of no event more devoutly to be hoped 
 for than the thorough evangelization of that beautiful portion of the 
 globe. D Aubigne s work, the History of the Reformation, I do not 
 possess in the original, but have sent for it. I have read it in the trans 
 lation with great interest. It may be taken as a specimen of what the 
 French mind is capable of achieving when properly directed. * * 
 
 "I wish you would, at your leisure, suggest to me such thoughts as 
 have occurred to yoTir mind on the question of the " existence of God." 
 I would like particularly to have your view of Clarke s argument. I call 
 it Clarke s, not because it was original with him, (I have found it in the 
 schoolmen,) but because he has most elaborately unfolded it. I know 
 that you have reflected maturely upon it, and can suggest some valuable 
 hints. This winter I shall write my Lectures (at least some of them) out, 
 having collected most of my materials. You are right in supposing that 
 a good book on the Being, etc., of God, is needed; but one which is 
 much more needed is a judicious and learned treatise on the Holy Spirit. 
 The only works, in English, upon the subject, of any value, are those of 
 Owen, Ridley, and Heber. Owen s style is bad, and his plan was not 
 sufficiently extensive. The history of theological opinion upon the sub 
 ject ought to have been given, together with the doctrine of Divine 
 influences as held among the heathens. Heber s work I regard as mis 
 taking the meaning of our Saviour s promise, and as entirely too low in 
 its view of spiritual religion. Ridley s book I have not yet read. There 
 ought to be a masterly work on the Spirit. 
 
 "Yours, etc., J. H. T." 
 
GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE. 23(> 
 
 The reader will demand no apology from us for putting 
 side by side the letters of two such men as Drs. Breckin- 
 ridge and Thornwell. Apart from the fact that they 
 belong together, and that either would be incomplete 
 without the other, it is rare that Providence throws two 
 minds so richly gifted into close companionship. It is 
 beautiful to see how they laboured together in the propa 
 gation of similar views, and that no spark of rivalry or 
 jealousy was ever struck out by their contact with each 
 other. They were both of them too pre-eminently great, 
 in their respective spheres, to be affected by this infirmity 
 of smaller minds. The two letters now to be given have 
 an inexpressible tenderness and pathos in their tone, 
 which will amply repay perusal. The first is from Dr. 
 Breckinridge : 
 
 "BALTIMORE, October 17, 1842. 
 
 MY DEAR BROTHER : I find, on my return to this city, after an absence 
 of six weeks, your letter of 27th August, which must have arrived 
 soon after my departure. I have been to Kentucky, and rapidly through 
 other portions of the West, and return to my post to take the harness 
 and the chain again. My appropriate work, my duties as a minister of 
 the gospel, are full of sweetness to my soul ; but this everlasting 
 wrangle, and correction of proof-sheets, and devouring trash, this is mur 
 derous to me. My life is hastening away without fruit. An inexpressible 
 restlessness of mind and heart often takes possession of me ; and I feel 
 like one condemned, for having not only done nothing, but attempted 
 nothing, worthy of my Master or my age. I am sure I am capable of 
 better things ; would to God I had the space and opportunity of trying. 
 This much I can do ; I can beseech those who are able to guide the mind 
 of this age and the next, to nerve up themselves to the work. Our 
 spirits are often gifted with intuitive knowledge of what other men 
 are, and can do. My dear brother, you must do great things, or you 
 must give a great account ; and you must do it soon, for the blade is too 
 sharp for the scabbard ; and men like you rarely live to be old. Con 
 centrate yoxir powers, then, and produce a great work, a monument of 
 our principles, our hopes, our struggles, our Church, our age. Your 
 mind has been directed to a channel which few are able to explore : a 
 work on the Godhead, the God of the Bible, that Jehovah who is Father, 
 Son, and Holy Ghost. Write such a book ; you alone are capable, of 
 all the men I have known, of doing this, by God s help, as it should 
 be done. I say this in profound conviction, and to make you feel how 
 much it is your duty to do this thing ; and I feel* as if I should promote 
 
236 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORNWELL. 
 
 the cause of God, and human nature, more effectually, by urging you 
 forward to such an undertaking, than by living almost a double life-time. 
 
 "If you can devote two or three days to the labour of throwing to 
 gether the results of your thoughts and reading on geology for our 
 pages, it will be a very great service done to the public, and a favour 
 to me. You will find in one of my numbers, about three years ago, a 
 very able philological article, by Horwitz, the Jew, on the questions 
 arising upon the Mosaic cosmogony. My knowledge of the subject (of 
 geology) is general, and by no means accurate ; but my decided convic 
 tion is, that the whole matter is in an exceedingly crude state, and is 
 receiving a decidedly wrong impression. * * * * 
 
 " It is of the last moment that the regular action of our system should 
 be restored, and all the temporary contrivances into which we have 
 fallen be laid aside ; and with them all those irregular and dangerous 
 influences which have grown up with them, and for the sake of which 
 they are so stiffly defended. God is bringing all this about, steadily 
 and surely. Let iis take courage, and be patient. Cunctando restituit, 
 was the motto of the Massini family, that has lived the longest and done 
 the most of all the private families amongst men. God counts not slack 
 ness as some men count slackness ; human wisdom and divine faith 
 agree for once. Let me hear from you soon ; and let- me have an in 
 terest in your prayers. 
 
 "With true regard, ever and faithfully yours, 
 
 Ro. J. BRECKINRIDGE." 
 
 The reply to this letter is dated : 
 
 " SOUTH CAROLINA COLLEGE, October 25, 1842. 
 
 "My DEAB BROTHER : I am sorry to learn that you suffer yourself to 
 be dejected by occasional reflections, founded on what I conceive to be 
 a great mistake. Your observation has taught you that, among the lights 
 of our world, there are two classes of men, each eminently useful, and 
 each largely entitled to the gratitude and benedictions of the race. One 
 class embraces those whose lives are spent in retirement ; who are un 
 known to their contemporaries ; who exert no influence upon existing 
 generations ; but who are enabled, by God s blessing, to leave behind 
 them a valuable legacy for those who come after them. These men live 
 in the future ; they are as dead, in their own day ; and enjoy only that 
 life beyond lif e, which is embalmed and treasured up in a good book. 
 Their books are all of themselves that the world knows or feels ; they act 
 upon mankind only through these precious representatives. There is 
 another class, of those whose influence is felt in their own day ; who 
 shape the destiny of their age ; who act through themselves, and 
 impress their life, and spirit, and energy, upon the mass of their 
 fellow-men. These are the lights, the guardians, and ornaments of 
 their own times ; they^make the age what it is ; and it is through their 
 influence that post3rity recaives a glorious birthrig t. If they should 
 
GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE. 237 
 
 never .pen a line to reach distant generations, their image is impressed 
 \ipon history ; and the memory of their actions and living speeches, their 
 personal efforts and noble sacrifices, will always live, and secure them the 
 love, admiration, and gratitude of the truly great and good. They are 
 the most illustrious benefactors of their race ; eminent instruments, in 
 the hand of God, of bestowing blessings on mankind. Now, I speak in 
 the deepest sincerity when I assert that, if every production of your pen 
 should perish, the influence which you have been able to exert upon 
 your age would still be written in such characters, that it could not fail to 
 be read and appreciated in coming generations. You have not pro 
 duced, it may be, a standard work on divinity or morals ; but you have 
 done something better and more glorious : you have moulded the char 
 acter of the present times. Your name is identified with the progress 
 and prosperity of the cause of religion, humanity, and liberty. Your 
 noblest monument is the impression you have made upon your own 
 tunes. Why, then, should you despond? God has eminently blessed 
 you. He has enabled you to do what no man living has done, or can do. 
 The result of your labours will be felt and rejoiced in, when you are 
 slumbering in the tomb. The ball, which you have set in motion, will 
 continue to roll, long after the hand which first touched it shall be 
 withered in death. I am afraid, however, that I belong to neither of the 
 classes to which allusion has been made. I have done but little for the 
 present times, and there is but little pi ospect that I shall ever be known 
 to other generations. I have an aversion from writing, which makes it 
 an intolerable burden. I have formed many a fine scheme, but find it 
 almost impossible to overcome my mortal dislike to the pen. I can 
 hardly bear to read anything that I have written. It fills me with loath 
 ing and disgust. I fall so immeasurably short of my own conceptions of 
 excellence, that I become disheartened and chagrined. It is an infirmity 
 which I lament, and from which I would be gladly delivered ; but it 
 binds me in fetters of brass, and paralyzes all my efforts. I am afraid, 
 therefore, that I shall never produce anything beyond such occasional 
 lucubrations as involve no responsibility except to truth ; which can be 
 thrown off at a dash, and abandoned, like the eggs of the ostrich, by the 
 parent that brought them forth. You may judge how deeply this feeling 
 has possession of my mind, when I assure you that I have not a single 
 copy of a single article I ever wrote, with one exception. I sometimes 
 feel that I might produce something that should live. But when I under 
 take to carry out any plan, I become sickened at my efforts. Still, I feel 
 bound to endeavour to mortify this sickly sensibility. 
 
 I had many other things to say, but my paper is exhausted. Let me 
 hear from you soon. 
 
 "Your sincere friend and brother, 
 
 J. H. THORN WELL." 
 
 The reader who i acquainted with the after history of 
 these two remarkable men, will doubtless smile at the sym- 
 
238 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORN WELL. 
 
 pathy expressed in this letter to the one, and the confes 
 sion which is made by the other. It pleased God, in His 
 adorable providence, to place them in similar positions, 
 as teachers of divinity to he rising ministry in the Church; 
 and both, under the pressure of that position, were stimu 
 lated to produce " Standard Works on Divinity," which, 
 with that wrought out in the Princeton school, and re 
 cently given to the world, are grand representatives of 
 the theology of this age ; and are, perhaps, as noble con 
 tributions to the science of theology as any age has been 
 permitted to make. 
 
 We do not regret the necessity of interrupting this 
 correspondence upon the Church questions of the day, by 
 interposing a few letters of Christian condolence addressed 
 to the children of sorrow. The first is written to Mrs. 
 Ann B. Crawford, a "mother in Israel," of the Lancaster 
 church, to whom he was warmly attached. It is not only 
 full of tenderness, but rich in suggestions of scriptural 
 truth : 
 
 "SOUTH CAROLINA COLLEGE, September 19, 1842. 
 "Mr DEAR AUNT ANN: I need not say that the sore and bitter be 
 reavement, which you have recently sustained, has filled me with the 
 profoundest sympathy. As I know that you are not a stranger to the 
 throne of grace, nor to the pleasures which flow from communion with 
 God, I cannot but hope, that this solemn visitation will be improved to 
 increase your intimacy with that Friend who sticketh closer than a 
 brother, who alone can dry up the tears of sorrow, and give us beauty 
 for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, and the garment of praise for the 
 spirit of heaviness, The gospel of God is particularly designed for the 
 broken-hearted and afflicted ; and if you mark the footsteps of the flock, 
 you will find that they all lead through much tribulation to the kingdom 
 of heaven. The house of mourning has been the familiar resort of ail 
 the saints. The great Redeemer Himself was a man of sorrows, and 
 acquainted with grief, and bedewed His path to glory with tears, and 
 sweat, and blood. Think not, therefore, that some strange thing has 
 happened to you ; the like sufferings have been accomplished in all your 
 brethren before you, and must be accomplished in all who would reign 
 with Christ for ever. Jacob wept for his beloved Eachel, and David 
 mourned a rebellious son. How does your calamity compare with that 
 of Aaron, who beheld his sons consumed with fire from the Lord, in the 
 very act of audacious iniquity ; and yet was forbidden to uncover his 
 
GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE. 239 
 
 .head, to rend his clothes, or give any visible sign of grief ? Son of 
 man, says Jehovah to Ezekiel, behold, I take away from thee the desire 
 of thine eyes with a stroke ; yet neither shalt thou mourn nor weep, 
 neither shall thy tears run down; and at even his wife died, and he 
 forebore to cry, and made no mourning for the dead. You are not 
 alone, my sister, in the chamber of affliction. You are where Jesus 
 was, where all His saints have been, where prophets, martyrs, and apos 
 tles have stood, and where, in the issue, you will find it a privilege to 
 be. It is God that deals with you ; stand still, and acknowledge His 
 hand. He is your Father ; and what He doeth, though you know not 
 now, you shall know hereafter. Though clouds and darkness are around 
 Him, His footsteps in the sea, and His paths in the great waters, right 
 eousness and truth are the habitation of His throne, and He will finally 
 speak peace to His children. He who reproved kings for their sakes 
 will assuredly Himself do them no harm. Fear not, therefore ; the 
 flame shall purify, but not hurt. Jesus can more than make up all 
 your earthly losses. He can turn them into mercies ; and, therefore, 
 though the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vine, 
 yet, like the prophet, rejoice in the Lord, and joy in the God of your 
 salvation. Only believe ; and as He said to the weeping sisters of 
 Lazarus, so He says to you, Thou shalt see the glory of the Lord. 
 
 / Perhaps, my sister, your greatest distress arises from uncertainty con 
 cerning the salvation of your beloved son. You feel that you could be 
 comforted, if you knew that he was safe ; but that you can never know. 
 The destinies of men are in the hands of God ; and it is enough for us 
 to know, that He is righteous in all His ways, and holy in all His works. 
 When your mind shall be more enlarged, and your heart expanded in 
 love, you would not choose to alter a single arrangement of the Lord. 
 If you could see the end from the beginning, you would say all is right. 
 Oh ! then, trust God in the dark. All opposition to His government is 
 sin, and every wish to alter the appointments of His wisdom is folly. 
 Your business, therefore, in this and every other dispensation, is to put 
 your hand upon your mouth, and keep silence before Him. Be still, 
 is His language, and know that I am God. Others have encountered 
 more trying afflictions than yours. You are only uncertain ; but Eli had 
 no ground to hope that his sous were saved, but every ground to believe 
 that they were lost ; and yet the good man submitted : It is the Lord ; 
 let Him do what seemeth Him good. Absalom was slain in the very 
 act of atrocious rebellion ; and Nadab and Abihu were consumed by 
 .the immediate vengeance of God. What ingredient of bitterness in 
 your calamity can be found answerable to their s ? And yet Eli, Da 
 vid, and Aaron were the special friends of God. Take courage, then, 
 and be not like Rachel, weeping for your children, and refusing to 
 be comforted, because they are not. Take courage, and do your duty 
 to the living, and prepare to follow the dead. Trim your lamp, 
 gird up your loins, and stand ready to welcome the midnight cry, Be 
 hold, the bridegroom cometh ! Let the conviction of your own mortality 
 
240 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORNWELL. 
 
 settle upon your mind ; look away from earth ; look up to Heaven ; de 
 posit your treasures where neither moth nor rust can corrupt, nor 
 thieves break through and steal. Here we have no continuing city. All 
 ranks and conditions of men are but so many troops of pilgrims, in dif 
 ferent garbs, toiling through the same vale of tears, distinguished only by 
 different degrees of wretchedness. The patriarchs and prophets all 
 confessed that they were strangers on earth ; here they had no home ; 
 but they sought a better country ; they looked by faith to that building 
 of God, that house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens, and 
 there they expected to rest. Let us follow their faith and patience, and 
 we shall receive the same glorious reward. But this, I say, brethren, 
 the time is short ; it remaineth that both they that have wives, be as 
 though they had none ; and they that weep, as though they wept not ; 
 and they that rejoice, as though they rejoiced not ; and they that buy, 
 as though they possessed not ; and they that use this world, as not abus 
 ing it ; for the fashion of this world passeth away. I am, says David, 
 a stranger with thee, and a sojourner, as all my fathers were. Then, 
 what our hands find to do, let us do it with our might ; we shall soon 
 go hence, never to return. A Christian is one who looks for the second 
 coming of his Lord. He waits for it, and desires it, because then his 
 sorrows shall be over, his days of mourning ended, and his soul at rest 
 for ever. Then, my sister, be heavenly-minded ; live for God, for im 
 mortality, for eternity ; and your light afflictions, which are but for a 
 moment, shall work out for you a far more exceeding and eternal weight 
 of glory, 
 
 "I would earnestly impress upon your mind, that the bitterest of all 
 calamities is an unsanctified affliction. In His providences, God is teach 
 ing us ; and it hardens the heart, and darkens the understanding, when 
 His solemn instructions are unheeded. When, therefore, He lifts the 
 rod, and takes away, with a stroke, the desire of our eyes, instead of 
 dwelling upon the circumstances of our bereavement, and tearing open 
 our wounds afresh, by calling to mind the endearing associations con 
 nected with the departed, we should at once look to the hand that 
 smites, and inquire what lessons a merciful Father designs to convey. 
 Our great anxiety should be improvement. God is speaking ; and our 
 chief business should be, to open our ears, and hear. You will find 
 yourself greatly tempted to think of your son, as you have seen him in 
 infancy, in boyhood, in youth ; to call to mind his proofs of affection, 
 his interesting sayings, his promising actions, and all the endearments 
 which silently, secretly, irresistibly bind a mother to her child; and* 
 every recollection will send a pang to your heart. These reminiscences, 
 which we are so prone to cherish, are the cruel devices of a self-tortur 
 ing heart. Turn away from them to God, and humbly ask your Father 
 why He has smitten, and bow your head and worship. Keceive His in 
 structions with an humble spirit, and He will soon bind up your wounds, 
 and send you away, though sorrowful, yet rejoicing. 
 
 "If you have been conscious of any neglect of duty towards the de- 
 
GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE. 24:1 
 
 parted, repent ; but with that Godly sorrow which flows from a full 
 conviction that God will freely pardon. Kepair the mistake by greater 
 diligence to the living ; but let nothing keep you from the pure conso 
 lations of the gospel of Jesus. In your present situation, religion pro 
 poses to you her sweetest cordials. You can understand the gospel 
 now. Affliction has revealed to you the vanity of man, the deceitful- 
 ness of life, the certainty of death, the instability of all sublunary good ; 
 and in striking contrast presents the unchanging perpetuity of an un 
 changing state, and the glories which await the child of faith. You can 
 now almost advance by strides towards the heavenly kingdom. And if 
 earth is rendered less pleasant, Jesus more charming, and heaven more 
 desirable, by the dark providence which has called you to mourning, 
 you will bless God through all eternity for His chastising rod. 
 
 " This melancholy event, let it be remembered, speaks not only to 
 you, but to all your household. It says to each and every one of your 
 family, whether bond or free, You, too, must die ; prepare to meet your 
 God ! "When you least expect it, when you are dreaming of many days, 
 and pleasing your fancies with brilliant prospects, your hopes may at 
 once be crushed, your sun go down at noon, and your golden visions 
 wrapped in the funeral pall and shroud. Oh! that the warning may 
 reach the hearts of the living. Oh ! that they may be wise, understand 
 this, and consider their latter end. 
 
 "I have thus, my much valued friend, endeavoured to direct your 
 mind, now softened by grief, and capable of receiving permanent im 
 pressions, to such meditations as I thought would be most conducive to 
 your good. It will be my greatest joy, if God should give you grace to 
 adorn the gospel, as you walk in deep waters of sorrow. It is only in 
 affliction that the real greatness of Christianity is seen. It imparts then 
 a moral grandeur to the character, which philosophy cannot compass, 
 and which the world never can understand. It sustains, elevates, ennobles 
 the soul. It teaches it the heavenly science of gaining by losses, and 
 rising by depressions. The saints are a wonder in the earth, a wonder 
 to angels, and a wonder to themselves. They are God s chosen portion, 
 the lot of His inheritance ; and this is enough to make them hold up 
 their heads, though all their earthly comforts should be stripped from 
 them. Their main portion their Father in heaven, their glorious Ke- 
 deemer must remain for ever. Let this, my sister, be yoiir consolation. 
 Death has robbed you of nothing you shall want in eternity. Your real 
 inheritance is safe. And now, that the God of all grace may sanctify 
 you wholly, and do exceedingly abundantly for you above all that you 
 are able to ask or think, is the sincere, fervent, and heartfelt prayer of 
 "Your friend and fellow Christian, 
 
 J. H. THORNWELL." 
 
 A similar bereavement, the loss of a son, called fortli 
 a like sympathy in a letter to Mr. Bobbins : 
 
242 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THOKNWELL. 
 
 "SOUTH CAROLINA COI/LEGE, November 17, 1842. 
 
 " MY DEAR SIR : I need not express to you my profoundest sympathies 
 in the accumulated afflictions which you have been called upon to en 
 dure. God is evidently showing that he sets a high value on the trial of 
 your faith ; and His grace will no doubt enable you to pass through the 
 furnace, not only without harm, but with vast accessions to your spiritual 
 stores. That your trust in God remained unshaken amid your severest 
 tribulations, and that, in these dark hours, when nature was ready to 
 faint, and to say all is lost, you were able to cling to the mercy-seat, 
 is to me a matter of most devout thanksgiving, and an evident token of 
 the presence, power, and love of God s Holy Spirit. I should only mar 
 the instructions of the blest Comforter within you, by suggesting con 
 solatory thoughts. He knows your frame, and He will lead you to such 
 truths as it is most important for you to ponder. Our great High Priest 
 sympathizes with us in all our sufferings. He knows when and how to 
 console us ; and the methods of His grace will always be found to be 
 methods of wisdom. You may be well assured that in all your afflictions 
 I am afflicted ; and my dear wife, particularly, feels the deepest interest 
 in everything that concerns you and yours. It is a great comfort to me 
 that she is so much delighted, as she is, with my two dearest earthly 
 friends, yourself and the General. She loves you both, as much as if you 
 were members of her own father s family. ***** 
 " Yours most sincerely, 
 
 J, H. THORNWELL." 
 
 Other labours than those purely controversial, engaged 
 Mr. Thornwell s thoughts. In a letter to Mr. Robbing, of 
 date February 14, 1843, he thus writes : 
 
 " I am preparing a course of sermons, with a view to publication, on 
 that great and glorious theme, the Atonement. I have already preached 
 three of them. The theme is rich and extensive. Many points, which 
 other writers have slurred over, I propose to bring out prominently ; and 
 difficulties, which have been rather evaded than removed, I propose to 
 discuss throughly ; at least, I shall attempt it. The age requires a good 
 book on this subject ; and if God shall enable me to produce one, I shall 
 regard myself as singularly favoured. My heart is much set upon this 
 enterprise. My greatest perplexity is that my own glory should form so 
 large a part of the motives which induce me to engage in the under 
 taking, as I am often afraid that it does. Humility I find to be the 
 hardest lesson in the Christian life. I experience no difficulty in de 
 spising riches, pomp, and splendour ; but the love of fame is an instinct 
 which was born with me, and which I cherished so long, that it gives me 
 many a bitter pang, now that I perceive its folly and wickedness. I wish 
 to live only for the glory of God ; but self is a powerful idol. 
 
 " I am somewhat at a loss as to the form in which it would be best to 
 
GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE. 24:3 
 
 publish my work ; whether to retain the form of sermons, or to arrange 
 my materials in chapters and sections. There are advantages and dis 
 advantages in both plans. A didactic treatise can preserve a more un 
 broken continuity of thought ; but sermons can have more fire and more 
 pungency of practical application. The characteristics of style in the 
 form of sermons would be better adapted to the mass of readers ; the 
 prospect of permanent success would be greater in an unbroken treatise. 
 So that I am in a strait." 
 
 In a later epistle, March 7th, 1843, to the same corre 
 spondent, he thus sketches the plan of his book : 
 
 "In regard to my contemplated work on the Atonement, I shall take 
 your advice, and write it in the most enduring form. My plan will em 
 brace, first, the Nature of Atonement; which will lead to an exami 
 nation of Socinian, Pelagian, and Hopkinsian views. In the explanation 
 of its nature, its necessity will be sufficiently exhibited without devoting 
 a special head to that department of the subject. Under this head, the 
 nature of God s moral government will be fully declared, so far forth as 
 I shall be enabled to do it ; and of course the origin and purpose of 
 sacrifices. The next point will be the Efficacy of the Atonement. Here 
 will be set forth the Person of Christ, the Eternal Covenant between the 
 Father and the Son, the Incarnation, the Federal Headship, the Mystical 
 Union, etc. The third general division will embrace the Extent of the 
 Atonement ; the last, its Grand Results. This is only a vague outline ; a 
 mere blazing of the trees, so that you may see the road. God grant that I 
 may make the way of salvation plain to many a wanderer." 
 
 Had this work been executed, it would have gone far 
 towards supplying a sequel to his " Lectures in Theology," 
 which death arrested just at the point when he should 
 have entered distinctively upon the doctrines of grace in 
 the scheme of redemption. We shall discover presently 
 how he was diverted from the execution of his purpose. 
 
 The next letter discloses his watchfulness of opportu 
 nities to bring the gospel personally to the unconverted. 
 It is addressed to his kinsman by marriage, Dr. J. J. 
 Wardlaw, at the time not a professor of religion : 
 
 "SOUTH CAROLINA COLLEGE, February 14, 1843. 
 " MY DEAR DOCTOR : I have been threatening to write to you for some 
 time back, but procrastination has again and again nipped my good reso 
 lutions. I am truly sorry to learn that your venerable pastor is no more. 
 He was a man whom I was anxious to know ; and had promised to myself 
 
24:4: LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORNWELL. 
 
 great satisfaction in his company next summer. But we know not what 
 a day or an hour may bring forth. I sincerely trust that, though dead, 
 he will long continue to speak to you all in the savour of his influence 
 and example. It is a solemn thought, that you must meet him at the 
 judgment bar, and give an account of the effect which his sermons, 
 prayers, warnings, and expostulations have had upon you. May God 
 grant that you and your dear wife may be prepared to give it with joy, 
 and not with sorrow. Nothing would afford me a richer or purer satis 
 faction, than your conversion to God ; and nothing, be assured, ought 
 to be more earnestly sought, or eagerly desired by you, than those true 
 riches which neither moth nor rust can corrupt, nor thieves break 
 through and steal. ***** 
 
 "Your sincere friend, 
 
 J. H. THORNWELL." 
 
 The correspondence with Dr. Breckinridge, of course, 
 reopens Church questions ; those which immediately fol 
 low, however, not so directly : 
 
 "BALTIMOKE, March 18, 1843. 
 
 " DEAR BROTHER THORNWELL : Many cares, and sicknesses, and duties, 
 have made me let slip the pleasant duty of writing to you, for a long 
 time. Indeed, you are partly in fault ; for I have been hoping all along 
 to hear from you about that article on Geology, which, as you did not 
 refuse, I allowed myself to hope you would prepare. If you can have 
 it ready to send on by some of your Commissioners to the approaching 
 Assembly, I shall be under a new obligation to you. Unless, indeed, 
 you will be a member of that body yourself, and so bring it, instead of 
 sending it ; which I should rejoice at doubly ; for, besides the pleasure 
 of seeing your face once more, there are many and important questions 
 which will come before the Assembly, in the decision of which I could 
 heartily wish you had a voice. I believe our Church is by far the purest 
 that exists ; but alas ! we are far from what we ought to be ; and a very 
 large portion of our leading men seem far from believing this. Unless 
 I see you here, I know not that I shall see you more, till we meet to 
 gether at home ; for which my wasting strength admonishes me to be ever 
 ready. If I were called away, it would be a joy to me to reflect that I 
 left you behind to testify for the true truth of God. ***** 
 
 " I have been for a long time much exercised in mind in regard to the 
 distinctive points which characterize the Millenarian controversy ; and 
 have come pretty fully to the belief, that the common opinion held of 
 late years, and, indeed, since the publication of Whitby s views, are not 
 sustained by the word of God ; and although I cannot call myself a 
 Millenarian, either of the ancient or modern school, yet I suppose the 
 bulk of men, who distinguish little, would call me so. Upon several 
 points my convictions are clear ; as, for example, that the millenium we 
 
<;KXERAL CORRKSI-ONDKNCE. 245 
 
 expect will not be produced by the work of the Divine Spirit, as now 
 operating ; but by some new dispensation or manifestation of the Son 
 of Man, 1 which is the distinctive title and appropriated name of the Lord 
 Jesus, the Word incarnate, and now glorified ; which is the key to all con 
 sistent expositions of those scriptures which touch the siibject, and is the 
 question which draws after it all the rest ; though this fact seems not be 
 perceived, and therefore the contradiction and perplexity which men ex 
 hibit on the whole subject. I should be greatly gratified to know your 
 mind on these matters. 
 
 "Farewell, dear brother. Kemember me at our Father s throne of 
 grace, and be assured of the sincerity with which 
 
 " I am ever and faithfully yours, 
 
 Ho. J. BRECKINRIDGE." 
 
 "SOUTH CAROLINA COLLEQE, March 28, 1843. 
 
 "My DEAR BROTHER : I received your truly welcome and affectionate 
 letter last night, and shall give you the best demonstration of my esteem 
 by proceeding to answer it at once. I am sorry that I did not know you 
 were expecting from me an article on Geology. I should either have 
 undeceived you, or gratified your wish. For reasons which I am about 
 to name, it will be impracticable for me to do so now. I have more on 
 my hands than, I am afraid, I shall be able to accomplish. I have got 
 into a war with the Romanists. The article on the Apocrypha, which, 
 you may remember, I wrote at your request, has been recently re- 
 published by Mr. Weir, in his newspaper here. Without informing me 
 of his intention, until the proof-sheets had passed through the press, he 
 appended my name to the piece. The consequence is, that a writer in 
 the United States Catholic Miscellany, of Charleston, has commenced a 
 series of articles, directed personally to me, which I feel bound to notice. 
 He is a weak scribbler ; and unless he has strong friends, concealed be 
 hind the curtains, he will not be difficult of conquest. There was much 
 craft, however, in their seizing upon me as their object of assault. They, 
 no doubt, supposed that my public position, as an officer of the State, 
 would, in some measure, muzzle me ; they presumed that I would feel a 
 delicacy in exposing freely the enormities of any portion of the citizens, 
 whose taxes go to my support ; or that, if I did not act from these selfish 
 considerations, they would raise a clamour against me in the community, 
 which would compel me to retire from the College. These are my sus 
 picions of their motives. I know their craft so well, that I do not con 
 sider it ungenerous to suspect them of any meanness. Why else the 
 personal address? Was it not as easy simply to review the article, as a 
 production of mine. My mind is made up. I shall accept the challenge. 
 If a clamour is raised, I shall distinctly make the issue whether this is a 
 Protestant institution or not ? If there should be any disapprobation of 
 my course among the Board of Trustees, I shall promptly resign. The 
 war must go on. We need a controversy here. The Papists have almost 
 taken possession of Charleston ; and among the leading men in the State, 
 
24:6 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORN WELL. 
 
 the dreadful apathy on the subject of religion, which they too much 
 manifest, turns all their sympathies in favour of the Papists. Contro 
 versy cannot make things worse, and may make them better. Trusting 
 in God, and the power of His truth, I shall endeavour to vindicate Chris 
 tianity, and expose the abominations of Popery to the light of day. 
 Still, my brother, I am not ashamed to confess to you that I feel weak. 
 I am badly prepared for this contest. In the first place, all Columbia 
 does not furnish a library adequate to the exigencies of a full and com 
 plete controversy with Rome. In the second place, I have not studied 
 this matter as accurately as I should have done. My attention has been 
 turned more to doctrine, logical exposition of truth, to philosophy, and 
 studies of an abstract nature, than to minuteness of historical details. 
 Still, if I had the books, which I have not, I could say with Milton, in his 
 apology for Sinectymnuus, that, if they provoke me, I will in three 
 mojiths be an expert councilist, (sec. 12.) I shall endeavour, however, 
 so to conduct the discussion as to make it turn on principles. Now, you 
 must help me. You can give me hints, direct me to important sources 
 of information which I might overlook, and occasionally give me an 
 article, which you can re-publish in your Magazine, and thus make it a 
 part of your editorial labour. 
 
 "To the Millenarian controversy, I have never minutely turned my 
 attention, I have been so struck with the confusion, contradiction, and 
 perplexity which have characterized the most of the expositions that I 
 have consulted, as to be deterred from forming any opinion with my 
 present degree of light. When I can give you an opinion worth record 
 ing, I will cheerfully do so. Uutil then, my crude speculations would 
 be a waste of ink and paper, ***** 
 
 Ever your sincere friend and brother, 
 
 J. H. THOBNWELL." 
 
 The response to this is marked by that exhilaration 
 which the war-worn veteran always feels at the sound of 
 the bugle: 
 
 "BALTIMOKE, April 3, 1843. 
 
 "MY DEAB BBOTHEB AND FBIEND : How many reasons have we to 
 know that God s ways are not like ours ? Who would have supposed my 
 great confidence in your learning and abilities, and the pride and 
 affection of Mr. Weir, were to be the means of obliging you to win hon 
 our ; and what is so much better, greatly promote the truth, by becom 
 ing in the South the champion of the Reformation, and of the Bible ? 
 The Papists are surely mad. Not one of those who have done, or will 
 do them most harm, would have been induced, probably, to give them 
 selves seriously to this great and widespread controversy, if they had 
 been let alone. The hand of God is in this thing. I need not, there 
 fore, say, Arise, and in His might, do the work to which He calls you, for 
 
GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE. 247 
 
 which He will surely reward you, and by which here or hereafter He will 
 surely honour you. But so much I may say : no event could have made 
 me feel more assuredly that God is on our side, than that He obliges 
 you to take up arms in this quarrel. Anything it is possible for me to 
 do, I will gladly do, both for the cause s sake and for yours ; so that you 
 have only to command me, and to point out the particular service as oc 
 casion requires it. 
 
 " On one point, I will venture to caution you. Let not your high 
 Southern blood drive you to any such step as you intimate. Don t think 
 of resigning your Professorship. The old Huguenot and Scotch blood 
 of Carolina only sleeps ; it is not dead. Only give it a fair chance to 
 manifest itself. If the worst comes, let the Trustees, or the Legislature, 
 take the responsibility ; and in that case, the worse the better. To 
 make the community -what it should be, it is just needful to know ex 
 actly what it is. This, I know, will be, if it arises, the worst part of the 
 trial to you ; that is, to your feelings ; but it is all-important to meet it ; 
 for it may be the reason of the higher and more evident success of the 
 truth ; and let it fall out as it may, it will surely be for your own perso 
 nal honour. I know how you feel, and how you will argue. But have 
 I not been indicted like a felon ? Would I not rather have been burned 
 at the stake ? But did not God turn all this to the confusion of His ene 
 mies and mine ? You are in many ways precisely the man, and precisely 
 situated as you should be, to make a noble and imperishable defence, by 
 deed and by word, for the glorious inheritance which is ready to be 
 snatched from the world. May God, our Saviour, stand ever at your 
 right hand. 
 
 " With great affection, ever your brother and friend, 
 
 Ko. J. BBECKINBIDGE." 
 
 In the sketch of Mr. Bobbins, given in the third chap 
 ter of this book, his death is mentioned as occurring on 
 the 26th of March, 1843. It was the snapping of a very 
 tender tie, and no tears were shed upon his grave more 
 sincere than those of his former pupil and ward. The 
 letter which follows, addressed to the widow, will better 
 tell the story of his grief. 
 
 To Mrs. H. K. Bobbins, Cheraw, S. C. : 
 
 " SOUTH CAROLINA COLLEGE, April 4, 1843. 
 
 4 MY DEAR FRIEND : I had heard, the day before I received your let 
 ter, that the Lord had taken away your head. My mind was prepared 
 for this solemn event. Through the kindness of Brother Coit, I was 
 kept informed of the precise condition of Mr. Robbins s health, and, 
 therefore, was not surprised when, at length, it was announced that the 
 
248 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORN WELL. 
 
 last conflict was over, and the last enemy subdued. I was extremely 
 anxious to be with you, and to mingle my tears with yours, at the grave 
 of one whose memory I shall never cease to venerate, and whose works 
 of faith and labour of love have followed him to his rich and blessed 
 account. Nothing but the very serious sickness of my dear companion 
 prevented me from hastening, at once, to the chamber of my dying 
 friend. For a whole week I was kept in awful suspense, as to the prob 
 able result of a violent inflammation, which had seized upon Mrs. Thorn- 
 well s head. By the mercy of God, she has completely recovered. How 
 often have I uttered Balaam s wish : Let me die the death of the right 
 eous, and let my last end be like his, since I heard of the triumphant 
 departure of your sainted husband. Horses of fire, and chariots of fire, 
 were round about him, to conduct him in safety and peace to the 
 court of the King of kings. Death to him was not a calamity ; his soul 
 marched in triumphal procession, in invisible, but glorious state, to its 
 chosen home, the scene of its abiding rest. 
 
 "No, my sister, let us not weep for him, but weep for ourselves. We 
 are the sufferers, we the losers. But his gain may also become our joy, 
 if we follow the example of his faith and patience. The departure of 
 our friends should be employed as a means to wean our affections from 
 the vanities of earth, and to fix our regard upon that city which hath 
 foundations, whose maker and builder is God. Under no circumstances, 
 to the believer, is Heaven a land of strangers. He has walked with God 
 upon earth, and has counted it his highest glory to know Him, and to be 
 known of Him ; he has found Christ to be an affectionate Brother, and 
 the Holy Spirit a precious Comforter. When brought into more intimate 
 and endearing alliance with these august and blessed Persons, he will 
 not feel lost ; he will be at home. Is it presumption to add, that his 
 familiarity with the place will be sojuewhat increased, by finding, among 
 his companions, those with whom he had taken sweet counsel on earth ? 
 Is not Heaven sometimes presented in a more attractive garb is it not 
 made more tangible, more capable of being embodied as a reality when 
 we reflect that it contains those whom we had loved here below ? They 
 have gone before us ; and are we not greatly stimulated in our Christian 
 course, by the prospect of meeting them at the end of our journey, and 
 of being once more united, and that in the presence of the Lord ? Be 
 this as it may, every opening grave, and every funeral bell, should forci 
 bly remind us that here we have 110 continuing city ; that the time of our 
 sojourning is short ; and that our grand and paramount duty is to be 
 found ready, with our loins girded, our lamps trimmed, and our lights 
 burning, whenever the midnight cry shall be heard, Behold, the Bride 
 groom cometh ! Eternity is just at hand ; for that we should prepare. 
 Our tears can hardly dry up for the departed, before it shall be said, we 
 too are gone. For myself, I expect soon to be with your husband and 
 my friend. My wasting strength daily reminds me that my sands are 
 running out, and th:.t what I intend to do for God and for my race I 
 must do quickly. 
 
GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE. 249 
 
 "You have many great and precious promises to sustain and support 
 you in this affliction. Your dear little babes are the heritage of the 
 Lord ; and not a hair shall fall from their heads, without His special and 
 controlling care. They will be loved for their father s sake. Fear not, 
 therefore ; the Lord, the Shepherd of Israel, who neither slumbers nor 
 sleeps, will watch over them, and suffer no enemies to do them harm. 
 I need not say that I shall be happy to be employed as an instrument, in 
 God s hand, of rendering any service to you and your little ones. For 
 yourself, I can only say, make the Lord your husband. He is never 
 deaf to the cry of the widow. Follow that track of light which irra 
 diates the path of your beloved husband : it will lead to glory and im 
 mortality. There are many mourners around his grave. It was a sore 
 bereavement to my dear wife, for she loved the departed tenderly. Oh ! 
 how many of us, that now mourn together, shall hereafter rejoice to 
 gether with him around the throne of God ! My dear sister, I hope you 
 enjoy that peace which flows from the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus. 
 If not, give no rest to your eyes, nor slumber to your eyelids, until the 
 Lord has revealed His Son to yoii, and in you, as the hope of glory. That 
 God may be merciful unto you, and bless you, and cause His face to 
 shine upon you, is the sincere and fervent prayer of one who shall 
 always rejoice to be considered, and to be esteemed by you, as well for 
 your own as for your husband s sake, what he now subscribes himself, 
 " Your true and faithful friend, 
 
 J. H. THOBNWELL." 
 
CHAPTER XYIII. 
 
 THE ELDER QUESTION. 
 
 ASSEMBLY DECISION UPON THE QUORUM or A PKESBYTEBY. UPON THE 
 IMPOSITION or HANDS BY ELD BBS IN TJHE ORDINATION OF MINISTEBS. 
 LETTERS ON THESE TOPICS. ARTICLE PUBLISHED. ARGUMENT OF DR. 
 BBECKINRIDGE, BEFORE SYNOD OF PHILADELPHIA, REVIEWED. FURTHER 
 CORRESPONDENCE ON THE ELDERSHIP. LETTERS OF SYMPATHY. THE 
 INTIMATIONS OF GOD S WILL FROM THE LEADINGS OF PROVIDENCE. 
 
 General Assembly of 1843 is memorable for the 
 -L decision it rendered upon what is technically known 
 as "the Elder Question;" which divides itself on the two 
 points of jurisdiction and prerogative. This subject had 
 been brought before the- preceding Assembly, and was 
 passed over as unfinished business to the next. It could, 
 therefore, be anticipated, and is accordingly hinted at, in 
 the letters we have already given. The decision finally 
 reached was embodied in two resolutions: First, "that any 
 three ministers of a Presbytery, being regularly convened, 
 are a quorum competent to the transaction of all business, 
 agreeably to the provision contained in the Form of 
 Government, chapter 10, section 7." Second, " that it is 
 the judgment of this General Assembly, that neither the 
 Constitution nor the practice of our Church authorizes 
 ruling elders to impose hands in the ordination of min 
 isters."* 
 
 The year following, the whole subject was again raised 
 by overtures from different parts of the Church, and the 
 above decision was confirmed by explanatory action of the 
 Assembly, to wit: that in respect to the quorum of a 
 Presbytery, "the decision is based upon the fact, that 
 ministers are not only preachers of the gospel, and admin- 
 
 * Digest, Ed. 185G, p. 43. 
 
252 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THOENWELL. 
 
 istrators of sealing ordinances, but also ruling elders, in 
 the very nature of their office;" and in respect to the right 
 of ruling elders to impose hands in ordination, that, "as 
 the rite of ordination is simply a declaratory ministerial 
 act, the laying on of hands, as a part thereof, belongs 
 properly to ordained ministers; while to ruling elders is 
 ,left unimpaired, and unquestioned, the full and rightful 
 power of ordering the work of ordination, and of judging 
 in the discipline of ministers, in common with those pres 
 byters who labour in word and doctrine, as in all other 
 cases."* 
 
 Under this adjudication, the question has remained from 
 that day to this, although large numbers in the Church 
 have never acquiesced in it, as either sound or true. A 
 moment s reflection will show that the principles involved 
 go down to the very core of our Presbyterian system; 
 and the discussion upon them was far more earnest and 
 long continued than that previously maintained on the 
 subject of Boards. That branch of the question which 
 relates to the quorum of a Presbytery, evidently touches 
 the whole relation which the ruling elder, as a distinct 
 officer, sustains to the courts, the constitution, and the 
 government of the Church; while the other branch of it 
 involves, besides this, the natural import of ordination: 
 whether in any degree sacramental in its character, the 
 sign and seal of an invisible grace, or merely an act of 
 government, setting apart to certain duties and functions, 
 and therefore one of joint, and not several, power. It is 
 not to be supposed that a decision, which so materially 
 involved the essence of Presbyterianism, would escape the 
 criticism of two such champions as Drs. Breckinridge and 
 Thornwell. We will, therefore, gather into this chapter 
 the entire correspondence relating to this matter, which 
 will reveal the extent and method of their opposition to 
 the Assembly s decree. 
 
 * Digest, Ed. 1856, p. 44. 
 
THE ELDER QUESTION. 253 
 
 Dr. Thornwell thus writes : 
 
 "ABBEVILLE C. H., July 8, 1843. 
 
 " MY DEAR BROTHER : ***** **** 
 * * * * The point, however, about which I sat down to 
 
 write to you, concerns your controversy, not mine, except so far as it is 
 a matter which interests the whole Church. I have been chagrined and 
 mortified beyond measure, at the proceedings of the last Assembly, in 
 reference to questions which involved the distinctive principles of our 
 system of ecclesiastical polity. Unless light is thrown upon the peculiar 
 and characteristic features of Presbyterianism, the points in which it 
 differs from Congregationalism, on the one hand, and Prelacy, on the 
 other, we shall soon lose all that is discriminating, and be reduced to 
 an incoherent mass of discordant elements. I cannot understand how 
 our ministers and elders, who profess to have studied our system, should 
 give utterance to such sentiments as were avowed, more than once, in 
 the discussion upon a question, which never ought to have arisen in a 
 Presbyterian Assembly, touching the membership of ministers in the 
 Church. The decision, too, of the right of ruling elders to participate 
 in ordination, took me by surprise. This matter must be discussed be 
 fore the churches. And if you do not disdain such feeble assistance as 
 mine, I propose to give you an article, showing that, in the Primitive 
 Church, the right was not only conceded, but freely exercised, and that 
 Prelacy was actually introduced by its gradual denial. I have looked 
 with some attention into this matter, and am pursuaded that there is 
 something more in it than a mere question of visage. It involves a 
 principle which lies at the very foundation of oxir system. The truth 
 is, my dear brother, we have been so long accustomed to institutions 
 and organizations foreign to our polity, that we are rapidly losing sight 
 of our glorious constitution. Scores of our ministers, and thousands of 
 our people, do not \mderstandthe real -strength, and consequently, do 
 not feel the beauty of our Church. Her walls, and towers, and magnifi 
 cent bulwarks, have been fenced out of view ; and we are content to 
 stand in an outer court, where we cannot behold the glories of the Tem 
 ple. We must pull down these earthly contrivances, and reveal our Zion 
 in her true proportions, as the chosen heritage of God. In my tour 
 through the country, I have kept my eye steadily upon the prospect and 
 condition of our churches, and am completely satisfied that our coldness 
 and declension may be ultimately traced to ignorance or f orgetf ulness of 
 the true vocation of the Church. Our brethren are treating symptoms as 
 they are developed, one by one, without going to the root of the disease. 
 Their labour, consequently, fails of its purpose. ***** 
 "Your faithful friend, and fellow-servant in the Gospel, 
 
 J. H. THORNWELL." 
 
 To which this is a rejoinder: 
 
254 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORN WELL. 
 
 " BALTIMOBE, July 13, 1843. 
 
 " MY DEAR BKOTHEB : ********* 
 * * * * You will easily suppose that I was much distressed 
 and mortified at the result of the matter about ruling elders, in the last 
 Assembly. I knew the Church was not ready for the question ; but I 
 had no conception of the extent of its ignorance and false principles. 
 I had no hand in bringing on the question there, none in bringing it 
 up ; and desired its discussion put off. Last year, when I was in the 
 Assembty, they put it off, rather than hear me on it ; this year they 
 would not hear of delay. The Repertory, the Presbyterian, the Watch 
 man of the South, and a paper at Pittsburgh, and one in Ohio, by agree 
 ment, and perhaps concerted move, carried the matter by a coup demain. 
 I intend, if the Lord permits, to bring up the question in our Synod 
 this fall ; and carry it to the Assembly, if it is decided against me, as I 
 am pretty sure it will be. I will also pretty soon write a notice of the 
 arguments on the other side, merely to expose them ; and thus show 
 that they do not prove what they were used to prove. Except this, I will 
 write no more about the matter, till I bring it before the Assembly. 
 Would it not be well for you to bring up the matter before your Synod 
 also ? or would it perhaps be better for you to leave that alone for a 
 third trial, and come up in the Assembly of 1845, if we are beat in that 
 of 1844, as we perhaps shall be ? I thank God He has induced you to 
 examine this matter fully ; and I beg that you will carry out your idea, 
 both of writing on it, and of being in the next Assembly. * * * * 
 
 " I would be really obliged by your thoughts on the other question, 
 about which you express yourself, so as to show that your opinion is de 
 cided, but not so as to enable me to determine what it is ; I mean about 
 the membership of ministers in churches. My mind is not clear on the 
 matter. I concede, of course, that if ministers be members of par 
 ticular churches, it is only in such form as to give them the rights of 
 membership, while the responsibilities thereof are to the Presbytery. 
 But except we make them members of the Church general, they must 
 be members of some particular church ; otherwise they are not in the 
 visible Church at all. For, though officers of the Church, they are not 
 the Church, which were Popery. But is there any mode of being a 
 member of the Presbyterian Church general, except by being a member 
 of a particular church ? If elders may lay on hands, it is because they 
 are Presbyters ; but they are members of particular churches ; why not 
 ministers? Indeed, as you are aware, in the early French Discipline, 
 the elders could, on occasion, discipline and silence their pastors ; and 
 so could the Kirk Session, under the second Book of Scottish Discipline. 
 Indeed, for twenty years after the commencement of the Scottish Re 
 formation, there was not, in all Scotland, any other Presbytery than an 
 Eldership, which was about what two or three of our Church Sessions 
 would be, if met. I incline, therefore, to think ministers are members. 
 I fear you think otherwise, and so I desire your views ; and will not 
 
THE ELDER QUESTION. 255 
 
 commit myself till I hear from you, which is what I would not say to 
 five men in the world. 
 
 " I seriously believe that the germ of High Churchisin and Popery, is 
 to be found in the ultimate principles, which lead our ministers to the 
 cast of opinion which prevails around us. Their notions lead them to 
 disesteem the Church Courts, to lower the office of elder, to sink the 
 body of the people of God, to question the divine warrant for Church 
 Order, to deny it for Presbyterial Church Order ; and the germ of all 
 seems to me to be a notion of their own inherent exaltation. A Board is 
 as good as a Presbytery, if they are in it ; a Presbytery is complete, if 
 they are there ; a man is ordained, if they put hands on him ; member 
 ship is not for those who own the body. How otherwise shall we ex 
 plain the varying opinions, which seem to agree only on this solitary 
 point, that ministerial ordination is a mysterious, if not magical, thing, 
 and carries with it a kind of opus operatuin ! May God ever bless and 
 keep you, is the prayer of 
 
 " Your faithful friend, 
 
 Ro. J. BRECKINRIDQE." 
 
 From Dr. Thorn well : 
 
 " YORKVILLE, August 15, 1843. 
 
 "Mr DEAR BROTHER : Your letter reached Abbeville after I had left, 
 and was forwarded to me at Table Eock, in Pickens s District. The 
 dilapidated state of your health is to me a matter of the profoundest 
 grief ; and I sincerely pray that God may restore you to your strength, 
 prepared by affliction for still greater labours in the service of your Mas 
 ter. I know of no event that would fill my heart with greater heaviness, 
 than your prostration from sickness, debility, oj death. I have long felt 
 that your principles were in advance of the age ; but I am fully per 
 suaded that they are destined, in another generation, to a complete and 
 glorious triumph. They are the true principles of the Presbyterian 
 Church ; and there cannot be a stronger proof of the degeneracy of our 
 times, than the slowness with which they are comprehended, and the 
 coldness with which they are greeted. The Lord, however, has not 
 wholly deserted us. I have met with men, here and there, in the Church, 
 who have given a hearty response to them, and who are prepared to lend 
 their aid, in bringing back our beloved Zion to a cordial acknowledgment 
 of them. 
 
 Touching the matter of ruling elders, the Assembly has shocked 
 scores by the second resolution, who would not have been alarmed by the 
 first. The decision, that a Presbytery can be constituted (a quorum) 
 without ruling elders, has produced in this State a general dissatisfac 
 tion ; in some cases, severe indignation. This oversight, for I can re 
 gard it in no other light, reveals the real bearing of their principles who 
 supported the first resolution, and will arouse the Church to reflection 
 and sober, patient investigation. God often overrules evil for good; 
 
256 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORNWELL. 
 
 and men are frequently taught the truth, by being made sensible of the 
 effects of error. I am satisfied that every Presbytery in this >tate (I can 
 not speak for Georgia) will solemnly remonstrate against the decision in 
 question ; and I think, too, that a large portion of our ministers and 
 elders will be found in favour of the whole truth, upon the subject of the 
 eldership. Upon consultation with several of our best men, I have de 
 termined to bring the matter before our Synod. Should the brethren 
 from South Carolina be generally present, we will have a very strong vote. 
 The Georgians, I do not know. Many of the ministers in that State are 
 Northern men, and, I am afraid, too much under the influence of Prince 
 ton and the Repertory. I think that the Synod should respectfully me 
 morialize the Assembly, and put that body in possession of the real state 
 of the argument. I shall prepare such a document, move that a commit 
 tee be appointed for the purpose, and thus be able to introduce my 
 views fully and at large. If the majority be against me, the memorial 
 will still exist, and be published and circulated as an argument. Many 
 would unite with me in presenting it to the Assembly as an individual 
 matter, and thus we could succeed in getting it* before them. A similar 
 memorial from a portion of your Synod, coupled with the resolution 
 of the Synod of Kentucky, would show the Assembly that the question 
 would have to be met upon other grounds than those of authority. The 
 discussion will be productive of vast good, in unfolding the real nature, 
 as well as the capabilities of our system. There is a profound ignorance 
 upon this subject, and an ignorance which does not like to be disturbed. 
 The treatment of your Bi-centenary Report shows the apathy, in regard 
 to our Church Order, which has taken possession of the- Church. We 
 have so long been walking in the light of our own eyes, and rejoicing in 
 our own contrivances, that we have quite forgotten that the Church, in 
 its outward organization, as well as in its essential principles, is a Divine 
 institution. The next step will be to deny any Scriptural authority 
 that is, any specific warrant from Scripture, for the office of ruling 
 elder at all. It will soon be put upon the ground of expediency, and 
 then the next step will be to abolish the office altogether; 
 
 In regard to the church-membership of ministers, I apprehend that 
 there is no difference of opinion, when the terms are once defined. A 
 minister is not so a member of any particular church as to be subject to 
 its Session ; this is granted. Again, he is entitled to privileges in any 
 particular church, not by reason of his relations to any such church, 
 but by virtue of his connection with Presbytery. Now, the Presbytery 
 stands in the same relation to all the churches within its bounds, which 
 the Session sustains to a particular church. Hence, a member of Presby 
 tery is ipso facto a member of every church under its care. When a 
 minister comes to us from Ireland or Scotland, he is received by the 
 Presbytery. He does not apply to any particular -church for admission, 
 but to the Presbytery. When received by that body, he is entitled to 
 ordinances in all its congregations. Under our constitution, the case is 
 not the same with a ruling elder ; because the court of which he is a 
 
THE ELDER QUESTION. 257 
 
 standing member has jurisdiction only over a single congregation. 
 Ruling elders are consequently dismissed from congregation to congre 
 gation. Ministers would be in the same category with them, if our 
 Presbyteries, as in primitive times, embraced only the Session ; that is, 
 if the Presbytery of every particular church were the body which or 
 dained. I have not time to write more, especially as I am writing with 
 a detestable pen. I hope, however, you can read it. 
 
 " I am, as ever, your sincere friend and brother, 
 
 J. H. THOBNWELL." 
 
 In the fall of 1843, Dr. Breckinridge delivered, before 
 the Synod of Philadelphia, two elaborate arguments upon 
 both branches of this double question, on the composition 
 of the quorum of a Presbytery, and on the right of ruling 
 elders, when members of Presbytery, to impose hands in 
 the ordination of ministers of the Word. They were 
 subsequently published in a pamphlet, bearing the sig 
 nificant title, "Presbyterian Government not a Hier 
 archy, but a Commonwealth; and Presbyterian Ordina 
 tion not a Charm, but an Act of Government." It is, 
 perhaps, as fine a specimen of forensic reasoning and elo 
 quence as the controversies of the Church in these times 
 afforded. They were fully and favourably reviewed by 
 Dr. Thorn well, in the pages of the Southern Presbyterian 
 Review, a quarterly then, and since published at Co 
 lumbia, South Carolina; which, together with a prior 
 article, on " The Ruling Elder a Presbyter," published in 
 The Spirit of the Nineteenth Century, a magazine con 
 ducted by Dr. Breckinridge, in Baltimore ; and a sermon 
 preached in 1856, at the ordination of certain elders in 
 the church at Columbia, are all the contributions made 
 by him to this discussion. They are all to be found in 
 the fourth volume of his " Collected Writings," to which 
 the reader is once for all referred. The letters which 
 follow relate to these matters. The first is from Dr. 
 Breckinridge : 
 
 "BALTIMORE, Jfmember 27, 1848. 
 
 " MY DEAR BROTHER THORN WELL : I am in your debt a letter or two, and 
 also for your fine article, which will appear in my next my last number. 
 My farewell address will so fully explain my views, that I will not trouble 
 
258 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORNWELL. 
 
 you now. I have been very busy for the last two weeks, in all odd times, 
 writing out my argument, delivered before our Synod, on the quorum 
 of a Presbytery ; and am about to write out that on the question of or 
 dination. They will both appear in the Presbyterian, and a very large 
 edition in pamphlet form. I have written them out at the request of 
 the large majority of the ruling elders of this city. I consider the whole 
 question of Church order involved in the two propositions, and treat 
 them accordingly ; for if jurisdiction or ordination be in the hands of 
 preachers, as preachers, there is an end of Presbyterianism. I wish 
 that you would get your article, that will appear in my next number, 
 copied into the paper at Charleston ; it is short, clear, conclusive. And 
 now, you may rest assured that no effort will be left untried to defeat us. 
 * * * * I will look after it in the Presbyterian ; it will be fully at 
 tended to in Kentucky. It remains to take care of it in the South, and 
 at Pittsburgh. At this latter point I will do what I can, if nothing 
 better occurs. It will devolve upon you, my dear brother, to uphold 
 this cause at the South. * * * This will not reach you, I presume, 
 till your return from your Synod. My heart and my prayers will be 
 with you there. If you can carry it, it puts our cause in the ascendant ; 
 for, taking the votes of the Synods of Kentucky and Philadelphia, the 
 matter is about tied. You cannot tell how I feel strong, when I reflect 
 that you are so deeply interested in this great question. God has given 
 you great abilities. You have also facilities the most of us have not. 
 Stir up your strength, then, my dear brother, and we shall see the truth 
 cut its way. * * * 
 
 Let me hear from you soon, and let me have an interest in your 
 
 prayers. 
 
 " Faithfully, your friend and brother, 
 
 Ko. J. BBECKINEIDGE." 
 
 Several letters follow from Dr. Thornwell s pen, no 
 replies to which are in our possession. These, however, 
 trace the general progress of the discussion : 
 
 "COLUMBIA, March 1, 1844. 
 
 "Mr DEAE BROTHER: You were almost, though not exactly, right as 
 to the cause of my silence on the elder question. My own health has 
 been as good as usual, but I have had another protracted case of typhus 
 fever in my family. This is the thirty-eighth day since my brother-in- 
 law was attacked by this horrible disease, and he is now just able to go 
 upon his legs. He was very seriously ill, and at one time his physicians 
 manifested considerable anxiety about him. My leisure time was, con 
 sequently, devoted to him. I hope, however, by; God s blessing, to be 
 able to furnish something upon the question, next week. Your speech,* 
 
 * The argument delivered before the Synod of Philadelphia, to which 
 reference is made by us already. 
 
THE ELDER QUESTION. 259 
 
 however, has so completely exhausted the subject, that you have left 
 nothing to be gleaned after you ; and if you should find that I avail 
 myself rather freely of your labours, you must attribute it, not to the 
 poverty of the subject, but to the richness of your argument. Within 
 the whole compass of my reading, I have never met with a clearer and 
 abler exposition of Presbyterial Regiment than your two speeches afford. 
 There are only one or two points which I wish you had contrived to incor 
 porate in them, so as to have made them perfect. The first is the expan 
 sive character of Presbytery, enabling it to preserve the unity of every 
 possible condition of the Church, in regard to numbers and extent. A 
 single church may be Presbyterian, by being under the government of 
 a congregational Presbytery, or Session. Two or more churches have a 
 common Presbytery, in the classical Presbytery, and so on. This point 
 you have touched upon in your letter to ruling elders. Our courts of 
 appellate jurisdiction, as an expansion of the Presbytery, to meet the 
 growth of the Church, has always struck me as one of the most beautiful 
 features of our system. This matter I shall probably develope in my 
 argument. 
 
 "I have written in great haste, and in considerable pain of body. You 
 must excuse me, therefore, if I have sent you but a scrawl. One thing 
 you may depend on : the sincerity of my love, and the earnestness of my 
 prayers, for you and yours. 
 
 " Very truly, your brother, 
 
 J. H. THORNWELL." 
 
 " SOUTH CAROLINA COLLEGE, April 16, 1844. 
 
 " MY DEAR BROTHER : I have sent to Dr. Plumer * a long article on the 
 Elder question. I could easily make a book upon it. My essay contains 
 only three arguments : the first, drawn from the constitution of the 
 Church ; the second, from the nature of ordination, as an act of govern 
 ment ; and the third, from the prelatical tendencies of the opposite doc 
 trine. This, you will perceive, is only a fraction of what might be said. 
 In developing the argument from the constitxition of the Church, I have 
 laid down principles which, if the article should be thought worthy of 
 attention at all, will produce an intense agitation. I have spoken what 
 I believe to be the truth. The ultimate triumph of our cause is certain. 
 We are gaining ground every day. In this State, the leaven is gradually 
 working among our ministers and elders, though we have a tremendous 
 tide of prejudice to stem. 
 
 " Dr. Miller s sermon I have not seen, but I am satisfied that my main 
 positions are true. I have brought them out again, in my second article. 
 There is one point which I must shortly discuss, and that is the distri 
 bution of power among our Church Courts. This occasions a difficulty 
 to many minds, and prevents them from appreciating the simplicity of 
 the Presbyterial organization. 
 
 * At this time editing the Watchman of the South, at Richmond, Va. 
 
260 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORNWELL. 
 
 "Let me hear from you before you leave Baltimore, and while at the 
 Assembly. I wish we were so situated that we could often meet in thfe 
 flesh. I know of no man on earth with whom I would more delight ta 
 hold frequent communion. 
 
 "Very truly, your friend and brother in Christ, 
 
 J. H. THORNWELL." 
 
 "SOUTH CAROLINA COLLEGE, May 1, 1844. 
 
 "MY DEAR BROTHER: I have just dispatched another article to the 
 Watchman of the South, which will close my present contribution to this- 
 controversy. I wrote the thing to-day, and was compelled to do it in 
 such great haste, having but a small portion of time to allot to it, that it 
 presents no other attractions but those of naked truth. My object was 
 to show that the charge of Independency, which has been so freely and 
 so confidently urged against us, is utterly without foundation. I think 
 that I have put this charge, the offspring of ignorance, engendered by 
 malice, completely to rest. I have written calmly and dispassionately ; 
 though the egregious misrepresentations of Dr. Miller and McCalla were 
 sufficient to provoke me. I have determined, , however, to enter into a 
 controversy with neither of them, unless it should be forced upon me in 
 such a way that I could not honourably decline it. Since writing to you 
 before, I have procured a copy of the Doctor s sermon. In the small 
 portion devoted to my article, he falls into two singular mistakes. 1. He 
 represents me as saying that Calvin, Owen, and others, endorse my views 
 of the distinction of ministers and elders, as such ; whereas, I simply re 
 ferred to them as maintaining the ancient and Presbyterian exposition of 
 the passage to which I appealed in Timothy. 2. He is wrong in saying 
 that Owen did not hold, upon this subject, the same opinion as myself. 
 I did not refer to him, in the article, as holding them ; but still he does 
 most stoutly and resolutely maintain them. To say nothing of his elab 
 orate account of the difference in gifts which preachers and elders re 
 quire, he is very particiilar to state, that the pastor combines both offices ; 
 and in consequence of his being an elder, and in consequence of that fact 
 alone, he is entitled to rule in the Church. Take the following passage, 
 which you will find in his works, (vol. 20, p. 486, London edition, 1826): 
 Unto pastors and teachers, as such, there belongs no rule ; although, by 
 the institution of Christ, the right of rule be inseparable from their office. 
 For all that are rightfully called thereunto are elders also, which gives 
 them an interest in rule. Can anything be more explicit and distinct? 
 How, then, could Dr. Miller say that Owen held the doctrine of his 
 sermon? This great man made the eldership one, and every elder, whe 
 ther a teacher or not, so far as he was an elder, partook of the same 
 office. Dr. Miller, however, makes two distinct sorts of elders. The 
 eldership of which a minister partakes is, according to him, a different 
 kind of eldership from that which is possessed by the ruling elder. I 
 cannot understand how the Doctor could misrepresent Owen so egre- 
 giously, when he was professedly taking me to task for the same sin. 
 
THK ELDER QUESTION. 201 
 
 "Ministers without a charge, will think that a regular conspiracy has 
 been formed against them ; but I cannot see any method of evading the 
 conclusion at which I arrive, in my first article for the Watchman. The 
 same view was held by other bodies, besides the Burgher Synod, to 
 which I referred. See Owen, Vol. 20, page 457. 
 
 "I have read the article in the Biblical Repertory. It has added no 
 thing to the argument, and I am sorry Princeton is in such a temper. 
 There is one fact, however, which I wish to see explained. You and the 
 writer both quote the Belgic Confession, and yet neither of your quota 
 tions agree with the copy to be found in the Corpus et Syntagma Confes- 
 sionum Ftdci, which was piiblished at Geneva in 1654. What edition 
 did you use ? The various readings are so striking, that I should like to 
 know when, where, and how, the changes were made. The discrepan 
 cies between the reviewer s copy and mine, satisfied me that each of 
 you might be right in his quotations, having followed different editions. 
 
 "Your third, in reply to Dr. McLean, is capital. You have taken 
 what I conceive to be the only sensible view of a quorum, and effectually 
 put down the ludicrous trifling into which the good Doctor had fallen. I 
 feel much solicitude about your success before the next Assembly. I 
 sincerely trust that God may give you grace to maintain your position, 
 so as to glorify His name, even if you should be defeated in the object 
 of your suit. Maintain, my brother, the spirit of Christ, and its con 
 trast to the temper in which you have been assailed will speak vohimes in 
 your favour. I hope that the Master will be with you, to guide, direct, 
 and sustain you. Do not forget to give me an occasional line, informing 
 me how matters go with you. My interest will be intense, and I shall 
 be able to get nothing from the papers, except through the Presbyterian. 
 
 "An organ of some sort we must have. Give us a paper, and we 
 shall certainly win the day. I attached so much importance to this mat 
 ter, that I had determined to write to you about it. I hope, therefore, 
 that you may succeed in setting a paper on foot. 
 
 "I have been preparing a series of discourses on the Eternal Sonship 
 of Christ. I have been so much interested in the subject, that, if I 
 could overcome my mortal repugnance to the pen, I might be tempted 
 to put them in a permanent form. 
 
 May grace, mercy, <fec. , 
 
 J. H. THORNWELL." 
 
 " SOUTH CAROLINA COLLEGE, July 12, 1844. 
 
 " MY DEAR BROTHER : Having been disappointed in my expected trip 
 to the North, I drop you a hasty line, to let you know that I have deter 
 mined to put my letters on the Apocrypha to the press at once. I have 
 sent them to Leavitt, Trow & Co., with instructions to print one thou 
 sand copies. I have no hopes of being able to pay the expenses from the 
 sale ; but I concluded to try my fortunes with the public. I shall depend 
 on you to give me a lift in getting them into circulation. 
 
262 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORNWELL. 
 
 " I am about to come out in the Charleston Observer, in reply to Ge 
 neva. I think I shall be able completely to demolish him. I have 
 already written most of my reply, and would be happy to have you see 
 it. How does your pulse beat since the adjournment of the Assembly ? 
 I have been looking for a letter from you. 
 
 "Very truly and affectionately, 
 
 J. H. THOBNWELL." 
 
 "COLUMBIA, August 10, 1844. 
 
 " MY DEAB BKOTHEE : ******** It is very 
 evident that our brethren of the majority are consoling themselves 
 with the delusive hope that the war is ended on the subject of elders. 
 I have written sixteen manuscript pages of my reply to Geneva, and 
 as soon as I finish the remainder, I shall send it to brother Gilder- 
 sleeve. In the course of my argument I have attempted to show, that 
 the words pastor and bishop are both most generally employed, in pro 
 fane and sacred authors, to denote those invested with authority, and not 
 merely teachers or instructors. This fact will take them by surprise ; 
 as in all their discussions they have qiiietly assumed that a bishop must 
 be a preacher. They have never thought of appealing to the Septuagint 
 and to classical writers, for the usage of the word, which, if they had 
 done, they would find that there is not a single instance in which it is 
 used in anything like the sense to which they would exclusively restrict 
 it. I shall present them with some stubborn facts upon this point, that 
 they will not find it very easy to digest. Another circumstance has been 
 strangely overlooked. In the African Church they find Presbyter and 
 Senior used, one in reference to ministers, the other to ruling elders. 
 They infer that the words are not synonymous, because they are appa 
 rently applied to different officers. "Why not, say they, call both Pres 
 byters, or both Seniors ? The question is obvious, they wanted distinct 
 terms, and accordingly went to the Latin Bible, where they find the 
 same Greek word in reference to the same officer sometimes rendered 
 Presbyter and sometimes Senior. The more I reflect upon the subject, 
 the more I am satisfied that the truth of the case is with us. 
 
 I am glad to learn that brother Dunlap is in Baltimore ; as I know 
 that he will strengthen your hands, and aid you in every good word and 
 work. Please make my kindest remembrances to him. You may tell 
 him, moreover, that his last letter was duly submitted to a committee of 
 clerks and printers ; and after having been deliberately examined, mark by 
 mark, was pronounced to be wholly illegible. Still, after divers and sun 
 dry efforts, as I had some general knowledge of what I suppose he intended 
 to say, I succeeded in guessing out (for I cannot say that I spelt a word) 
 the strange hieroglyphics, which were scrawled before me, like the tracks 
 of snails on Southern oeilings. 
 
 " I see that you and Dr. Pluiner and Mr. Rice have challenged all the 
 bishops, archbishops, priests, and deacons in the United States, so they 
 come not more than three at a time. They are too cunning to take you 
 up. Let me hear from you soon, etc. , 
 
 " J. H. THORNWELL." 
 
THE ELDER QUESTION. 263 
 
 "SOUTH CAROLINA COLLEGE, December 27, 1844. 
 
 MY DEAR BROTHER : I have been resolving every day, for some weeks 
 past, to write you a long letter, but have not been able to command suffi 
 cient time to say all that I wanted to say. Your sermon* is exactly the 
 thing ; it is, in every way, seasonable and to the point. All I fear is, that 
 you have not given it a sufficiently wide circulation. I wish it were in 
 the hands of every minister, and every candidate for the ministry, in the 
 land. 
 
 " Our Synod has just adjourned. I had no opportunity of bringing 
 tip the resolutions which I had prepared on the elder question. The 
 first business on which we entered, was that of division ;f and the arrang 
 ing of the details connected with the constitution and funds of the 
 Seminary, took up our whole time. I was on the Board of Directors, 
 and had to be a great deal engaged in committee. So that I could not 
 have argued the matter, if any one else had brought it up. I was very 
 sorry, as this was our last meeting in a united body. I think that, in the 
 new Synod (to be erected) of South Carolina, we shall have a very strong 
 minority. My impression is, that the State is almost equally divided ; a 
 majority of ministers being against us, a majority of elders in our 
 favour. In Georgia, we have next to no strength at all. The question 
 has come up in two Presbyteries in this State, South Carolina and Har 
 mony ; and the two parties were considered about equally balanced. I 
 have to preach the opening sermon of our Presbytery, in Charleston, at 
 its next meeting in April ; and shall take occasion, in imitation of your 
 example, to Lift up my voice like a trumpet. It is my anxious desire to 
 be a member of the next Assembly, and I want you to be one too. We 
 must get the matter up again, in some shape or other ; and I think I 
 have a plan by which it can be done. If you should be a member of 
 that body, supposing that my scheme should not succeed, it would be 
 proper in you to agitate the question, as you were refused a hearing by 
 last Assembly. It would be simply an act of justice to yourself, to heur 
 the grounds on which you maintain your opinions. 
 
 "I am about to come out with another sermon, of which I will fur 
 nish you a copy as soon as it is published. The subject is, the Necessity 
 of the Atonement. J The students have requested its publication, and I 
 did not feel at liberty to refuse. It was preached on the Sunday before 
 commencement ; the day on which I usually preach a valedictory sermon 
 to the graduating class. 
 
 * The reference is to a published sermon of Dr. Breckinridge, entitled, 
 " The Christian Pastor one of the Ascension Gifts of Christ ;" preached 
 at the installation of the Rev. B. W. Dunlap, in Baltimore. A review 
 of it by Dr. Thorn well, in 1847, in the Southern Presbyterian Review, will 
 be found in Vol. IV, of his Collected Writings. 
 
 tThe Synod of South Carolina and Georgia was, at this meeting, divi 
 ded into the two Synods of South Carolina, and of Georgia. 
 
 I Found in Vol. II, of the Collected Writings. 
 
264: LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THOBNWELL. 
 
 " Entre nous, I have serious fears that my usefulness in College has 
 reached its climax. * ******* From 
 what I can learn, I am the real nexus that binds the religious community 
 to the College. This is a position of perilous responsibility, which I do 
 not like to hold. I endeavour to preach the Gospel faithfully, and no 
 man dares to interfere with me. I have the esteem and affection of the 
 young men ; but still, I feel solitary, and I do not like to waste my 
 strength upon so few. If the providence of God should place before 
 me a pastoral charge suited to my mind, and offering a reasonable pros 
 pect of usefulness, I should feel strongly tempted to accept it. These 
 things are said to you, in the confidence of most unbounded Christian 
 love, with the view of eliciting your opinion, to which I always, and on 
 every subject, attach great value. I can assure you that.you had my 
 warmest sympathies in your recent affliction. I did not know how much 
 I loved you, until I heard you were in deep waters. Still, I had no 
 doubt but that a covenant-keeping God was passing you through the fur 
 nace, for your own good, and for His glory. For myself, I have been 
 often desponding, since I saw you. I have been painfully impressed 
 with a sense of worthlessness. I feel that, if I should die, I should sink 
 into the grave like a stone into the water, unmissed, unlamented, unre 
 garded. Pray for me, my brother, that God may give me grace suited 
 to my day. 
 
 "As ever, yours, J. H. THORNWELL." 
 
 A heavy affliction in the family of Dr. Breckinridge 
 drew forth a brief letter of sympathy : 
 
 "SOUTH CAROLINA COLLEGE, December 28 t 1844. 
 
 "My VERY DEAR BROTHER: I have just this moment heard, from 
 Colonel Preston, of the severe and awful calamity with which you have 
 been visited. My heart is full, and I know not what to say. All that I 
 can do is to pray that God may be with you, to comfort, support, and 
 sanctify you. My beloved brother, when I think of your desolate fire 
 side, and still more desolate affections ; your motherless children, and 
 the perilous responsibility that is now accumulated upon their only pa 
 rent, my heart bleeds within me. I enter into your sorrows ; I share 
 your bereavement ; I partake of your anxieties. But it is in affliction 
 that the real greatness of Christianity is seen. You have a covenant God 
 to whom you may flee, unbosom your sorrows, and make known your 
 wants ; and it is His prerogative to be a very present help in time of 
 trouble. He careth for you ; and can make this calamity, bitter as it is, 
 conduce to your good. You know, you have tasted, His love ; and it is 
 His own word, that He doth not willingly afflict or grieve the children of 
 men. 
 
 I cannot but think that your thoughts are now much set upon the 
 heavenly state. Another charm is now given to the place, since the 
 dearest object of your affections is now gone to be for ever with the Lord. 
 The separation betwixt you and her is only temporary. The Master will 
 
THE ELDER QUESTION. 265 
 
 soon call for you also ; and then sorrow and sighing will flee away for 
 ever. In the meantime, your little ones may be safely entrusted to the 
 Shepherd of Israel ; who has promised to bless the seed of the righteous, 
 and who loves them for their father s sake. I might, my brother, write 
 you a long letter, suggesting the ordinary topics of Christian consolation ; 
 but I prefer to leave you in the hands of the blessed Spirit, who will 
 teach you effectually, and administer Comfort as He sees it to be good. 
 To Him I commend you, begging you to accept my assurances of pro 
 found sympathy and of fervent prayer in your behalf. 
 " Very truly, yotir friend and brother, 
 
 J. H. THORNWELL." 
 
 The letter which follows forms a link in Dr. Thorn- 
 weirs personal history ; and is equally appropriate as the 
 conclusion of this chapter, or as the introduction to the 
 next : 
 
 "SOUTH CAROLINA COLLEGE, March 12, 1845. 
 
 "Mr DEAR BROTHER: Since receiving your last kind and welcome 
 letter, I have been confined to my chamber, for about ten days, with 
 catarrhal fever. My whole family have suffered not a little with sore- 
 throat. But through the good hand of the Lord upon us, we are all now 
 restored to our usual health. 
 
 "The circumstances in which you are placed must be full of embar 
 rassment and perplexity. Broken in health, wounded in spirit, with two 
 calls before you to different and responsible stations, you must feel very 
 sensibly your need of Divine guidance and direction in guiding yoxir 
 steps. I have but a single suggestion to make ; and, though it may not 
 be new, it deserves none the less to be seriously pondered, by those who 
 would aim singly at God s glory. We are too often prone to misinterpret 
 what are called the leadings of Providence, and to take those things as 
 the intimations of Divine will which are, perhaps, designed to be trials 
 of our faith. I am quite satisfied that no one can ever reach the will of 
 God, in his own particular case, by jxidging merely from promising ap 
 pearances. The measures of human probability it is a lesson recorded 
 on every page of the Bible are not the standard of Divine wisdom. 
 Every striking instance of faith commended in the Scriptures was against 
 the conjectures of our narrow philosophy. Had Moses reasoned ac 
 cording to the prevailing principles of our day, he would not have re 
 fused to be called the son of Pharaoh s daughter. The prospect of 
 extensive usefulness was so much greater in the court, the sphere of his 
 influence would have been so much wider, he had so singularly been 
 raised to that elevated station, and the hand of God was so visible in the 
 whole affair, that, if he had reasoned, as multitudes do, from the leadings 
 of Providence and probable appearances, he would have felt justified in 
 accepting the glittering bribe which was offered him. In this, however, 
 he would have followed the impulse of human reason, and been no ex 
 ample of faith. 
 
266 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORN WELL. 
 
 "My friends sometimes charge me with a spice of fanaticism ; but it 
 is my deliberate conviction, that the only way of arriving at a knowledge 
 of the Divine will, in regard to us, is by simplicity of purpose and earn 
 est prayer. If we really desire, with an honest heart, to know our duty, 
 and apply to God to be instructed by Him, He will impress upon the 
 conscience a sense of duty, just in the direction in which He would have 
 us to move, and which we shajl feel it perilous to resist. This sense of 
 duty may be produced by some principle of the word which we perceive to 
 be applicable to the exigency, or by an immediate operation upon the mind, 
 which we are unable to explain. This is my test ; and I confess that, until 
 after having sought from God, with simplicity and honesty, His divine di 
 rection, I feel such a sense of duty upon my conscience, such a woe is me 
 upon the heart, I should feel it unsafe to move. That you may have 
 the counsels of your heavenly Father, and be guided by a wisdom better 
 than yours or mine, is my sincere prayer. I am sure it is your purpose 
 to glorify God, and I am equally sure that the meek He will guide in 
 His way. 
 
 "I am sorry to learn that brother Dunlap has been so seriously af 
 flicted. This is indeed a vale of tears ; and they whose robes are washed 
 and made white in the blood of the Lamb, are they who have come out 
 of great tribulation. Oh ! how precious the thought, that there is a land 
 of rest, where sorrow and tears are unknown for ever ! and how anxious 
 should we be that, through God s grace, our earthly afflictions may wean 
 our hearts from sublunary things, and fix them on things above, where 
 Christ sitteth at the right hand of God. It is in the house of mourning 
 that the real greatness of Christianity is seen. As I have stood by the 
 grave of departed friends, and looked at the prospect of a glorious re 
 surrection, my feeelings have been almost insupportable. Worlds mul 
 tiplied on worlds could not induce to me give up that precious text, 
 * Them that sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him. No doubt, my 
 brother, resurrection and the glory beyond have been much upon your 
 thoughts, since the Lord removed from you the delight of your eyes. 
 Oh ! how grand is the Christian s hope ! The time is short ; we shall 
 soon lay aside the weapons of our warfare, and buckle on the panoply 
 of light for ever. Please make known to brother D. my Christian sym 
 pathy, and assure him of an interest in my humble prayers. 
 
 "I sincerely wish that, in your projected tour for the recovery of 
 your strength, you could be induced to visit your friends here. I should 
 be delighted to see you, and hold converse with you, touching the things 
 which pertain to Jesus Christ. I am sure that you have learned much 
 in the house of mourning, and I should delight to have you recount the 
 rich and precious consolations of God s grace. My own path is dark 
 and uncertain ; but I have endeavoured to commit my way unto the 
 Lord. Let me hear from you soon ; and I would like to hear your views 
 in relation to my situation here, as developed in a recent letter to you. 
 ""With warmest Christian affection, your friend and brother, 
 
 "J. H. THORN WELL." 
 
CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 CALL TO BALTIMORE. 
 
 DISSATISFACTION WITH THE COLLEGE. CALL TO CHURCH IN BALTIMORE. 
 ACCEPTED BY HIM. DISMISSION TO PRESBYTERY OF BALTIMORE. 
 DOCTORATE CONFERRED. ACTION OF TRUSTEES OF THE COLLEGE. DE 
 TAINED FOR A YEAR. CORRESPONDENCE GROWING OUT OF THIS. BAL 
 TIMORE CHURCH WAITS FOR THE YEAR. PRESBYTERY RECONSIDERS AND 
 REVERSES ITS FORMER ACTION. HE REMAINS IN THE COLLEGE. 
 
 A HINT has already been given, in Dr. ThornwelFs 
 correspondence, of his dissatisfaction in the College, 
 and of a disposition to enter upon some suitable pastoral 
 charge. At the close of 1841, the Hon. R. W. Barnwell 
 had been compelled, by ill health, to resign the presi 
 dency of the institution ; and the present administration 
 had not proved to be either popular or successful. Dr. 
 Thornwell did not feel himself to be cordially supported 
 by the authorities, in his office as chaplain. He, therefore, 
 was meditating a change ; when, by a singular coincidence, 
 movements were on foot, which resulted in the transfer of 
 the Rev. Dr. R. J. Breckinridge from the pulpit of the 
 Second Presbyterian Church, in the city of Baltimore, to 
 the presidency of Jefferson College, at Cannonsburgh, 
 Pennsylvania. Considering the intimate friendship be 
 tween the two men, and the constant correspondence 
 maintained at this period, it was most natural that the 
 attention of the church in Baltimore should be turned to 
 Dr. Thornwell, as the successor of his friend. A call was 
 made out in due form, and was laid, by the commissioner 
 of that church, before the Presbytery of Charleston, on 
 the 6th of October, 1845. After mature deliberation, the 
 call was placed, by the Presbytery, in Dr. Thorn well s 
 
 267 
 
268 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORNWELL. 
 
 hands, and was by him accepted. The proper testimonials 
 were also ordered to be given him ; and he was directed 
 to repair to the Presbytery of Baltimore, by whom the 
 proper steps would be taken for his regular settlement as 
 the pastor of said church. It was a decision arrived at, 
 with marked reluctance on the part of the Presbytery ; 
 one evidence of which was a written communication from 
 the Second Presbyterian Church, of Charleston, of which 
 the Rev. Dr. Thomas Smyth was the pastor, expressing 
 " the hope and desire that Dr. Thornwell may still remain 
 in his present ecclesiastical connexions, and may find a 
 field of usefulness within our bounds." There was, how 
 ever, no option left to the Presbytery, but to grant the 
 petition of the church in Baltimore, since Dr. Thornwell 
 was clear as to his duty in leaving the College, and this 
 was the only providential opening which just then pre 
 sented itself. A few days before the matter was matured 
 in this form, the letter found below was addressed to Dr. 
 Breckinridge : 
 
 "SOUTH CAROLINA COLLEGE, October 4, 1845. 
 
 " MY DEAR BROTHER : ****** 
 
 * * * So far as I am concerned, the matter is settled 
 
 in relation to the Baltimore call. If the Presbytery puts it into my 
 hands, which I have no doubt will be done, it is my fixed purpose to 
 accept it. There is strong opposition to my leaving the State, as many 
 of my friends, and the friends of the College, are bent upon raising me 
 to a higher position than the one which I now occupy ; but I. have no 
 ambition, and no desire, for the station to which they would promote 
 me. In the present aspect of ecclesiastical affairs, I feel that it is my 
 duty, not merely to preach the gospel, which I do here, but to preach the 
 gospel under such circumstances as shall bring me closely into contact 
 with the Church ; which is not the case here. Had it been in my power 
 to choose my own field of labour, I should never have thought of leaving 
 South Carolina ; but I bow to the will of a sovereign God, and acquiesce, 
 without a murmur, in the plain intimations of His providence. I shall 
 move to Baltimore as soon as I can get a release from the College ; which 
 in no event can be earlier than December, and may be as late as January. 
 
 "The distinction you have conferred upon me, I ascribe entirely to 
 your personal partiality. I presume, when you announced the matter to 
 your Board, there was a general look of astonishment, each asking the 
 other, whence this man came ; biit such, no doubt, was the strength of 
 
CALL TO BALTIMORE. 269 
 
 their faith in you, thnt they acceded to your request, in the hope that if 
 I were not, I might become eventually, worthy of the honour. All that 
 I can promise you is, that I shall endeavour not to disgrace you. Last 
 week I received a letter from Brother Sparrow, President of Hampden 
 Sidney College, stating that his Board had also conferred the same de 
 gree upon me ; so that D. D., in my case, may stand for Doubly Dubbed, 
 as well as Doctor of Divinity. 
 
 "I cannot express to you my gratification at receiving the engraving 
 which you sent me. I shall have it elegantly framed, and transmit it as 
 a legacy to my children. I wish very much you had come with McEl- 
 derry. It would have afforded me great pleasure to have seen you on 
 my own dung-hill, and interchanged thoughts with you about the pre 
 sent position of affairs in the Church. But I hope to see you often in 
 coming days. 
 
 "There is a matter which has weighed much upon my mind, and 
 upon which we have conversed a little together, and that is, the estab 
 lishing of a paper, to represent and defend our views. I have no doubt 
 but that we may get anything into the Watchman and Observer. But 
 we, ourselves, would feel a sense of delicacy in making too many appli 
 cations to it. But how a paper is to be set agoing I do not see. I have 
 been in hopes some good man would undertake a quarterly in New York, 
 and make large promises of contributions from distinguished scholars 
 on points of Theology, Biblical Literature, and Church Government; 
 which promises might be made in great sincerity, and, perhaps, a suffi 
 cient patronage might be secured to justify the undertaking. Fugitive 
 articles are not what we want ; but elaborate discussions, which we can 
 leave as a testimony behind us. There are many matters of great inte 
 rest which might be embodied in such a work, and many ways in which 
 it might be commended to popular favour. But the rub is, to get an 
 editor, supposing we can get patronage. I have more faith in the abid 
 ing and ultimate influence of a quarterly, than of a weekly newspaper ; 
 though the latter would be more rapid in its effects. I hope you will 
 not forget to write a review of D Aubigne for the Southern Quarterly. 
 It will do great good. That periodical has a much more extensive cir 
 culation than I supposed it had when I was in Kentucky ; and you will 
 reach a class of minds that know very little about the real character of 
 the Reformation. 
 
 "The result of the action of Presbytery shall be communicated to 
 you, as soon as practicable ; but I presume that there is no doubt of 
 what it will be. 
 
 " Very truly, as ever, 
 
 J. H. THORN WELL." 
 
 The Doctorate alluded to above, as conferred by the au 
 thorities of Jefferson College, and duplicated by Hamp 
 den Sidney, in Virginia, was triplicated by Centre College, 
 
270 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THOKNWELL. 
 
 at Danville, Kentucky. These distinctions were showered 
 upon his head by three institutions, within a few days of 
 each other, in perfect ignorance, of course, that they were 
 combining to do honour to one who was conspicuously 
 able to bear the triple burden. 
 
 The transfer to Baltimore, was, however, unexpectedly 
 arrested, by the action of the Trustees of the College, in 
 enforcing what had been regarded as an obsolete law, 
 which required a twelve months notice of a resignation. 
 It was, of course, only one of those measures of protec 
 tion, intended to be used when great interests demanded 
 its application. None of the parties, therefore, antici 
 pated the embarrassment which its enforcement, in this 
 instance, occasioned. In connection with this interdict, 
 which, of course, could operate only for a year, a com 
 plete and most satisfactory change was made in the ad 
 ministration of the College. The Hon. W. C. Preston, 
 distinguished in the history of South Carolina as an ora 
 tor and a statesman, was, by the acclamation of the State, 
 elected to the Presidency ; and the College received a 
 vigorous impulse from the change. 
 
 This movement, on the part of the Board of Trustees, 
 drew forth the strictures from Dr. Breckinridge, which 
 are found in the letter that follows: 
 
 "JEFFERSON COLLEGE, CANNONSBURGH, December 4, 1845. 
 "MY DEAR THORNWELL : I never closed my whole responsibility, and ac 
 tive interest and participation in any subject, more to my own satisfaction, 
 than when I ascertained finally that you would come to Baltimore. Sat 
 isfied that the hand of God removed me from that field of labour ; con 
 vinced, as far as my own short and dim vision can penetrate, that you 
 were the man to occupy the post ; rejoicing in the unanimous and cor 
 dial and, I will add, spontaneous conviction of the congregation to the 
 same effect ; I greatly rejoiced in God, and felt a great care taken off my 
 hands, and a great mercy to be conferred even personally on me, when I 
 found the matter settled, and your going there fixed. I am sure you will 
 find a wide field ; in some respects, not as desirable as the situation you 
 have left ; but, on the whole, and in its entire bearings and influence, of 
 immense importance, and capable of being xised with unspeakably more 
 power and efficiency than it has yet been. My prayers are for your 
 
CALL TO BALTIMORE. 271 
 
 great happiness and usefulness ; and I now see, with great clearness, if 
 I ever doubted, that whatever God may have designed as to me, in re 
 moving me from Baltimore, He designed mercy to that city, and to the 
 people of my old charge. Almost the last thing I said to them, on 
 leaving them, was almost prophetic : Do you think that God will forget 
 your goodness to the pastors He has sent you heretofore ? Do you think 
 He will send you a man inferior, in any way, to those you have rendered 
 happy by your unfailing kindness, your constant reverence and love? 
 That is not our Master s way of rewarding His people ; and what I so 
 confidently felt, from what I knew of His dealings and His revealed will, 
 He would do, verily He has done ; and heartily do I rejoice, and thank 
 Him. ******** 
 
 "December 5. 
 
 " So far I had written yesterday, being interrupted. I have since re 
 ceived information in regard to the action of your Board of Tnistees, 
 appointing Colonel Preston to the Presidency, and refusing your appli 
 cation for leave to resign ; and, what tills me with sorrow and alarm, 
 your inclination to submit to this refusal. I have weighed the matter 
 as fully as I could; and will now give you, with the freedom of a 
 friend, my views of the case as thus presented. Consider: 1. This 
 act of the Board of Trustees, if contrary to your wishes, is a fraud upon 
 you, considering that they had virtually acqiiiesced in your informal no 
 tice of your intention to resign. 2. That, in any aspect of the case, the 
 obligation upon you, under the circumstances, as regards that notice, was 
 virtually complied with ; so that the pretext of holding you bound is 
 the merest idlq technicality, destitute of all moral obligation, 3. The 
 Trustees supposed they acted in accordance with your wishes, in refusing 
 you leave to go ; therefore, their act is no more a rule of duty, or a dis 
 charge of opposite obligations absolutely incurred, than a reluctance on 
 your part to fulfil those obligations is a discharge from their binding 
 force. 4. The mere supposition, much less the painful reality, that the 
 Trustees believed it would be very disagreeable to you for them to refuse 
 to let you go, even if they were in error in that belief, yet, seeing it to 
 be the ground and motive of the act, this places you in a position which 
 obliges you to refuse, under the circumstances, to obey their act. 5. 
 This refusal of a civil corporation, acting contrary to the clear conclu 
 sion of God s Church, lawfully reached, in due course, upon full scrip 
 tural process and conclusions, is the idlest thing in the world, as matter 
 of authority. Viewed in any other light than simply as authority, you 
 owe it to yourself to repudiate it absolutely. 6. The people at Balti 
 more were under the full conviction that you could and would leave it, 
 if you saw it to be your duty to accept theirs, or any pastoral call. 7. 
 They have been to considerable expense, endured considerable priva 
 tions, done all that was fair, generous, and right, in the complete reli 
 ance that this new aspect of the case was one out of the question, and, in 
 fact, disposed of. It is, therefore, morally obligatory that, as to them, 
 and their affairs and relations to you, it should be considered and 
 
272 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORNWELL. 
 
 treated as out of the question, utterly and absolutely. 8. That church 
 will, in all probability, be irreparably injured, divided, and scattered, 
 if you now refuse to go there ; and as to them, all this injury is gratui 
 tous, and from a quarter that was contemplated, plainly and clearly, as 
 being already disposed of, in every part of the previous arrangements. 
 So this matter looks to me. May our God and Saviour give you grace 
 to resist this temptation ; for so it seems to me most clearly to be, 
 taking the case in its present aspect. As to the real importance of the 
 places, or their claims upon you abstractly, or your fitness for them, all 
 these are questions not now to be discussed. They are solemnly, finally, 
 religiously adjudicated ; and the whole question is, can anything, much 
 less this new act, set aside the result actually reached, unless by the 
 complete consent of the other party, the church ? I say, No ! as plainly 
 and clearly as ever I saw any question whatever. I again say, May God 
 strengthen you against this temptation. 
 
 "Believe me, my dear Thornwell, I fully enter into your difficulties in 
 this case. Excuse me, if I have said too much. Two objects, very dear 
 to me, seem at stake : the good of the church at Baltimore, and your 
 good name ; which is not a whit less dear to me. I am, perhaps, mis 
 taken in my view of what the course of duty and propriety seems to me 
 so plainly to indicate. If so, excuse what I have written, in all love. 
 May God ever bless you. 
 
 "Your friend and brother, 
 
 Ro. J. BRECKINRIDGE." 
 
 One can scarcely fail to trace, in the matter and style 
 of this paper, the hand of the lawyer, workftig in a case 
 for the interest of his client; and is a little curious to see 
 how these specifications will be set aside. We have some 
 misgivings lest these details may prove a little too minute 
 and tedious. But besides that both letters are eminently 
 characteristic of the writers, the case terminated so re 
 markably, that we prefer the reader should be in full 
 possession of all the facts pertaining to it. The reply to 
 these strictures is very long ; but it is so frank and gene 
 rous in its tone, reveals a sensibility to considerations of 
 honour, and discloses principles upon which difficult ques 
 tions of duty may be resolved, that we give it without 
 abridgment : 
 
 "SOUTH CAROLINA COLLEGE, December 13, 1845. 
 
 " MY DEAR BROTHER : I received your letter a few evenings ago ; and, 
 in the midst of the deep tribulation in which it found me, the very ap 
 pearance of your handwriting was refreshing to my heart. This is now 
 
CALL TO BALTIMORE. 273 
 
 the sixteenth day since my poor wife took her bed, having been seriously 
 indisposed for a week before. She was, at first, threatened with violent 
 inflammation of the brain, then of the bowels, and finally her disease 
 settled down into a continuous fever of the typhoid type, marked by two 
 violent paroxysms in the twenty-four hours. My mind has alternated 
 between hope and fear. I have had anxious days and sleepless nights ; 
 and, though I endeavour to cultivate a spirit of entire resignation to the 
 will of God, it is my constant prayer that He may not afflict me above 
 measure. The symptoms to-day, I am rejoiced to say, are more favourable 
 than they have been ; but I have been so often deceived by flattering ap 
 pearances, I am almost afraid to indulge in hope. 
 
 "in connection with these distresses has been a severe and painful 
 conflict, in reference to the action of the Board of Trustees of this insti 
 tution ; and as I value your opinion upon any subject upon which you 
 will venture to pronounce one, more than that of any man living, I have 
 been deeply grieved that your conclusions differ so widely from my own, 
 as to the precise light in which that action should be viewed. I am per 
 suaded, however, that your mind labours under some radical misappre 
 hension of the facts of the case, and that your opinions have been formed 
 from inadequate data. It is due to you, therefore, to give you a detailed 
 account of the whole matter, and of the motives and ends which have 
 governed all parties. 
 
 " There is, as you are probably aware, an express and positive law of 
 the College, that no Professor shall resign his office withoiit giving one 
 year s previous notice to the Board of Trustees. This is a part of the 
 stipulated condition on which he holds his place ; and imposes on him a 
 moral obligation, from which he cannot be released but by the consent 
 of the Board. When that body met, in November last, I transmitted 
 them a letter, in which I begged leave to resign my Professorship, the 
 resignation to take effect immediately after Commencement, so that I 
 might reach Baltimore by the middle of December ; agreeing, at the 
 same time, to remain until the 1st of January, if they thought it abso 
 lutely necessary. I deprecated, in that letter, the severity of holding me 
 to the one year s notice, as altogether unprecedented ; as unnecessary, in 
 the present case, as the ends of that notice had been abundantly an 
 swered. I had no" idea that any other action would be taken, than that of 
 formally accepting my resignation, and dismissing me, at once, from the 
 College. Just about one hour before the Board was to meet, the gentle 
 man to whom I had entrusted my letter, in a casual interview, which did 
 not last five minutes, obs erved to me : I have read your letter, and find 
 that you will regard it as an act of ungenerous harshness to be held to 
 the legal notice. I merely wish to say to you, that I shall use all my in 
 fluence to hold you to the law ; and I am anxious that you should under 
 stand that I mean no unkindness to you personally, but am governed, as 
 I trust, by the fear of God, and a solemn sense of public duty. I replied 
 to him, that I knew he was incapable of doing an intentional unkindness 
 to any one, much less to me ; and, in the present case, I coiild afford to 
 
274: LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORN WELL. 
 
 be generous, since he would only lose his breath and his pains ; and, in 
 parting with him, ridiculed the futility, the utter idleness, of his project. 
 So sanguine, indeed, was I, that the Board would at once dismiss me, 
 that I had made most of my arrangements for leaving. I had sold a con 
 siderable part of my furniture, had disposed of my servants for the 
 ensuing year, and settled such of my worldly business as required imme 
 diate adjustment. I never dreamed that any human being would think 
 of detaining me ; and the only intimation which I received was the one 
 I have mentioned, given about an hour before the meeting of the Board. 
 The argument, in my letter, against such a course, I considered as ample 
 and complete. You may judge of the light in which I regarded the pro 
 position, from the fact of my making it a matter of jest in the family, 
 after the interview referred to. 
 
 " The Board met ; and the next day I received a letter from the Sec 
 retary, stating that my resignation had been laid on the table. I found, 
 upon inquiry, that many of the best men in the Board were disposed to 
 hold me, on the legal technicality by which I was bound. The whole 
 matter, then, struck me as a serious affair. I made it a matter of calm 
 reflection atid earnest prayer. The men who were principally moving in 
 this business, were men of God, distinguished equally by generosity and 
 piety. They had prayed over this thing, and were evidently governed 
 by a solemn sense of public duty. The conclusion to \vhich I came was 
 this : I shall quietly leave the result to the Providence of God. If He 
 permits these men to enforce upon me a legal claim, which creates a 
 moral obligation in me to stay in the State, it is His will that I should 
 not go to Baltimore ; for He would never sanction my breach of an ex 
 press stipulation. If, on the other hand, it is His will that I should go, 
 He can turn their hearts, as the rivers of water are turned, and induce 
 them to accede to my request. I therefore kept my letter before them 
 and until their action was taken, I was fully persuaded that I would be 
 released, though, I knew, not without strong opposition. I had no 
 agency in the matter. I never expressed to them any desire, wish, or 
 inclination, to stay ; but just the opposite. I prosecuted the resignation 
 in good faith; and submitted, in the end, to the extraordinary con 
 clusion which was reached ; because I believed that it was the language 
 of God s Providence to me, forbidding me to go. In your letter you 
 seem to iiave received the impression that the Board detained me because 
 they thought I desired to stay. This is a mistake. No such desire, 
 either directly or indirectly, was either expressed by me, or authorized 
 to be expressed by any one else for me. All the correspondence which 
 I had with the body was the very contrary. I have inquired into the 
 representations which were made by the mover of the resolution on the 
 subject, and it can be abundantly certified that he disclaimed acting in 
 consultation with me. He said that he had avoided me, to keep me from 
 hampering him in what he believed to be his duty, and whatever he said 
 or did in the premises proceeded solely from himself. It was, therefore, 
 wholly and exclusively, their act, and not mine. But, being done, ray 
 
CALL TO BALTIMORE. 275 
 
 duty was decided. I was under a solemn obligation to remain. I had 
 made a contract upon taking my chair, and it was not for me to dissolve 
 
 i4 * 
 
 "Before proceeding further, I want to remove from your mind the 
 
 conviction which you seem to feel, that the Trustees acted towards me 
 in bnd faith. If this were granted, however, I do not see that it annuls 
 my obligation to act towards them in good faith ; but still, I think a full 
 review of all the circumstances will vindicate their honour from all sus 
 picion. In the spring, I had drawn up a full communication, setting 
 forth grievances under which I laboured in the Chapel, and suggesting 
 various remedies ; stating, at the same that, as I would be absent from 
 the State when the Board met, and could not be made acquainted with 
 its action until it had adjourned ; and as, moreover, I could not consent 
 to retain my connection with the College, if such grievances were per 
 mitted to continue, I begged them to regard the communication as a 
 notice of my intention to resign, at the end of the year, unless they could 
 do something effective in the premises. This communication I handed 
 to a friend to give to the Board, he being himself a member. He begged 
 me to withhold it, as it would do mischief to have the report circulated 
 that I proposed to leave the institution : and assured me that, as there 
 had never been any difficulty in past cases, so there would probably be 
 none in this ; and so far as his influence went, there should be none in 
 giving me leave to resign at the end of the year, if my difficulties were 
 not removed. .Such was the pledge. At that time I had no idea any 
 thing would be done, or could be done, to amend the law. I expected 
 my suggestions to meet such opposition in the Board, or if adopted 
 there, to be so feebly supported by the President, that I had deliberately 
 come to the conclusion, that, under all the circumstances, I ought to 
 leave. But the Board have met me here by enacting my suggestions 
 into a law, and by giving a President to the College who can enforce the 
 law. The Board, therefore, has exonerated itself from the implied 
 pledge of one of its members. It has even gone farther, and voted an 
 appropriation to render my place of preaching much more elegantly 
 comfortable and inviting than it is now. All these things have been 
 done mainly on my account. I have gone thus into detail, in order that 
 you may not do injustice, even in your thoughts, to the best body of 
 men in the State. That Board comprises some of our noblest citizens, 
 and would instinctively shrink from doing an act of meanness. That I 
 may have given you, in Baltimore, the idea that I meditated an absolute 
 resignation, is very likely ; for at that time such was the fact ; that I 
 may also have led you to believe there would be no difficulty in the way, 
 is equally likely, for such I then also believed to be the fact. There never 
 had been difficulty in any previous case; and the implied pledge to 
 which I have alluded, showed that the gentleman who made it dreamed 
 of no such difficulty. Upon reviewing all the circumstances, two things 
 seem perfectly clear : 1. The Board had a tigal right to detain me ; 
 and, 2. I was under a moral obligation, growing out of my own stipula- 
 
276 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORN WELL. 
 
 tions, to stay, unless they were willing to let me go. Such, as it strikes 
 my mind, is the aspect of the case between me and the church at Balti 
 more. 4 
 
 In the first place, that congregation knew of the existence of the law 
 in question ; and if they looked upon it as a dead letter, they did it for 
 the reasons that have been mentioned : the fact that it never had been 
 enforced in any previous case. This rendered its future enforcement 
 improbable, but not impossible. Previous lenity did not destroy the 
 right of the Board. They called me, therefore, subject to an obligation 
 which was not likely to be enforced, but yet which might be enforced. 
 I mentioned the fact, that such a law existed, to every member of that 
 congregation who gave me the opportunity ; and in every instance stated 
 the other fact, that it had always lain dormant. They knew, therefore, 
 just as much as I did, the real posture of affairs. They attached no im 
 portance to the law. Neither did I. They acted upon the supposition that 
 I would be released on the first of January. So did I. Our conduct 
 was predicated on the same premises ; but our false conclusions did not 
 destroy the reality of the law, nor the corresponding right of the Board ; 
 and, therefore, my obligation to the church was strictly conditional. 
 My acceptance was predicated on its not conflicting with any other duties. 
 If the Board had met before the call was prosecuted in Presbytery, I 
 should have applied to it for a release before answering ; but as it could 
 not meet before the last of November, I answered upon the best light 
 I had. That my answer, was conditional, is shown from the fact, that I 
 expressly told the church that I could not go until released ; that the re 
 lease would not take place until the meeting of the Board ; that it was 
 not likely to be granted to take effect before the first of January ; and 
 that they must wait until then, when I had no doubt of the issue. This 
 whole process implied a conditional engagement; and the anticipated 
 condition having failed, the obligation, of course, ceases. This is the 
 light in which the thing strikes me. 
 
 " But put the affair in a stronger point of view. Suppose the church had 
 known nothing of the law, and that I had merely stated to it my convic 
 tions that I could go at the close of the year, without stating the grounds ; 
 even in that case, my obligation would have been conditional. The rea 
 son is, that our Book of Discipline supposes that a call is open to recon 
 sideration and review, at any time from the period of its prosecution, up 
 to its consummation in the installation of the pastor. Hence the ques 
 tion is distinctly put, Are you now willing, &c. His previous states of 
 mind do not settle the duty of Presbytery, nor his own ; it is his pre 
 sent state of mind that fixes the thing. He is bound, in other words, 
 to do what seems to be the will of God ; and if, after the acceptance of 
 a call, circumstances should arise to change his impressions of the lead 
 ings of Providence, he is bound to withdraw that acceptance. The 
 whole matter is open for new light, until the pastoral relation has 
 been actually established. When he accepts, he declares what he feels 
 to be his duty then; but the Book evidently contemplates the possi- 
 
CALL TO BALTIMORE. 277 
 
 bility of change or mistake, and hence does not impose an absolute, but 
 a qualified, obligation. 
 
 "In conformity with these suggestions, if I had accepted the Balti 
 more call, under the full conviction that there was no let nor hindrance in 
 the way, and afterwards found that there was, my previous acceptance 
 would not have bound me. It was predicated implicitly, if not ex 
 pressly, upon a condition, which is afterwards ascertained to be false 
 in fact. A church, in calling a pastor, endeavours to obey the will of 
 God ; a pastor, in accepting, aims at the same rule. They both follow 
 the indications of Providence, and their mutual acts are formal expres 
 sions of the light in which they regard those indications. Now, should 
 anything transpire which marks this conclusion as evidently repugnant 
 to the Divine will, the matter is ended ; no obligation exists on either 
 side, except to follow the clearest light. Apply these principles here. 
 The people of Baltimore, in obedience to the will of God, as they sup 
 pose, call me to be the pastor. I believe that I ought to accept, and 
 accordingly engage to do so. An event takes place, which shows that 
 I cannot go to Baltimore without the breach of a moral obligation. 
 This settles it, that it is not the Divine will that I should go. They then 
 cease to be bound by the call, and I by the acceptance. 
 
 "Now, the Jight in which I regard .the action of the Board, is the 
 closing event in the series of Providences, by which my duty was to be 
 finally ascertained. God had conducted both parties up to this point, 
 by a way they knew not ; and here He reveals the line of duty so plainly, 
 that there could be no possibility of mistake. It is His hand that I 
 contemplate in the matter, and not the authority of a civil corporation. 
 And this suggests a difficulty in your mind, which I must endeavour to 
 clear up. You insinuate that, in yielding to this action, I yield to civil, 
 rather than ecclesiastical, authority, in a spiritual matter. The mistake 
 is this : It is my own promise, my own solemn compact, that I respect, 
 and not authority. I do not stay because the Board says, You must 
 stay ; ; but because I myself had virtually promised to stay. It is my 
 contract, and not their power, that I reverence in the matter. Again, 
 you are mistaken in supposing that this affair, in any of its present aspects, 
 was ever adjudicated in any Church court. The Presbytery of Charles 
 ton deliberated on the call two nights ; the Second Presbyterian church 
 of that city entered a solemn remonstrance upon the minutes of Presby 
 tery against its prosecution ; and the issue which the Presbytery de 
 cided was, that I had better go to Baltimore than to Charleston, where 
 an effort was then making to get me. But the opinion of the Presby 
 tery, so far as expressed, which was informally, and not judicially done, 
 was, that I had better remain in the College than go to either place. 
 
 "I protested against staying in the College, then; because, under the 
 President we had, and the laws that existed. I considered my labours as 
 seriously hindered. No change in the College was proposed, but that 
 of making me President ; and my mind was immovably set against that. 
 My purpose, therefore, was absolute, to leave if I could ; and under 
 
278 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORNWELL. 
 
 that state of the case, the Presbytery said, go to Baltimore. When the 
 Board had acted, there was a talk here of calling a pro re nata meeting 
 of Presbytery, to express its approval of that course, and urge upon me 
 to stay. The church in Carolina is delighted with the result, and clear, 
 so far as I have heard, as to my duty. This is the aspect of the case, 
 ecclesiastically. 
 
 " One word more about the Board. It acted from a solemn sense of 
 duty. Under the existing administration, the affairs of the College had 
 reached a crisis. Public sentiment was strongly against it. That sen 
 timent was largely called out by my projected removal. The people 
 would, perhaps, have submitted, if they could have kept me ; but when 
 it was found that I was going, the tide set in with greater fury. A 
 change was made ; but a new experiment required tae co-operation of 
 an experienced friend ; and the Board felt that their high and paramount 
 duty, as Trustees, required them to use every lawful means of preserving 
 my influence, and attracting to the College the confidence which the 
 people felt in me. They determined, therefore, if I went, to throw the 
 whole responsibility of going upon me ; and they were careful to re 
 move all the difficulties which had originally excited my dissatisfaction. 
 They, no doubt, largely overrated my importance ; but what they did 
 was the offspring of honourable motives, and in the due execution, as 
 they believed, of a solemn trust. They had never enforced the law be 
 fore ; because they had never had such a case. To fill my place this 
 year, was out of the question. It required a prudence and circumspec 
 tion, the conditions of which were satisfied in no candidate that offered ; 
 and to leave the place vacant for a year was equally ruinous. They had 
 only the alternative of enforcing the law, and thus keeping, or doing 
 what was in their power to keep, a man with whom they were satisfied. 
 
 I need not say that I have felt deeply for the condition of the Bal 
 timore people. My heart had been much set upon that field of labour ; 
 and I never was more surprised, disappointed, confounded, than by the 
 course which things have actually taken. But my conscience is clear. 
 I regret the past, but I have no remorse. From first to last, I have acted 
 in good faith ; and, if I know my own heart, I have as humbly, patiently, 
 and prayerfully endeavoured to ascertain the will of God, as I ever did 
 anything in my life ; and whatever may be the lamentations of my 
 friends, or the censures and reproaches of my enemies, I feel that I have 
 learned and obeyed the voice of niy Heavenly Father in the final result. 
 I cannot persuade myself that the church has been injured ; it has been 
 kept together by the prospect of my going ; it has been able to save a 
 portion of its income ; and is, upon the whole, in no worse condition 
 than if I had refused the call at first. Whatever divisions may take place 
 now, are divisions that would probably have taken place then. It stands, 
 as I conceive, about where it stood before the call was prosecuted. What 
 I most regret, is the possible loss of their personal affections. They may 
 be induced to view the matter as you have done, and attach to me a de 
 gree of blame which your charity does not allow you to pronounce. If 
 
CALL TO BALTIMORE. 279 
 
 the righteous smite me, however, I hope to take it as an excellent oil, 
 that shall not break my head. I had hoped that you would xinderstand 
 the matter at once, and would aid me in relieving their minds of any 
 unfavourable misapprehensions ; and had, accordingly, intended to write 
 to you upon the subject, as soon as my family afflictions would permit. 
 But upon your aid, I am afraid, I cannot reckon. Let me beg you to 
 review the whole thing, calmly and prayerfully. In fact, I know you 
 will do it ; and I know that, whatever you may think of the propriety of 
 the course, in itself considered, you will do me the justice to believe 
 that I have, at least, acted honestly, and humbly aimed to discharge my 
 duty. You may condemn my judgment ; but I am confident that you 
 have seen too much of me to question my integrity. Thank God, my 
 record in this matter is on high ! 
 
 "The deep affliction of my family, which, under any decision, would 
 have rendered a removal, at the projected time, impossible and 
 dangero\is in any time of the winter has struck me with great force. 
 The action of the Board has been a mercy to my wife. Her physician 
 told me, before he heard what was done, that I must not think of 
 taking her to Baltimore this winter. The condition in which she is, 
 coiipled with the state in which the fever was likely to leave her, if she 
 recovered, rendered the change hazardous in the extreme. 
 
 "I am rejoiced to learn that your institution flourishes under your 
 auspices, and trust that God may impart rich and abundant consolation 
 to your inner man. 
 
 "The Board of Trustees has informally requested me to prepare a 
 work on Moral Philosophy ; and I have a mind to undertake the task. 
 Any suggestions that you may make, either in regard to defects in ex 
 isting treatises, or as to what a treatise on the subject should be, will be 
 very thankfully received. Let me hear from you often ; the oftener, the 
 better. I am always refreshed by a letter from you, even if it condemns ; 
 for its censures are proofs of love. 
 
 "May God be with you, and bless you. 
 
 "Your faithful friend, 
 
 J. H. THORNWELL." 
 
 The church in Baltimore felt no inclination to abandon 
 its claim, and resolved to wait for his coming at the ex 
 piration of the year. The effect of this determination 
 upon Dr. Thornwell s mind is thus stated by himself, in a 
 letter to Dr. Breckinridge : 
 
 "SOUTH CAROLINA COLLEGE, February 17, 1846. 
 
 " MY DEAR BROTHER : I received your very kind letter a few weeks ago ; 
 and since that time, things have undergone a great and unexpected 
 change. You have probably heard of the action of yo\ir old charge, in 
 refusing to abandon their call ; and, after the most prayerful and delibe- 
 
280 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORNWELL. 
 
 rate reflection, I feel myself shut up to the necessity of going to Balti 
 more. To me, the hand of God seems to be conspicuously displayed ; 
 and though I had supposed that the whole matter was settled, finally 
 and definitely settled, in another way, and had begun to shape my ar 
 rangements accordingly, I am now clear, that, let the sacrifices be what 
 they may, it is my imperative duty to accept the call of your old flock. 
 I shall not attempt to unfold the reasons ; suffice it to say, that I felt 
 my honour implicated when the Providential hindrances, which I had 
 regarded as an immovable bar, was not permitted to be a final obstruc 
 tion by the church. I shall transfer my family to Baltimore on the first 
 of July, spend the summer there, and then, if no other arrangement 
 shall be made, return myself in October, and remain until Commence 
 ment. It will give me great pleasure to meet you there, and have you 
 join with me in a series of labours to promote the spiritual interests of 
 those who, on so many accounts, must be dear to you ; and it would add 
 to the pleasure, if I could get you to accompany me here, and attend 
 our Commencement exercises, the last, perhaps, in which 7 shall ever be 
 officially engaged, and the first in which Colonel Preston has been called 
 to preside. You may feel some curiosity to know what I think of his 
 prospects, and I can say with confidence, that I regard them as eminently 
 promising. He possesses rare qualifications for the office he holds. His 
 personal dignity inspires respect ; the elevation of his character gives 
 him security, and adds great authority to his counsels or reproofs ; and 
 the fire of his genius is communicated to his pupils, kindling a blaze of 
 enthusiasm in their minds, and making the business of instruction de 
 lightful alike to the teacher and the taught. The students are wonder 
 fully attached to him ; and I am sure that, under his auspices, if God 
 should spare his health, which, I am sorry to say, is still feeble, our 
 institution will soon be attended by a larger number of students than its 
 most sanguine friends ever dreamed it would possess. There is but one 
 drawback, in my view, upon his eminent fitness for the station ; and 
 that is, the absence of personal religion. I do not mean to say that he 
 is not, in a general sense, a religious man ; but I have no reason to be 
 lieve that he is what you and I would call a converted man.* His influ 
 ence is in favour of religion, as far as it is possible that he who is not 
 with Christ in heart can be with Him in act. What his religious senti 
 ments precisely are, I do not know ; but one thing is certain, his station 
 requires him to attend the Chapel, and there I am sure he hears the gos 
 pel. There are many respects in which his connection with the College 
 is likely to prove a permanent blessing to the State. He has a weight 
 of character which will enable him to effect many salutary reforms, 
 which feebler men would be incompetent to exercise ; and he has a prac 
 tical wisdom, from his enlarged acquaintance with the world, which 
 saves him from all rash projects, and merely chimerical speculations. 
 My impression is, that he is the only man in the State who could have 
 filled the station just at this juncture ; and I am heartily rejoiced that 
 
 * At a later period, he became a communicant in the Episcopal Church. 
 
CALL TO BALTIMORE. 281 
 
 God sent him to us, and earnestly pray that he may be brought, through 
 grace, to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. 
 
 " The prospect of the Presbyterian Church in this State, is to me a 
 matter of intense and painful interest. Our large congregations in the 
 country are becoming very much enfeebled, by emigration, and their 
 reluctance to support the ministry is still more discouraging. There 
 prevails a deplorably low tone of personal religion, and the idea of 
 making anything like sacrifices to sustain the institutions of the gospel, 
 seems to be foreign from their minds. Unless a radical change should 
 take place, it seems to me that our churches must die out in many sec 
 tions of the country. I contemplate the prospect with dismay. What 
 is to be done ? What are the means that we must couple with prayer, 
 to stir up the slumbering piety of those who are God s children, and 
 waken a deeper and more absorbing interest in the prosperity of His 
 kingdom ? We present the appearance of a spiritual waste ; and my 
 heart sickens, as I reflect upon what must be before us, unless God, in 
 great mercj, should revive His work. 
 
 " Your sincere and faithful friend, 
 
 J. H. THOENWELL." 
 
 The removal to Baltimore was destined to be finally 
 defeated. A short time before the meeting of the Pres 
 bytery, in the spring of 1846, the President of the Col 
 lege waited upon the writer of these pages; and the in 
 terview deserves to be recorded, as an evidence of the 
 estimation in which the subject of this Memoir was held 
 by the most gifted men in the State. "We cannot af 
 ford," said Colonel Preston, "to lose Dr. Thornwell from 
 the College. In the first place, he is the representative 
 there of the Presbyterian Church, which embraces the 
 bone and sinew of the State, without whose support the 
 institution cannot exist. In the second place, he has ac 
 quired that moral influence over the students, which is 
 superior even to law; and his removal will take away the 
 very buttresses on which the administration of the Col 
 lege rests. An arrest has been laid upon his movements, 
 as you are aware ; but at the end of the year, the autho 
 rity of the Board ceases. There is no body that has 
 jurisdiction over him, except the Church; and I have 
 called to invoke her interposition, if there be any form 
 in which her control may properly be exercised." To 
 
282 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORN WELL. 
 
 which appeal the writer replied by drawing a paper from 
 his desk, saying, " There, Colonel Preston, is the draft 
 of a paper, which I have prepared to submit to the Pres 
 bytery, at its approaching meeting. That body will be 
 in full sympathy with the object which is intended to be 
 accomplished; but I cannot tell whether it will agree 
 w r ith me as to the stretch of power which is there claimed. 
 Dr. Thornwell expects nothing else than to go to Balti 
 more, to which he evidently feels himself shut up, by a 
 sense of honour. I have not consulted him in relation 
 to this paper ; and have rather avoided, in my inter 
 course with him. all allusion to his plans, that I might 
 not be hampered in the course which I propose to pur 
 sue." The paper, above referred to, was submitted to 
 the Presbytery on the llth of April, 1846; and was 
 amended, and finally adopted in this form: 
 
 "The Presbytery, learning through the public prints, that the ar 
 rangement proposed by the Second Presbyterian Church of Baltimore, 
 and one of its Presbyters, the Rev. Dr. Thornwell, and which was sus 
 pended by the action of the Trustees of the South Carolina College, is, 
 at the end of the year, to be consummated, think it their right and 
 duty to inquire whether there has not intervened siich a change of cir 
 cumstances, as to require a reconsideration of their former action in the 
 matter 
 
 * The question first arises, whether the Presbytery has not lost juris 
 diction of the case, and whether the papers of dismission given to Dr. 
 Thornwell do not bar all further consideration of his removal. In 1 ela- 
 tion to this, it must be observed that the Book of Discipline, chapter 
 10, section 2, distinctly affirms the jurisdiction of Presbytery over dis 
 missed members, until such moment as they shall become, in act and in 
 form, connected with a co-ordinate body. Of course, then, notwith 
 standing papers of dismission were given in October last, Dr. Thornwell 
 still continues a member of this Presbytery ; which has entire ecclesias 
 tical cognizance of his conduct, and may of right determine the pro 
 priety of his translation to another sphere of labour. 
 
 "It may be further observed, that a call is inchoate, until consum 
 mated by the actual connection of a church and pastor ; and is mani 
 festly subject to the recision of any or all the parties, if, in the interim 
 between the acceptance of the call and the act of installation, such 
 changes occur as shall modify their views of duty. Now, there are 
 three parties concerned in the settlement of a pastor : the church mak- 
 
CALL TO BALTIMORE. 283 
 
 ing the call, the Presbyter called, and the Presbytery of which he is a 
 member ; the consent of all of whom must be obtained in effecting the 
 installation. If, then, a change in the condition and view of the first two 
 parties may arrest a call, while it is in progress, the same will hold true ex 
 equali of the third party ; and if the call should providentially be sus 
 pended, for so long a time as to allow an entire change in those circum 
 stances upon which that third party gave his concurrence, it may be 
 their most imperative duty to review the whole case. 
 
 "It will be distinctly remembered, by those members of Presbytery 
 who were present at the pro-re-nata meeting, held in October, that the 
 consent of this body to the removal of Dr. Thornwell was predicated solely 
 upon his fi^xed determination to leave the College ; the only real question 
 being, whether he should remove to Baltimore or elsewhere. As no 
 other door of usefulness presented itself sufficiently open, the call was 
 received, and placed in his hands. Since that time, however, important 
 changes have taken place in Dr. Thornwell s personal relations to the 
 College ; which, if they had existed at the "time, must have exercised a 
 strong influence upon his determination ; and his opinion of his own 
 efficiency, in his present important position, may be modified by the de 
 velopments of a year. In addition to this, within the present year, an 
 important enterprise has been set on foot within the bounds of this 
 Synod, of vast consequence to the Church ; and it is the deliberate con 
 viction of this Presbytery, that the complete establishment and f urther 
 prosperity of the Theological Seminary will be greatly promoted by our 
 brother s continued residence and labours within our own bounds, where 
 he may exert a direct influence in favour of this institution. 
 
 "Be it, therefore, Resolved: 
 
 " 1. That, in view of the changes which have occurred since last Oc 
 tober changes which would have affected materially the decision of this 
 body as to his removal, had they taken place at the time this Presby 
 tery, in duty to themselves, and to the Christian public, are unwilling to 
 consent to Dr. Thornwell s transfer to Baltimore. 
 
 " 2. That the fields of labour now opening, in the providence of God. 
 before our brother, in our own bounds, afford most ample scope for his 
 ability and learning. And it is the most deliberate judgment of this 
 body, in view of the necessities of the Church within this State, of the 
 movements which are now on foot amongst us, and of the status which 
 he has acquired in this portion of the Church, that he should not remove 
 without the limits of this Synod. 
 
 "3. That a communication be addressed to the church at Baltimore, 
 stating these views, and requesting their concurrence in them ; desiring 
 them to release Dr. Thornwell from his present obligation ; or, if they 
 are unwilling to do so, at least to show cause, either to this body, or to 
 the Synod, at its next meeting, for their desire to continue to urge their 
 call"* 
 
 * Minutes of the Presbytery of Charleston, pp. 403-406. 
 
284: LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORNWELL. 
 
 A silent acquiescence in this decision closed the nego 
 tiations with Baltimore; and Dr. Thornwell s connection 
 with the College was continued. It is the strongest illus 
 tration of Presby terial power of which the writer is aware. 
 Many instances occur, in which the Church courts have 
 exercised a veto, thereby disappointing the wishes both 
 of ministers and of churches ; but it is usual only in cases 
 actually pending. This action, however, cancelled a call 
 which had already been accepted, and revoked a dismis 
 sion which had already been granted; and did not pass 
 without some criticism at the time. The record is of 
 value, as showing that Presbyterianism is a government, 
 and the Church courts are something more than advisory 
 councils. 
 
CHAPTEK XX. 
 QUESTION OF ROMISH BAPTISM. 
 
 ASSEMBLY OF 1845. DEBATE ON ROMISH BAPTISM. IMPKESSIONS or THE 
 WEST. VIEWS ON ABOLITIONISM. PATRIOTIC FEELING. "BIBLICAL 
 REPERTORY " ON ROMISH BAPTISM. ARTICLES IN REPLY. CORRESPON 
 DENCE ON THE SAME. LETTER TO COLONEL PRESTON; ALSO TO HIS 
 CHILDREN. PLANS IN RELATION TO THE COLUMBIA SEMINARY. 
 "SOUTHERN PRESBYTERIAN REVIEW" PROJECTED. ITS OBJECTS EX 
 PLAINED. . 
 
 IIS" the year 1845, Dr. Thorn well was returned a commis 
 sioner to the General Assembly, which met at Cincin 
 nati, whose decision, on at least two important subjects, 
 he assisted largely to mould. The lirst was that of 
 slavery ; upon which this Assembly made a deliverance so 
 temperate and well guarded, that it put to rest, to a con 
 siderable degree, the hurtful agitation of that subject, 
 and formed the basis upon which the Church continued 
 to stand until the disruption occasioned by the late civil 
 war. Dr. Thornwell, though not a member of the Com 
 mittee charged with this matter, was, nevertheless, pri 
 vately consulted; and his views were largely embodied 
 in the Report, which was finally presented and adopted.* 
 The second subject related to the validity of Romish 
 baptism; which was ably discussed, and was the leading 
 topic that engaged the attention of the body. Dr. 
 Thornwell s elaborate argument not only enhanced his 
 own reputation as one of the first debaters in the Church, 
 but was admitted by all parties as having determined the 
 overwhelming vote of one hundred and seventy-three to 
 eight,t against the recognition of such baptism. 
 
 * See Assembly s Digest, Edition 1856, pp. 812, 813. 
 t Assembly s Digest, Edition 1856, pp. 77-79 ; where may be found a 
 summary of reasons for the decision. 
 
 285 
 
286 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THOKNWELL. 
 
 These matters are opened in a letter, written at the 
 time, to Mrs. Thornwell: 
 
 "CINCINNATI, May 19, 1845. 
 
 MY DEAKEST WIFE : * * * * My mind is in a state of- constant 
 and intense excitement connected with the business of the Assembly, 
 Everything thus far has been nobly done. The spirit which pervades 
 the Assembly seems to be the spirit of Christ and the Gospel ; and I 
 sincerely trust that God is with us, guiding and directing- us in all our 
 deliberations. For two days and a half, we have been discussing the 
 question, whether Roman Catholic baptism is valid or not? I made a 
 speech to-day, two hours long ; which was listened to with breathless at 
 tention, and, from what I can gather, is likely to settle the question. I 
 have a host of applications to write out my speech, and print it, which 
 I have no notion of doing. It has made me the subject of a great many 
 undeserved attentions, which I would not otherwise, perhaps, have re 
 ceived. 
 
 " The question of slavery has been before the house, and referred to 
 a special committee of seven. Though not a member of the committee, 
 I have been consulted on the subject, and have drawn up a paper, which 
 I think the committee and the Assembly will substantially adopt ; and 
 if they do, abolitionism will be killed in the Presbyterian Church, at 
 least for the present. I have no doubts but that the Assembly, by 
 a very large majority, will declare slavery not to be sinful, will assert 
 that it is sanctioned by the word of God, that it is purely a civil rela 
 tion, with which the Church, as such, has no right to interfere, and 
 that abolitionism is essentially wicked, disorganizing, and ruinous. I 
 feel perfectly satisfied that this is the stand which the Assembly will 
 take. The Southern members have invited discussion, and they will 
 triumphantly gain the day. It will be a great matter to put the agita 
 tions on slavery at rest, and to save the Church from dismemberment 
 and schism ; and particularly to do it here, in the stronghold of aboli 
 tionism. 
 
 " The marriage question will come up to-morrow. The result will be, 
 that the Assembly will maintain its former ground, and enjoin upon the 
 Church courts to discipline, in every case, in which a man marries his 
 wife s sister. "Whether the Elder question will come up, in all its bear 
 ings, before us, I cannot say ; but we have so much to do, that I think 
 it will not. * * * 
 
 " I have had a delightful time among all the brethren, from all sections 
 of the Church. It would do you good to see the harmony, courtesy, and 
 Christian feeling, which characterize the Assembly. God grant that it 
 may not be disturbed during the whole course of our business. May 
 God bless you and keep you. Kiss the children for me. 
 As ever, your devoted husband, 
 
 J. H. THOKNWELL." 
 
OF ROMISH BAPTISM. 287 
 
 "P. S. Since writing the above, I received your sweet letter from 
 Abbeville, and devoutly thank God that you are all getting on so well. 
 The vote on Popish baptism has passed by a tremendous majority, only 
 six members, out of one hundred and eighty, voting against it. The 
 committee did not adopt my report fully on slavery, but will bring in 
 one that takes nearly the same position ; one which vindicates the South, 
 and will put the question at rest. * * * My speech has made me the 
 object of general attention and curiosity. I have had compliments, 
 which God grant may not injure my humility. Let me hear from you 
 soon, find often." 
 
 The letter given below is interesting, not only as con 
 veying his impressions of the West, but as disclosing his 
 intense love for the whole country, and the ambitious 
 dreams he indulged of its expansion and glory. It is ad 
 dressed to his wife, from Wheeling, Va., and is dated the 
 14th June, 1845 : 
 
 "I took my departure from Cincinnati, for Baltimore, on Thursday, 
 at 11 o clock ; and, as the river is too low for boats, I had to resort to the 
 stage coach. I have been travelling now two nights and two days, 
 without intermission, except for meals, in crowded coaches, and am now 
 fairly tired out. I got to this place this morning, and shall stay here 
 until Monday ; when I shall have to take a stage coach again, for one 
 hundred and thirty miles, to Cumberland, across the mountains ; there I 
 shall take the railroad to Baltimore, where I shall spend the remainder 
 of the week. ***** 
 
 "Tiresome as it has been, I do not regret that I had to travel from 
 Cincinnati to this place by land. It has given me an opportunity for 
 seeing the country ; and I would not have missed seeing what I have 
 seen, and hearing what I have heard, for a great deal. My impressions 
 of the West had been greatly erroneous, in many important respects ; 
 and my convictions of its importance are greatly increased. The more I 
 reflect upon the subject, the more I am satisfied that the mission of our 
 Republic will not be accomplished, until we embrace in our Union the 
 whole of this North American continent. If the New England people 
 are disposed to kick up a dust about the annexation of Texas, I am pre 
 pared to take the ground that it would be better for this country, and for 
 the interests of the human race, to give up New England, than to 
 abandon any new territory which we may be able to acquire. I go for 
 Texas ; I should like also to have California ; we must hold on to Oregon, 
 if we have to do it at the point of the bayonet ; and I would be glad even 
 to get Mexico itself. You see that I am grasping at territory. There 
 must be a grand imperial Republic on this continent, and God will bring 
 it about, and accomplish great purposes through it. As to disunion, we 
 
288 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORN WELL. 
 
 have nothing serious to apprehend. If the Yankees feel disposed to 
 leave us, let them go ; but the West and the South can never be sepa 
 rated. There is at work, in this land, a Yankee spirit, and an American 
 spirit ; and the latter must triumph. But enough of politics. I will only 
 add that abolitionism is a humbug. A prudent course, on the part of 
 the South, will kill it entirely. We have done the North and West in 
 justice on this subject. Take out the Yankees, and the overwhelming 
 force of public opinion is with the South. I have kept my eye on this 
 matter, and know what I say." 
 
 It could hardly be expected that the Assembly s deci 
 sion upon the invalidity of Romish baptism would pass 
 without challenge. The Princeton Journal, in its annual 
 review of the Assembly, pronounced with great emphasis 
 against the doctrine of that decree. The guantlet was 
 not thrown down in vain. On "the 4th of October, Dr. 
 Thornwell thus writes to Dr. Breckinridge : 
 
 " It seems that Princeton has fairly turned out to be an apologist for 
 Borne. I read with much interest a series of articles in the Herald of 
 Kentucky, reviewing the Repertory, which I attributed to you. I would 
 have written something myself before this, ; but I have been in an un 
 settled state of life, moving about from pillar to post, until last week, 
 when I returned home. As soon as I can command leisure enough, I 
 shah 1 try my hand. This is one instance in which the fathers and brethren 
 have reckoned without their host. The Church, as a body, is dead 
 against them. I have hot seen a single minister who does not condemn 
 the strictures of Hodge, and sustain the Assembly. I think it can be 
 clearly shown that there is no principle on which Popish baptism can 
 be sustained, that will not apply with equal force to any baptisms, reg 
 ular in form, administered by any body to any body. Just let Tom, 
 Dick, and Harry apply water, in the name of the Trinity, to the first 
 person either shall meet on the street, and intend it to be Christian bap 
 tism ; and Christian baptism, according to Princeton, it is and must be. 
 I have examined this whole subject pretty throughly, and shall soon be 
 gin to write in the Watchman and Observer. Perhaps Engles may copy 
 the article into the Presbyterian." 
 
 Again, on the 17th of February, 1846, he writes: 
 
 " I have screwed up my courage at last to begin my projected reply 
 to Princeton, on the subject of Komish Baptism. My article will ap 
 pear in the Observer a-nd Watchman under the signature of Henley, 
 which is my middle name. I have treated the brethren there with the 
 respect that is due to age and station. Perhaps for the heart is deceit- 
 
QUESTION OF ROMISH BAPTISM. 289 
 
 fill there may be something of policy in it. My object, however, has 
 been to give strong arguments and soft words. My first number does 
 not enter into the marrow of the subject ; but the succeeding ones, un 
 less I am greatly deceived, will not be so easy to answer." 
 
 A series of articles was accordingly begun, in fulfil 
 ment of the above promise, on the 5th of March, which 
 were afterwards gathered into three articles for the South 
 ern Presbyterian Review , and may be found by the 
 reader in the third volume of Dr. Thornwell s published 
 works. They go down into all the principles which dis 
 criminate the Romish system as an apostasy from the 
 truth, and are valuable for the exposition they give of 
 the great doctrines of grace. As the reply was directed 
 against the gentlemen at Princeton, the discussion was 
 characterized with all the courtesy that was due to their 
 station and influence, which drew from his friend, Dr. 
 Breckinridge, a rather splenetic note, to which the letter 
 which follows is the rejoinder: 
 
 "SOUTH CAROLINA COLLEGE, March 24, 1846. 
 
 " MY DEAB B BOTHER : You will, perhaps, be astonished at my mode 
 ration, when I tell you that, though deeply wounded, I was not offended 
 at the bitter, and, as I conceive, unmerited censure of your last letter. 
 The truth is, it will take something more than momentary expressions, 
 thrown off in a fit of spleen or excitement, to alienate my affections from 
 one whose life has been distinguished by arduous services and painful 
 sacrifices, in the cause of our common Master. You may grievously 
 misunderstand me, and rank my name in a catagory to which it does 
 not properly belong. This is the bitterest evil of life, to be misappre 
 hended and censured by those whose good opinion we most desire, and 
 in regard to matters in which we most deserve it. What you call my 
 Eulogy on Princeton, is a conciliatory introduction to a series of arti 
 cles, in which Princeton is destined to figure with no enviable distinc 
 tion. The expressions are, with a single exception, so framed as to 
 refer to the personal qualities of the Fathers there, Drs. Miller and 
 Alexander. I thought it advisable to let them see that they were held 
 responsible, as well as Dr. Hodge, for the sentiments of the Review; 
 and to intimate that the profound veneration which was felt for them 
 personally, instead of commending their apology for Home to the re 
 ception of the Church, had only inspired, and was only calculated to 
 inspire, pity for themselves. The whole tenor of the exordium exon 
 erates me from the charge of personal pique, which I had reason to 
 
290 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORN WELL. 
 
 believe would be attributed to me. I speak of the article as written 
 with evident ability, and an ability not of learning, not of eloquence, not 
 of argument, but of sophistry. The expression is limited to the inge 
 nuity and skill, with which the writer managed his materials, the best 
 that could be had. That I intended to strengthen the influence of 
 Princeton, is just the reverse of my real object in the whole thing. 
 While I gave its Professors credit for piety, learning, and every Chris 
 tian quality ; while, in other words, T commended them as men, the 
 whole tenor of my articles is against the doctrines they sustain ; and I 
 think, in the result, you will find that they have produced an effect any 
 thing but favourable to the Princeton ascendency. My aim is to break 
 the charm, which I think as dangerous as you do ; and I have so man 
 aged my attack as to reach the very persons whom we ought to reach, 
 the admirers of Princeton. They will see that this is not a personal war; 
 that we have nothing to say against the Fathers and brethren, as private 
 men and Christians ; that, as followers of Jesus, we love them ; as in 
 error, we pity them ; but that, in the influence which they, as a body, 
 exert, we see perils which must be resisted and averted. Whether, in 
 this respect, I have judged wisely, the event will prove ; and if you can 
 so overcome your disgust as to read the articles to the end of the dis 
 cussion, you will probably change your first opinion, and be fully satis 
 fied that I have transferred, as skilfully as it should be done, the associa 
 tions against Popery, to men high in station, who keep it in countenance. 
 It was a little odd that, at the very time you were charging me with 
 bolstering up Princeton, I was pushing ahead an enterprize which I 
 was induced to undertake, from a deep conviction that Princeton must 
 be checked. The very qualities which my article attributes to the men 
 are. in my view, the qualities which make their errors dangerous. And 
 as I believed that Princeton had pursued a disastrous course on the Elder 
 question, on the Romish question, and in regard to national Societies, 
 and ought to be checked, I could devise, at present, no better plan of 
 curtailing her influence than that of strengthening the hands of other 
 Seminaries. Hence, I set on foot the scheme of organiziug our own 
 institution more perfectly. The thing was first broached to me, after 
 repeated interviews with brethren, who thought as I do upon these 
 points. You yourself know that I am no great advocate of Theological 
 Seminaries ; but as the Church is wedded to them, I am willing, as the 
 next best thing that can be done, to make them checks upon each other. 
 But enough of this matter. Your labours, where you are, must be re 
 trenched, or your health will be ruined. You do the work of at least 
 three men. Could you be induced to come South ? The third Profes 
 sorship in our Seminary here will be fully endowed this spring ; and we 
 shall have to elect a Professor of History and Church Government in the 
 fall. My attention has been turned to yourself. The place, in many 
 lespects, will be pleasant; and it will be a fine field for you, until Provi 
 dence shall open a wider. My fixed purpose, in regard to you, is to 
 exert what influence I possess should I be alive at the time, and you 
 
lit KSTION OF ROMISH BAPTISM. 291 
 
 in a condition of health to transfer you to the same department in 
 Princeton. I have looked upon it as unlikely that you would ever 
 again become a pastor ; and a position of this sort is the next most use 
 ful, and is one eminently adapted to your talents. 
 Very truly, as ever, 
 
 J. H. THORN WELL." 
 
 The hint here thrown out, of placing Dr. Breckinridge 
 in the Theological Seminary at Columbia, was doubtless 
 suggested by the fact that his health was inadequate to 
 the labours of his position at Cannonsburgh. It was not, 
 perhaps, very seriously entertained by either party ; though 
 it is referred to a second time, in a subsequent letter, 
 dated July 24, 1846 : 
 
 u I have been much distressed to learn, from various sources, that your 
 health is still precarious. God grant that you may be long spared to 
 labour for the glory of His name and the prosperity of His Church. 
 This is no time, according to the estimate of human probability, in 
 which we can dispense with your services, and those of men like-minded 
 with yourself. The discussion in the last Assembly, on the subject of 
 inter-communion with the New School party, has filled me with sadness. 
 I was not prepared to see, so soon, a disposition, so openly manifested, 
 to forsake our former testimony. That there were many who cherished 
 loose sentiments in their hearts, I had no doubt ; but that the time had 
 come to avow them in the highest court of the Church, I did not believe. 
 I am seriously afraid that the foolish liberality of the age will speedily 
 plunge us into the same disasters from which we have just escaped. Our 
 whole system of operations gives an undue influence to money. Where 
 money is the great want, numbers must be sought ; and where an am 
 bition for numbers prevails, doctrinal purity must be sacrificed. The 
 root of the evil is in the secular spirit of all our ecclesiastical institutions. 
 What we want is a spiritual body ; a Church whose power lies in the 
 truth, and the presence of the Holy Ghost. To unsecularize the Church 
 should be the unceasing aim of all who are anxious that the ways of Zion 
 should flourish. I need not say that my heart was fully with you in 
 your noble testimony in the last Assembly. 
 
 "We have completed the endowment of the third Professorship in 
 this Seminary. Can you not send us some students ? I think that you 
 would not regret it ; for whatever may be the sentiments of some of the 
 Professors on some points, a stronger power is brought to bear upon the 
 students out of the Seminary, than is exerted in it. Most of them leave 
 the place much sounder than they came. Should it be so that your health 
 is inadequate to the discharge of your duties in your present situation, 
 will you come here, for two or three ye.irs, or as long as you please ? You 
 
292 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORNWELL. 
 
 would have a delightful climate, easy labours, exemption from preaching,, 
 and fine society. We must elect a Professor in the fall ; and, if you will 
 agree to come, my mind is made up as to the man. This field is, of 
 course, not to be compared with the one you at present occupy ; but it is 
 better than absolute idleness, and I suggest it to you only upon the sup 
 position that you are too feeble for any other work." 
 
 It is pleasant to interrupt this correspondence, generally 
 so polemic in its cast, by transcribing a letter as entirely 
 spiritual. It is addressed to his colleague, the Hon. W. 
 C. Preston, the President of the College. It is a beau 
 tiful commingling of personal sympathy under sorrow, 
 with faithfulness of effort to win the soul to Christ : 
 
 "SOUTH CAROLINA COLLEGE, August 4, 1846. 
 To HON. WILLIAM C. PRESTON : 
 
 MY VERY DEAR SIR : I see from the papers, that you have again been 
 called, in the providence of God, to taste the bitterness of grief. Though, 
 in ordinary cases, the affliction with which you have been visited is one 
 which takes us less by surprise than any other form of ordinary bereave 
 ment, yet in your case, the event, I learn, has been wholly unexpected ; 
 so that the severity of the stroke has been greatly augmented by the 
 suddenness of the shock. Your feelings under such circumstances I 
 can readily conceive, and nothing but profound veneration for the 
 sacreduess of your grief has prevented me from disturbing the solitude 
 which such sorrows always court, and expressing in person what, in the 
 freshness of your calamity, it would, perhaps, have been no relief to re 
 ceive, my sympathy and condolence. Be assured, my dear sir, that my 
 heart has been with you, and my prayers and my tears both freely 
 accompanied you, when I saw you descend into the house of mourning. 
 Your tenderest associations are dearly linked to -the grave, or rather they 
 are tied to Heaven. A sainted sister, a cherished daughter, and now 
 she who nursed your infancy, are there before you. Death is no unfamil 
 iar subject, and the hopes of a future life I trust no strange theme. 
 
 " The remainder of our flesh" is the forcible and beautiful language 
 in which the Hebrew writers are accustomed to designate our kindred 
 and relatives. It is an expression true to nature. We feel them to be a 
 portion of ourselves. Our hearts pursue them in the grave ; the sod 
 which conceals their bodies cannot interrupt our communion with their 
 spirits ; they live in our memories, they revive in our hopes. I know, 
 from your own affectionate nature, and from the tender relations which 
 they bore to you, that those whom God has taken from you will be felt 
 to be, in a pre-eminent sense, part and parcel of your being ; they were, 
 indeed, the remainder of your flesh. And does not this consideration," 
 my dear sir, suggest a new incentive for cherishing a strong attachment 
 to Heaven, and for giving all diligence to acquire that love to the Saviour 
 
QUESTION OF ROMISH BAPTISM. 293 
 
 which will secure reunion with ycmr friends ? If Jesus possess not the 
 same attractions for you that He does for His saints, so that you desire 
 to be absent from the body in order to be present with the Lord ; if His 
 presence and glory be not sufficient to wean your heart from all sublu 
 nary good, and commend his rest to your affections ; yet, as nature yearns 
 to be joined again to the departed, you must feel impelled to turn your 
 eyes to Him as the way, the truth, and the life." The loved ones of 
 your soul beckon you to Him, and through Him to their own society, 
 and to everlasting blessedness. The providence of God is designed to 
 give emphasis to the calls of His grace ; and afflictions fail of their end 
 which do not conduct us to Him who bore our sickness and carried our 
 sorrows. 
 
 "If you will pardon the liberty which I take, for I can assure you 
 that what I shall say is dictated by the sincerest friendship, and accom 
 panied by the warmest prayers, I will frankly state my apprehension, 
 that you are prone, from the very nature of your mind, and the charac 
 ter of your past pursuits, to fortify your heart rather with the lessons of 
 philosophy than the promises of God. But if it is the purpose of your 
 Heavenly Father to lead you to Himself, if He has taken the remainder 
 of your flesh as an earnest of the mercy in reserve, is it not as ungrateful 
 as it is rebellious, to seek consolation in bereavement from the topics of 
 this world s wisdom, while the exhaustless treasures of Divine love are 
 before you ? Who w r ould be content with heathen fortitude, when the 
 jewel of Christan patience may be won ? The discipline of philosophy 
 may engender a dogged submission to calamity, but can never give the 
 victory that overcomes the world. It is the distinguishing glory of the 
 gospel to brace the soul against the pressure of ill, to subdue sorrow, to 
 conquer death, to rejoice in tribulation. He alone whose heart is fixed, 
 trusting in the Lord, shall not be afraid of evil tidings, since he knows 
 that all things must work together for good to them that love God. You 
 may rely upon it, dear sir, that there is comfort, pure and sweet, in the 
 love of the Father, the grace of the Son, and the communion of the 
 blessed Spirit. There are consolations rich and abundant in the pro 
 mises of the new and everlasting Covenant, a joy unspeakable and full of 
 glory, even in the midst of fiery trials, to those who believe in the Sa 
 viour. This joy I am anxious for you to feel. In the eye of your 
 Christian friends there is but one thing you lack, and that one thing 
 would impart a new grace to your splendid abilities, give new power to 
 your eloquence, and shed a Divine lustre upon the commanding station 
 which you occupy. The whole dispensation under which we are placed is 
 a dispensation of mercy, and the tendency of all its arrangements is to 
 conduct to Jesus as the only Saviour of men. Prosperity and adversity, 
 blessings and afflictions, all speak the same language : believe and be 
 saved. In your case, I cannot but feel that this language has been most 
 solemn and emphatic. The prejudices which a mind like yours would 
 be likely to entertain against evangelical religion, have been signally 
 forestalled by the testimony of those whom you loved most, and all men 
 
294 LIFE O* JAMES HENLEY THORNWELL. 
 
 were bound to respect. You have seen its reality, you have witnessed 
 its power. You know that there is such a thing as a change of heart, 
 such a blessing as justification by free grace ; for you have the personal 
 assurance of those whose faith God commanded you to follow. I trust 
 that you will obey His voice. He has called you to prosperity, enabling 
 you to achieve for yourself * a name vhich posterity will not willingly 
 let die ; all venerate you, multitudes love you, and God commands you 
 to give the glory to Him. He has once and again called you by afflic 
 tions, and all your afflictions point you directly to Heaven. Oh ! that 
 He may now call you affectionately by His grace, and make you partaker 
 of His Son ! To this blessed Spirit I commend you, and wherever you go, 
 my affections and my prayers shall go with you ; and if it should be the 
 will of God that we meet no more on earth, (for thousands have run a 
 sl.orter course than ours,) let us endeavour to meet on the great day, at 
 th3 right hand of the Judge, where all tears shall be wiped away, and 
 Borrow and sighing are no more known. 
 
 " With the sincerest Christian sympathy and love, most truly yonrs, 
 
 J. H. THORNWELL." 
 
 It will form, perhaps, an agreeable contrast, to set over 
 against this letter, addressed to a distinguished and cul 
 tivated man of the world, a brief note, written at the same 
 date, to his children, left in Columbia at school, whilst 
 he and their mother were enjoying a little recreation with 
 relatives at Abbeville. Nothing brings out a man s heart 
 so completely as the intercourse he holds with his own 
 children. Dr. Thorn well was a most affectionate father; 
 and amongst his loose papers are many short letters to 
 them, in which he never fails to impress on their young 
 minds the importance of early piety. Let us see how the 
 great orator and profound debater will condescend to 
 babes : 
 
 "ABBEVILLE, August 17, 1846. 
 
 " MY DEAR CHILDREN : Your mother and myself, with your little bro 
 thers and sisters, reached your uncle "Wardlaw s on Friday evening, in 
 health and safety. We desire to thank God for having taken care of us, 
 and we want you to thank Him too. He saved us from all accident by 
 the road ; He provided us with every necessary comfort ; and, through 
 His goodness, we are now among dear and valued friends. 
 
 " Your little cousins have inquired a great deal about you, and are very 
 sorry that you did not come up with us. Aunt Mary and Uncle Joe also 
 expressed great desire to see. you. Your father and mother would be 
 happy to have you with them, but they know it to be better for you to 
 
QUESTION OF ROMISH BAPTISM. 295 
 
 be at school with aunt Peck. Father wants you to be good children, to 
 give Mrs. Peck no trouble, and to learn to read good, so that you may 
 be able to read God s Word for yourselves. You must pray to God every 
 night when you go to bed, and every morning when you get up. You 
 must ask Him, for the sake of Jesus Christ, to give you His Spirit. The 
 Spirit will make you feel that you are sinners, that you need a Saviour ; 
 and will enable you to believe in Jes\is Christ. You nwst begin early to 
 fear God. Jesus Christ saves children, as well as grown people. You 
 must also pray for father and mother, and your little brothers and 
 sisters, and for each other. When Aunt Peck takes you to church, you 
 must be good children, behave prettily, and listen to what Mr. Palmer 
 says. Your father and mother think of you every day, and pray for you, 
 and send a thousand kisses to you. 
 
 "Very affectionately, your father, 
 
 J. H. THORNWELL." 
 
 Among the reasons assigned by the Presbytery for re 
 taining Dr. Thornwell in South Carolina, allusion was 
 made to certain enterprises which had been set on foot, 
 which his influence was needed to foster and sustain. One 
 of these was a more complete endowment and equipment 
 of the Theological Seminary at Columbia. This was soon 
 carried out by adding a third Professorship, and, at a later 
 period, a fourth ; to which, eventually, the munificence of 
 Judge Perkins, of Mississippi, added a fifth; so that, prior 
 to the late war, it was one of the best endowed and most 
 throughly furnished institutions of the kind in the whole 
 land. 
 
 A second enterprise was the establishment of a religious 
 quarterly, at Columbia; to which, by anticipation, we have 
 had occasion already to refer. The measures for this last 
 were perfected during the year 1846 ; and in the month 
 of June, in the year following, the first number was 
 issued of the Southern Presbyterian Review^ under the 
 conduct of " an association of Presbyterian ministers, in 
 the town of Columbia;" and which lias continued its ex 
 istence to the present hour. In both of these schemes 
 Dr. Thornwell was deeply interested; and the complete 
 success achieved in both, fully justifies the wisdom of the 
 Presbytery in retaining the services which so powerfully 
 contributed to the same. Manv of the most valuable 
 
296 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORN WELL. 
 
 articles in the Review were from his pen; which, in all 
 probability, would never have been written, but for the 
 editorial responsibility which pressed upon him. To that 
 extent, the Church at large is a debtor to this enterprise; 
 as will be acknowledged by all who discover how large a 
 portion of the four volumes, already published, is made 
 up of monographs culled from the pages of this Review. 
 A few extracts, from letters relating to this undertaking, 
 will conclude the present chapter. To Dr. Breckinridge, 
 in a letter bearing date September 25, 1846 : 
 
 " I have just returned from a long and painful visit to a region full of 
 sickness and affliction. My absence accounts for my not having sent 
 you a prospectus before. I have no idea that we can get subscribers in 
 your region, but I hope that we can get articles. You must write. We 
 will give you a fair and full field on the Elder question. Can you not 
 get Drs. Green and McGill to write ?" 
 
 On the 6th of November, he writes to the same, with 
 a little more fulness: 
 
 "I am rejoiced to learn that you will become a constant contributor 
 to our proposed Review. You must be under no sort of apprehension 
 that you will write too often, or too much. We have not yet received 
 sufficient encouragement, in the way of patronage, to feel that the en 
 terprise is safe. At Synod, which meets in Charleston on Thursday 
 next, returns will probably be made to us, from which we can judge 
 whether it will be advisable to put to press, or not. We shall start if 
 we can get five hundred subscribers. We have four hundred now. 
 
 " The editors of the concern are Dr. Howe, brother Palmer, and my 
 self. We intend to make it a free journal on the subject of Eldership, 
 Boards, Agencies, et id omne genus. We shall not, like Princeton, put 
 an extinguisher upon any candle that emits any light. My own impres 
 sion is, that, except in cases where a writer may particularly desire the 
 contrary, the names of the contributors should be given. No man ought 
 to write who is not willing to be responsible for what he says. There 
 may be considerations of delicacy which, in some instances, might ren 
 der it improper to give the author of an article ; and in such cases, the 
 name might be suppressed. But, as a general rule, I do not like strictly 
 anonymous publications The Review has been coldly received in some 
 quarters, having been prejudiced and condemned as likely to be a vio 
 lent and acrimonious advocate of extreme opinions. I hope that it will 
 be free from bitterness ; but if God gives me health and strength, I am 
 determined that it shall contain some things which will require some 
 thing mor^ than appeal to custom t<5 refute." 
 
CHAPTEK XXL 
 
 ASSEMBLIES OF 1847 AND 1848. 
 
 ASSEMBLY OF 1847. ELECTED MODERATOR. SALUTATORY ADDRESS. DE 
 SCRIPTIVE LETTERS. SERMON ON POPERY. ITS SUBJECT, THE MASS. 
 OUTLINE OF IT. VIEWS OF His USEFULNESS IN THE COLLEGE. AS 
 SEMBLY OF 1848. RIGHT OF CHURCH MEMBERS TO WITHDRAW. RE 
 LATION OF THE CHURCH TO MORAL REFORM SOCIETIES. CURIOUS SCENE 
 IN THE ASSEMBLY. VISIT TO WASHINGTON CITY. FIRST ACQUAINTANCE 
 WITH MR. CALHOUN. IMPRESSIONS OF His GENIUS. LETTERS OF 
 FRIENDSHIP. 
 
 DE. THORNWELL had been a member of three As 
 semblies: those of 1837, of 1840, and of 1845; be 
 coming more conspicuous in each, until, in that of 1 847, 
 which convened in the city of Richmond, Virginia, the 
 highest ecclasiastical honour was conferred, in elevating 
 him to the Moderator s chair. He was, we believe, the 
 youngest who had ever filled that distinguished position, 
 being only in the thirty -fifth year of his age. Upon being 
 conducted to his seat, in a neat salutatory, he reminded the 
 Assembly of the importance of Parliamentary rules, and 
 of a punctilious observance of them, in order to the des 
 patch of business; and of the still greater importance, in 
 a spiritual court, of the presence of Christ, in the power 
 of His Spirit, and of singleness of purpose to promote 
 the glory of God. Delivered with the tone of sincere 
 conviction which marked all his utterances, it made a 
 sweet impression upon the body, and gave a pledge of 
 that dignity and courtesy, that impartiality and efficiency 
 in the discharge of his official duties, which, at the close 
 of the sessions, brought upon him the encomiums of all 
 who witnessed the proceedings of each day. This much 
 
 297 
 
298 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORN WELL. 
 
 may be allowed to be said for him, since he could not 
 say it for himself. As to all the rest, he shall speak di 
 rectly to the reader, in tl}e confidential letters addressed 
 to her, who shared with him his innermost thoughts : 
 
 "RICHMOND, May 20, 1847. 
 
 " The Assembly has just closed its morning session. Dr. Hodge 
 preached a very able sermon, from 1 Cor. ix. 14. The subject was, the 
 duty of the Church, as a united, collective body, to support the gospel 
 ministry. Some of his views were very striking and impressive, though 
 in some things there seemed to me to be a confusion of ideas. He read 
 it slavishly, and without any animation ; and the congregation, I thought, 
 were not much interested. I presume it will be published. After the 
 sermon, the Assembly was constituted ; and, though some Presbyteries, 
 are not yet represented, the delegation is very large, and the body is 
 truly imposing. 
 
 "I was elected Moderator, which, I have no doubt, will surprise you 
 and my Columbia friends very much. The Assembly is to meet every 
 morning at nine o clock, and adjourn at one ; then meet again at four, 
 and adjourn at half-past six. The adoption of this rule, and the election 
 of officers, are all that was done this morning. I have no idea what sort 
 of a time we shall have ; but I trust that the Lord will be merciful to 
 us, and grant us His Holy Spirit. I do wish very much that you were 
 here. You could not fail to be interested and delighted. You would 
 meet with so many old friends, and extend your acquaintance among so 
 many kind and hospitable people, that you would feel it to be a treat. 
 
 "Father Mclver, from North Carolina, is here, to prosecute a com 
 plaint against Fayetteville Presbytery and the Synod of North Carolina,, 
 for restoring McQueen to the ministry. The old man is full of the sub 
 ject. He seems to think that all will come to desolation, if men are 
 allowed to marry their wives sisters. He is a good man, and his zeal 
 and earnestness on this subject are truly amusing. I do not know yet 
 in what shape the question will come before us ; but my speech is killed 
 by being put in the Moderator s chair." 
 
 To the same, dated May 27, 1847: 
 
 " This is the eighth day of the sessions of the Assembly. Everything 
 has gone on quite smoothly and harmoniously. We came very near 
 having a breeze on the question of reading or not reading the letters 
 from the General Assembly of the Church in Ireland, and the General 
 Assembly of the Free Church in Scotland ; but the letters were finally read, 
 and the whole affair passed off very pleasantly. They were very strongly 
 against slavery, but produced no ferment. Our Assembly returned a 
 very firm, calm, and dignified answer to both. The McQueen case is not 
 yet decided ; but I am inclined to think that the decision of the Fayetto- 
 
ASSEMBLIES OF 1847 AND 1848. 299 
 
 ville Presbytery, restoring him to the ministry, will be sustained. If it 
 could come up on its merits, this would probably not be the case ; but 
 it comes up hampered with a decision of the Assembly of 1845, which 
 rather shuts us up, in the opinion o many, to the adoption of this 
 course. 
 
 " I preached my sermon on Popery last night, to a very large congre 
 gation. The weather was very bad ; it rained the whole evening, and I 
 expected but few hearers. To my surprise, the house was crowded to 
 overflowing. I had to omit a great deal of it, which I was sorry to do. 
 This morning the Assembly voted me their thanks for it, and ordered it 
 to be published. It seems to have taken remarkably well. 
 
 "Dr. Hodge preached a sermon to-night on parochial schools. He is 
 not an interesting preacher, although he is a clear and able writer. He 
 wants animation and fire. As a man, he is exceedingly popular in the 
 Assembly, and has great weight. He is very mild and gentle and affec 
 tionate in his temper. Next Sunday we are to celebrate, as an Assembly, 
 the Lord s Supper. The action sermon will be preached by Dr. Hoge, 
 of Columbus. 
 
 "I have been so much occupied with the business of the Assembly, 
 that I have been able to accept only two" invitations to dine out. As my 
 sermon on Popery is now off my hands, I shall have more time at my 
 command ; and shall endeavour to accept, in future, some of the invi 
 tations which have been kindly extended to me. I have promised Dr. 
 Green and Peck to visit them in Baltimore upon the rising of the Assembly, 
 and I have been strongly urged to go to Philadelphia. My movements, 
 however, are not yet arranged. You shall know them in due time. It 
 is now twelve o clock at night. May the Lord be to you a sun and a 
 shield." 
 
 The sermon on Popery was preached under an appoint 
 ment of the Assembly of 1845; which, from providential 
 hindrances, was not fulfilled the following year, and was 
 continued till the next. The topic discussed in it was the 
 doctrine of the Mass; and was delivered from full notes, 
 without being written in connected form. It is a little 
 singular, considering the call for its publication, and the 
 deep interest whicli the speaker felt in all parts of this 
 Romish controversy, that it was never given to the press. 
 It remains in the same crude shape, too incomplete and 
 disconnected to be inserted in his " Collected Writings." 
 It was declared by one of our most learned divines, who 
 listened to it when pronounced, to be a masterly exhibition 
 of truth, and showing a thorough acquaintance with the 
 
300 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THOKNWELL. 
 
 learning of the subject.* The Mass was discussed under 
 its two forms, as a sacrament and as a sacrifice. It was 
 shown to be the central doctrine in the Romish system; 
 and the arguments in its defence were articulately con 
 sidered, whether drawn from tradition, from reason, or 
 from Scripture. One peruses it in the rude outline, with 
 profound regret that it was never wrought up in the fin 
 ished style which would have rendered it a valuable and 
 permanent contribution to the controversial literature of 
 the Church. 
 
 The following letter, written about this time, to Dr. 
 Breekinridge, discloses the habitual feelings with which 
 he regarded his work in the "College. The view presented 
 as to the particular form in which his usefulness was most 
 conspicuous, will be endorsed by all who are familiar with 
 those times; though eternity alone will reveal in how 
 many souls he planted "the incorruptible seed," which, 
 in later years, brought forth fruit unto holiness : 
 
 "SOUTH CAKOLINA COLLEGE, March 12, 1847. 
 
 " MY DEAE BROTHER : With your feelings in reference to your position 
 in College, I can most heartily sympathize ; and if I had yielded to my 
 own impulses more, and less to the convictions of others, I shoiild not 
 have been here to-day. From long experience, I am satisfied that the 
 possibilities of usefulness in such a situation are largely overrated. The 
 influence which a good man can exert is rather negative than positive ; 
 it consists more in preventing evil, than in directly doing good. This 
 negative sort of usefulness has never been enough to fill up my desires. 
 But Providence seems to have cast my lot where my labour is drudgery, 
 and my reward is disappointment. My time is so frittered away by the 
 constant intervention of external duties, that I can pursue no consecutive 
 plans of study ; and what little writing I am able to perform, and it is 
 little enough, must be done at the expense of sleep or recreation. But 
 
 * In addition to this testimony, we find the following from Dr. J. W. 
 Alexander, in the memorial of him entitled "Forty Years Familiar Let 
 ters : " "Dr. Thornwell is the great man of the South, and I do not think 
 his learning or powers of mind overrated. His speech, on taking the chair, 
 was a chef d wuvre. His sermon was ill delivered, but nevertheless a model 
 of what is rare, viz. : burning hot argument, logic in ignition, and glow 
 ing more and more to the end : it was memoriter, and with terrific con- 
 tmtio laterum" 
 
ASSEMBLIES OF 1847 AND 1848. 301 
 
 here I am, mysteriously shut up to a position which is not the object of 
 niy choice, discouraged, mortified, distressed at the fruitlessuess of my 
 efforts, toiling day after day without hope, worn down by a constant pres 
 sure of responsibility, and unsustained, for the most part, by sympathy, 
 co-operation, or approval, on the part of those around me. If there are 
 any who envy me my chaii*. they would gladly relinquish to me all its 
 honours after six months experience of its cares. My conscience testifies 
 that I have faithfully preached the gospel here ; I have preached it 
 through good report, and through evil report ; I have preached it when I 
 btood almost absolutely alone ; but what has been 1 the result ? In only 0110 
 aspect of the case, do I feel that I have done a valuable work ; and that 
 is, in breaking down the spirit of infidelity, which had largely taken pos 
 session of the State. Under God s blessing, I have succeeded beyond 
 what I could hope, in changing the whole current of association upon 
 the speculative question of the truth of Christianity. This is some 
 thing, but it is not salvation ; and tfie salvation of souls is the object 
 
 of my toil. 
 
 Very truly, as ever, 
 
 J. H. THOBNWELL." 
 
 In a later epistle to the same, October 20, 1847, he 
 writes : 
 
 " There is another matter which I would also commend to yo ur notice. 
 It strikes me that D Aubigne has not done justice to the character of 
 Zuingle. That great and good man ought to be set in a fairer light. 
 Now, history is familiar to you as household words ; and I should be 
 delighted to receive from you an article on this point. 
 
 "Our Synod has just closed its sessions A large committee was 
 appointed, of which I am chairman, to draw up a paper, to be presented 
 to the next Synod, on the subject of slavery, defining the true position 
 of our Church, and suggesting means for rectifying some of the abuses 
 and evils incidental to the institution. We shall probably recommend a 
 petition to the Legislature, praying that a law may he enacted, to protect 
 the family relations of the slave ; and that the disgraceful statute, which 
 prohibits them from learning to read, may be repealed. I shall take 
 great pains in the preparation of the document, and would be glad to 
 receive any suggestions." 
 
 As the retiring Moderator, Dr. Thornwell opened the 
 Assembly of 1848, with a sermon from Acts xvii. 32, 
 u And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, 
 some mocked ; and others said, we will hear thee again 
 of this matter." According to usage, he filled the im 
 portant position of Chairman of the Committee on Bills 
 
302 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THOKNWELL. 
 
 and Overtures. He had the opportunity of broaching 
 his opinion on two important subjects, foreshadowing 
 what, at a later date, in the revision of the Book of Dis 
 cipline, he sought to incorporate into the Constitution of 
 the Church. 
 
 An overture was presented, asking whether Church 
 Sessions have the right to allow members to withdraw 
 from the communi6n of the Church, who are not guilty 
 of any immoral conduct, but feel that they have never 
 been made the subjects of renewing grace. This question 
 it was proposed to answer in the affirmative. In the de 
 bate which followed, Dr. Thornwell is reported as saying : 
 
 The point of the overture is entirely misapprehended. It is asked 
 whether persons may withdraw from the Church who have been received 
 unadvisedly, and are now satisfied that they are not converted persons, 
 yet are regular in all their private and public duties. It is the custom of 
 the Church, when members absent themselves from the communion, to 
 visit them by committee. Suppose a member gives as a reason for 
 staying away, I am satisfied that I am not a member of Christ; and 
 when the pastor charged all those to retire who had not knowledge to 
 discern the Lord s body, I was constrained in conscience to obey the 
 command. What is to be done ? Will you discipline him ? For what? 
 For doing the very thing which you require him to do, and which, if our 
 principles are true, he was solemnly bound to do. What is the object of 
 a trial ? Is it not to ascertain whether a man is, or is not, a member of 
 Christ s body ? Exit if he confesses that he is not, it is the best evidence 
 that can be given, and the Session may declare the fact to the Church. 
 It was the doctrine of Erastus, that the Church was the channel of grace, 
 and had no right to excommunicate members for any cause. But this 
 is not the doctrine of any Christian Church, at the present day. Now, we 
 hold that union with Christ is the basis qf union with the Church, and a 
 credible profession simply declares the fact. Will any Church Session 
 undertake to affirm that a man is, and shall be, a member of the Church, 
 when he tells them that he is not a member of Christ ? Certainly not. 
 It is now proposed that, in such a case, the Session shall place him in 
 the same position with the baptized children of the Church, and not 
 make him a heathen and publican. 
 
 "Another point: The Protestant Church knows no man, unless he is 
 voluntarily subject to her authority ; and the vow of subjection is binding 
 no longer than he feels that he has a right to submit to them. The 
 Roman Catholic view is, that a man is everywhere bound by his vow to 
 the Church : that once a virgin, bound by a vow, always a virgin ; once a 
 
ASS K Mi! I. IKS OF 1847 AND 1848. 303 
 
 moiik, always a monk. But, with us, the vow is not to the Church, but 
 to God ; and He will be the judge. We propose no innovation, but the 
 assertion of a right that is inherent in our Church, and oxight to be di&~ 
 tinctly set forth. Thus we shall separate the chaff from the wheat, 
 purify the Church, and publish the fact to the world. The Church has 
 been spoken of as a voluntary society ; but there was this obvious fea 
 ture : a voluntary society prescribes its own rule, but the Church has its 
 laws from its Head; they are not to be altered or amended."* 
 
 These arguments did not, however, carry the Assembly ; 
 and the recommendation was rejected. 
 
 Upon the other subject, Dr. Thornwell was more suc 
 cessful, securing the unanimous consent of the body to 
 his views. It was the relation which the Church should 
 sustain to temperance, and other moral reform societies. 
 "Without quoting the minute | at large which he submitted, 
 it is sufficient here to state that it set forth, with great 
 clearness, the nature and functions of the Church as a 
 spiritual body, the kingdom of Jesus Christ, governed by 
 His laws, and having for its aim the gathering and per 
 fecting of the saints, to the end of the world. It cannot, 
 therefore, league itself to any secular institutions for 
 moral ends, nor be subsidiary to associations founded upon 
 human policy. It is a matter of Christian liberty whether 
 connection shall be had with these or not ; a liberty which 
 the Church does not infringe, either by enjoining or inter 
 dicting them, as long as false principles are not pro 
 mulgated, and wrong practices are not indulged. And in 
 pressing these distinctions, Dr. Thornwell only urged the 
 doctrine which he uniformly taught through life, as to the 
 province of the Church, and her immediate and entire 
 subjection under the authority of her Lord and Head. 
 
 The only letter extant, written during the sessions of 
 this Assembly, is the following to his wife, from which 
 we make one or two extracts. It is dated, 
 
 * See Biblical Repertory for 1848, pp. 409-410. 
 
 tit will be found in the Assembly s Digest, Ed. 1856, pp. 797- S. 
 
304 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THOKNWELL. 
 
 "BALTIMORE, May 20, 1848. 
 
 " MY DEAREST WIFE : * * * The Assembly was opened on Thurs 
 day, by a sermon from myself, which occupied an hour and a half in the 
 delivery. Dr. McGill, of Pittsburgh, was elected Moderator. I have 
 been made Chairman of the Committee on Bills and Overtures, which is 
 the most laborious and important committee of the house. It is the 
 channel through which most of the business enters the -house. You 
 perceive, therefore, that my hands are full. We have had. thus far, a 
 very pleasant time. All our Southern members are delighted with the 
 hospitality of Baltimore. It is indeed a delightful city. * * * Mr. 
 Spreckelson sent me yesterday a small box of very costly cigars, which, 
 I am afraid, will so corrupt my taste that I will find it hard to come 
 down, when I return home. 
 
 "The great Democratic Convention meets here, next Monday. Tho 
 object is to nominate the candidate of the Democratic party for tho 
 Presidency of the United States. We shall have all the great men of 
 the Union here. Congress has adjourned until it is through, so that all 
 the leading members of Congress will be present. I am proposing to 
 myself a good deal of interest, in occasionally witnessing its delibera 
 tions and proceedings. 
 
 "We have some interesting questions to come before the Assem 
 bly next week. The Marriage question will be up again, in several 
 forms: 1, As a judicial case; and 2, The abstract doctrine. It will, in 
 all probability, be fully discussed ; and I hope that it will be so settled 
 as to put an end to every future agitation of the subject.* The Elder 
 question will not come up ; at least there is no prospect of it at present. 
 We had yesterday rather a scene in the house, from the conduct of 
 a lady, who seems to be partially deranged. She brought a case before 
 the Assembly, complaining against the Synod of New York. Her papers 
 were reported to be irregular by the Chairman of the Judicial Commit 
 tee ; and a motion was made to dismiss the case. She was in the house 
 at the time, and became so excited, that she rose to make a speech in her 
 own defence. We siicceeded, however, in getting her quiet, without 
 permitting her to produce much confusion. She was directed to wait 
 on the Judicial Committee, and make her statements to it. , She ac 
 cordingly did so. I was in the adjoining room, presiding over another 
 committee, and heard her inflict a terrible belabouring upon the Judicial 
 Committee, which afforded me no little amusement. She is said to be a 
 woman of education, of good family, and of good circumstances ; but 
 she is crazy on the subject of prophecy, and thinks the time has come 
 to cleanse the Sanctuary. Hence, she has impeached all the ministers 
 
 * The judicial case was the complaint of Eev. Colin Mclver against 
 the restoration of Mr. McQueen, which was dismissed, as having been 
 concluded by the preceding Assembly. The proposition to submit the 
 question to the Presbyteries, of striking out the law on this subject, was 
 not concurred in. 
 
ASSEMBLIES OF 1847 AND 1848. 305 
 
 of New York ; and is grievously offended that the Assembly will not help 
 her to purify the sons of Levi. The nature of her complaints I do not 
 exactly understand. I believe that she charges some of the New York 
 ministers with making mouths at her ; others, with treating her rudely, 
 in ordering her out of the house ; and some with turning her over to 
 the police. The whole affair is equally strange and ridiculous ; but the 
 poor woman is certainly to be pitied. * * * 
 "Your devoted husband, 
 
 J. H. THOKNWELL." 
 
 Upon his return from the Assembly, he spent a day in 
 Washington, D. C., from which place he writes, on the 
 5th of June : 
 
 "I came here this morning, from Baltimore ; and being too late for 
 the boat, have spent the day here, which gave me an opportunity of see 
 ing Congress in session. The Assembly was dissolved on Saturday 
 evening, and I preached yesterday in the First Presbyterian Church, of 
 Baltimore. A great many members of the Assembly came over to see 
 the great guns at Washington. Mr. Calhoun and Colonel Burt were very 
 polite to me ; and I have an engagement to spend the evening with 
 them. Mrs. Burt is here, keeping house for them ; it will give me great 
 pleasure to see her, and discuss old times. I have seen nearly all the 
 South Carolina members. There is very little doing now, as the Whig 
 Convention meets to-morrow in Philadelphia, to nominate a Whig can 
 didate for the Presidency of the United States." 
 
 This letter is introduced for the purpose of recalling 
 the fact, that Dr. Thornwell s acquaintance with Mr. Cal 
 houn did not begin at this date. During the summer of 
 1843, he called upon Mr. Calhoun at his residence, in 
 Pendleton, and spent a morning with him. The conver 
 sation took a wide range over the subjects of education, 
 metaphysics, and politics. Dr. Thornwell possessed rare 
 powers of conversation, and rejoiced in letting them out, 
 when it took this particular form of a dialogue between 
 two. When thrown in contact with men of great abili 
 ties, his ambition put him upon his mettle ; his mind was 
 roused to as much activity, and he drew upon his stores 
 of learning witli as much fervour, as when addressing a 
 large assembly. The writer remembers the account, given 
 by himself, of this particular interview, and the terms of 
 
306 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORNWELL. 
 
 strong satisfaction in which he dwelt upon the rehearsal 
 of it. Mr. Calhoun is also represented to have expressed 
 his own delight, to the gentleman who had brought them 
 together; saying that Dr. Thorn well was the only divine 
 he had ever met, whom he thought comparable with his 
 old preceptor, Dr. Dwight, the former President of Yale 
 College. He further stated, "I expected to find Dr. 
 Thornwell perfectly posted upon his own department of 
 study ; but when he came over into mine, I was not pre 
 pared for the thorough acquaintance he exhibited with 
 all the topics that are generally familiar only to states 
 men." The mystery is not really so great as it appears; 
 for an accomplished theologian is compelled to master 
 the great principles which underlie all government and 
 law. But Dr. Thornwell, in addition to this, was remark 
 ably conversant with history, and had mastered the sci 
 ence of Political Economy. He was, therefore, entirely 
 competent to range with Mr. Calhoun over all the topics 
 which lay in the bounds of that profession which either 
 pursued. 
 
 The following letter to Dr. Breckinridge, contains his 
 last reference to the Assembly of 1848. Some sentences 
 in it will afford the reader some idea of the playful 
 humour in which he so often indulged in personal inter 
 course. 
 
 " SOUTH CAROLINA COLLEGE, July 18, 1848. 
 
 "MY DEAB BBOTHER : I received your last letter some months ago, 
 and can hardly frame any decent apology for having neglected to answer 
 it so long. The truth is, I have a great aversion to the use of the pen ; 
 and I do not know if I ever should write to my friends, if it were not for 
 my anxiety to hear from them. From you, particularly, a letter is always 
 thrice welcome ; and it is more to draw something from you, than to 
 communicate anything of my own, that I now undertake to bring you in 
 debt to me. You have probably heard from Berryman, and gathered 
 from the papers a better account than I could give you of the last As 
 sembly. I am satisfied that a gradual reaction is generally taking place 
 in the Church, which, in a few years, "with proper efforts, will put it in 
 the position we would like to see it occupy. Something effectual might 
 have been done in Baltimore, if the Assembly had not been so completely 
 worn out by the mass of judicial business to which it was called to attend. 
 
ASSEMBLIES OF 1847 AND 1848. 307 
 
 There was no possibility of a full discussion of any great question. But 
 straws show how the wind blows ; and I saw enough to make ine bless 
 God and take courage. The people of Baltimore manifested a princely 
 hospitality, and they will long be remembered in the prayers, affection, 
 and gratitude of the ministers and elders, who never expect to see them 
 again in the flesh. No one left the city without regret. Our good friend 
 McElderry kept an inn, as usual ; and if he chanced, on any day, to have 
 no more than his table could accommodate, he seemed to be afraid that 
 he had not done his duty. I charged him with standing at the corner of 
 the streets, and pressing every man he met to come and partake of the 
 
 fat things he had prepared. At his house I met with your friend S , 
 
 who occupied, for several nights, the same room with myself. He left 
 the city in setf -defence, protesting that a few more nights with me would 
 kill him ; and pitying my wife, who, from year to year, had to endure 
 the plague of a man who neither slept nor waked, according to the laws 
 which govern civilized human beings. It was amusing to see him, poor 
 fellow, denude himself, about ten o clock, of his wearing apparel, slip 
 into his long shirt, and stretch himself upon his couch, to woo the em 
 braces of kind nature s sweet restorer, balmy sleep, and then permit 
 himself to become so absorbed in conversation as to forget his position, 
 jump up, fumble about his breeches pocket for a quid of tobacco, or 
 sponge on me for a good cigar ; and thus, lying, sitting, walking, all in 
 a shirt of prodigious length, forget the hours, until signs of day began to 
 appear. He is a noble fellow, and I found his society a treat. I think a 
 brief campaign with me would completely cure him of the infirmity of 
 feeling sleepy at night. I endeavoured to impress upon him that the 
 noblest beasts, such as the lion, take the nights for their feats of activity 
 and valour. To work in the day, when every one can see you, savours 
 too much of ostentation for a generous and modest spirit ; and to be 
 eating by eight o clock in the morning, indicates a ravenous propensity 
 for the things of earth. ***** 
 
 "Are you writing anything for us ? We shall be more than glad to hear 
 from you. How comes on your Commentary on Acts ? Have you seen 
 Lord s Theological Journal ? It promises to be a valuable contribution 
 towards the interpretation of the prophetic Scriptures. His review of 
 Stuart on the Apocalypse is well done. Have you seen Nevin s reply to 
 Hodge ? I have been much amused in reading his article, and have had 
 some curious questions suggested to me concerning the influence of lan 
 guage on thought. Let me hear from you soon. 
 "Very truly, as ever, 
 
 J. H. THOBNWELL." 
 
 The two letters which are annexed, are letters of private 
 friendship, and reveal the affectionateness of his nature. 
 The first is addressed to Mr. A. H. Pegues, one of the 
 companions of his childhood : 
 
308 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THOKNWELL. 
 
 " SOUTH CAROLINA COLLEGE, June 27, 1848. 
 
 MY DEAR FEIEND : I do not know when I have been more gratified 
 than I was, a few days ago, at the reception of your letter of the 2d in 
 stant. It was like good news from a distant land, or cold water to a 
 thirsty soul. Eeminiscences, which never can fade from my mind, were 
 called up with the freshness of the original events ; and for a time I gave 
 myself up to the power of the past. I was particularly delighted to find 
 that the vicissitudes of your Western life had wrought no change in your 
 early affections, and that you still turned with pleasure to one whose love 
 to you is as strong and fresh as when we pored together over the delicious 
 lines, 
 
 " The native wood-notes wild, 
 
 Of sweetest Shakespeare, fancy s child, 
 
 Or nerved our minds to higher efforts over the exquisite pages of 
 Locke, Stewart, or Keid. Those days are gone, but their impressions 
 remain ; and nothing on earth would afford me more pleasure than to 
 meet you in person, and review face to face the numberless events which 
 have bound my heart to yours. 
 
 "In regard to the subject of your letter, you will permit me to say, 
 that, while I am touched with your kindness and partiality, I must yet 
 decline being presented as a candidate for the place in question. Tho 
 position which I occupy here I cannot relinquish ; it opens a wide and 
 increasing field of usefulness, and is, in many respects, the most desir 
 able in the Southern country. I would be glad, however, if you could 
 exert your good offices in favour of my old friend and classmate, Rev. 
 Mr. Gladney. He is an excellent man, of sterling integrity, of much 
 more than ordinary talents, and a good scholar. He has the decision 
 and firmness which are absolutely essential to the President of a College. 
 I would also bespeak your aid in behalf of my young friend, GamewelL 
 (a son of our old Methodist preacher,) who will appear as a candidate 
 for the chair of Mathematics. He is a prodigy of genius, having, in my 
 opinion, no superior in the State. 
 
 I hope that your enterprise will be eminently successful ; but you 
 must not be too sanguine. The erection of a College is the work of 
 years ; and no organization can give it an efficiency beyond the demands 
 of the actual condition of society. I do not altogether like the distribu 
 tion of your departments of instruction. More prominence should be 
 given to the Moral Sciences. It is too much to assign them all to one Pro 
 fessor. I think, too, that the combination of Modern and Ancient Lan 
 guages will have the effect of preventing an adequate attention from being 
 paid to either. I am afraid that your course of study has not been suf 
 ficiently digested ; and I am sure that experience will not only suggest, 
 but demand, material alterations in the details of your system. It will 
 give me great pleasure, to hear from you often. Let our old correspon 
 dence be renewed. 
 
 "As ever, most truly yours, 
 
 J. H. THOKNWELL." 
 
ASSEMBLIES OF 1847 AND 1848. 309 
 
 A second of these letters is addressed to Professor 
 Matthew J. Williams, who had been elected in Decem 
 ber, 1846, to the chair of Mathematics in the South Ca 
 rolina College. The friendship between the two was 
 recent, but very strong and sincere, and continued 
 throughout life. Professor Williams was a member of 
 the Methodist Church, a man of liberal and catholic views, 
 gentle and loving in disposition; in every respect de 
 serving the expressions of esteem lavished upon him in 
 this letter: 
 
 "SOUTH CAROLINA COLLEGE, July 17, 1848. 
 
 "My DEAR MAJOR: I received your kind and interesting letter last 
 week, and would be glad to have a similar infliction every week of my 
 life. We had often spoken of you in the family, and promised ourselves 
 much gratification, in the expectation of hearing from you ; and when, 
 the desired document arrived, we were far from being disappointed. I 
 count it one of the happy circumstances of my life, that I have been 
 brought into such nearness of contact, and such intimacy of communi 
 cation, with one who daily grows upon my esteem, and to whose char 
 acter I often appeal, as illustrating some of the loveliest graces of the 
 gospel. I speak with the utmost candour, when I assure you that the 
 impression which you have made upon me is no stronger than that 
 which you have made upon other members of the Faculty, particularly 
 upon the President and Mr. Pelham. These things I say, not to flatter 
 you, but to shame you out of all thoughts of ever relinquishing your 
 post here. You occupy a field of extended usefulness, a position suited 
 to your talents and acquirements. You are (what, I take it, was never 
 adequately the case with you before) appreciated; and while this should 
 contribute to your happiness, it increases your obligation to remain, and 
 devote yourself, in this field, to the glory of God. I Lope, therefore, 
 that you will listen to no persuasions from any quarter, either to retire 
 to your farm, or to take an office which will bring you more directly 
 into the society of your brethren. God has put you here, and you 
 should wait till He removes you. I will say no more on this point, 
 though I have felt very deeply on account of the occasional hints which 
 have dropped from you, touching the subject of a removal. 
 
 " The campus is a scene of quiet, amounting to desolation. Nothing 
 disturbs the dreary stillness, but the occasional sound of the hammer, 
 from the buildings which are in the process of erection. The President 
 and Pelham are all that remain of our force, and how long they will stay I 
 am unable to tell you. We had a meeting to-day of such members of 
 the Faculty as are in town, and such members of the Board of Trustees 
 
310 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORN WELL. 
 
 as could be induced to attend, and elected a bursar, to go into office on 
 the 1st October, and to remain in office until the meeting of the Board 
 of Trustees. Colonel Gladden, who has just returned from Mexico with 
 his laurels green upon him, was the unanimous choice of the meeting. 
 I trust that he will prove an acquisition to the College ; and that arrange 
 ments may be made, under his administration, to relieve the Professors 
 of the grievous penance of attending at commons. 
 
 "My mode of life here is all that I could desire, as to physical com 
 fort. I sit up all night, reading, musing, and smoking ; and just before 
 the sun, with its orient beams, dispels ghosts, goblins, and infernal 
 spirits to their respective jails, I stretch my limbs upon an ample couch, 
 continue my cogitations till my soul is locked in the silent embrace of 
 slumber sweet; and I abide in the land of dreams until it becomes a 
 man to refresh nature in a more active way. Ham, coffee, and biscuits 
 completely restore me to this world again ; and after a proper pause, I 
 proceed to commit depredations upon watermelons, which would be 
 appalling to one who measured the danger by the bulk that was con 
 sumed. Sometimes, after these vigorous onsets, I give no dubious 
 promise of attaining a judge-like condition of corpulency ; but soon the 
 increased enlargement disappears, and I am like a dropsical patient just 
 tapped. The truth is, I have no hopes of growing fat ; I am lean, lean, 
 hopelessly lean. But it is a comfort, that all of my friends cannot laugh 
 at me. 
 
 " I was very much gratified at your commendation of my long article 
 on the Elder question. With whatever feebleness they are stated, it is 
 certain to my mind that it contains principles of the highest importance, 
 in their application both to Church and State. I am afraid that the ten 
 dency of things in this country, is to corrupt a representative into a demo 
 cratic government ; and to make the State the mere creature of popular 
 caprice. The question of civil liberty is one of the nicest and most 
 interesting in the whole circle of political inquiry ; and more mistakes 
 exist in regard to it, than upon any other point of political philosophy. 
 France is now blundering, and I am afraid will continue to blunder, 
 until her redemption becomes hopeless. A ball has been set in motion 
 npon the relations of capital and labour, whose progress it will be ex 
 tremely difficult to arrest ; but the Lord reigns. 
 
 " The present posture of the nations baffles the speculations of philo 
 sophers and statesmen. I turn from all carnal calculations to the sure 
 word of prophecy ; and as I believe that the only safe guide is to be 
 found in the prophetic Scriptures, I have begun with increased zeal the 
 study of a book, which has heretofore been to me, as it has been to the 
 great majority of Christians, a sealed volume : the Apocalypse of John. 
 That sublime document contains the history of the world, from Christ 
 to the end of time ; and though its figures are mystic, they are not 
 hopelessly obscure. There is a key which can unlock its secrets, and 
 make its hieroglyphics speak the language of common life. We are 
 
ASSEMBLIES OF 1847 AND 1848. 311 
 
 upon the eve of great events ; and watchfulness and prayer are the pos 
 ture in which we should be found. God is riding on the whirlwind, and 
 directing the storm ; and out of the chaos and tumult of the nations, He 
 will surely evolve His own grand purposes, and make the angry passions 
 of men subservient to the scheme of His glorious providence. * * * 
 "Very sincerely, your friend and brother, 
 
 J. H. THOBNWEIX." 
 
CHAPTEK XXII. 
 PERSONAL FRIENDSHIPS. 
 
 CASES OF YOUNG MEN WHOM HE WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN BRINGING INTO THE 
 MINISTRY. LETTER TO ONE OF THESE. APPEAL TO A YOUNG FRIEND ON 
 PERSONAL RELIGION. His LIBERALITY IN ASSISTING OTHERS TO OBTAIN 
 AN EDUCATION. DEATH OF A YOUNG FRIEND. LETTER TO A LICENTIATE, 
 
 WHOM HE HAD GUIDED IN STUDY. 
 
 DURING his brief pastoral connexion with the church 
 at Columbia, in 1840, Dr. Thormvell was made the 
 instrument, under God,- of the conversion of a young man, 
 the son of a widow, "a mother in Israel," who still sur 
 vives, in a green old age, to bless that church with the 
 influence and example of her fervent piety. Of course, 
 this laid the foundation for a friendship of no ordinary 
 kind, with the young disciple, who henceforth sat at his 
 feet, preparing to preach the unsearchable riches of that 
 grace, whose power was first felt under the exposition that 
 fell from his lips. It was the old, sweet relation which 
 subsisted between Paul and his son Timothy, whom he 
 had "begotten in the gospel." It must have boon with 
 emotions of devout gratitude to God that Dr. TJiornwell 
 watched the career of his young protege, from his early 
 and successful ministry in the city of Baltimore, until- his 
 transfer to the Theological Seminary at Prince Edward, 
 Virginia, as a teacher of those who should fill the pulpits 
 of the land ; a man whose convictions of truth are not a 
 whit less intense than those of the master from whom he 
 first imbibed them; and whose superior attainments are 
 veiled beneath a humility so deep, that it may possibly 
 conceal what should be more conspicuously revealed. The 
 singular modesty of the Rev. Dr. Thomas E. Peck will 
 
 313 
 
314 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORNWELL. 
 
 recoil, we fear, from this measure of publicity ; vet his- 
 ardent affection for one to whom he is so largely indebted, 
 will allow his name to be woven thus into the chaplet that 
 is thrown around the memory of his friend. This personal 
 reference is necessary, as an introduction to some precious 
 letters, which were surrendered to us, with this statement 
 from the recipient: "One of these letters I value very 
 highly, not only as a memorial of his kindness to me, but 
 as an evidence of his single-hearted devotion to our 
 common Lord. It was of infinite service to me at the 
 time it was received; and, I think, might be of great ser 
 vice to any young minister, discouraged in his work, and 
 weary of the conflict with sin in his own heart, with the 
 contradiction of sinners, and with the devil." We suspect 
 the letter here referred to, is that which immediately fol 
 lows. 
 
 To the Rev. Thomas E. Peck: 
 
 "SOUTH CAROLINA COLLEGE, August 4, 1848. 
 
 "My DEAR THOMAS: I received your kind and welcome letter this 
 evening; and proceed to give you the strongest possible proof of the 
 value which I attach to your correspondence, by answering your favour in 
 a few hours after the reception of it. You are the frequent theme of con 
 versation in my family, and we all feel towards you as we would feel if our 
 own blood coursed through your veins. We rejoice to hear of your pros 
 perity, share with you in your sorrows, and lament the hours of dark 
 ness which so frequently come upon you. I am glad to learn that your 
 prospects are brightening before you, though I have never entertained 
 a doubt that you were the Lord s instrument, to accomplish the Lord a 
 work, in the sphere of your labours. When the first stone of the edifice 
 in which you minister was laid, there was not a man, of all who engaged 
 in the enterprise, who even knew you by name. It was God who sent 
 you to Baltimore, when the building was ready for a preacher. He put 
 it into the hearts of the people to elect you. He disposed your mind to 
 accept the call; and He will protect, guide, and defend you, until you 
 shall have done the business for which this whole train of providential 
 dispensation was ordered and adjusted. Have faith in. God ; aim singly 
 at His glory ; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough 
 places plain. Be not impatient of success ; for the purposes of Him with 
 whom the measures of time are unmeaning one day being as a thou 
 sand years, and a thousand years as one day, are generally as slow in 
 their development as they are majestic in their nature. Wait on thfr 
 
PERSONAL FRIENDSHIPS. 315 
 
 Lord ; be of good courage, and He will strengthen thine heart. Wait, 
 I say, on the Lord. The discipline of patience is one of those precious 
 trials of our faith, which at once attest its reality, and measure its de 
 gree. I am preaching to you the same lessons which, in my own posi 
 tion, I have constantly to preach to myself ; and 110 one can be more 
 sensible than I am, how little mere preaching avails to impress them 
 on the heart. My difficulty lies, (and I presume it is also the case with 
 you,) not with the abstract propositions, but with their practical relations 
 to myself. If I could only be assured that I was in the way of duty, 
 labouring where the Almighty would have me to labour, and as He 
 would have me to labour ; if I were not conscious that so much is min 
 gled with my services, my purposes and plans, which He cannot ap 
 prove ; it seems to me that I could easily in patience possess my soul. 
 But the suggestion often arises, that perhaps I have run where I was 
 not sent ; that I am more zealous for my own name than the Lord s 
 glory ; and that my want of success is, after all, a righteous judgment 
 for my sins. These are the thoughts which cast down my soul, and 
 cause it to be disquieted within me ; these are the difficulties in the way 
 of patient waiting on the Lord ; these are things which make me con 
 stantly feel that I have more concern with repentance than with resig 
 nation ; more to fear than to hope. How precious is the reflection, that 
 the blood of Christ cleanses from all sin, even from the uncleanness and 
 foulness of those who bear the vessels of the Lord ! Of all sins, those 
 of a minister would seem to be the most aggravated ; and of all men, 
 preachers must cherish the deepest consciousness of the necessity of 
 atonement. I bless God for the gift of His Son. But while we are 
 conscious of unworthiness, and deeply bewail our sins and iniquities, 
 we should not forget to magnify our office, and implore the assistanco 
 of the Holy Spirit, that we may address ourselves to its duties with 
 faithfulness and zeal. It is a great matter to understand what it is to 
 be a preacher, and how preaching should be done. Effective sermons 
 are the offspring of study, of discipline, of pr.xyer, and especially of the 
 unction of the Holy Ghost. They ought to combine the characteristic 
 excellencies of every other species of composition intended for delivery ; 
 and ought to be pronounced,, not merely with the earnestness of faith, 
 but the constraining influence of heaven-born charity. They should be 
 seen to come from the heart, and from the heart as filled with the love 
 of Christ, and the love of souls. Depend upon it, that there is but little 
 preaching in the world ; and it is a mystery of grace and of Divine 
 power that God s cause is not ruined in the world, when we consider 
 the qualifications of many of its professed ministers to preach it. My 
 own performances in this way fill me with disgust. I never have made, 
 much less preached, a SERMON in my life ; and I am beginning to despair 
 of ever being able to do it. May the Lord give you more knowledge 
 and grace, and singleness of purpose ! 
 
 "I am glad that you were pleased with my article on the Elder ques 
 tion. Palmer has sent you, by Morse, a few copies of it for gratuitous 
 distribution. The sentence which perplexes you does not seem to me 
 
316 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THOBNWELL. 
 
 to be fairly liable to the interpretation you put Tipon it. I do not say 
 that all ministers, who have been lawfully called and ordained, have a 
 right to -sit in Presbytery ; but that they are Presbyters. At their ordi 
 nation they become so, and, according to our book, the Elder s office is 
 perpetual. They may cease to act as Presbyters ; but they can never 
 cease, save by deposition, to be Presbyters. Whether all Presbyters are 
 entitled, without regard to circumstances, to deliberate and vote in the 
 councils of the Church, is a very different proposition. I agree with 
 you, that the Session is the radical court 111 our Church; but then, it is 
 equally true that all our courts are essentially the same ; and I am not 
 prepared to say that a seat in some existing Session is indispensable to 
 the rightful possession of a seat in a higher judicatory. You concede 
 the point in the case of evangelists. To say that they are extraordinary 
 officers, is only to say that they belong not to the order of a settled and 
 organized congregation, and, therefore, cannot be members of a Session ; 
 but they can sit and preside in Presbyteries, as we know from the Acts 
 of the Apostles and the Epistles of Paul. Hence the proposition cannot 
 be true, that all ministers must be members of Presbytery in order to 
 act as Presbyters anywhere else. A lawful ordination accomplishes two 
 results : it makes a man a minister and elder, both in relation to the 
 particular church which calls him, and to the whole Church of Christ at 
 large. He cannot be made a minister and elder without a special desig 
 nation ; but as this special designation involves a general relation, that 
 does not cease because the other may have ceased. He may still act as 
 a minister and elder, though not a member of any Session. But when 
 a man is absohitely without charge, when he is neither a pastor nor evan 
 gelist, nor filling an office to which he is elected by the Church, then he 
 refuses to act as a minister or elder, and ought not to be allowed to sit 
 in Presbytery. A man, however, who has never been ordained upon a 
 call, or as a true evangelist, is not, so far as I can see, a Presbyter at all ; 
 and such men can sit in no court. But I have not room to enlarge. 
 Tell McElderry t^iat I am looking anxiously for a letter from him. Ke- 
 member me very kindly to Mrs. S., and to her excellent husband, when 
 you write to him ; as also to Boggs and his family. I want you to write 
 something for our Review. It will do you good as well as us. Smyth 
 completed in the coming number his dissertation upon the call to the 
 ministry. I was much amused at his confounding my notions with the 
 doctrine of the Quakers. Logic is evidently not his forte. Mrs. Thorn- 
 well and James Anderson send their kindest remembrances to 3^011. As 
 you are in the weekly receipt of your mother s newspapers, it would be 
 presumption in me to send you a budget of news. I am glad to be ex 
 empt from the responsibility : for, like the needy knife-grinder s story, 
 I have none to tell, sir. I was disappointed in going to Athens. I 
 regretted it very much ; but the condition of my family was such that I 
 could not leave home. Palmer has the blues ; thinks he can t preach ; 
 but he lias no reason to be dissatisfied. Write soon. 
 
 "Very truly, as ever, your friend and brother, 
 
 J. H. THORN WELL." 
 
PERSONAL FRIENDSHIPS. 317 
 
 Dr. Thornwell s warm sympathy with young men 
 brought him into easy relations with many of this inte 
 resting class ; and he embraced every fitting occasion to 
 press upon them the claims of personal religion. The 
 following letter affords an illustration of his method in 
 such cases. It is addressed to Mr. Martin P. Crawford, 
 of Lancaster District, a young relative of Mrs. Thornwell, 
 to whom he was greatly attached, and who, while a stu 
 dent in College, was an inmate of his house. This young 
 man died in April, 1862, in the hospital at Richmond, a 
 victim of the late war ; which event, though occurring but 
 a short time before his own death, Dr. Thornwell took to 
 heart as a sharp and personal sorrow : 
 
 " SOUTH CAROLINA COLLEGE, April 27, 1848. 
 
 " MY DEAR MART : You may be surprised at receiving a letter from me ; 
 but I can assure you that you are often remembered, and are the frequent 
 subject of interest and conversation in my family circle. The favourable 
 impression which you made upon me, while a member of my household, 
 apart from the considerations which will readily suggest themselves to 
 you, has caused me to feel the deepest solicitude in reference to your 
 welfare. And when I speak of your welfare, I hope you will not understand 
 me as alluding to your temporal prosperity, or the success of your efforts 
 in the world. In relation to this, I have never had the least degree of 
 concern. Your exemption from bad habits, your general manliness and 
 independence of character, and the abundant means with which God has 
 blessed you, are sufficient to remove all anxiety from the minds of your 
 friends, in regard to your prospects in the present life. My solicitude 
 extends to your future, your eternal interests ; and I hope you will excuse 
 me for suggesting a few friendly hints on a subject which your own good 
 sense must assure you is of the highest importance. What is a man 
 profited, if he should gain the whole world, and lose his own soul ? I 
 know that you cannot be wholly unconcerned about death, judgment, and 
 eternity. Your previous education, and the providences of God towards 
 you, have forced these topics, to some extent, upon your mind. You 
 are not now, for the first time, to learn that you are a sinner against God, 
 and that the soul that sinneth, it shall die. But, my dear friend, there 
 may be a general, a formal, and vague admission of your guilt, without 
 any adequate conviction of me nature, the extent, or the malignity of 
 your disease. It is not possible that a finite understanding can fully 
 comprehend the exceeding sinfulness of sin. It pervades the whole 
 mind, darkens the understanding, pollutes the affections, perverts the 
 will, and enslaves the soul to the lusts of the flesh and the dominion of 
 
318 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORN WELL. 
 
 the world. It is born with us ; grows with our growth, and strengthens 
 with our strength ; and so utterly alienates the heart from God, that we 
 can never be fit for his service, without experiencing a new and spiritual 
 birth. I hope that you will pray to God to impart to you His Spirit, in 
 order that you may be led to see and to feel something of the horrors of 
 your true condition as a sinner against Him. The whole revelation you 
 could not bear; but I do not wish you to be satisfied with vague and 
 general admissions. I wish you to be persuaded of the real extent and 
 Ibathesomeness of the abominations that fill the chambers of imagery in 
 that most hateful object, a natural heart. The core of the evil is to be 
 found in its ungodliness. God is not in all its thoughts. The sinner 
 lives just as he would live if there were no God at all. He feels not his 
 obligation to serve and to glorify that Being, in whom he lives, and 
 moves, and has his being. This is enough to make all God s creatures 
 conspire against him. Now, my dear Mart, you may be free from vice ; 
 you may be moral, and honourable, and consistent in your deportment ; 
 you may be an affectionate son, a faithful friend, and an upright citizen ; 
 but still, with all these virtues, which none more cheerfully and gladly 
 concedes to you than I do>, you are, by nature, a sinner against God ; or, 
 as the Apostle expresses it, without God, without Christ, without hope, 
 in the world. This is your case, the case of every unconverted man ; 
 and it is a case of unspeakable danger. God will by no means clear the 
 guilty. His wrath is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and 
 unrighteousness of men ; and no impenitent transgressor shall be per 
 mitted to escape. 
 
 " These solemn and momentous truths I hope you will seriously and 
 prayerfully ponder. They will lead you, under the blessing of the 
 Holy Ghost, to apprehend your need of a Saviour. They will not fit you 
 for the Saviour, but they will convince you how urgent is your case. 
 They will not of themselves make you any better ; they cannot change 
 your heart ; but they may be the means of conducting you to Him who 
 can abundantly pardon, and cleanse you from all unrighteousness. Jesus 
 Christ is our only hope. We must trust in Him, or perish. God re 
 veals and proclaims Him to you, and to all men, as a Saviour ; and He 
 has made it your duty to entrust your soul into His hands. The blood 
 of Jesus can pui-ge the guiltiest conscience, and the spirit of Jesus can 
 change the hardest heart. He is not only able to save ; He is as willing 
 as He is able. He is our brother in the flesh. He has a heart to sym 
 pathize with us in our troubles and distresses. We can go to Him in all 
 our guilt and filthiness, with our hearts as millstones, and our minds as 
 dark as night ; and He will cheerfully receive us, give us beauty for 
 ashes, the oil of joy for sorrow, and the garment of praise for the spirit 
 of heaviness. But you may complain that you would, but cannot, believe. 
 It is true, faith is not in the power of nature ; but it is your duty to 
 pray God to bestow it upon you, to enlighten your mind, so that you may 
 see the glory of Christ, and to renew your heart, so that you may feel 
 His unspeakable preciousness. You may complain of the hardness of 
 
PERSONAL FRIENDSHIPS. 319 
 
 your heart, and lament that you cannot repent of sin ; that you cannot feel 
 as you desire. It is true, the natural heart is hard as the nether millstone ; 
 but Christ does not require you. to come with a soft heart. He gives you 
 repentance. You are to go to Him simply as a sinne?; and cast yourself 
 upon God s mercy through Him. That is your only plea. You may be 
 tempted to delay until you have made yourself better, but this is a sug 
 gestion of the devil. 
 
 " Let me urge upon you to be much engaged in the prayerful study of 
 the Scriptures. Be not ashamed to ask God, and to depend upon God to 
 enable you to understand them. It would be well, too, to read books on 
 experimental religion, such as * Boston s Fourfold State, * Halyburton s 
 Great Concern, and * Doddridge s Kise and Progress. Be very careful 
 not to resist any light that you may have. Grieve not the Spirit, Guard 
 against the spirit of procrastination and delay. Seek the Lord with your 
 whole heart, and seek Him diligently. These few hints I have hastily 
 and rapidly thrown out, from a sincere desire to promote the best and 
 the highest interest of one whom I have long regarded as a devoted 
 friend. I shall not cease to pray for your salvation ; and if, when I see 
 you again, you shall have been enabled to make your calling and election 
 sure, it will be a matter of unspeakable joy to me. I shall always be 
 more than glad to hear from you. 
 
 " As ever, your sincere friend, 
 
 J. H. THOKNWELL." 
 
 It forms a happy sequel to this letter, to mention that 
 the subject of so much religious solicitude not only be 
 came a member of the visible Church, but filled the office 
 of a ruler; adding the graces of the Spirit to natural qual 
 ities as generous and noble as ever formed the character 
 of a virtuous man. 
 
 Whilst recording these instances of private friendship, 
 it will be appropriate to state, that Dr. Thornwell amply 
 repaid to others the benefits which, in his own youth, had 
 been lavished upon himself. Throughout his connexion 
 with the College, he was rarely without a beneficiary on 
 his hands, whom he graciously assisted in obtaining a 
 liberal education. Naturally this charity was extended 
 to those of his own blood ; and in the different branches 
 of his family circle, there were those, more or less re 
 lated to him, whose necessities justified this call upon 
 his liberality. We are not disposed to lift the veil over 
 these. It was not, however, confined to them. We may 
 
320 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THOKNWELL. 
 
 be permitted, at least, to record his kindness to one, the 
 younger brother of his intimate friend, the Rev. Pierpont 
 E. Bishop, whom he partially sustained, whilst laying in 
 College the foundation of that scholarship which he pur 
 posed to use to God s glory, in the ministry of His Son. 
 It was the Divine pleasure to call him to a higher ser 
 vice, in the kingdom which is above. In his senior year, 
 within a month of graduation, when the highest honours 
 of his class had been already decreed to- him, he was re 
 moved by death. During a tedious and wasting illness 
 from typhus fever, lie w r as tenderly nursed, as though he 
 had been a brother, in Dr. Thorn-well s house; and after 
 death, honourable mention of his virtues was made, in an 
 elegant Latin epitaph upon his tomb, erected by his 
 felloAV students, in the Presbyterian grave-yard, at Co 
 lumbia. 
 
 The letters which follow will introduce to the reader 
 another, whose grateful heart looks up to Dr. Thornwell 
 as a spiritual father; who, under the stimulus of his fa 
 vour, broke off from mercantile life, in order to devote 
 himself to the ministry of reconciliation. Many years of 
 faithful labour have separated him from the time, when 
 he first entered upon the severe novitiate which was ne 
 cessary, to prepare him for the work he still lives to pur 
 sue; but during all those years of patient study, he was 
 aided by the counsel and friendship which breathe them 
 selves into these lines: 
 
 " SOUTH CAROLINA COLLEGE, February 2, 1847. 
 
 " MY DEAR MORSE : Though you may think that I ought to begin iny 
 letter with apologies and excuses, yet I shall just throw myself upon 
 your generosity at once, presuming that your knowledge of me will sug 
 gest to your own mind the true reason of my not having written before. 
 
 " We have just had a sad visitation in the death of M , whom you 
 
 may know to have been one of the most promising members of the 
 ^Senior Class. He died of typhus fever. The event came unexpectedly 
 upon us. We all thought that he was getting well, when his disease 
 took a sudden turn, and carried him off in a few hours. I am unable to 
 speak with any confidence of his religious condition. His mind had 
 
PERSONAL FRIENDSHIPS. 
 
 been seriously turned to the contemplation of the one thing needful, 
 and there were some things about his case that were encouraging. It is 
 enough to know that he is in the hands of God. 
 
 "The thing which presses upon me, is the condition of those he has 
 left behind, his class-mates and companions. It is my earnest and con 
 stant prayer, that God may sanctify this visitation to the spiritual good 
 of the College. I hope that you do not cease to pray for us. We need 
 the prayers of all God s children. My anxiety in regard to the religious 
 condition of the College has, for some time back, been a heavy burden 
 to my spirits. All things externally are going on well. I have never 
 known such admirable order, quiet, and regularity. Our large Sopho 
 more Class is unusually promising and well-behaved ; but in the midst 
 of our numbers, few are professedly pious. The thought that so many 
 young men of promise should be without God in the world is almost 
 too much for me Oh! that God would pour out His Spirit upon us! 
 I have had a sort of secret hope that the death of M may be de 
 signed, in the good providence of God, to prove a spiritual blessing. I 
 have been in hopes that He meant it for good ; and, though I cannot 
 state my reasons, the impression exists, and has somewhat strengthened 
 my hands. I shah 1 preach a sermon in reference to this matter, next 
 Sunday. 
 
 "Dr. F- % is also lying very low. There is little, if any, hope of his 
 
 recovery. He himself expects to die. I trust that he is prepared. His 
 religious exercises have been very strong and marked. My conversations 
 with him have been refreshing to my own soul. His family is most 
 sadly distressed ; and his death, if it should take place, will be seriously 
 felt. 
 
 "Ah me ! what is life ? Take away the hopes of a blessed immortality, 
 and what wise man would desire to live ? My dear friend, live for eter 
 nity. It is a matter of very little consequence whether you spend your 
 time here in rags or a palace. We shall soon be gone ; then comes our 
 DESTINY, and for that we shotild strive to be prepared. May God give 
 you grace to be supremely devoted to His cause ; for that is the only 
 wisdom. My chief regrets, in looking upon the past, are occasioned by 
 the feebleness, the siiifulness, the slothfulness of my spiritual labours. 
 You cannot learn too soon, nor too well. Oh ! that I knew the lesson 
 better, that self-denial, amounting to the crucifixion of the flesh, is in 
 dispensable to the enjoyment of religious peace and comfort! Deny 
 thyself, and take thy cross ; this is our vocation. What have we to do 
 with worldly ease and carnal indulgences, when heaven is before us. and 
 Christ is waiting to receive us ? What signify crosses and privations, 
 when we are looking for a far more exceeding and eternal weight of 
 glory ? I want you to read McCheyne s- Life, published by our Board. 
 I cannot tell you how much use that little book has been of to me. Read 
 it, and pray over it ; and may God bless it to your soul, as, I hope, He 
 has done to mine. Let me hear from you soon. * 
 
 " Very truly, as ever, , 
 
 J. H. THOKNWELL." 
 
322 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORNWELL. 
 
 To tlie same: 
 
 "SOUTH CAKOLINA COLLEGE, April 6, 1848. 
 
 "MY DEAR MOESE : If I have not written to you before, it has not 
 been from any want of interest in your affairs. But the incurable habit 
 of procrastination, and my violent repugnance to the use of the pen, 
 compel me to draw largely on the patience and forbearance of my friends. 
 I have again and again resolved to write to you, and again and again 
 "been diverted from my purpose. 
 
 " I do not know that I can give you any material assistance in the di 
 rection of your studies. Witsius is a standard work. It would be well 
 to read, in connection with him, Boston on the Covenants ; though the 
 two books are not to be compared in point of learning, scholarship, and 
 general ability. But Boston was eminently imbued with the spirit of 
 the gospel. On Church government, there are few valuable works 
 defending our views that are accessible. On many accounts, it would 
 be well to read the great work of Hooker, on Ecclesiastical Polity ; it 
 contains the best defence of Episcopacy that has been written. Owen s 
 works on Church government are also truly valuable. But I consider 
 nothing necessary to licensure, in this department, but the principles 
 embodied in our standards. The extended study of the Congregational 
 and Prelatical schemes will be the work of future years. In Church his 
 tory, Milner and Mosheim will be sufficient for the present. But I would 
 earnestly inculcate the systematic study of the Bible. Take up book by 
 took, and endeavour to master it, to digest its contents into order, and 
 to have a general scheme of it in your niind. Study the age of each 
 writer, his peculiarities ; and in this way you will make satisfactory pro 
 gress in Biblical criticism. Gray s Key to the Old Testament will be a 
 great help. Home s Introduction will also assist you. But much de 
 pends upon yourself. 
 
 You must exercise your own judgment, in prayerful dependence 
 upon God, in the interpretation of the Scriptures. I hardly know what 
 general commentary to recommend. All will aid you, and none can be 
 fully trusted. ; Poole s Synopsis has some advantages, as presenting 
 the views of a multitude of critics, which Scott, Henry, Whitby, Lowth, 
 etc., do not possess ; but you can hardly get access to it in the country. 
 Real progress, however, can be made without a multitude of books. 
 Compare the Bible with itself ; and you will be surprised to find how one 
 part throws light upon another. I trust that the author of the Bible 
 may be your great teacher. 
 
 "You will find it interesting, to study the Confessions and Apologies 
 of the Reformed Clmrches. This will show you the substantial unity of 
 faith that has prevailed among God s people ; and these Confessions are, 
 besides, most valuable compends of theology. The Corpus et Syntagma, 
 etc., and Niemeyer s Collectio, will be sufficient for your purpose. But 
 I will not trouble you ^vith any further hints. Your studies must depend 
 much upon your opportunities. 
 
 My family are as usual. Patty has begun to go to school, and is 
 
PERSONAL FRIENDSHIPS. 323 
 
 perfectly delighted. The General* would like to go, but we think him 
 too small. He has a bright notion of shaving, and getting him a wife. 
 James Henley is flourishing ; though he and his mother, just now, are 
 on cross-questions touching the matter of his waking up after midnight 
 and eating a big supper. She wishes to break him of the habit ; but he 
 demurs against her purpose, as a cruel proceeding. The baby promises 
 to be a man, but he continues to be anonymous. Write to me soon. 
 "Very truly, as ever, 
 
 J. H. THORNWELL." 
 
 To the same : 
 
 " SOUTH CAROLINA COLLEGK, February 22, 1849. 
 
 "MY DEAB MORSE : Don t be scared at this small paper; it is very 
 nearly as large as yours, and I can put more in it than you did in yours. 
 I hope indeed, I have no doubt that you will pass your trials success 
 fully ; and then you will feel as you never felt before. Responsibility 
 contemplated at a distance, is very different from the sense of it actually 
 pressing on the soul. You will often be compelled to exclaim, Who is 
 sufficient for these things? and in your ignorance, dulness, coldness, 
 and incompetency, you will find no retreat but a throne of grace, and 
 the promises of an all-sufficient God. That you may be eminently use 
 ful, is my fervent prayer. I can give you no aid in regard to a field of 
 labour. The churches mentioned by Brother Bishop are very feeble ; 
 and I can say nothing of the extent of the field they will open to you. 
 You must go and see for yourself. 
 
 "The affairs of the College are getting on as usual. The new Pro 
 fessor has arrived, and is giving entire satisfaction. I have seen but 
 little of him yet, but my impression is favoiirable. Preston is in a very 
 precarious state. His friends entertain doubts as to the possibility of 
 his entire recovery. He may be restored to such an extent as to perform 
 the physical conditions of life ; but it is apprehended that he will never 
 be himself again. I hope that these forebodings may not prove true, 
 but I cannot say how well or ill-founded they are. I trust that his afflic 
 tion may be truly sanctified ; and that he may be made a partaker of 
 what is better than intellect, eloquence, or fame. 
 
 " The next number of the Review will contain some of my cogita /tons, 
 which, as usual, do not amount to much, always excepting the article on 
 the Elder question. What do you think ? I actually went to hear Wil 
 son sing his Scotch songs. I attended his concerts two nights, and 
 would probably have gone the third, if it nad not been Saturday, and 
 funds rather low. It was, indeed, a treat ; and I begin to think that, 
 after all, I really have some music in my soul. The Major was still 
 more delighted than myself. He even ventured out on Saturday night, 
 and I am afraid thought about it on Sunday. * * * 
 
 " You must come and see us upon your journey to or from Presbytery. 
 "Very truly, as ever, 
 
 J. H. THORN WELL." 
 
 * A little boy of four years of age, named after General Gillespie. 
 
CHAPTER XXIII. 
 
 STATE EDUCATION. 
 
 VIEW OF THE STATE S OBLIGATION TO CONTROL EDUCATION. OPPOSED TO 
 DENOMINATIONAL EDUCATION. CAUTIOUS INQUIRIES INTO THE SUBJECT. 
 
 HlS BOOK ON KOMANISM. ESTIMATE OF IT BY THE "EDINBURGH RE 
 VIEW. " BROWNSON S ATTACK. LETTERS ON THE PROVINCE OF THE 
 CHURCH IN EDUCATION. His OPINIONS DECLARED IN A LETTER TO 
 GOVERNOR MANNING. 
 
 DR. THORN WELL S connection with the South Caro 
 lina College almost compelled him to become the advo 
 cate of State education. We do not mean, of course, that 
 his opinions were determined by that fact, for no man ever 
 lived whose convictions were founded less upon acciden 
 tal associations of any sort ; but simply that the subject 
 had a deeper interest to him in that position, and that a 
 degree of necessity was put upon him to stand forth as a 
 champion on this side of the controversy, then pending in 
 the country. He unquestionably took a wide view of the 
 prerogatives and responsibility of the State ; and, perhaps, 
 fully coincided with his favourite, Aristotle, in the aphor 
 ism, TTO^C Y&OIJLGV/) fjisv rob t t v IWxsv, ouaa di rou e& C7^. 
 Among the highest obligations of the State he reckoned 
 this, of providing for the education of her sons. 
 
 His sentiments, too, in relation to the Church, forbade 
 his subscribing to the opposite doctrine, which places 
 secular education among the positive duties she is called 
 to fulfil. On the contrary, all the controversies in which 
 he had been engaged turned upon the assertion, that she 
 was a purely spiritual body, instituted for exclusively 
 spiritual ends, and limited in her authority by the express 
 law of her King and Head, which she might not trans 
 cend in a singular particular. According to his strict 
 
 325 
 
326 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORN WELL. 
 
 construction of her charter, her duty terminates with 
 the religious training of mankind. The sanctuary is her 
 class-room; the pulpit her chair ; and the gospel of Jesus, 
 her discipline. It is not the historian s province to arbi 
 trate in such a controversy; but only to set forth the 
 opinions held by the subject of his story. He found able 
 critics upon either hand: those who upheld, in this mat 
 ter, the prerogative of the Church ; and those who as 
 stoutly denied his postulate touching the duty of the 
 State. 
 
 The impression has been created in some quarters that 
 upon this, as well as upon some other -ecclesiastical ques 
 tions, Dr. Thornwell s opinions were somewhat modified 
 in the later years of his life. A highly-esteemed minis 
 ter has expressed a hint of this sort to the writer of these 
 pages, adding, with a tone of regret : " And yet I consider 
 his defence of the position, that the Church is simply and 
 nakedly a witness for the truth of God, as revealed in 
 His Word, as the most important service rendered by 
 him to the Church, in the department of ecclesiasticism." 
 
 We more than suspect this misapprehension to have 
 its origin in two sources. Dr. Thornwell was never fac 
 tious in his opposition to views prevalent in the Church. 
 Intense and clear as his own convictions to the contrary 
 might be, this very confidence in the truth he maintained, 
 enabled him. to bide God s time, and to wait for their 
 recognition and acknowledgment in the future. Above 
 all men whom it has been our privilege to know, Dr. 
 Thornwell possessed a sublime faith in the majesty and 
 power of truth ; assured that, though buried for a time, 
 it will rise again, and assert its own supremacy in the 
 world. Hence, after a fair effort to win the Church over 
 to the adoption of his views, if defeated, he submitted, 
 with meekness and grace, to what he yet sadly deplored. 
 He did not surrender his own convictions; but wisely 
 abstained from a hurtful and useless agitation, until the 
 time should arrive for promulgating them anew. Thus, 
 
STATE EDUCATION. 327 
 
 after a full discussion on the subject of Boards, he was 
 silent for many years, until it was brought up anew, in 
 the Assembly of 1860, at Rochester. And it is remark 
 able, that the last great debate in which he participated 
 in the old Assembly, should have been the first in which 
 he fleshed his sword after the disruption in 1837. The 
 reader will have occasion, too, to see that one of the 
 closing acts of his public life, was to ingraft his views on 
 this question upon the policy of the Southern Presby 
 terian Church, in her first General Assembly, in 1861. 
 This, then, could not have been one of the subjects upon 
 which his mind had changed. In regard to the Elder 
 ship, this question went down so completely into the heart 
 and essence of the Presbyterian system, that no one who 
 knew the man could believe that he changed his views 
 upon it, without a square and open retraction of his pre 
 vious error. 
 
 Another feature of Dr. Thornwell s character, out of 
 which this suspicion may have sprung, was his passionate 
 attachment to his friends; which led him to yield, as far 
 as was possible consistently with a good conscience, active 
 opposition to their cherished plans. And this complai 
 sance, which was only the sign of a gentle and loving 
 nature, may have been construed, at times, as an assent 
 of his judgment. 
 
 But whatever be the origin of the charge, we have not 
 the least evidence of its truth ; and upon the topic now 
 before us, the writer is able to set it aside by his personal 
 testimony; at least, if Dr. Thorn well s opinions were al 
 tered upon the relation of the Church to secular education, 
 the change must have occurred during the last six months 
 of his life. Dr. Tliornwell died in the month of August, 
 1862. The writer s last personal intercourse with him 
 was in December, 1861, at the organization, and during 
 the sessions, of the first General Assembly of the South 
 ern Presbyterian Church, at Augusta, Georgia. The pro 
 ject of establishing a great University, which should be 
 
328 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORNWELL. 
 
 common to Presbyterians throughout what was then 
 known as " the Confederate States," had been lying in 
 the minds of some. A public meeting was held, entirely 
 outside of and distinct from the Assembly, to discuss the 
 desirableness and feasibility of this project. This meeting 
 was addressed by Dr. Thornwell, amongst others, in ad 
 vocacy of the proposed measure. At this stage, nothing 
 was under discussion, but the general idea of an institution 
 which should be worthy of, and should command, Pres 
 byterian patronage throughout the country. The details 
 of its management and control had not yet been reached, 
 and, through the pressure of the civil war, then in pro 
 gress, were never reached. In private conversation, when 
 solicited by the writer to lend his countenance and assist 
 ance to the scheme, Dr. Thornwell replied, that he would 
 do so cordially, provided it were not made a Church insti 
 tution, organized and controlled by the Church, through 
 her courts. He thought a University might be created 
 by the Presbyterian people of the land, which should be 
 penetrated by their influence and piety, without contra 
 vening the principle, for which he had always contended, 
 that the Church, as such, should not embark in the busi 
 ness of general education. At that time he had not re 
 siled from his original position on this subject; but, on the 
 contrary, he explicitly re-affirmed it, not considering the 
 principle on which it was based as open to any question. 
 Indeed, his opinions, on all public and disputed topics, 
 were formed with singular caution, and were never pro 
 nounced without antecedent investigation. They were 
 not prejudices, but convictions; and, being slowly ma 
 tured, were not subject to fluctuation and change. The 
 reader will discover marks of this caution in the letter 
 that follows, written as early as 1846, to his friend, Dr. 
 R. J. Breckinridge : 
 
 "My mind has been much turned of late to the subject of State 
 schools arid State colleges. From some remarks of yours, in the Gen 
 eral Assembly, I perceive that you have been reflecting upon the same 
 
STATE EDUCATION. 329 
 
 subject. The difficxilty is, to introduce into them the principles of evan 
 gelical religion. There are two questions : 1. Whether it is the busi 
 ness of a school to teach religion ; or whether that duty devolves upon 
 the parent, catechist, or pastor. If schools are merely secular institutions, 
 intended to communicate secular knowledge, the problem about the in 
 troduction of religion is easily solved. 2. Supposing, however, that 
 schools have a higher object, the formation of character, as well as the 
 discipline and cultivation of mind, religion must enter as an element. 
 But by what authority does the State introduce it ? Is not the State an 
 institution founded essentially upon the relations of justice betwixt man 
 and man ? No doubt, if it has a right to introduce religion at all . it is 
 bound to introduce the true religion ; but the opinions of the magis 
 trate are a poor security for the permanent introduction of an evangelical 
 faith. My mind, however, labours on the question of right. Keligion 
 maybe introduced as a matter of science, a thing that ought to be known; 
 but as a living power, a system of Divine grace, what has the State, as 
 such, to do with it? I know that you have reflected much on these 
 things, and I should like to have your matured opinions. The com 
 plexion of the age must be largely determined by the part which our 
 Church shall take in regard to these questions. What we do, should, 
 therefore, be done with great prudence, deliberation, and caution. My 
 mind has rather leaned to the side of State education, biit I have diffi 
 culties. Let me hear from you soon ; and do not omit to say distinctly, 
 whether, in case of the failure of your health, you will consent to become 
 a South Carolinian. The Lord bless you and keep you. 
 " Your sincere friend and brother, 
 
 J. H. THORN WELL." 
 
 A little later, his scruples appear to have been resolved, 
 and his opposition to Church schools becomes more pro 
 nounced ; as will be seen from the letter below, also ad 
 dressed to Dr. Breckinridge : 
 
 "SOUTH CAROLINA COLLEGE, February 24, 1849. 
 
 "MY DEAR BROTHER: One good turn deserves another. Your ar 
 ticle, in the last number of the Southern Presbyterian Review, has done 
 us so much credit, that I am constrained to apply to you again. There 
 is one subject particularly, on which I want you to put out your strength ; 
 and now is the time, or never. That subject isj the System of Denomi 
 national Education, which the Assembly is endeavouring to set agoing. 
 We shall have a disputation from Dr. Smyth, on Parochial Schools, in 
 our next issue. I objected to its insertion ; but finally consented, upon 
 condition of entering a protest against it. But the ceaseless declama 
 tion which is poured upon the Church, from ah 1 quarters, will have its 
 effect, unless some competent man will take the subject up, and discuss 
 it on its merits. Now, you are the man to do it. An article from you 
 
330 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORNWELI>. 
 
 on this topic, at this juncture, will be read with profound interest, and 
 will do great good. Your studies and inquiries have recently been ex 
 actly of the character which fit you for the task ; and I think you owe 
 it to the Church to give her the matured result of your reflections and 
 experience, when so many are dosing her with speculations, conjectiires, 
 and visionary schemes. I sincerely hope, therefore, that you will not 
 say Nay to this request. 
 
 Have you seen the New England Puritan f It evidently winces 
 under your article in our last number. 
 
 "Brownson has at last fulfilled his promise, to review my book on 
 the Apocrypha. He has devoted three articles to my benefit, in the 
 April, July, and October numbers of his Quarterly. His pieces I re 
 gard as very feeble ; but am not resolved in my own mind as to the best 
 course to be pursued. My disposition is to answer him ; but if I notice 
 every reviewer who may take me in hand, I may make business enough 
 for myself to occupy my whole time. If I do not answer him, the 
 Papists may crow, and pretend that they have gained a triumph. It 
 would, no doubt, be more seemly for some other person besides myself 
 to take up Brownson. But I know of no one who can do it, but you ; 
 and it is a task which I could not expect from you, in the midst of more 
 important and pressing engagements. Then, again, any reply would 
 be addressed to readers, for the most part, who never saw or read the 
 Review. The only point gained, would be stopping their mouths, who 
 might represent silence on my part as a confession of defeat. What da 
 you think I ought to do ? 
 
 " Our College is quite flourishing as to numbers. We have two hun- 
 and thirty students. Preston s name has been a word to conjure with. 
 The institution has risen, as if by magic, under his influence and exer 
 tions. But I am very much afraid the charm is soon, too soon, to be 
 broken. He has been, for six or eight weeks, in a precarioiis condition ; 
 and his physicians seem to think that, if he ever recovers at all, it 
 will be a work of time, and of great care ; and the utmost he can re 
 cover, will be some portion of his physical strength. He can never, 
 under any circumstances, be himself again. I do not know exactly how 
 to describe his disease. He was taken first with influenza, which at the 
 time was prevailing here as an epfdeniic. It brought him to a state 
 very closely approximating paralysis. His brain became affected, his 
 mind very much enfeebled, and his speech became thick and indistinct, 
 his pulse was as low as thirty beats a minute. His tongue was as black 
 as tar, and his nervous .system seemed to be exhausted. He was kept 
 up by strong and oft-repeated stimulants. As soon as he could ride, he 
 went, by slow stages, to Charleston, where he is at present : and I learn, 
 from a letter received here last night, that the physicians there think 
 very gloomily of his case. It is a mournful visitation of Providence ; it 
 has caused me many sad reflections. Learning, genius, and eloquence 
 are feeble things to depend on. Without a Saviour, what shadows we 
 are, and what shadows we pursue. I trust that he has been brought to feel 
 
STATE EDUCATION. 331 
 
 and see the importance of an interest in Christ. His mind, I know, has 
 been very seriously turned to the subject. If he should be compelled to 
 leave the College, I shall have but little inducement to stay here. I have 
 endured the bondage long enough already ; and if the society be taken 
 from me, which alone has rendered it tolerable, I shall be strongly 
 tempted to seek a field for the exercise of my ministry, less exhausting, 
 and more congenial with my feelings. 
 
 4 Let me hear from you soon, very soon ; and be sure to send me an 
 article on Parochial Schools, or Denominational Education. * 
 
 "Very sincerely, as ever, 
 
 J. H. T." 
 
 The book on the Apocrapha, to which reference is made 
 in this letter, was the re-publication, in a more permanent 
 form, of the articles written in the controversy with Dr. 
 Lynch, of Charleston. The volume was brought out in 
 1845, and elicited from the Edinburgh Review the high 
 eulogiiim that it was worthy of a comparison with Chil- 
 lingworth. Dr. Breckinridge s reply gave the promise of 
 a review of Brownson s attack upon it, as well as of an 
 article on Denominational Education. It reads thus: 
 
 "LEXINGTON, KY., March 16, 1849. 
 
 "MY DEAR THORN WELL: Your letter of 24th ult. was long on the 
 way. It has only been received within a few days. I will endeavour to 
 comply with your request in regard to the article on Denominational 
 Education. If I am not mistaken, your periodical appears this month. 
 If you prefer the matter for the June number, and will let me know the 
 fact by immediate reply I believe I had better promise it at once, lest, 
 by delay, my mind pass away from the subject, and other things engross 
 me. At any rate, I believe I will just write out my thoughts, and send 
 them to you at once. 
 
 "As to the other matter, the review of Brownson s article on your 
 work, if you will trust that matter to me, I will undertake it with plea 
 sure. But you must do several things : 1. Send his articles ; I have 
 never seen them. 2. Send me, from your pen, such matter, the more 
 the better, as you would like worked into the review of him. 3. Send 
 me such criticisms^ or denials of his quotations, and references* to 
 authority, and such quotations and references to support your own, as 
 may be needful ; for my own library is still in boxes. 
 
 "I will be extremely obliged, if you will send by some one to the 
 General Assembly, a bundle of your articles on the Elder and Ordi 
 nation questions. I never had more reason to thank any friend than 
 you, for those articles, on every account, public and private. 
 
332 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORNWELL. 
 
 I have been very much of an invalid for some months past, and in a 
 peculiar and very distressing way. For a long time I have occasionally 
 suffered greatly, after preaching too much ; but how or why, seemed 
 uncertain ; that is, everything but the suffering was obscure. For many 
 months past, the malady became gradually more concentrated, in a sort 
 of spasm of the whole contents of the chest, or some of the more vital 
 of them, after violent speaking ; and these attacks, increasing in fre 
 quency and violence, are beginning to assume a very serious aspect. 
 I await calmly the indications of Providence ; in the meantime, doing 
 the best I can, and confidently committing all to God. May God bless 
 and keep you, is the prayer of 
 
 "Your attached friend, 
 
 Ko. J. BRECKTNRIDGE." 
 
 The promised contribution to the Southern Presbyte 
 rian Review, on the subject of Church schools, was duly 
 made, and published in the July number of 1849. It is 
 thus acknowledged: 
 
 "SOUTH CAROLINA COLLEGE, May 18, 1849. 
 
 "My DEAR BROTHER : Your very able and satisfactory article on De 
 nominational Education has been received, and will appear as the 
 leader, in our next number. The printer has tormented us very much 
 in regard to our last number ; so much so that we have taken the work out 
 of his hands, and have made a contract with another man, which, we think, 
 will insure punctuality, I have communicated to Preston the substance 
 of your article ; and he not only cordially approves of it, but is very 
 much gratified that such views are about to be printed. He takes great 
 interest in the whole subject ; and as your opinions are the ones enter 
 tained by the leading men of this State, their publication, at this time, 
 will be productive of much good. Such discussions as those which we 
 have already had, can settle nothing. They either prove too much, and, 
 therefore, prove nothing, or they are directed to a wrong point. No 
 one doubts the importance of religion as an element in education, and 
 no one doubts that the Church is a witness to God s truth. But that 
 her commission to teach the gospel includes a commission to teach read 
 ing, writing, and ciphering, is not so plain. In other words, that a com 
 mission to teach one thing is a commission to teach every thing, is, to say 
 the least of it, not self-evident. And yet, this is about the substance of 
 the arguments of Drs. Junkin and Smyth. It never seems to have 
 struck them, that their method of reasoning might be just as success 
 fully employed to divest the Church of all power of rule, as it has been 
 to divest the State of all right to teach. They say, for example, that a 
 commission granted to the Church to teach at all, includes every depart 
 ment of instructioii, and excludes the State from any participation. 
 Upon the same principle, a commission to the State to rule at all, 
 
STATE EDUCATION. 333 
 
 includes every kind of government, and excludes the Church from the 
 possession of any kind of authority. I shall append to our next num 
 ber a critical notice of Dr. Junkin s inaugural oration, which, together 
 with your article, will put before the Churches the precise position of 
 those who are not prepared to swallow down the scheme of the Board of 
 Education. 
 
 "As soon as I can procure them, I shall send you Brownson s articles 
 in review of my book ; and then leave it to your judgment whether they 
 should be answered or not. They require no learning ; it is simply moral 
 reasoning, the application of logic, and that alone. He has exposed him 
 self to serious attacks on the whole subject of the relation of Church to 
 State ; and to expose the tendencies of Romanism on this head, has been 
 my strongest inducement for thinking he ought to be noticed at all. His 
 articles, in my judgment, are deplorably feeble. But if you take him in 
 hand, he will furnish you a text for disclosures which, if our country will 
 heed them, will save our children much trouble. 
 
 I sent you, by our commissioner, one hundred copies of my article on 
 the Elder question. We have still a large number, which we would 
 cheerfully mail to any addresses you might recommend. I have never 
 had a firmer confidence in the ultimate triumph of any cause, than in 
 the final success of the doctrines which it is the object of that article to 
 maintain. Even Princeton is beginning to discover that a Presbyter, as 
 #uch, is a ruler. 
 
 "Preston s health is still very feeble. The Board of Trustees have given 
 him a dispensation from all his duties until the 1st October. He leaves 
 early next week, for Glenn Springs, in this State, and will spend the 
 time in travelling about from place to place. I am seriously apprehensive 
 that he never will be himself again. The only hope is the absolute re 
 laxation which he has resolved to try. I do not think that he has been 
 made aware of the precise opinion of his physicians in regard to his 
 case ; but Mrs. Preston informs me, that they have given her very little 
 reason to hope that he can ever be restored. Her mind is greatly dis 
 tressed, though she endeavours to conceal her anxiety from him. Ho 
 looks well, possesses apparent physical vigour, and, for a short time, 
 enters into conversation with spirit ; but he soon becomes utterly ex 
 hausted in mind and body. His whole system is toneless. It is a painful 
 spectacle to see such a man a mere wreck. He was much gratified with 
 your letter. I have been strongly and tenderly attached to him, and 
 have done all in my power to soothe and comfort him in this deep afflic 
 tion. 
 
 "I cannot close this letter without expressing to you my warmest 
 thanks for the promptness with which you have offered to assist roe in 
 the case of Brownson. Your expressions of kindness touched me very 
 deeply ; and I had rather see him in your hands than the hands of any 
 other man in the Union. His articles are nothing ; but the subject is 
 important. And my mind is so utterly undetermined as to the course 
 that ought to be pursued, that I must leave the matter entirely to you ; 
 
334 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORN WELL. 
 
 pledging myself, if a general war should ensue, to stand by you to the 
 last. May God bless you and keep you, is the sincere prayer of 
 " Your devoted friend, 
 
 J. H. THOKNWELL." 
 
 The reader who desires to peruse at length Dr. Thorn- 
 well s opinions on this important subject of education, as 
 controlled by the Church, will find them presented in a 
 published letter to Governor Manning, of South Carolina, 
 written in 1853, whilst he was President of the College. 
 The topic, it is true, is only incidentally introduced, as a 
 branch of the general argument that the State is properly 
 charged with the higher education of its citizens, and to 
 repel the assumption that religious instruction cannot be 
 adequately conveyed in institutions which are supported 
 from the public treasury. This elaborate paper will be 
 found in the fifth volume of his " Collected Writings." 
 But, as it may not fall into the hands of all who read these 
 pages, and since this subject is interwoven with his whole 
 personal history, we append a few extracts, for the pur 
 pose of defining his position in his own language : 
 
 The true and only question is, Does education belong to the Church 
 or State ? Into the hands of one or the other it must fall, or perish. 
 This, too, is the great practical question among us. The most formid 
 able war against the College will be that waged on the principle of its 
 existence. I respect the feeling out of which the jealousy of State in 
 stitutions has grown. A godless education is worse than none ; and I 
 rejoice that the sentiment is well nigh universal in this country, that a 
 system which excludes the highest and most commanding, the eternal 
 interests of man, must be radically defective, whether reference be had 
 to the culture of the individual, or to his prosperity and influence in 
 life. Man is essentially a religious being ; and to make 110 provision 
 for this noblest element of his nature, to ignore and preclude it from 
 any distinct consideration, is to leave him but half educated. The an 
 cients were accustomed to regard theology as the first philosophy ; and 
 there is not a people under the sun whose religion has not been the chief 
 inspiration of their literature. Take away the influence which this sub 
 ject has exerted upon the human mind, destroy its contributions to the 
 cause of letters, the impulse it has given to the speculations of philoso 
 phy, and what will be left, after these subtractions, will be compara 
 tively small in quantity, and feeble in life and spirit. We must have 
 
STATK K1HVATIOX. : .: .") 
 
 religion, if wo would reach the highest forms of education. This is the 
 atmosphere which must surround the mind and permeate all its ac 
 tivities, in order that its development may be free, healthful, and vigor 
 ous. Science languishes, letters pine, refinement is lost, wherever and 
 whenever the genius of religion is excluded. Experience has demon 
 strated that, in some form or other, it must enter into every College, 
 and pervade every department of instruction. No institution has been 
 able to live without it. But what right, it is asked, has the State to 
 introduce it ? What right, we might ask in return, has the State to ex 
 clude it ? The difficulty lies in confounding the dogmatic peculiarities 
 of sects with the spirit of religion. The State, as such, knows nothing 
 of sects, but to protect them ; but it does not follow that the State must 
 be necessarily godless. And so a College knows nothing of denomi 
 nations, except as a feature in the history of the human race ; but it does 
 not follow that a College must be necessarily atheistic or unchristian. 
 What is wanted is the pervading influence of religion as a life ; the 
 habitual sense of responsibility to God, and of the true worth and des 
 tiny of the soul; which shall give tone to the character, and regulate all 
 the pursuits of the place. The example, temper, and habitual deport 
 ment of the teachers, co-operating with the dogmatic instructions which 
 have been received at the fireside and in the church, and coupled with 
 the obligatory observance (except in cases of conscientious scruple) of 
 the peculiar duties of the Lord s day, will be found to do more in main 
 taining the power of religion, than the constant recitation of the Cate 
 chism, or the ceaseless inculcation of sectarian peculiarities. The diffi 
 culty of introducing religion is, indeed, rather speculative than practical. 
 When we propose to teach religion as a science, and undertake, by pre 
 cise boundaries and exact statutory provisions, to define what shall, and 
 what shall not, be taught ; when, by written schemes, we endeavour to 
 avoid all the peculiarities of sect, without sacrificing the essential in 
 terests of religion ; the task is impossible. The residuum, after our 
 nice distinctions, is zero. But why introduce religion as a science f Let 
 it come in the character of the Professors ; let it come in the stated 
 worship of the sanctuary ; and let it come in the vindication of those 
 immortal records which constitute the basis of our faith. 
 
 "Leave Creeds and Confessions to the fireside and the church, the 
 home and the pulpit. Have godly teachers, and you will have compara 
 tively a godly College. But what security have we that a State College 
 will pay any attention to the religious character of its teachers ? The 
 security of public opinion, which, in proportion as the various religious 
 denominations do their duty in their own spheres, will become alsolutely 
 irresistible. Let all the sects combine to support the State College, and 
 they can soon create a sentiment which, with the terrible certainty of 
 fate, shall tolerate nothing unholy or unclean within its walls. They 
 can make it religious, without being sectarian. The time power of the 
 Church over these institutions is not that of direct work upon the hearts 
 and consciences of all the members of the community. Is it alleged 
 
336 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORN WELL. 
 
 that experience presents us with mournful examples of State institutions- 
 degenerating into hot-beds of atheism and impiety ? It may be promptly 
 replied, that the same experience presents us with equally mournful ex 
 amples of Church institutions degenerating into hot-beds of the vilest 
 heresy and infidelity. And, what is more to the point, a sound public 
 opinion has never failed to bring these State institutions back to their 
 proper moorings, while the Church institutions have not unfrequently 
 carried their sects with them, and rendered reform impossible. In the 
 case of State institutions, the security for religion lies in the public 
 opinion of the whole community ; in the case of Church institutions, 
 in the public opinion of a single denomination. And as the smaller 
 body can more easily become corrupt than a larger ; as there is a con 
 stant play of antagonism, which preserves the health, in the one case, 
 while they are wanting in the other ; it seems clear, that a State College, 
 upon the whole, and in the long run, must be safer than any sectarian 
 institution. As long as people preserve their respect for religion, the 
 College can be kept free from danger. 
 
 The principle, too, on which the argument for Church supervision 
 is founded, proves too much. It is assumed that, wherever a religious 
 influence becomes a matter of primary importance, there the Church has 
 legitimate jurisdiction. This, it has been well said, puts an end to 
 society itself, and makes the Church the only power that can exist ; since 
 all that is necessary is, for any officer, or any power, to be capable of 
 moral effects or influences, in order to put it under the dominion of the 
 Church. The moral influence of governors, judges, presidents nay, 
 even sheriffs, coroners, or constables is as real, and may be far more 
 extensive, than that of schoolmasters. The moral influence of wealth is 
 immense ; that of domestic habits, nay, even personal habits, often de 
 cisive. * The truth is, this species of argument would reduce every 
 interest under the sun to the control of the Church. It is just the prin 
 ciple on which the authority of the Pope over kings and states has been 
 assumed and defended. The argument, moreover, is one which can very 
 easily be retorted. If, because education has a religious element, it must 
 fall within the jurisdiction of the Church ; a fortiori, because it has mul 
 tiplied secular elements, it must fall within the jurisdiction of the State. 
 The Church is a distinct corporation, with distinct rights and authority. 
 She has direct control over nothing that is not spiritual in its matter, and 
 connected with our relations to Jesus Christ. She is His kingdom ; and 
 her functions are limited to His work, as the Mediator of the Covenant, 
 and the Saviour of the lost. And if education, in its secular aspects, is 
 not a function of grace, but nature ; if it belongs to man, not as a Chris 
 tian, but simply as a man ; then it no more falls within the jurisdiction 
 of the Church than any other secular work. * * * * 
 
 "Apart from the principle involved, I have other objections to sec- 
 
 Dr. Breckinridge, in Southern Presbyterian Review, vol. 3, p. 6. 
 
bTATE EDUCATION. 337 
 
 tarian education. I say, sectarian education ; for the Church, as catholic 
 and one, in the present condition of things, is not visible and corporate. 
 What she does, can only be done through the agency of one or more of 
 the various fragments into which she has been suffered to split. In the 
 first place, it is evident, from the feebleness of the sects, that these col 
 leges cannot be very largely endowed. In the next place, they are likely 
 to be numerous. From these causes will result a strenuous competition 
 for patronage ; and, from this, two effects may be expected to follow : 
 first, the depression of the general standard of education, so as to allure 
 students to their halls ; and next, the preference of what is ostentatious 
 and attractive in education, to what is solid and substantial. It is true, 
 that there can be no lofty flight, as Bacon has suggested, without some 
 feathers of ostentation ; but it is equally true, that there can be no 
 flight at all, where there are not bone, muscle, and sinew, to sustain the 
 feathers. 
 
 " It is also a serious evil that the State should be habitually denounced 
 as profane and infidel. To think and speak of it in that light, is the sure 
 way to make it so ; and yet this is the uniform representation of the advo 
 cates of Church education. They will not permit the State to touch the sub 
 ject, because its fingers are unclean. Can there be a more certain method 
 to uproot the sentiments of patriotism, and to make us feel that the gov 
 ernment of the country is an enormous evil, to which we are to submit, 
 not out of love, but for conscience sake ? Will not something like this 
 be the inevitable effect of the declamation and invective, which bigots 
 and zealots feel authorized to vent against the Commonwealth that pro 
 tects them, in order that they may succeed in their narrow schemes? 
 Instead of clinging around the State, as they woiild cling to the bosom 
 of a beloved parent, and concentrating upon her the highest and holiest 
 influences which they are capable of exerting ; instead of teaching their 
 children to love her, as the ordinance of God for good, to bless her for 
 her manifold benefits, and to obey her with even a religious veneration ; 
 they repel her to a cold and cheerless distance, and brand her with the 
 stigma of Divine reprobation. The result must be bad. " The fanaticism 
 which despises the State, and the infidelity which contemns the Church, 
 are both alike the product of ignorance and folly. God has established 
 both the State and the Church. It is as clearly our duty to be loyal and 
 enlightened citizens, as to be faithful and earnest Christians." 
 
 I think, too, that the tendency of sectarian Colleges, to perpetuate the 
 strife of sects, to fix whatever is heterogeneous in the elements of na 
 tional character, and to alienate the citizens from each other, is a con 
 sideration not to be overlooked. There ought surely to be some common 
 ground on which the members of the same State may meet together, and 
 feel that they are brethren ; some common ground on which their chil 
 dren may mingle without confusion or discord, and bury every narrow 
 and selfish interest in the sublime sentiment, that they belong to the 
 same family. Nothing is so powerful as a common education, and the 
 thousand sweet associations which spring from it, and cluster around it, 
 
338 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORNWELL. 
 
 to cherish the holy brotherhood of men. Those who have walked 
 together in the same paths of science, and taken sweet counsel in the 
 same halls of learning ; who went arm in arm in that hallowed season of 
 life when the foundations of all excellence are laid ; wno have wept with 
 the same sorrows, or laughed with the same joys ; who have been fired 
 with the same ambition, lured with the same hopes, and grieved at the 
 same disappointments : these are not the men, in after years, to stir up 
 animosities or foment intestine feuds. Their college life is a bond of 
 union which nothing can break ; a divine poetry of existence, which 
 nothing is allowed to profane. * * * * All these advantages must 
 be lost if the sectarian scheme prevails. South Carolina will no longer 
 be a unit, nor her citizens brothers. We shall have sect against sect, 
 school against school, and college against college ; and he knows but 
 little of the past, who has not observed, that the most formidable dangers 
 to any State are those which spring from division in its own bosom, 
 and that these divisions are terrible in proportion to the degree in which 
 the religious element enters into them." 
 
CHAPTER XXIY. 
 
 CALL TO CHARLESTON. 
 
 OCCASIONAL DISSATISFACTION WITH ACADEMIC LIFE. CAUSES OF IT. 
 RURAL PURSUITS IN VACATION. His FARM. CARE OF His SLAVES. 
 PRIVATE CORRESPONDENCE. CALL TO CHURCH IN CHARLESTON, SOUTH 
 CAROLINA. RESIGNATION OF His PROFESSORSHIP. RELEASE FROM THE 
 COLLEGE. REMOVAL TO CHARLESTON. BRIEF LABOURS IN THAT CITY. 
 CORRESPONDENCE. ELECTED TO PRESIDENCY OF THE COLLEGE. MEN 
 TAL CONFLICT. ACTION OF THE CHURCH. 
 
 rpHROUGH the whole period of his connection with 
 JL the College, there were seasons of restlessness, when 
 Dr. Thornwell seemed to chafe under the restrictions of 
 his position, and to sigh for other fields of labour. Those, 
 however, mistook the case, who assigned this to fickle 
 ness and love of change. Perhaps none but ministers of 
 the gospel can fully appreciate the conflicts which earnest 
 and faithful men of their class often experience. No one 
 is able to stand outside of himself sufficiently to estimate 
 the efficiency of his own labours. He is conscious of the 
 force that goes out from him, but he is not able to mea 
 sure fully its influence upon others. There often appears 
 to be a vast disproportion between the amount of the 
 toil, and the result that accrues ; the disproportion is 
 greater still between the desires which are cherished, and 
 the fruit that is actually gathered. Moments of deep 
 dejection occur to all, when they are prompted to adopt 
 the remonstrance of the ancient prophet: "O Lord, 
 Thou hast deceived me, and I was deceived ; then I said, 
 I will not make mention of Him, nor speak any more in 
 His name." But it always ends as it did with the faithful 
 Jeremiah : " His word was in my heart as a burning fire 
 shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, 
 
 339 
 
34:0 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORN WELL. 
 
 and I could not stay." Such seasons of gloom, it could 
 not be supposed Dr. Thornwell would wholly escape ; 
 and whilst all about him, in the Church and in the State, 
 recognized his work as grand and blessed beyond what 
 common men could hope to achieve, it was not strange 
 if he sometimes sighed over opportunities that seemed to 
 be slipping away without fruit. Of course, this was only 
 occasional. In the main, he was cheered by the assurance, 
 that he had been made the instrument of working a stu 
 pendous change in the religious sentiment of the College, 
 and, indeed, of the State, in the complete overthrow of 
 that blatant infidelity, which previously had seated itself 
 upon the high places of intelligence and power. He was, 
 too, not without precious seals of his ministry in the con 
 version of sinners, who broke down under the majesty of 
 his appeals, and were led by him to the feet of the Saviour. 
 But it was not possible for him to know what multitudes 
 he established in the faith of the gospel; nor in how 
 many young hearts he planted " the incorruptible seed," 
 which, though it lay dormant for a time, sprang up in 
 after years, and bore rich fruit to the glory of God. 
 
 Another cause contributed to this occasional dissatis 
 faction with the College. Dr. Thornwell, notwithstand 
 ing his early preference for scholastic life, which his 
 intellectual tastes fitted him pre-eminently to enjoy, was 
 constituted for action rather than repose. He possessed 
 that peculiar power of magnetizing those with whom he 
 came in contact, which is the first quality in a great leader. 
 His convictions were too intense to be locked up in his 
 own breast ; they must have expression,! or he must die. 
 He could not be a man given to speculation merely. His 
 beliefs wrought themselves into his whole being, and were, 
 almost without a figure, as a burning fire shut up in his 
 bones. He could not but be conscious, also, of his im 
 mense power ift speech to sway the passions, and control 
 the actions of men. The instinct of the orator was in 
 him, always craving an audience ; a theatre upon which 
 
CALL TO CHARLESTON. 341 
 
 its practical efficiency may be displayed. He craved an 
 audience, not of youth just crystalizing in their character, 
 and shut in, like himself, to speculation and theory ; but 
 an audience of men in the sap and vigour of life, plunged 
 into all the activities of the world s great battle, whom 
 he might stir to deeds of renown in the kingdom of his 
 Master. A temperament so ardent, inspired with all that 
 is lofty in truth, and conscious of a living energy which 
 can impress itself upon others, could not always be 
 resigned, 
 
 " Through the loop-holes of retreat 
 
 To peep at such a world, and see the stir 
 Of the great Babel, and not feel the crowd." 
 
 Traces of this will be discovered in the correspondence 
 of this period, and in a temporary withdrawal from the 
 College, which continued, however, only for a few months. 
 The first two letters are addressed to Professor Matthew 
 J. Williams: 
 
 "DRYBURGH ABBEY, July 17, 1850. 
 
 " MY DEAR MAJOR : You will perceive that I am now fairly rusticated. 
 We reached Lancaster Courthouse the day after we left Columbia, spent 
 the Fourth of July in the village, and on the Monday following we came 
 out to our plantation, where we have been settled ever since. The 
 change is prodigious, from the intense heat of Columbia by day, and 
 its musquitoes by night, to the refreshing breezes and invigorating at 
 mosphere of the up-country. My wife is delighted ; and unless she 
 should become tired before the summer is out, it will be hard to get 
 her back to the College campus. There is one consideration, however, 
 which, in our circumstances, will not be without force. The prospect 
 here of making any available amount of the ready, 1 is very slim. 
 Drought, drought, drought, is all the cry. The corn is stunted and 
 withering ; and a few more dry, windy days, will make the likelihood 
 of making bread very slender. There is no chance of reaping twenty- 
 five hundred dollars from these red hills. With seven children to edu 
 cate, and a host of backs to cover, we need some other dependence than 
 Dryburgh Abbey affords us. So we shall be constrained, with as good 
 a grace as possible, to go back to Columbia. But the situation here is 
 delightful. Our residence is on a high hill, in a deeply shaded grove, 
 and commands a rich and extensive prospect on all sides. We are never 
 without a breeze, and the sound of a musquito is never heard. I enjoy 
 the change very much for the present ; and if I were to consult my 
 
34:2 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THOBNWELL. 
 
 feelings, instead of yielding to my convictions of duty, I should be 
 tempted to settle down in rural life. 
 
 "I suppose you have seen the account of the death of the President 
 of the United States.* What it means, it is difficult to conjecture. But 
 it seems God is giving us warning after warning, line upon line, and 
 precept upon precept. Every good man should be found constantly 
 wrestling at the throne of grace for our bleeding and distracted country. 
 I am satisfied that nothing but repentance on our part, and wonderful 
 mercy on the part of God, can save us from the just consequences of our 
 national sins. We have forgotten God, and have been sacrificing to 
 our own drag ; and unless His rebukes should bring us to acknowledge 
 Him, we may be left to eat the fruit of our own ways, and to be filled 
 with our own devices. The subject is constantly in my. thoughts and 
 in my prayers ; and there is nothing that I would not cheerfully do, or 
 suffer, to promote the peace of our beloved country. I have hope that 
 God does not mean to destroy ; that His purpose is to inflict judgment 
 after judgment, until His chastisements shall have been effectual ; and 
 then He will return, and have mercy on us. If He meant to root us up 
 and destroy us, He would probably withhold the rod, saying, Ephraim 
 is joined to his idols ; let him alone. 
 
 "I am engaged in preaching every Sunday. We have several big 
 meetings projected here, in which I am to take part. It is an omen of 
 good, that, in several places in the State, the Lord has visited His peo 
 ple. I sincerely trust that the outpouring of the Spirit may be uni 
 versal. Write to me soon. Next to the pleasure of seeing you, is that 
 of hearing from you. 
 
 " Most truly yours, 
 
 J. H. THOENWELL." 
 
 In explanation of the foregoing letter, it is proper to 
 say that Dr. Thorn well acquired, by marriage, a small 
 estate in Lancaster District, to which he was accustomed 
 to repair with his family during the vacation in the Col 
 lege. To this place he appears to have transferred the 
 name of one of the most romantic spots which he visited 
 while in Europe; and of which, in one of the letters we 
 have already transcribed, he speaks in terms of great enthu 
 siasm. His interest in the spot is marked in naming his cozy 
 retreat "Dryburgh Abbey." His plantation was never 
 of much pecuniary benefit to him. He was an easy and 
 indulgent master ; and it is doubtful if his slaves made 
 
 * General Zachary Taylor, the twelfth President of the United States, 
 died in Washington, D. G., on the 9th of July, 1850. 
 
CALL TO CHARLESTON. 343 
 
 their own support; certainly, they never accomplished 
 much more ; and were often a tax upon him, rather than 
 a source of revenue. He was exceedingly conscientious 
 in securing to them every religious privilege, and con 
 tributed regularly to a minister, who made it a part of 
 his duty to visit the place, to catechize and to preach. 
 Arrangements of this kind were common throughout the 
 Southern country, under the old regime, which has now 
 passed away. Besides being at perfect liberty to attend 
 the sanctuary on the Sabbath, the gospel was brought to 
 the slave at his own door, by the special labours of min 
 isters, who performed the duty with constancy, and by 
 system. When present at the place, Dr. Thornwell was 
 assiduous in the same work, as a catechist and preacher. 
 
 "DKYBURGH ABBEY, August 26, 1850. 
 
 "My DEAR MA JOB: Your delightful letter has been lying by me for 
 two weeks unanswered. Although my heart has prompted me every day 
 to subdue my reluctance to take the pen, every day I have succeeded in 
 flattering myself that it would be easier to write to-morrow. The truth 
 is, I have been attending several protracted meetings, and have returned 
 from each pretty throughly broken down. My labours, at the first, left 
 me in a state of prostration from which I apprehended serious results ; 
 but, through the mercy of God, my system has recovered its usual tone. 
 For two days I was occasionally spitting blood ; my chest was very sore, 
 and my voice very feeble. But I have not only recovered my health, but 
 have received gratifying tokens that the labours which exhausted me 
 have been a blessing to others. One can afford to be broken down, when 
 his decay is the life of others. 
 
 "My family has enjoyed usual health, and my wife and children are 
 delighted with the freedom of a country life. We have had fruit and 
 melons in abundance, and ample space to expand our limbs and lungs. 
 Our friends have been very kind ; and, in the plenitude of their charity, 
 they have never permitted us to be wanting in either good cheer or good 
 company. We look with reluctance to the period alas ! too rapidly ap 
 proaching when we must go back to the walls of our prison. College 
 is to me like a dungeon ; and I go to its duties like a slave whipped to 
 his burden. Nothing keeps me there but the fact that God s providence 
 has put me there, and I am afraid to leave without some marked inti 
 mation of the Divine will. Perhaps a day of greater usefulness may 
 come ; or perhaps the Almighty may open a way for ray escape. But I 
 have so often expressed to you my feelings upon this subject, that it is 
 useless to say more upon it now. 
 
34:4 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORNWELL. 
 
 " The article upon Morell * which you sent me, follows very closely in 
 the wake of the article in the North BritisJi Review, upon the same sub 
 ject. The discriminations were just ; and I suppose the Advocate copied 
 the piece as some atonement for its own extravagant panegyric of the 
 book when it first appeared. I am sorry to see, however, that rationalism 
 is making such progress in this country ; and, if God spares my life, I 
 Intend to deal some harder blows than I have yet done. It is in 
 sidious and deceitful, and is specially suited to captivate the young and 
 vain. The man who has pondered, and is prepared to answer aright, the 
 question, What can we know f is the only man who is competently fur 
 nished against the temptations of this seductive and shallow philosophy. 
 He sees precisely where it stumbles. That all knowledge begins with 
 the incomprehensible, and is bounded by the incomprehensible, is a 
 truth which the arrogant disputers of this world are slow to apprehend. 
 The longer I live, and the more I think, the more profound is my con 
 viction of human ignorance. I can say, too, that I have a growing at 
 tachment to the great truths of Christianity. I feel that I am rooted and 
 grounded in the gospel ; that its doctrines are incorporated into my 
 whole life, and are the necessary food of my soul. I have looked at the 
 matter on all sides ; and I can say, from the heart, th* I desire to glory 
 in nothing but the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. The distinction of 
 being a Christian is the highest honour I would court ; and the shallow 
 metaphysics that would take from me the promises of God s Word, I do 
 most heartily despise. 
 
 " Upon the subject of the inspiration of the Scriptures and the autho 
 rity of the Bible, we shall have some desperate battles to fight with false 
 brethren, before the enemy is subdued. The world will be on their side. 
 They will make the impression that they are very learned and very pro 
 found ; and that their opponents are equally ignorant and shallow, mis 
 taking the spirit of bigotry for the spirit of religion. Keproaches of this 
 sort, which will turn the multitude against us, we must bear patiently. 
 They are part of the cross Which attaches to discipleship in our day. 
 
 " I was much gratified that you approved my article on slavery. No 
 one besides has expressed to me an opinion upon it, and I have seen 
 hardly a notice of it in any of the papers. * * * In regard to the 
 article on the Bible Society, it strikes me that the question there dis 
 cussed involves a matter of no little moment. Is the Bible Society a 
 religious institution, or is it only a secular corporation ? If it be a reli 
 gious institution, upon what principle is prayer excluded? How can 
 persons be united in religious duties, when they do not worship the 
 same God ? The Socinian and Trinitarian cannot pray together ; they 
 cannot be members of the same church ; how, then, can they unite in 
 any other religious institution ? If the Society is only a secular corpo 
 ration, then it is only a contrivance to get up a cheap book store ; and 
 
 * The Philosopy of Eeligion. By J. D. Morell, A. M. , author of " The 
 History of Modern Philosophy." 
 
CALL TO ( HAKI.KSTON. 3-i5 
 
 every variety of motive may animate its members. The principle of these 
 national societies never has been clear to my mind. Their platforms, so 
 broad as to admit everybody that will contribute, no matter who or from 
 what motive, I have never been able to understand. At least, the sub 
 ject is not free from embarrassment. I never read the article in the 
 Review until after its appearance ; but I thought it calculated to awaken 
 inquiry. 
 
 "I have long been anxious that you should write something for us 
 connected with your favourite pursuit. It is a duty to employ our 
 talents for God s glory, and the good of our fellow men ; and as the Al 
 mighty has furnished you with eminent gifts in regard to a particular 
 department of human knowledge, you should not conceal your light 
 under a bushel. There are many subjects which you might discuss, and 
 which I know you can discuss with signal ability ; and you know not 
 what good you might do. 
 
 " The time is rolling on when we must put on the harness once more. 
 One consideiation relieves the gloominess of the prospect: it is that I 
 shall meet some whom I sincerely love, and who fully reciprocate my 
 affection. How glad I would be to see you here ! I know not what ef 
 forts I should not ut forth to show you how much I esteem you But I 
 hope to meet you in Columbia. In the meantime, let me hear from you 
 again. Your letters are delightfully refreshing ; they are like cold water 
 to a thirsty soul. 
 
 "Most truly and sincerely, your friend, 
 
 J. H. THOBNWELL." 
 
 To his old friend, General James Gillespie, he writes, 
 under date of June 17th, 1850 : 
 
 * * 4 i have j ugt nn i sne( j a i ou g ar tide on slavery,* for our 
 Review, which is now in press. I endeavoured to grapple with the phi 
 losophical argument of Dr. Channing and Professor Whewell. It is the 
 substance of a sermon which I recently preached in Charleston; and 
 which, I learn, gave great satisfaction. At the earnest entreaty of men 
 whose judgment I respect, I have agreed to publish it ; and selected the 
 present form as the most durable and useful. As soon as it is out I will 
 send you a copy. 
 
 * This article, referred to also in the preceding letter, will be found in 
 the fourth volume of Dr. ThomweH s " Collected Writings "; together 
 with another important paper on the same subject : a Report submitted 
 to the Synod of South Carolina, adopted by that body in 1851, and or 
 dered by them to be published. These documents give the prevailing 
 opinions held by Christian people at the South on a subject which is now 
 purely historic, and are still valuable as a clear statement of the prin 
 ciples which were involved in it. 
 
346 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORNWELL. 
 
 " What an unexpected calamity was the death of Elmore ! What a. 
 lesson in regard to the vanity of man, and the emptiness of human 
 honours ! His funeral was the most solemn and impressive scene that 
 I ever witnessed in my life ; and was about as profitable to me as any 
 circumstance that has recently happened. I never felt more powerfully 
 than on that occasion, the transcendent value of Christian hope ; it is 
 indeed an anchor to the soul, both sure and steadfast. His corpse ar 
 rived just about nightfall, and he was buried by the light of a few stars 
 above, and a few lanterns below. The body was in such a condition 
 that it could not be kept until morning. His wife fainted at the grave ; 
 his eldest daughter knelt down and prayed ; and everything around us 
 was still and solemn as eternity. The scene impressed me so much, that 
 all sleep was taken from my eyes. I gave myself up to my thoughts ; 
 and was able to pour forth my feelings next day in a sermon, which, 
 I trust, will not be lost upon the young men. My text was, * Be ye, 
 therefore, also ready. Mr. Barnwell has, I hear, accepted the appoint 
 ment to the vacancy. The Governor could not have selected a better 
 man ; and I sincerely trust that our difficulties at Washington may be 
 satisfactorily adjusted." 
 
 "We interpose here a portion of a letter to liis brother- 
 in-law, the Rev. A. J. Witherspoon, who had long been 
 an inmate of his house as a student in College, and for 
 whom he cherished the strongest affection: 
 
 " SOUTH CAROLINA COLLEGE, December 10, 1850. 
 
 "MY DEAR JACK : I received your letter, written from Greensboro ugh, 
 last night, giving us the not unexpected intelligence, that you are soon 
 to be married. Nothing, I assure, you, would afford me more pleasure 
 than to be present on the occasion, and to pronounce the words which 
 would for ever bind you, in sacred and mysterious union, with the object 
 of your choice. But this happiness I am compelled to forego. My 
 duties in the College, and the condition of my family, render it impos 
 sible for me to leave home at present. But, although my person must 
 be absent, my heart shall be with you. My prayers shall be mingled 
 with yours, that the blessing of Almighty God may descend upon you, 
 and that you and your love may live -habitually as heirs of the grace of 
 life. You are entirely too dear to me, on many grounds, to permit me 
 to be indifferent in regard to an event of so much importance. I con 
 gratulate you upon your prospects ; for if anything can be inferred from 
 the name,* you have every omen of prosperity and happiness. My ex 
 perience has taught me that it is noble blood to flow in the veins of a 
 wife. I bid you a cordial G*od-speed; and trust that every returning 
 
 * The bride was a Miss Witherspoon, from a branch of the same fam 
 ily with that of Mrs. Thornwell. 
 
CALL TO CHARLESTON. 34:7 
 
 anniversary of the event may be an Ebenezer in your history, in which 
 you shall delight to recount the manifold memorials of Divine goodness. 
 
 "Your sister, I need not say, is highly gratified at your prospects; 
 and if it were within the compass of possibility, she would not fail to be 
 present, to grace your nuptials with a sister s smile, and a mother s 
 blessing. All the children greet you ; for there is not a soul about my 
 house, whether young or old, bond or free, that does not lovo Uncle Jack, 
 nor a heart that does not leap at the mention of his name. Your boy* 
 knows that something is about to happen, but he cannot precisely com 
 prehend its import. * * * 
 
 " Give our kindest remembrances to all of Dr. Witherspoon s family ; 
 and may the blessing of our covenant God rest upon you and yours, 
 now and ever, is the sincere prayer of your sincere friend, 
 
 J. H. THOBNWELL." 
 
 The year of 1850 was a turbulent one in the history 
 of the College. The Lord of Misrule, who so often 
 delights to break up the peace of our Colleges, asserted 
 now his supremacy. For some trivial reason, the whole 
 Junior class rose in rebellion against the authorities, and 
 and were suspended, making a fearful chasm by their re 
 moval. Other causes, of a more private and personal 
 nature, conspired to render Dr. Thornwell uncomfortable 
 in his position, and predisposed him to listen to overtures 
 from abroad. In the month of March, 1851, the Glebe 
 Street Church, in Charleston, South Carolina, made out 
 a call for his pastoral services, which he accepted. This 
 church had been organized, under the Rev. Abner A. 
 Porter, D. D., as an off-shoot from the Second Presby 
 terian church of that city. It was then in the feebleness 
 of its infancy. Dr. Thol nwell s resignation was accepted 
 by the Board of Trustees, and he entered upon his duties 
 in the month of May. His own letters will give the best 
 account of his brief connection with that church. On 
 the 7th of May, he thus writes to the Rev. A. J. With- 
 erspoon: 
 
 "DEAR JACK: I have received your kind letter. The Board of Trus 
 tees is now in session, and I shall keep this letter open to inform you, 
 
 * One of Dr. Thornwell s little sons, who was named in honour of 
 Mr. Witherspoon. 
 
34:8 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORNWELL. 
 
 in a postscript, of the result of my application. My impression is that, 
 tinder all the circumstances of the case, I shall be released. I have put 
 it on the ground of a personal favour, after thirteen years hard labour. 
 Besides arguing the matter very ingeniously^ in a letter, I have gone 
 round among the members of the Bpard, and fairly begged off. They 
 were very much disposed to kick, in the hope of detaining me finally, 
 and breaking up the Charleston movement altogether. But when I 
 assured them my honour was pledged, and this result was altogether 
 hopeless, they seemed disposed to accommodate me. I think, therefore, 
 that matters are in a fair way. Should I get off, I will probably be in 
 Charleston on Sunday, the 18th. * * * 
 
 " Most affectionately yours, 
 
 J. H. THORN WELL." 
 
 P. S. The Board has adjourned. I am released. The Church, there 
 fore, may look for me on the 18th. 
 
 "CHARLESTON, May 24, 1851. 
 
 "My DEAREST WIFE: Upon my return this evening from Sullivan s 
 Island, I found your delightful letter, written partly in Columbia, and 
 partly in Camden. I had heard from one of the students, who was down 
 here on leave of absence, that Gillespie had fallen from a wall. He also 
 assured me that the doctor had said that he was not hurt ; and to relieve 
 me of all anxiety, said further, that he had seen him, as usual, playing 
 in the campus, the afternoon of the accident. But what gave me most 
 comfort was, that I received no telegraphic dispatch from you ; which 
 I was sure that I would have received, if the child had been seriously 
 hurt. I am very thankful that the Lord has been so kind to us, in pre 
 serving him in the midst of danger. I sincerely trust that He will yet 
 make him the means of saving multitudes from the awful dangers of 
 sin. Let us endeavour to consecrate him, and all our children, to God s 
 service, and to train them up for God s glory. * * * 
 
 "I have just returned from a second excursion to Sullivan s Island. 
 It is certainly the most delightf ul summer retreat that I have ever visited. 
 I met with Mr. Adger s family there, and they took me out to ride. We 
 rode about five miles on the sea-shore, with the water roaring near us, 
 aid the cool breezes blowing fresh upon us; and I could hardly keep 
 from shedding tears, that you were not there to enjoy the scene. I 
 thought of you, plodding your way, through clay and dust, up to Ian- 
 caster ; annoyed by children, ill served by servants, and in feeble health. 
 How I wished you were here. * * * 
 
 "I have visited eight or ten families in the congregation, and have 
 been very much pleased with them. They are all plain people, but very 
 spiritual. I have been agreeably surprised at the tone of piety and 
 prayerf ulness, which seems to prevail amongst them. This circumstance 
 has encouraged me more than anything else. They are people that I 
 know you will like, and will feel at home amongst them at once. Mr. 
 Caldwell and his family have been very kind to me. They have treated 
 
CALL TO CHARLESTON. 34:9 
 
 me with the most cordial and whole-souled hospitality. I sometimes 
 insinuate that my toes begin to ache already with incipient gout. They 
 know what good living is, and yet everything is utterly unpretending. 
 Their hearts are entirely }n the cause of Christ, -and especially in the 
 Glebe Street Church. 
 
 "You will see, from my account of myself, that I am leading a de 
 plorably idle life. I have read hardly anything but the Bible since I 
 came here. I wander about, and take exercise, and bathe. I sleep when 
 and as I please. All study I have carefully avoided ; and every one con 
 gratulates me upon looking so well. I have certainly improved ; the sea 
 air is just the thing for me. * * * 
 
 "May the Lord keep you as the apple of the eye. 
 
 Most devotedly, your husband, 
 
 J. H. THORN WELL." 
 
 To the same : 
 
 " CHARLESTON, May 26, 1851. 
 
 " MY DEAREST WIFE : * * * * I preached twice yesterday, as 
 usual. The congregation was good in the morning, but crowded almost 
 to suffocation at night. The pews are to be rented this week; and we 
 shall, perhaps, be able to make some guess as to how we are likely to 
 succeed. The time is not most favourable now, as many are away, 
 others preparing to go away, and many unsettled. But it was very for 
 tunate, or providential, for the church, that I came down at once I am 
 anxious to have an eye single to God s glory. If it were my purpose to 
 please the people, I could soon gather a large congregation ; but I want 
 to build up a spiritual church, and that cannot be done without the spe 
 cial agency of the Holy Ghost. I cotild soon draw around me those who 
 have itching ears ; but I wish to attract people, not to myself, but to the 
 cross of my Divine Redeemer. Such a work requires patience, watch 
 fulness, and prayer. 
 
 * * * "I am getting very impatient for you to come down. The 
 amplest arrangements are made for your accommodation. As soon as 
 you come, you will go over to Sullivan s Island, and enjoy the fresh air, 
 and the delightful walks and rides upon the beach ; and, if you will risk 
 it, the bathing in the sea. Take the best care of yourself ; and be sure 
 to come down at the time appointed. 
 
 "Most devotedly, your husband, 
 
 J. H. THOENWELL," 
 
 To the Rev. A. J. Witherspoon : 
 
 "SULLIVAN S ISLAND, June 17, 1851. 
 
 " MY DEAE JACK : I was truly rejoiced to hear from you this evening, 
 though extremely sorry to learn that your health has been so feeble. You 
 must not overtask yourself : a righteous man is merciful to his beast. 
 
350 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THOKNWELL. 
 
 You have no right to commit suicide. The ministry of the gospel is a 
 noble calling ; but, like every other pursuit, we must engage in it ac 
 cording to our strength, and not beyond it. I have some experience in 
 the matter, and am fully satisfied that, in reference to it, as well as every 
 other enterprise, the old maxim, festina lente, is a wise one. You will 
 be able to accomplish more in the long run, by not overtasking yourself 
 at the beginning. He that has a long race before him, sets off at a 
 moderate pace. The thing to be guarded against is, sparing ourselves 
 from indolence, or the love of ease ; that is sinful. But when a man 
 really aims at God s glory, and husbands his resources for larger and 
 more effective service, he is no more to be condemned than the thrifty 
 economist who guards against a prodigality which his means do not 
 authorize him to indulge in. I have nothing to say in regard to the 
 Louisiana scheme, but to urge you to do, what I know you will not be 
 backward to do, to commit the whole matter to the Lord, and to ask 
 counsel from him. If He does not call you, He will make it plain to you 
 in some way or other, if you humbly and honestly seek His guidance. 
 All that I would say is, the Lord s will be done. 
 
 "Your sister reached Charleston on Saturday. I was deplorably lone 
 some without her, occasionally very blue ; but her presence has acted 
 like a charm, and cheered me amazingly. The church here is getting 
 along as well as could be expected. The congregations are very good in 
 the morning, and at night we have a perfect jam. So many people have 
 had to be turned off from inability to get into the house, that I am afraid 
 they will be discouraged from coining. I have been preaching some very 
 close and searching sermons. My impression is that, in the course of 
 the winter, I shall be able to gather a very respectable permanent con 
 gregation. The prospect, at least, is a very encouraging one ; and I am 
 not sanguine about such things. * * * * The Lord bless you and 
 and keep you, and guide you into all truth and duty. 
 Most truly yours, 
 
 J. H. TnOBNWELIi." 
 
 The following is addressed to his little son, not yet 
 seven years of age. It reveals him as a Christian father, 
 in his intercourse with his little ones : 
 
 "SULLIVAN S ISLAND, June 17, 1851. 
 
 "MY DEAB GILLESPIE: Your mother is now with me, and we often 
 think and talk and pray about our dear little boy in Sumter District. We 
 know that you are in the hands of kind friends, who will take the best 
 care of you. But we are very anxious that you should try and be a good 
 boy vourself. You must mind everything that cousin Sarah Ann, or Mr. 
 Knox, says to you. Learn all the lessons they give you ; use no bad 
 words ; answer your questions every Sunday ; and pray to God every 
 morning and night. It would do your father a great deal of good to see 
 
CALL TO CHARLESTON. 351 
 
 you fond of reading the Bible, and other books. I hope that God may 
 yet make you a preacher. There is nothing that would please me so 
 much as to see you a good man, and in the pulpit. You must not think 
 it smart to be rude and boisterous, and cruel to poor animals, that cannot 
 help themselves. You must not curse or swear, for anything in the 
 world ; and no matter what you do, never tell a story ; always speak out 
 the truth, whatever may be the consequences. 
 
 " I wish you could be here to see the great sights that are to be seen. 
 Your mother goes down every day into the big waters, and lies down in 
 them until they cover her up. It is good for her health. She has al 
 ready improved a great deal since she came down. We often walk on 
 the sea shore ; and she picks up a whole parcel of pretty little shells, 
 which she intends to carry home, and give them to you children. We 
 see a great many ships, and steamboats, and little boats, sailing about 
 every day. You would enjoy it very much. But I know you are happy 
 among the tall pines of Sumter. You get so many good things to eat, 
 I am afraid you will not be willing to conie home again. I want you to 
 be happy, and to enjoy yourself ; but at the same time, I want you to 
 be good. May the Lord bless you, my son, and take care of you ; and 
 make you, some day, a useful preacher. 
 
 " Your affectionate father, 
 
 J. H. THORN WELL." 
 
 To the Eev. Thomas E. Peck : 
 
 "SULLIVAN S ISLAND, July 1, 1851. 
 
 " MY DEAE THOMAS : I received your welcome letter on Saturday, all 
 the more welcome for being gratuitous. As to your mental depression, 
 I can hardly prescribe a cure. If it arises from dyspepsia, nervous irri 
 tation, indigestion, or costiveness, the best thing you can do will proba 
 bly be to take a blue pill. If it arises from a sense of sin, of guilt, un- 
 worthiness, and misery, there is a fountain open for such disorders ; and 
 the way of access you know better than I can tell you. If your gloom 
 is occasioned by a feeling of unprofitableness as a minister, by doubts 
 as to the propriety of your occupying your present position, your true 
 place is to remain cheerfully and comfortably where you are, until God, 
 in His providence, calls you to another sphere. An honest desire to 
 know God s will is the best security against misfctke. He will not per 
 mit those who humbly seek His direction, to wander in forbidden paths. 
 You may not have the success that you want ; but if your labour is ac 
 cepted of God, that is enough. Wait upon Him, and He will guide you 
 with His eye. 
 
 "I have been here now for seven weeks, and have spent most of 
 the time upon the sea shore. The atmosphere has been balmy and 
 refreshing; and the entire exemption from all labour, except that of 
 preaching on Sundays, has been very grateful to my body. The pros 
 pect of success, in my new charge, is not without encouragement. 
 There are some circumstances, however, which are calculated to operate 
 
352 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORNWELL. 
 
 against us. The church itself is not a comfortable building. It is not 
 only small in its proportions, but jammed and crowded in its pews. 
 The location, also, is very obscure ; and, in addition to all this, the idea 
 of a pauper missionary enterprise seems to have been associated with it. 
 None of these considerations have any weight with me, but the first. I 
 wish the house were larger and more comfortable. I do not wish a fine 
 church ; I have no idea of drawing people to Christ by bricks and mor 
 tar ; but I want it like a gentleman s dress, free from criticism. We 
 shall either have to build another, or to remodel the present. Our con 
 gregations at night are very large ; our morning, which is our congre 
 gation, seems to be steadily increasing. But I can form no definite 
 opinion as to the result of my removal, until next winter. We shall 
 then see whether there is much demand for our pews. My great wish 
 is to organize a congregation whose bond of union shall be the gospel 
 in its life and power. 
 
 "Pimgent and searching evangelical preaching is much needed in 
 this city. Fine houses, splendid organs, fashionable congregations, 
 these seem to be the rage. It is not asked, what a man preaches ; but 
 where he preaches, and to whom. If he has an imposing building, 
 adorned with sofas for the rich to lounge on, where they are lulled into 
 repose by an equally imposing orchestra, that is the place for a gen 
 tleman; and to go there twice on Sunday, is to worship God. This 
 state of feeling I am anxious to see thoroughly undermined, and 
 broken up. It insinuates itself under the most artful and seducing 
 pleas ; and we often find ourselves the victims of its influence, when 
 we supposed that we were only zealous for the diffusion of religion. I 
 am afraid that, throughout the country, our Presbyterian population is 
 too much giving way to it. We cannot wield such weapons ; they be 
 long to Prelacy and Popery. And if, in a silent, secret, imperceptible 
 way, I can do anything here to arrest it, I shall feel that I have accom 
 plished a noble work. If I can make what is preached the standard of 
 judgment, in regard to a minister or church, I shall feel that I have 
 done much. 
 
 "I am glad that Dr. Breckinridge is about to discuss the subject of 
 instrumental music. It is getting to be a very great evil. Every church 
 here, I think, has an instrument of some kind, but mine and the Metho 
 dists. At any rate, there is a decided taste for them. 
 
 "Do you still eatsheep? If so, this is the place for you. The 
 Charleston market abounds with lambs, from a month to a year old ; 
 but I have not touched them. Let me hear from you soon. 
 "Most truly yours, 
 
 J. H. THOBNWELL." 
 
 The foregoing letters give the account of Dr. Thorn- 
 well s very brief connection with the Glebe Street church, 
 in the city of Charleston, which was destined to be very 
 
CALL TO CHARLESTON. 353 
 
 suddenly broken. It is remarkable that every effort 
 made by him to escape from the duties of academic life, 
 was instantly arrested. Indeed, his whole career shows 
 how often Divine providence holds a man to a given sta 
 tion, even against his own wishes in the case, until his 
 work in it is fully done. This was the third attempt to 
 leave the College for a pastoral charge, since 1837, when 
 he first entered its service. On the 2d of December, 1851, 
 Dr. Thoruwell was elected President of the South Caro 
 lina College, in the place of the Hon. W. C. Preston, 
 whom increasing ill health compelled to resign. The 
 letter which follows discloses the conflict through which 
 he passed, before this position was accepted : 
 
 " CHARLESTON, December 12, 1851. 
 
 " MY DEAREST WIFE : I am surprised at your looking for me home, as 
 you must remember that I told you I had a speech to make before the 
 Charleston College to-night It was for that reason that I have spent 
 the week here. I made my speech to-night ; and, so far as I know, it 
 took very well. It was delivered in the chapel of the Charleston Col 
 lege. The auditory was small, but select ; and the speech amazingly dry 
 and metaphysical. * * * 
 
 " I have passed a week of severe and bitter conflict. It has been my 
 earnest desire to know and to do the Lord s will. I have endeavoured 
 to suppress every other feeling, but a simple eye to the glory of God. 
 But I had no idea of the strength of attachment that is felt here for me. 
 The people cannot speak upon the subject without bursting into tears. 
 The prospect of usefulness is more promising than it has ever been be 
 fore ; and the congregation has endeavoured to meet the thing in the 
 right spirit. They had a special prayer-meeting last night ; and every 
 member of the church, that was not providentially hindered, was there , 
 and the scene was a truly melting one. They say that Martin prayed 
 like a man inspired. These things have moved me very deeply. I 
 know the people respected and esteemed very highly ; but I had no idea 
 of the love, the real love, that they had for me, as a minister of the gos 
 pel. It makes the trial very severe and painful to me. The Session 
 had a meeting last night ; and we have determined to lay the matter 
 before the congregation on Monday. I feel that, after all the prayer 
 which has been offered in the case, the decision of the congregation will 
 be for the glory of God. They will approach the subject in the right 
 spirit ; and I am persiiaded that God will direct them. Whatever they 
 decide, I shall feel bound in honour to abide by. If you could have been 
 with me this week, you would have been satisfied that it is a most serious 
 
354 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THOKNWELL. 
 
 step to give up so delightful a charge for the martyrdom of College. 
 My impression is, that the congregation will hold on to me. I think 
 their existence, in a measure, depends upon it; and if they do, they 
 will cling more closely to me than they would otherwise have done. I 
 am reconciled to whatever Providence may order, as I have honestly 
 sought to kno-v\ my duty. Under this state of the case, you may have 
 the comfort of knowing that our suspense will soon be over. On Mon 
 day the question will be settled ; and I sincerely trust that your mind 
 may be reconciled to any issue. As a matter of feeling, of comfort, of 
 happiness, of usefulness to my family, I prefer the Church. In some 
 other respects, the College may have the advantage ; though even here 
 my mind is not clear. The thing that most distresses me is, that you 
 may not be satisfied to leave Columbia ; and to do a thing that would 
 grieve you, would almost take my life. But the Lord reigns. Let us 
 both submit the matter to Him, and endeavour to acquiesce in His will. 
 The Lord bless you. Kiss all the children ; and pray for me in this 
 strait. 
 
 " Your most devoted husband, * 
 
 J. H. THOBNWELL." 
 
 By the resolution adopted by the Glebe Street congre 
 gation, in the spirit of a noble self-sacrifice, he was left 
 free to obey the dictates of his own conscience, under the 
 guidance of Divine providence. 
 
CHAPTEK XXV. 
 
 PRESIDENCY OF THE COLLEGE. 
 
 ENTERS UPON THE PRESIDENCY or THE SOUTH CAROLINA COLLEGE. FIT 
 NESS FOR THAT POSITION. His IDEA OF THE HIGHER EDUCATION. A 
 COMPULSORY CURRICULUM PREFERRED TO THE ELECTIVE COURSES OF 
 THE UNIVERSITY. VIKWS DEVELOPED IN HIS LETTER TO GOVERNOR 
 MANNING. VISIT TO OLDER INSTITUTIONS AT THE NORTH. AT CAM 
 BRIDGE. LETTERS WRITTEN THERE. AT NEW HAVEN. LETTERS. 
 SPEECH AT THE YALE DINNER. 
 
 DR. THORNWELL entered upon his duties, as Presi 
 dent of the South Carolina College, in the month of 
 January, 1852. He brought to this responsible position 
 a large experience as a Professor in this very school, and 
 was fully acquainted with its excellencies and its detects. 
 His views upon the whole subject of education were also 
 fully matured. He properly considered its first object to 
 be the discipline of the mind, to elicit its dormant powers, 
 and to train these for vigorous self-action ; whilst the mere 
 acquisition of knowledge he regarded as secondary in 
 importance. His favourite idea was to restrict under 
 graduates to studies by which the mind may be systema 
 tically developed; and at the close of a prescribed and 
 compulsory curriculum, to engraft upon the College the 
 main features of the University system, with its large and 
 varied apparatus for the fuller communication of know 
 ledge. He has been accused of disparaging the natural 
 sciences as a part of liberal education ; in which there is 
 undoubtedly a misapprehension of his true position. He 
 certainly did not estimate them highly as instruments of 
 mental discipline; and thus assigned them a small place 
 in that scheme of education which is intended to train the 
 mind. But he would give them ample scope in that broader 
 
 355 
 
356 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORN WELL. 
 
 scheme, which takes the disciplined mind and adorns it 
 with various knowledge. He simply shifted their position 
 from the gymnasium to the University; and would rejoice 
 in their cultivation as the furniture, rather than as the 
 diet of the mind. 
 
 He was a zealous advocate of common school education 
 among the masses; but firmly held to the opinion, that 
 knowledge, after all, is diffused by its own law of descent 
 from above, below percolating through society from the 
 surface to the lowest bed beneath. Hence, he laboured 
 to promote the highest education among the few, as the 
 surest way to quicken and enlighten the less favoured 
 masses. It is hard to swim against the current of the age. 
 His grand ideal of an institution, which should unite the 
 thorough training of the gymnasium with the large cul 
 ture of the University, was never realized; and he has 
 left the great problem of education yet to be solved : how 
 to adjust the wide diffusion of knowledge with that depth 
 and accuracy of learning which it was the object of his 
 life to secure. 
 
 A few extracts from his celebrated letter to Governor 
 Manning will present his views on these points autho 
 ritatively to the reader. He thus speaks of the design 
 which the College has in view : 
 
 "Devoted to the interests of general, in contradistinction from pro 
 fessional, education, its design is to cultivate the mind without reference 
 to any ulterior pursuits. The student is considered an end to himself ; 
 his perfection as a man simply, being the aim of his education. The 
 culture of the mind, however, for itself, contributes to its perfection as 
 an instrument ; so that general education, while it directly prepares and 
 qualifies for no special distinction, indirectly trains for every vocation 
 in which success is dependent upon intellectual exertion. It has taught 
 the mind the use of its powers, and imparted those habits without which 
 those powers would be useless. It makes men, and consequently pro 
 motes every enterprise in which men are to act. General education 
 being the design of a College, the fundamental principles of its organi 
 zation are easily deduced : 
 
 "1. The selection of studies must be made, not with reference to the 
 comparative importance of their matter, or the practical value of the 
 
PRESIDENCY OF THE COLLEGE. 357 
 
 knowledge, but with reference to their influence in unfolding and 
 strengthening the powers of the mind. As the end is to improve miud, 
 the fitness for the end is the prime consideration. * * * Hence, the 
 introduction of studies upon the ground of their practical utility is, pro 
 tanto, subversive of the College. It is not its office to make planters, 
 mechanics, lawyers, physicians, or divines. It has nothing directly to 
 do with the uses of knowledge. Its business is with minds, and it em 
 ploys science only as an instrument for the improvement and perfection 
 of mind. "With it the habit of sound thinking is more than a thousand 
 thoughts. When, therefore, the question is asked, as it often is asked, 
 by ignorance and empiricism, what is the use of certain departments of 
 the College curriculum ? the answer should turn, not upon the benefits 
 which in after life may be reaped from these pursuits, but upon their 
 immediate subjective influence upon the cultivation of the human facul 
 ties. They are selected in preference to others, because they better train 
 the mind. It cannot be too earnestly inculcated, that knowledge is not 
 the principal end of College instruction, but habits. The acquisition of 
 knowledge is the necessary result of these exercises, which terminate in 
 habits, and the maturity of the habit is measured by the degree and 
 accuracy of the knowledge ; but still, the habits are the main thing 
 
 "2. In the next place, it is equally important that the whole course of 
 studies be rigidly exacted of every student. Their value, as a discipline, 
 depends altogether upon their being studied ; and every College is de 
 fective in its arrangements which fails to secure, as far as legislation 
 can secure it, this indispensable condition of success. * * * The 
 curriculum must be compulsory, or the majority of students will neglect 
 it. All must be subjected to catechetical examinations in the lecture- 
 room, and all must undergo the regular examinations of their classes, as 
 the condition of their residence in College. The moment they are ex 
 empted from the stringency of this rule, all other means lose their power 
 upon the mass of pupils. ****** 
 
 "3. Another cardinal principle in the organization of the College, is 
 the independence of its teachers. They should be raised above all 
 temptation of catering for popularity, of degrading the standard of edu 
 cation for the sake of the loaves and fishes. They should be prepared 
 to officiate as priests in the temple of learning, in pure vestments, and 
 with hands unstained with a bribe. * * * The true security for the 
 ability of the professional corps, is not to be sought in starving them, 
 or in making them scramble for a livelihood; but in the competency, 
 zeal, and integrity of the body that appoints them, and in the strict re 
 sponsibility to which they are held." * * * * 
 
 He then proceeds to refute the objection, that the 
 higher education benefits only the privileged few who 
 can avail themselves of it : 
 
358 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THOKNWELL. 
 
 "It is great weakness to suppose that nothing can contribute to the 
 general good, the immediate ends of which are not realized in the case 
 of every individual. * * * The educated men, in every community, 
 are the real elements of steady and consistent progress. They are gen 
 erally in advance of their generation ; light descends from them to their 
 inferiors ; and by a gradual and imperceptible influence, emanating from 
 the solitary speculations, it may be, of their secret hours, the whole 
 texture, of society is modified, a wider scope is given to its views, and a 
 loftier end to its measures. They are the men who sustain and carry 
 forward the complicated movements of a refined civilization ; the real 
 authors of the changes which constitute epochs in the social elevation 
 of the race. Pitt could not understand, and Fox refused to read, the 
 masterly speculations of Adam Smith upon the Wealth of Nations. He 
 was ahead of his age. The truth gradually worked its way, however, 
 into minds of statesmen and legislators ; and now, no one is held to be 
 fit for any public employment who is not imbued with the principles 
 of political economy. * * * The solitary scholar wields a lever 
 which raises the whole mass of society. It is a high general education 
 which shapes the mind, and controls the opinions of the guiding spirit 
 of the age ; it is this which keeps up the general tone of society ; it is 
 at once conservative and progressive. * * * * 
 
 "In the next place, it should not be omitted that general education 
 is the true source of the elevation of the masses, and of the demand for 
 popular instruction. Every educated man is a centre of light ; and his 
 example and influence create the consciousness of ignorance and the 
 sense of need, from which elementary schools have sprung. Defective 
 culture is never conscious of itself, until it is brought in contact with 
 superior power. There may be a conviction of ignorance, in reference to 
 special things, and a desire of knowledge, as the means of accomplishing 
 particular ends ; but the need of intellectual improvement, on its own 
 account, never is awakened spontaneously. * * * * Hence, it is 
 knowledge which creates the demand for knowledge, which causes igno 
 rance to be felt as an evil ; and hence it is the education, in the first 
 instance, of the few, which has awakened the strong desire for the illumi 
 nation of the many. Let knowledge, however, become stagnant ; let no 
 provision be made for the constant activity of the highest order of minds, 
 in the highest spheres of speculation ; and the torpor would be commu 
 nicated downwards, until the whole community was benumbed. * * * 
 Scholars are, therefore, the real benefactors of the people ; and he does 
 more for popular education who founds a University, than he who in 
 stitutes a complete and adequate machinery of common schools. The 
 reason is obvious : the most potent element of public opinion is wanting, 
 where only a low form of culture obtains ; the common schools, having 
 no example of anything higher before them, would soon degenerate, 
 and impart only a mechanical culture if they did not, which I am in 
 clined to think would be the case, from their want of life if they did 
 not permit the people to relapse into barbarism. Colleges, on the other 
 
PRESIDENCY OF THE COLLEGE. 359 
 
 hand, will create the demand for lower culture ; and private enterprise, 
 under the stimulus imparted, would not be backward in providing it. " 
 
 With these views as to the importance of the higher 
 education, and of the discipline necessary to its attain 
 ment, Dr. Thorn well entered upon the administration of 
 the College. He evinced his zeal in the discharge of his 
 new trust, by devoting the first vacation to a visjt north 
 ward, that he might inspect the methods which obtained 
 in the older and more celebrated institutions of Cam 
 bridge and Yale. His impressions will be best commu 
 nicated in the letters which he wrote during that tour. 
 The first is addressed to the Rev. A. J. Witherspoon; 
 which we introduce, partly because it opens his plan of 
 visitation, but chiefly because it reveals a severe bereave 
 ment in the death of a little daughter, his youngest, at 
 the age of eighteen months. 
 
 " COLUMBIA, June 28, 1852. 
 
 " MY DEAR JACK : It has been a long time since I heard from yon, and 
 though I have been extremely anxious about you, I have been living in 
 hopes that every day would find you on your return to your dear native 
 State. I am just from the Waxhaws, whither I had gone on a melancholy 
 errand, the burial of my sweet babe, Mary Elizabeth She died on the 
 20th inst. , and I took her to the last resting place of her little sister, 
 who had preceded her to heaven by many years. It was a sad office, 
 but I trust God has sanctified it to my good. I feel that my child has 
 blessed me in her death, though it was denied her to bless me by her 
 life. But it moves many a painful thought, that such was my ingrati 
 tude, such my guilty distance from God, that it cost the life of my little 
 one to bring me to a sound mind. ***** 
 
 44 Our vacation has begun. I shall leave the last of this week for 
 Charleston, and from there I shall go to the North. I propose to visit 
 several of the northern Colleges, Harvard, Yale, Dartmouth, &c., at 
 their commencements, in order to collect such hints as may be useful to 
 me in the conduct of this institution. I have endeavoured to persuade 
 your sister to go with me, but she is very reluctant to leave the chil 
 dren. 
 
 "The wife of Wade Hampton, Jr., Colonel Preston s sister, died sud 
 denly yesterday. She will be buried this afternoon. Such is life ! In 
 health one day, in the grave the next ! Her husband had completed a 
 magnificent mansion ; it was splendidly furnished ; all things were ready 
 
360 LLFK OF JAMES HENLEY THOKNWELL. 
 
 to begin to live ; and, lo ! in an instant, vanity is written upon all these 
 hopes and preparations. * * * 
 
 "Most truly, as ever, 
 
 J. H. THORNWEUL." 
 
 "BALTIMOBE, July 12, 1852. 
 
 "MY VEEY DEAR WIFE : I arrived at this city about six o clock on Satur 
 day afternoon, and am lodging with Mr. Coulson, a member of Peck s con 
 gregation. . I preached only once yesterday, and that was for Peck. * * 
 
 I had a very pleasant time in Washington. I could have spent a 
 week longer with interest. Mr. De Saussure was very kind and attentive. 
 We called on the President together, but failed to see him, as he was 
 very much engaged at the hour of our call. I spent an evening with 
 General Hamilton, in company with Mr. De Saussure and Colonel Burt. 
 Hamilton gave me letters to the very first men in Boston to Everett 
 and Sparks. Burt also gave me a letter to Mr. Winthrop, the former 
 Speaker of the House of Representatives, a man of very high standing. 
 By means of these letters, I shall be enabled to accomplish very plea 
 santly all that I have in view at Cambridge. I had many other invitations 
 from gentlemen at Washington, which, for want of time. I was compelled 
 to decline. Butler returned while I was there, and was extremely cour 
 teous. He hunted me up, as soon as he came, and offered his services 
 in any enterprise which I might wish to prosecute. I saw none of the 
 clergymen in Washington or Georgetown. * * * * As to my health, 
 I think that I am improving. The pain in my hip troubles me less than 
 it did, though I still feel it occasionally. In every other respect I am as 
 well as usual. But I have a good deal of anxiety about you and the 
 children. You must not expose yourself during this intensely warm 
 weather. You must keep your mind free from care and anxiety. Abjure 
 the needle. Give yourself up to light employments and recreation. It 
 would be a source of great satisfaction if I had you with me. But at 
 this particular time, a man can do nothing but keep to the house and eat 
 ice cream. 
 
 "May the Lord watch over us both, and keep us in perfect safety; 
 and bring us together again, in health of body, mind, and soul. Kiss all 
 the children. 
 
 "Your devoted husband, 
 
 J. H. THORNWELL. * 
 
 "CAMBRIDGE, July 21, 1852. 
 
 "MY CHARMING, DARLING WIFE: I had not thought to write to you 
 until to-morrow night, as we are now in the midst of the Cambridge 
 festivities ; but I was so delighted to-night upon receiving two letters 
 from you, that I must drop you a line, even before the exercises are all 
 over. This has been Commencement day. The crowd that attended 
 was numerous. The exercises were held in a large church, and it was 
 
PRESIDENCY OF THE COLLEGE. 361 
 
 literally jammed and crammed. We had thirty speeches ; just think of 
 that. We commenced at ten o clock, and came out at three. I was 
 assigned a conspicuous place on the stage, next to ex-Presidents Quincy 
 and Edward Everett. After the speeches, I joined the Faculty and 
 Overseers in the College dinner. It was a very interesting affair, well 
 served up, and we had good appetites for it. They concluded the dinner 
 by singing the seventy- eighth Psalm. This has been an old custom, 
 handed down from the Puritan fathers. It was really an imposing cere 
 mony ; and I should have enjoyed it very much, if I had not remembered 
 that they were all Unitarians, witnessing, in this very service, to their 
 own condemnation. The exercises of the young men were not equal to 
 those we have in our own College. 
 
 " This evening I spent with Professor Walker, one of the ablest men 
 connected with the faculty of this ancient University. We had a great 
 deal of pleasant talk about College discipline and College studies. To 
 morrow is to be another great day. Mr. Winthrop, late Speaker of the 
 House of Representatives at Washington, is to deliver the annual oration 
 before the Alumni of the University, after which they all repair to a 
 splendid dinner. I am invited as a guest. I am told that it will be a 
 splendid affair ; all their best men will make speeches at the table. Mr. 
 Everett is to preside. He has been very polite and attentive to me, and 
 is certainly one of the most accomplished men that I ever saw in my 
 life. As soon as I arrived and sent my card, he despatched a very 
 handsome note to me, inviting me to attend the dinner, and called upon 
 me this morning before I was up. We sat together upon the stage 
 to-day, and had a good deal of pleasant, desultory talk. He is what you 
 would call a finished man. We have no other such man in America. 
 Yesterday evening, Dr. Sparks, the present President, called upon me, 
 and made a very favourable impression. They have not been content 
 with mere courtesies. They have also given me some work to do. I 
 have been appointed by Sparks upon a committee to sit in judgment upon 
 the exercises of a number of students to-morrow morning, who will 
 speak for a prize. I accepted the appointment, because I wanted to see 
 and learn as much as I could about the working of this ancient and 
 venerable institution. 
 
 "You cannot imagine how attractive this place is to me. There is but 
 one draw-back, and that is the religion; it makes me sad to see such men, 
 so accomplished, so elegant, at once such finished gentlemen and such 
 aflmirable scholars, sunk into so vile a faith. I have really had scrupies 
 about associating with them as I have done. But it must be confessed 
 that Boston is a great city. There are things about it that make you 
 proud of it as an American city. It is the most elegant city in the 
 Union. Here you have the noblest specimens of the Yankee character. 
 The people here remind you very much of England. There is none of 
 the littleness that you meet with in other parts of New England. 
 
 "Tell Nanny I am much obliged to her for her letter, and will buy 
 her the breast-pin. Harvey I must excuse, and take the will for the deed. 
 
362 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THOKNWELL. 
 
 Bless all the children, and kiss them for me. The Lord preserve you 
 all. As ever, 
 
 "Your devoted husband, 
 
 J. H. THORNWELL." 
 
 "BOSTON, July 24, 1852. 
 
 "My PRECIOUS, CHARMING WIFE : Though I have written to you so 
 recently, yet I know you will not take it amiss that I write to you again, 
 as it gives me great pleasure to commune with you in spirit, when I am 
 absent from you in the body. Last night I attended a very pleasant and 
 agreeable party at President Spark s. This morning he called on me 
 quite early, and we had a great deal of conversation about Colleges, and 
 so on. 
 
 " This morning I came into Boston, and spent the forenoon with Mr. 
 Everett^ in his library. I was invited to dine there, but declined, as I 
 wanted to hunt up the Harts. After dinner I set out upon that errand. 
 I could find no such hospital anywhere. I inquired at all the leading 
 hotels, and no one there had ever heard of such an institution. I looked 
 at all the Directories, and could get no clue to it. I inquired of gentle 
 men in book stores, and they could tell me nothing. I remembered 
 that Colonel John Preston told me he thought the institution was at 
 Iloxbury. So I jumped into an omnibus, and went over to Roxbury.. 
 I inquired at the principal hotel there ; no one had ever heard of such 
 an institution there. I was at the end of my row, and thought I should 
 have to return to Boston with my finger in my mouth. But I perse 
 vered. I went into a store, and asked a shop-keeper. He knew no 
 thing of it ; but said if there was such a thing any where in that region, 
 I could find out by calling on a physician that lived near. So I plucked 
 up courage, went to the doctor s house, rung the bell, a servant ap 
 peared. I asked if Dr. Gotten was at home. Yes, sir. Will yoxi 
 please ask him if .he will step to the door ? A stranger wishes to speak 
 with him a moment. The servant withdrew, and Dr. Gotten soon ap 
 peared. Excuse me, I said, for intruding upon you, sir; but am a 
 stranger from South Carolina, and wish to obtain directions for finding 
 the hospital for spinal patients. Did I not see you, sir, the other day 
 at Cambridge ? he replied ; and did I not hear you speak ? Are you 
 not Dr. Thornwell, of the South Carolina College ? I told him I was. 
 He then very politely asked me into his drawing-room, gave me a book 
 to read, saying that he had to despatch some patients, who were wait 
 ing on him, and would instantly join me. He soon re-appeared, and 
 told me that there was no such hospital ; but added, I know the place 
 you want to "find; it is a private establishment, where a Dr. Barre at 
 tends to cases of that sort. He then got a map of the town, and showed 
 me exactly where it was. I told him that I was very much obliged to 
 him, and would instantly order a cab. No, sir, said he ; I will take 
 you myself. With that, he ordered his chaise, or buggy, drove me to 
 
I RKSIDENCY OF THE COLLEGE. 363 
 
 the place, where I found the Harts ; and would wait for me until I got 
 through my call. He then made me get in again, and drove me for two 
 hours among all the villages and fine scenery for six miles around Bos 
 ton, explaining everything to me as we went. Now, can South Carolina 
 beat that ? My heart was deeply touched at the unostentatious kindness 
 which was thus heaped xipon a stranger. I found the Harts enjoying 
 themselves. They were in good spirits ; and thought that the child was 
 decidedly improving. They were very much gratified at my call. I 
 told them that I would not have persevered so long in trying to find 
 them, if I had not been afraid to go home without seeing them ; that it 
 would be one of the first questions you would ask, whether I had seen 
 them ; and that I should be obliged to tell a lie, which would hurt my 
 conscience, or get a terrible rasping. So, for the sake of peace at home, 
 I was determined to find them out. 
 
 " Though I have received nothing but kindess and courtesy in Boston 
 and Cambridge, I sigh for home. I am sick of knocking about ; it is a 
 sort of life that does not suit me. I sometimes get very blue, deplor 
 ably low-spirited, and think myself an utter blank in the world. My 
 health is about as usual, except a cold that I caught at Cambridge, in 
 consequence of a sudden change in the temperature. It is not at all 
 serious, but it helps to depress me, and make me wish that I was at home 
 again. This eternal bustle in cities, steamboats, omnibuses, and rail 
 road cars, is no rest ; and it is HO horridly distasteful to me, that it 
 keeps me moody. Tell Nannie I shall not forget her pin ; let each say 
 what he or she wants, and I will tiy to get it. So, good-night, love - r 
 pleasant dreams to you, and a speedy meeting with 
 
 "Your devoted husband, J. H. T." 
 
 "P. S. As I did not get your letter to the office last night, I add a 
 postscript, to let you know that I went to church twice to-day ; in the 
 morning, at the Old South Congregational church ; to-night I heard Dr. 
 Fuller, of South Carolina. He produced a deep eifect. He is, in some 
 respects, a very striking preacher. I think I have profited by both ser 
 mons that I heard ; but my Christian comforts are low." 
 
 The next letter bears the same date, and touches upon 
 the same incidents ; hut it is addressed to his colleague, 
 Prof. Matthew J. Williams, and exhibits the affection he 
 had for his confidential friend. 
 
 "BOSTON, May 24, 1852. 
 
 "DEARLY BELOVKD MAJOR: I received your letter yesterday after 
 noon ; and to show you how much I prize your correspondence, I reply 
 to it at once. This is Saturday, and I have been in this vicinity ever 
 since Monday. The festivities at Cambridge occupied Wednesday and 
 Thursday. I have been through them all : and may say of them, quo 
 rum par* parta fui. Wednesday was Commencement day. There 
 
364: LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORN WELL. 
 
 were forty-one appointments, as we would call them ; they call them 
 parts here ; and of these forty-one, thirty actually spoke. Only think 
 of patience on a monument, and listening to thirty speeches from so 
 many College boys ! Well, they are no better than you and I are used 
 to at home. We then repaired to a grand College dinner, and the cere 
 monies there were exceedingly interesting. Of course, after the siege we 
 had had, we set to work con amore ; we talked some, but ate more. 
 The dinner was prefaced by a prayer that would not have seemed so 
 long, if we had not been so hungry. At the conclusion of the dinner, 
 the whole company and an immense one it was united in singing the 
 seventy-eighth Psalm. This has been a custom ever since the institution 
 was founded, and is a living witness of its Puritan origin and aims. 
 That evening I took tea with a Professor of Cambridge, and we had a 
 great deal of metaphysical talk ; and I was very near coming to the con 
 clusion that I knew as much he. So passed Wednesday. Thursday 
 was, however, the great day of the feast. It was a day for the meeting 
 of the Alumni from all quarters of the land. Great pains had been 
 taken to secure a general attendance ; and there was, accordingly, a mul 
 titude there, from the veteran of eighty to the boy that graduated 
 yesterday. Hon. E. C. Winthrop delivered the oration ; it was two 
 hours long, but it was a splendid production. I was actually carried 
 away with it. After the speech, we repaired to the Alumni dinner ; and 
 I assure you it was an imposing spectacle. Edward Everett presided, 
 and opened with a beautiful speech. We had several other speeches, 
 among which was a very short, and a very poor one, by your humble ser 
 vant, and a very capital one by John S. Preston, whom I had introduced 
 to Mr. Everett. At the conclusion of Preston s speech, there were three 
 hearty cheers given to South Carolina. They made the very welkin ring 
 in shouting "hurrah" for our State. The whole thing passed off 
 delightfully. In my speech, I alluded in very flattering terms to W. C. 
 Preston, as a specimen of what our college had accomplished for tho 
 country. I praised his eloquence and genius, etc., and took occasion to 
 state that his brother was by my side. When they heard that a brother 
 of Col. Preston was there, they soon called him out ; and he made one 
 of the most beautiful and appropriate efforts that I ever heard. Mr. 
 Everett afterwards spoke of its appropriateness to me in flattering terms. 
 "Friday, I spent the morning in Boston, and returned in the afternoon 
 to Cambridge, and spent the evening most delightfully with President 
 Sparks ; and this morning he was at my lodgings before I was up ; but 
 I soon came down, and, though he professed to be in a great hurry, he 
 did not leave me for two mortal hours. As soon as he left, I came into 
 Boston, and spent the morning with Mr. Everett, in his library. * * * 
 On Monday I leave for New Haven, where I propose to spend a week; 
 and then what I shall do remains to be determined. I have met with 
 nothing to offend me ; but, Major, notwithstanding all, I have not been 
 myself. I was not myself at Cambridge. I am low-spirited, and withal 
 grievously home-sick. But stil], I am glad that I came. I have learned 
 
PRESIDENCY OF THE COLLEGE. 365 
 
 much. My interviews with Everett and Sparks have confirmed my 
 opinions upon some matters of the last importance to our College. I 
 shall have a learned report for the next Board. 
 
 " But my sheet is full. Kemember me kindly to Mrs. W., Henry, and 
 Fanny ; and believe me, as ever, dear Major, 
 "Your faithful friend, 
 
 "J. H. THOBNWELL." 
 
 We next find our friend enjoying " the feast of reason 
 and the flow of soul," at New Haven, Connecticut. Of 
 this visit no memorial remains but the following letter to 
 his wife : 
 
 "NEW HAVEN, July 30, 1852. 
 
 " MY MOST PKECIOUS WIFE : I have been here ever since Monday, and 
 this is Friday, and you cannot imagine how anxious I am to get a letter 
 from you. I found one here upon my arrival, dated the 20th, and have 
 received none since. What can be the matter ? I have had a thousand 
 imaginations ; but have finally tried to comfort myself with the thought 
 that no news is good news. I am staying at Dr. Wells .* He and his 
 family have been extremely kind. They live in the finest part of New 
 Haven, and in one of the finest houses in the city, and are surrounded 
 with every luxury. They have really set themselves to enjoy life. 
 
 " I never was more kindly treated than I have been here. I have been 
 invited to several parties, and have become acquainted with most of the 
 literary men of the place. The festivities connected with Yale College 
 Commencement terjniuated last night ; and the first leisure I have had 
 has been to-day. On Wednesday there was a meeting of the Alumni, at 
 which I was invited to be present and where I made a speech that, I 
 believe, was remarkably well received. Yesterday was Commencement. 
 The exercises were very tedious ; but I sat them out. * * * 
 
 " I shall remain here over Sunday. I am to preach for Dr. Bacon, and 
 I shall give his people the truth. I have had an amusing interview with 
 Dr. Taylor, the father of New Schoolism. He has been very attentive to 
 me. My health is about the same as when I last wrote. By Dr. Wells s 
 advice. 1 keep ray hip blistered with croton oil. That pain has almost 
 entirely disappeared ; but I feel that my system wants tone and strength. 
 I do not feel that I am perfectly myself. Dr. Wells proposes to take a 
 tour of two or three weeks with me, to various points ; to go into Ver 
 mont, or to go to Niagara Falls. It will all depend upon hearing from 
 home. My heart is with you and the little ones ; kiss them all for me. 
 Ma}* God bless you all, and keep you. Direct your letters to New York, 
 until otherwise informed. 
 
 "Your devoted husband, 
 
 J. H. THORNWELL." 
 
 * A warm personal friend, who formerly resided in Columbia, South 
 Carolina, and for many years a distinguished physician of that place. 
 
366 LIFE OF JAMES HEXLEY THOKNWELL. 
 
 We cannot more appropriately close this chapter than 
 by transcribing the speech made by him at the Alumni 
 dinner of Yale College, from the rough draft found 
 amongst his papers : 
 
 " It is with unfeigned diffidence that I rise to respond to the sentiment 
 which has just been drunk in behalf of the South Carolina College. I 
 rejoice that in letters, as in religion, there is neither North nor South, 
 East nor West. There should be no local jealousies, no sectional dis 
 tinctions. The prosperity of one is the prosperity of all, as it indicates 
 the partial attainment of the end for which all are instituted. I assure 
 you, therefore, that in beholding this scene a scene which touchingly 
 and beautifully illustrates the past achievements and the present renown 
 of your ancient and venerable institution, though I am a Carolinian by 
 birth, by education, and love my native State, and my own Alma Mater, 
 with a love passing the love of woman, yet I share with you nay, more r 
 I enter with full sympathy into the pride and generous exultation with 
 which you must contemplate these trophies of Yale. Here are the fruits 
 of her labours. These scholars, these educated men from every walk of 
 life, from every liberal profession physicians, lawyers, divines, and men 
 more exclusively devoted to the pursuit of letters these are the wit 
 nesses of her parental beneficence ; and I can cheerfully unite with them, 
 as they come from all quarters of our wide-spread country, to bring their 
 votive offering, the tribute of their gratitude and the token of their affec 
 tion, to her venerable feet. Sir, I cannot describe to you the feelings which, 
 on an occasion like this, agitate my breast. It is not quite a week since 
 I was invited to participate in similar festivities at that mother of Amer - 
 ican colleges, at Cambridge. It was the first time in my life that I had 
 ever sat down with such a multitude of men, whose sole bond of union 
 was letters. I looked around me : on the one hand, was the hoary vet 
 eran of four-score years ; on the other, the boy who had graduated yes 
 terday ; and between them, all the stages of human life. There were all 
 classes of opinion, all kinds of occupations ; but all their differences were 
 melted down ; their hearts were fused into a common mass ; they were 
 all pervaded by the genius of the place, and that genius was the love of 
 letters. By a similar courtesy, I witness a similar scene to-day ; and with 
 unfeigned sincerity, I open to you a brother s heart, and extend to you 
 a brother s hand. These things remind us, sir, that the schoolmaster 
 is abroad in the land. The hope of our country is in the combined in 
 fluence of letters and religion. Our colleges and schools are bulwarks 
 and fortresses, stronger and mightier than weapons of brass or muni 
 tions of rock. A pure religion and a sound literature, these are our 
 safety, and should be our highest glory. Education is the cheap defence 
 of nations. 
 
 "I rejoice to say to you, sir, that the institution with which I have 
 the honour to be connected, and where I learned the little that I know, 
 
PRESIDENCY OF THE COLLEGE. 307 
 
 is a sister whose kindred the noblest institution of New England need 
 not blush to own. The South Carolina College is organized upon the 
 same principles, conducted in the same general way, and devoted to the 
 same ends, with the institutions of your own section of the country. She 
 has made, too, the same mistake ; she has" aimed to do too much. I am 
 satisfied, sir, that our American Colleges have conceded too much to the 
 utilitarian spirit of the age ; and, in obedience to it, have aimed at some 
 thing more than that intellectual discipline which should be the object. 
 They have undertaken, not simply to teach men Jww to think, but what 
 to think. They have undertaken, not merely to educate, that is, to bring 
 out, and polish, and perfect, what is in man ; but they have also under 
 taken, over and above this, to put into him what the exigencies of life 
 may require. This, sir, is too much. It is enough for them to fashion 
 and sharpen the instrument, not to give the materials upon which it is to 
 operate. We have all erred in this respect ; but I am proud to say that 
 South Carolina has not sinned so grievously as some of her sisters. But 
 still, sir, she has sinned enough. Our course, as projected, looks to 
 much more than a simple education, or effective discipline. It is largely 
 scientific ; and though we do not turn out men ready fashioned as law 
 yers and doctors, we help them amazingly to the no less mysterious art 
 of rearing a crop, or calculating the changes of the weather. We have 
 enough of the practical to show that we belong to the nineteenth century. 
 "It will certainly be conceded to us, Mr. President, that we have 
 made our mark upon the country. As I boasted in no vain spirit, 
 however at Cambridge, so I boast here, that we have produced at least 
 one scholar, of which any College and any country might well be proud. 
 No name in this country stands higher than that of HUGH S. LEGABE. 
 His article in the New York Review upon Demosthenes is enough to im 
 mortalize him ; but that was only the earnest of his strength. In the 
 walks of public life, though we are not yet fifty years old, and of course 
 never saw Abraham, we have sent men to the councils of the nation, 
 with whom it was perilous for the boldest and best from other quarters 
 to enter the lists in intellectual strife. Need I tell you of McDuFFiE ; 
 not the politician, not the statesman, but McDuffie the orator. He 
 was one of the few men that could still to silence, and chain in the pro- 
 fouudest attention, that most tumultubus, most disorderly, most ungov 
 ernable of all public bodies, the House of Representatives of the United 
 States. It hung with breathless interest on his lips. Like Pericles for 
 it was of Pericles, and not Demosthenes, that Aristophanes wrote the 
 sentence he wielded at will that fierce democratic. Need I tell you of 
 another, in some respects still more accomplished ; a more graceful, if not 
 so vigorous ; more attractive, if not so resistless ; one who could charm 
 as well as persuade. I have listened for hours, sir, to the gifted PRESTON, 
 and have forgotten, under the fascination of his eloquence, that there was 
 such a thing as time. He ruled, like a wizard, the world of the heart ; 
 and we point to him with pride, as one of the jewels of our beloved insti 
 tution. Sir, if in less than half a century we had done nothing but help 
 
368 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THOKNWELL. 
 
 to make these men, our time and efforts and money would not have been 
 ill-spent. This thought suggests to me an anecdote. Ours, you know, 
 is a State institution. We have no funds, no endowment, and but one 
 scholarship, the munificent donation of a wealthy, noble, high-minded 
 citizen, now in the vigour of his faculties. "We are dependent upon an 
 annual vote of the Legislature for all our means. When the College was 
 first established, there was a good deal of prejudice in certain quarters 
 against it; and some districts sent . representatives to the Legislature, 
 who were not favourable to its continuance. On one occasion, while Mr. 
 McDuffie was a member of the Legislature, after he had made one of 
 his splendid speeches, the question of the College came up. The ven 
 erable Judge Huger, then a member of the House, rose and said, in his 
 peculiarly slow and emphatic style : " Mr. Speaker, if the South Carolina 
 College had done nothing, sir, but produce that man, she would have 
 amply repaid the State for every dollar that the State has ever expended, 
 or ever will expend, upon her." The appeal was irresistible ; opposition 
 was disarmed ; and every year, sir, we receive nearly twenty-five thousand 
 dollars from a small State, and from.a poor people. 
 
 But, sir, enough of ourselves. I cannot sit down, sir, without ex 
 pressing to Yale our debt of gratitude for the part she took in fashioning 
 a man, of whom South Carolina will be proud as long as her people can 
 appreciate genius, patriotism, integrity, and disinterested zeal in the 
 service of his country. Sir, you number among your Alumni a name 
 which cannot be pronounced in Carolina without the profoundest emo 
 tion ; and may I not say it, it is rather a glory to you than to him, that 
 his name is found on your catalogue. You took him, sir, when we had 
 no place for him to go to. You honoured him ; you understood his 
 worth ; and you sent him out to gladden and bless the land. Sir, we 
 thank you for it ; we cannot cease to love you for it ; and as that dear 
 and cherished name is one in which we have a common interest, permit 
 me, without any reference to any type of political opinions, permit me, 
 on this occasion, to give as a sentiment : 
 
 "THE MEMORY or JOHN C. CALHOUN." 
 
CHAPTEK XXVI. 
 RESIDENCY CONTINUED. 
 
 CORRESPONDENCE. CRITICISM OF ASSEMBLY or* 1852. TEMPERANCE AD 
 DRESS. LETTERS TO DR. PECK AND OTHERS. PUBLICATION OF "DIS 
 COURSES ON TRUITH." 
 
 WHILE the subject of these Memoirs is occupied with 
 the routine of College discipline, we will employ the 
 leisure in tracing his private life, as opened in the corres 
 pondence of the period. The first letter is dated a little 
 back, and is addressed to his friend, Dr. R. J. Breckin- 
 ridge, in which he criticises the action of the Assembly 
 of 1852, that met in the city of Charleston: 
 
 " SOUTH CAROLINA. COLLEGE, June 28, 1852. 
 
 "Mr DEAR BROTHER: It has been in my heart to write to you, ever 
 since the meeting of the Assembly ; but cares and afflictions have com 
 bined to prevent me so long, that I am now almost ashamed to take up 
 my pen. I have just committed to the grave a lovely babe, nearly seven 
 teen months old. It was snatched away most unexpectedly : and though 
 I trust that I am fully resigned to the Divine will, my heart has bled at 
 this sudden and unlocked for bereavement. It was our youngest child, 
 and a sweeter babe never delighted a father s heart. I am happy to say 
 that the rest of my family are well; but when I see them gathered 
 around me, I cannot describe the peculiar sadness which comes over 
 me as I contemplate the breach in our little circle. Seven children yet 
 remain to me ; two are gathered into the bosom of the great Shepherd. 
 
 " You have probably heard that I did not attend the Assembly. One 
 of our Professors was absent at the time, and another sick ; so that a 
 mass of extra work was thrown on me, which rendered it imprudent 
 that I should leave the College. There were parts of its proceedings 
 which were very unfortunate. The Synod of South Carolina, at its last 
 session, disapproved as irregular, without pronouncing invalid, a pro re 
 nata meeting of the Presbytery of Charleston, at which no ruling elders 
 were present. The terms of the resolution are as follows : 
 
 " Resolved, That, in the judgment of this Synod, the pro re nata 
 meeting of the Presbytery of Charleston, at Charleston, on September 
 
 369 
 
370 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORN WELL. 
 
 Oth, 1851, was irregular; inasmuch as it constituted and proceeded to 
 business without a ruling elder. The Synod, however, admit the va 
 lidity of what they did. (Printed Minutes of the Synod of South Caro 
 lina, p. 19.) 
 
 "This resolution was especially excepted by the Assembly, in ap 
 proving the Records of the Synod. (See the session of the eighth day, 
 Friday, May 28th.) What makes this bad matter still worse, I have 
 seen no one yet who seems to have understood what he was voting 
 about. The thing was hurried through the house without explanation 
 or discussion, and a heavy blow struck at the constitution of the Church 
 in sheer blindness. It was a wretched piece of work, view it in what 
 light you will. Wretched as it was, however, it is outdone by the reso 
 lution in the case of the Charleston Union Presbytery. That resolution 
 quietly ignores all the great principles which were involved in the whole 
 New School controversy. In the first place, the Charleston Union 
 Presbytery is a mixed body. It was originally formed by a union of 
 Presbyterians and Congregationalists. Hence its name. The Assem 
 bly, therefore, in admitting it as a Presbytery, constituted as it is, has 
 virtually endorsed the old doctrine of the Plan of Union. This is one 
 step backwards. ****** 
 
 "But further, the Assembly has, out and out, endorsed the principle 
 of elective amtiity. It has made arrangements for two Presbyteries upon 
 precisely the same territory. The Charleston Presbytery, and the Charles 
 ton Union Presbytery, are to occupy the same ground.* All this mischief 
 was done upon an ex-parte statement of the Charleston Union Presby 
 tery, which statement was never read in the Assembly at all, but referred 
 to a committee, and that committee reported by naked resolution. The 
 facts of the case were not before the House. The committee reports its 
 judgment upon the facts, and that judgment is all that the Assembly had 
 regularly before it. Was there ever such a monstrous perversion of 
 justice ? The statement was printed, but not circulated, until after 
 the committee reported. So, at least, I have been informed. There 
 
 * This exception is well taken, looking only at the terms of the reso 
 lution adopted by the Assembly, which was all, at the time, before the 
 writer of this letter. The resolution read thus: "Resolved, That if 
 the Charleston Union Presbytery shall make known to the Stated Clerk 
 of the General Assembly their adhesion to this General Assembly, and 
 its doctrinal standards, prior to the next annual meeting of the Synod 
 of South Carolina, it shall be the duty of the Stated Clerk to communi 
 cate the same, without delay, to said Synod ; and the Synod shall there 
 upon enrol them as a regular Presbytery in connexion with this body." 
 
 It is proper to add, that the Synod, in obeying the injunction of the 
 Assembly, at once amalgamated the two Presbyteries, which, doubtless, 
 it was expected they would do. But so far as the action of the Assembly 
 is concerned, no guard was thrown against the re-enactment of the 
 exploded elective affinity principle. 
 
PRESIDENCY OF THE COLLEGE. 371 
 
 -were the strongest local reasons why the Assembly should not have 
 touched this business. The Charleston Presbytery had adopted, and 
 was systematically pursuing a line of policy which, in a few years, 
 would have extinguished Independency in the low-country. We were 
 gradually absorbing all its churches. New Schoolism was dead. All we 
 wanted was to be let alone. But now things are put back where they 
 were twenty years ago. ***** 
 
 44 My dear brother, I am sick at heart. Here have I been working and 
 toiling for the past twelve years to bring things into their present 
 posture ; and when everything was moving on beautifully and promis 
 ingly, it is hard to see the result of so many labours frustrated by rash 
 ness and inconsiderate haste. I am depressed and cast down. The 
 Church is going backwards. She has forgotten her past testimonies. 
 
 The suppression of the Popery sermon was significant of the spirit 
 and temper of the men who compose the body. But I have said enough, 
 perhaps too much. 
 
 " Our vacation has begun. I shall leave in a few days for the north. 
 I shall be at the Harvard and Yale commencements. It would do me a 
 great good to see you again in the flesh. Can you not meet me some 
 where in the course of the summer ? 
 
 " The Lord be with you and bles.s you. 
 
 "Most truly, as ever, 
 
 J. H. THORN WELL." 
 
 To Dr. Wardlaw, of Abbeville : 
 
 " SOUTH CAROLINA COLLEGE, December 13, 1852. 
 " MY DEAR DOCTOR : I write to impress you with a deep sense of my 
 gratitude for the favour you have conferred upon me in the exquisite 
 cigars. They have but a single fault, and that modesty forbids me to 
 mention. Still, I may be permitted to regret, for the sake of those gen 
 erous souls that are disposed to remember their friends, that it is be 
 coming at ah* fashionable to put up such cigars in such small boxes. I 
 would have you to understand that there is no virtue that I admire more 
 than I do gratitude ; the ancients prized it very much, and Walpole has 
 defined it to be " the expectation of future favours." The cigars will not 
 certainly last for ever ; and even if they should, it should not be for 
 gotten that hog-killing comes only once in a year, and sausages are 
 always welcome. We love our friends so much, that we rejoice in every 
 thing which gives them an opportunity of showing how much they 
 deserve to be loved. As Mary delights in the commendations of her 
 housewifery, and as there is no one who is fonder of bestowing well- 
 merited praises than myself, I should not at all be disposed to decline 
 the trying of any articles of her preparation, just for the purpose of 
 praising her skill. You have no idea of what eloquent eulogiums I 
 would pronounce, as I discussed her sausages, her turkeys, her hams, 
 her cakes, or any other knick-knack that she might wish to submit to my 
 
372 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORN WELL. 
 
 criticism. I lo.ve to accommodate my friends. And if you should come 
 across another box of cigars, and should be doubtful whether they are 
 better than the ones sent or not, you need not scruple about sending 
 them to me for my judgment, as I assure you it will put me to no sort 
 of inconvenience, and I will take great pleasure in resolving your 
 dotibts. 
 
 " I am sorry that you and Mary were not with us this winter. There 
 is no person that I like to see better than yourselves. If the railroad 
 were not out of joint, I should be tempted to run up and take Christmas 
 dinner with you. One meal at your house would do me for almost a 
 year. 
 
 Most truly, yours as ever, 
 
 J. H. THORN WELL." 
 
 To the Eev. (now Dr.) Thomas E. Peck : 
 
 "SOUTH CAROLINA COLLEGE, April 15, 1853. 
 
 "MY DEAR THOMAS : I was delighted a few weeks ago at receiving a 
 letter in your well-known, familiar hand- writing. My wife and myself 
 came very near having a scramble to determine who should read it first ; 
 but we settled the matter by my agreeing, with all humility, to read it 
 aloud. It was curious to watch the workings of her countenance, as I 
 passed leisurely over your protracted introduction, in which, according 
 to the rules of art, you conciliate attention and propitiate favour. You 
 were perfectly successful. After your preamble of compliments, if we 
 had had a thousand ears you should have had them all. It was literally 
 erectis auribus, that we passed on to the next head of your discourse. 
 I could notice that, as you proceeded from topic to topic, there was an air 
 of impatience, and of eager expectation, on the part of the fair auditor, 
 which I was unable to explain. I could not understand what disturbed 
 her interest in as sweet a missive as I have had discharged upon me for 
 many a day. When I reached the peroration, however, the mystery was 
 solved. A long letter, and not a word about his wife ! Well, well, I 
 am done with Tom Peck ! I endeavoured to apologize ; but all in vain. 
 Perhaps, said I, it is not a pleasant subject, and you would not have 
 him vent his misfortunes on his friends. Or, perhaps it is so pleasant 
 that he is afraid to trust himself with it, lest he should be charged with 
 extravagance or insolence ; or perhaps he has not yet vanquished the 
 shyness incident to his new relation, and feels a little ashamed when he 
 talks of my wife or my dear. I reminded her that all newly married 
 folks felt a little sneaking at first. They had to get used to it, before 
 the thing sat easily. I cannot say that my oratory has been very suc 
 cessful. She cannot yet comprehend the mystery, that a man should be 
 able to exclude his wife from his mind long enough to write a whole 
 letter. But you will perceive that my efforts have been very laudable 
 to save your reputation. 
 
 " I have just returned from Presbytery. It was a bitter pill to be hail 
 fellow, well met, with a parcel of men who have done all that they could, 
 
\ 
 
 PRESIDENCY OF THE COLLEGE. 373 
 
 within the last ten years, to break down Presbyterianism in South 
 Carolina. So far as churches are concerned, there is a present addition 
 to the strength of the body. But, in the long run, I am afraid that we 
 shall lose rather than gain. Some of us are determined to set our faces 
 against the introduction of any more Congregational ministers. This 
 will inevitably produce disturbance. The next pastor of the Circular 
 Church, and of all the little Island churches will, of course, expect to be 
 received on the same footing with their predecessors. The opposition 
 which will be made will lead to controversy, and perhaps to schism. 
 On the score of doctrine, I apprehend but little mischief. I think, some 
 of them are disposed to learn. At any rate, they will have so little sym 
 pathy, if, after all their professions, they should venture on anything un 
 sound, that there will be no difficulty in managing them. Upon the 
 whole, my impression is that the union has put back the cause of Pres 
 byterianism in the low country about a quarter of a century. My com 
 fort is that the Lord rules, and that He can bring good out of evil. 
 
 "We installed Dr. Kirkpatrick, pastor of the Glebe Street Church. I 
 never saw him until Presbytery. He preached once, and his sermon was 
 very sound and evangelical, and had, besides, a good deal of unction. I 
 trust that he may prove a real acquisition. 
 
 " We have sent Adger and Dr. Smyth, to the General Assembly. Ad- 
 ger is one of the truest men I know ; a man after God s own heart. It 
 is a great pity that his eyes incapacitate him for regular and steady 
 labour. 
 
 " I see that llobinson has raised a breeze in Baltimore. I cannot say 
 that I am disappointed in the result. There must have been some who 
 were longing for the truth, or they surely would never have called him ; 
 and it was quite natural that these should cling to him, when his faith 
 fulness was driving others from him. The schism, in my judgment, is 
 an event not to be deplored. 
 
 " I have recently read Bunsen s Hippolytus, and rose from its perusal 
 with a feeling of the deepest sadness. It is an elaborate effort to prove 
 that the Christianity of the e"arly Church was moulded in the type of 
 Schelling s philosophy. Under the pretext of zeal for the cause of evan 
 gelical religion, it annihilates every distinctive doctrine of the Iteformed 
 
 Church. It is in the same vein with . They have drunk from 
 
 the same fountains, and if possible, it is still more superficial. Where 
 will this thing end ? 
 
 " There ought to be some thorough-going exposure of the vanity and 
 folly of the whole school of the transcendental philosophy. There is the 
 root of the evil ; and until the axe is laid there, nothing effective can be 
 done. I am meditating an article on the subject ; but it will require 
 time and patience. I have been studying that philosophy afresh, and 
 am taking it at its fountains. I am now reading Kant carefully and 
 critically in the original. I have sent for the works of all his prominent 
 successors. In the mean time, I am going thoroughly into ancient philo 
 sophy ; and by such a course I hope to be able to beard the lion in his 
 
374 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THOKNWELL. 
 
 den. I have really been a close student this winter, and as the result of 
 it feel that I know less than I ever did before. The sense of ignorance 
 daily grows upon me, and frequently disheartens me. And what is still 
 more distressing, my anxiety for knowledge I find to be too much an, 
 anxiety for glory. What a pity that a man must be kept a fool, in order 
 to keep him humble. 
 
 " The College is getting along very smoothly. We have never had a 
 more quiet and orderly time. What, above all things, we want, is an 
 outpouring of the Divine Spirit. I have prayed for it, and waited for it, 
 but I see no signs of it. I rejoice to hear that the Lord has blessed your 
 labours, and I trust that you may yet see abundant fruit of your faith 
 arid patience. The death of Mr. Spreckleson was a great loss. I felt 
 deeply for you when I heard of it. Let me hear from you soon again ; 
 it always refreshes me to receive a letter from you. My kindest regards 
 to your good lady. 
 
 "Most truly, your friend, 
 
 J. H. THOKNWELL." 
 
 To the same : 
 
 "SOUTH CAROLINA COLLEGE, Angus 24, 1853. 
 
 " MY DEAR THOMAS : I received your letter last Friday, and together 
 with it, your thank-offering, which, in your humility and poverty, you 
 have represented as a dove. It is well that, like the painter in the fable, 
 you have been considerate enough to write the name under your picture, 
 as otherwise there might have been some difficulty in detecting the dove- 
 like properties of the animal in question. It has something so much like 
 talons and claws, and manifests so marked a propensity to bite, tear, and 
 devour, that, in the absence of positive and authentic information to the 
 contrary, one might have been tempted to mistake it for a vulture or a 
 hawk, a species of animal that was never offered in sacrifice. But dove, 
 vulture, or hawk, be it what it may, I am glad to receive it ; and if such 
 contributions are to mark the birth of every child, I could wish that the 
 usual period of the event were shortened in your case, and that you might 
 have new claims to be considered as a father every three months, especially 
 if the ardour of your gratitude should keep pace with the frequency of 
 the blessing. There is nothing like writing to make a man exact. In 
 all seriousness, I would advise you often to use the pen in rendering an 
 account to yourself of the attainments you have made. It* has been the 
 mistake of my life that I have written so little. Learn from my experience. 
 
 "The passage in Sir William Hamilton, I presume, perplexed you 
 only on account of the introduction of the terms encentric and eccentric. 
 The figure is this : consciousness is compared to a circle ; whatever is 
 given in consciousness, is within the circle, encentric ; whatever is not 
 given, is without the circle, eccentric. Now, those who hold that the 
 absolute is & positive element of thought , maintain either that it is known, 
 a thing given in consciousness, and therefore has objective reality ; or 
 that it is merely a notion, represented in thought, without objective 
 
PKHSIDKNVY OF THK (COLLEGE. 375 
 
 reality. The first make it an intuition, an immediate manifestation 
 within the circle of consciousness of the objective reality. This is an 
 encentric intuition. The other make it merely a notion, necessitated 
 by the laws of mind ; in other words, a law of thought. These are still 
 within the circle of consciousness, but not of intuition. There is no 
 matter given, which is necessary to intuition. There is merely .the 
 thought. This was the position of Kant. Others maintain, that the 
 absolute can neither be known nor thought ; that it lies wholly beyond 
 or without the circle of consciousness ; that it is vox et prceterea nihil. 
 These make it an eccentric generalization. Now, the opinion that it is 
 thinkable, is intermediate between the doctrines that it is knowable, 
 and that it is not conceivable. It agrees with the first, in saying that 
 it is something positive in the human mind ; it agrees with the last, in 
 saying that no matter corresponds to it. Kant brought the absolute 
 within the circle of consciousness, but not of intuition. Fichte brought 
 it within the circle of both. Hamilton excluded it from both. I do not 
 know that I have made myself intelligible. If not, it may necessitate 
 another letter from you. 
 
 " You ask my opinion of Sir William s doctrine of cause and effect. 
 I must say that, with all my respect for his learning, and admiration 
 of his genius, he appears to me to have tripped here. His doctrine 
 concerning the integrity of being, and the impossibility of increasing 
 or diminishing it, is really a new form of the absolute ; and involves, as 
 it seems to me, that species of pantheism into which Schliermaeher fell 
 in regard to the relation of the universe to God. Creation is either a 
 substantive addition to being, or it is only a manifestation of what pre 
 viously existed substantially in God. If the latter, it is a part of God 
 in a new form ; if the former, the fundamental postulate of Sir William s 
 doctrine of cause and effect falls to the ground. I am chary of all opin 
 ions which conflict with the individuality of God. He must be kept 
 separate from His works. He is a Person, and acts from will and 
 choice ; and anything of causation which approximates the idea of a 
 development or a derivation from Him, is revolting to my mind. I 
 tremble at anything that has a tendency to make God a principle, or a 
 law. He is a free agent, and does as He pleases. The universe is to 
 be considered as an arbitrary product of will. It might have been dif 
 ferent ; it might not have been at all ; it was all a matter resting with 
 the choice of an individual, a personality. Hence, to know the universe, 
 a pi*iori, is to know God. 
 
 " But a truce to metaphysics. * * * I am at present alone. My 
 wife is on a visit to Abbeville, to nurse her sister, Mrs. Wardlaw, who is 
 very ill. I saw your mother a day or two ago, in the street, who was 
 very much shocked at the simplicity of my dress. She had just been 
 buying some finery, and I suppose her judgment was perverted. 
 
 "Let me hear from you soon. Love to all. 
 
 Most truly, your friend, 
 
 J. H. THORN WELL." 
 
376 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORNWELL. 
 
 To the Rev. John Douglas : 
 
 "SOUTH CAROLINA COLLEGE, July 5, 1854. 
 
 "DEARLY BELOVED BROTHER: I was sitting down entertaining com 
 pany and a stranger, too, from a distance when your note was put into 
 my hands, announcing the mission of the watermelons. I forgot all the 
 restraints of decency and custom, and gave expression to my joy ac 
 cording to the spontaneous dictates of the moment. My exclamation 
 soon collected all the household, to see what was the matter. I pointed 
 to the letter ; they read, and were delighted too. How much happiness 
 one generous action produces ! He is blessed himself, and blesses others, 
 in whom there is much of the milk of human kindness. * What made 
 the watermelons particularly acceptable was, that I had just been deliv 
 ering a cold water speech in a cold water (Baptist) church ; and although 
 it was the Fourth of July, I did not feel at liberty to venture in my fes 
 tivities beyond the region of cold water. 
 
 "I was glad you reached home without melting. We have had fine 
 rains since you left, but the weather still continues deplorably warm. I 
 am afraid to poke my nose out. The family, however, all continue to 
 enjoy good health. I cannot promise to visit you ; I have too much to 
 do. Mrs. T. joins me in kindest regards to Mrs. D. and yourself. 
 "Yours, most truly, 
 
 J. H. THORNWELL." 
 
 The temperance address to which allusion is made 
 above, was delivered at the request of the Central Com 
 mittee of the State Temperance Convention, which was 
 then moving in an effort to secure proper legislation for 
 the suppression of drunkenness. This general policy Dr. 
 Thornwell advocated, though he did not commit himself 
 to any particular measure. Indeed, the movement was 
 only in its incipiency, and no details were as yet fixed 
 upon. In this address, he contended that the whole sub 
 ject came properly under the jurisdiction of law. Law is 
 founded on the rights of men; .and whatever interferes 
 with these rights, with the peace and prosperity of the 
 community at large, falls within the province of legis- 
 
 * Dr. Thornwell never missed an opportunity of quizzing his friends. 
 A poor creature, whom he sent off to Mr. Douglas, after getting tired of 
 taking care of him, was fond of praising his new-found friend as a man 
 " full of the milk of human kindness." It became afterwards a standing 
 joke against Mr. Douglas. 
 
PRESIDENCY OF THE COLLEGE. 377 
 
 lation. Drunkenness, he argued, is in the single act a 
 crime. It is a sin against the whole man, and against the 
 whole law. It makes a man worse than a beast; for the 
 impulses of a beast are his law, whilst ours are blind, and 
 need a law. It would be a great advance if public sen 
 timent could be brought to brand it with disgrace, and 
 not simply to regard it as a misfortune. Again, drunk 
 enness, in its principle, is a conspiracy against the law 
 of a refined civilization. It is marked by the predomi 
 nance of the animal over the rational; and society is 
 therefore called upon, for its own protection, to strike at 
 an enemy that threatens the very citadel of refinement. 
 Further, he argued that it operates like a disease. In the 
 act, it is a momentary derangement ; in the habit, it is a 
 general incapacity. In both forms it affects the rights of 
 others; and the law should interpose, and deal with the 
 drunkard as it deals with the minor, or with the maniac. 
 But all legislation, he concludes, should be founded on 
 the moral convictions of the community, which alone 
 enables a State to execute its penal code ; and a law, pro 
 perly framed, would serve to educate public opinion, and 
 mark the moral progress of a people. 
 
 The following jeu $ esprit is addressed to the Rev. Dr. 
 J. B. Adger : 
 
 " SOUTH CAROLINA. COLLEGE, September 15, 1854. 
 
 " DEAR BELOVED ADGER : I received your note, two or three days ago, 
 upon my return from the up country, and could not but notice how 
 much easier it is to ask questions than to answer them. That is de 
 cidedly the opinion of the students ; and facts seem to confirm it. Busi 
 ness, however, of a carnal kind, is not always embarrassing, and there 
 fore I shall begin with something of that sort. 
 
 "Be it known to you, then, that my wheat seed is run out, and I want 
 to renew it with a fresh kind. Your reputation as a planter has reached 
 these parts, and I know of no one who is so likely to be able to gratify 
 my wishes. Besides, as dogs will not eat dogs, one Presbyterian 
 preacher will hardly cheat another in a trade. 
 
 " Without further ceremony, I want you to send me twelve bushels of 
 your best wheat. I want it of the early kind, and without beards. If 
 you have not got so much yourself, you must try Maxwell, or some one 
 
3 78 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORNWELL. 
 
 that can supply me. I am going to take a fresh start in wheat sowing,, 
 and must have good seed. I have already the good ground ; and my past 
 failures are owing, beyond doubt, to the seed. It may be well to inform 
 you, too, that I have to buy all my flour the present year. A hint is 
 enough to the wise. Now, the supply of the wheat I make a condition 
 to my answering any hard questions. I must see a reasonable prospect 
 of having something to eat, before I condescend to minister to any man s 
 curiosity. 
 
 "I have received another long letter from Breckinridge. He speaks 
 in the kindest terms of you ; and is so marked in his rapturous admiration 
 of the feminine portion of your household, that I think it well for the 
 peace and safety of you both that so many miles lie between you. I am 
 sure that Mrs. Adger never treated him, as she did me, to ice cream fla 
 voured with spirits of turpentine. She must have had on a magic cap ; 
 and as she has marvellously succeeded in getting her name up, I advise 
 her to follow my example in all such cases : to be very reserved, and let 
 
 4 distance lend enchantment to the view. I have a great horror, when 
 once my milk pail is full, of kicking it over. 
 
 "I see Palmer every whip-stitch ; he is really beginning to look down 
 right well. On the 22d that is, this day week I shall be in Abbeville. 
 Can you not meet me there ? I should like very much to see you, and 
 talk matters over with you. I think I could give you a wrinkle or two, 
 Be siire to meet me. My family is well. I have been helping to dig 
 some potatoes, and my hand is so tremulous, in consequence, that I can 
 hardly write. My kindest regards to Mrs. A. Don t forget the wheat. 
 " Very truly, as ever, 
 
 J. H. THOBNWELL." 
 
 To the same : 
 
 " SOUTH CAROLINA COLLEGE, September 20, 1854. 
 "My DEAR BROTHER : I have just received your scratch, and reply in 
 a decent and gentlemanly hand, by return mail. It will be impossible 
 for me to visit you. I wish I could do so, but I am engaged in printing 
 a little book, which requires my constant attention. I begrudge the time 
 I shall spend at Abbeville. But that engagement is of long standing. I 
 shall remain there till next Tuesday. You do not know how much I 
 want to see you. I wish very much that you would come down. My 
 best compliments to Mrs. A. 
 
 " Most truly yours, 
 
 J. H. THORN WELL." 
 
 This unimportant note is introduced, only because of 
 its reference to a little volume, entitled "Discourses on 
 Truth," published, in 1855, by Robert Carter* and Bro 
 thers, New York, and which will be found republished in 
 
PRESIDENCY OF THE COLLEGE. 379 
 
 the second volume of his "Collected Writings." The 
 Discourses were originally delivered in the chapel of the 
 South Carolina College, in his regular ministrations to 
 the students, as their Chaplain. A single sentence in the 
 preface states the true character of the work : " The 
 structure of the sermons may be explained by the circum 
 stance, that the author sustains the double office in the 
 College of a preacher of the gospel and a teacher of Moral 
 Philosophy. It is his custom to make the pulpit and the 
 lecture room subservient to each other." The reader will 
 not, therefore, be disappointed in finding in them an au 
 thoritative exposition of Moral Science from the teach 
 ings of the Bible. No higher testimony to their merit 
 can be given than the following expression, which they 
 drew from Sir William Hamilton, in a note addressed to 
 the author : 
 
 "EDINBURGH, July 23, 1855. 
 
 " SIR : I beg leave to return my warmest acknowledgments for your 
 Discourses, on Truth. I have read them with great interest, and no less 
 admiration. I was particularly pleased with the justice with which, it 
 seems to me, you have spoken of the comparative merits of Aristotle, as 
 a moralist, and cordially coincide with your judgment upon Paley and 
 other modern ethical writers. I need hardly say that I feel much flattered 
 by the way in which you have been pleased to make reference to myself ; 
 and I remain, Sir, 
 
 "Your most obedient servant, 
 
 W. HAMILTON." 
 
CHAPTER XXVII. 
 CLOSE OF HIS PRESIDENCY. 
 
 MOVEMENT TO TRANSFER HIM FROM THE COLLEGE TO THE THEOLOGICAL 
 SEMINARY. REASONS FOR IT. ACTION OF THE SYNOD OF SOUTH CARO 
 LINA AND OF GEORGIA. RELATIVE IMPORTANCE OF THE Two POSITIONS 
 DISCUSSED, IN CORRESPONDENCE, WITH DR. BRECKINRIDGE. RESIGNA 
 TION OF THE PRESIDENCY. ARRESTED FOR A TWELVE MONTH. LETTERS. 
 ASSEMBLY OF 18/">r>. DEBATE ON THE BOARD QUESTION. TERMINA 
 TION OF His CONNEXION WITH THE COLLEGE. REVIEW or His VAST 
 INFLUENCE OVER THE STUDENTS. ELEMENTS or CHARACTER THAT EX 
 PLAIN IT. ILLUSTRATIONS OF IT. 
 
 DURING the third year of Dr. ThornwelFs presidency, 
 a movement was begun which resulted in terminating 
 finally his connexion with the College, and transferring 
 him to the chair of Theology, in the Divinity School at 
 Columbia, South Carolina. The change involved many 
 and great sacrifices, the largest of which was the loss of 
 influence, which the Presbyterian Church exerted, through 
 him, over the College and the State. In the light of 
 worldly policy, this was an unwise surrender; but it was 
 justified by weighty considerations, on the other side. 
 In the first place, honourable as was the station which 
 he filled, it necessitated a devotion to the duties of mere 
 police, which, with a man so richly gifted, was felt by 
 many to be a great waste of power. The anxiety and 
 care, too, which were wrapped up in this work of simple 
 administration, were evidently consuming his physical 
 strength; and it was only too apparent that a constitu 
 tion, feeble at best, could not for a great while endure 
 these exertions. A strong desire also existed in the 
 Church, that he, who was regarded with so much pride 
 as pre-eminently a representative man, should leave be- 
 
 381 
 
382 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORNWELL. 
 
 hind him some work, which would be an enduring me 
 morial of his genius and of his fame. He had already 
 given two smaller books to the world; and had contri 
 buted to the ^Review many valuable monographs upon most 
 important subjects. But these were accepted only as an 
 earnest of what more abundant leisure would enable him to 
 achieve. The Church, it was argued, which had so long 
 lent him to the State, should now reclaim him to her im 
 mediate service; and the controlling motive with those 
 who advocated his translation to the Theological Semi 
 nary, was that, in the prosecution of its sacred studies, 
 lie might pour out upon the Church, and upon the world, 
 the treasures of knowledge stored up through years of 
 patient acquisition. Alas! that the wish, so ardently 
 cherished, should have been only half realized! The 
 reader will not close the perusal of his Theological Lec 
 tures, in the first volume of Ids " Collected Writings," 
 without a sigh that the Church did not have the wisdom 
 to effect the change in his position at least five years 
 earlier. As Dr. Breckinridge says, in one of the letters 
 we have given, " The blade was too sharp for the scab 
 bard." Too much study, and too much care, had already 
 done their fearful execution upon a feeble frame; and 
 death came in with his sad arrest, before the great work 
 which the Church desired was half executed. In addi 
 tion to these considerations, there was a general advance, 
 at- this period, in the matter of theological education. 
 Princeton, Prince Edward, and Alleghany Seminaries, 
 were all recruited by the addition of superior talent to 
 their Faculties; and Danville Seminary had been created 
 only the year before, with the greatest intellectual force 
 that could be commanded in the West. The institution 
 at Columbia could not be expected to hold her place in 
 this honourable competition, unless she was lifted out of 
 the crippled condition in which she had existed from the 
 beginning, and equip^ ed with a full corps of instructors. 
 The scheme was, of course, slowly matured in a few 
 
CLOSE OF HIS PRESIDENCY. 383 
 
 minds, and WHS discussed at first only in private circles. 
 At length it took shape, in definite resolutions, adopted 
 the last of June, or first of July, 1854, by the Board of 
 Directors of the Columbia Seminary. These resolutions 
 contemplated the appointment of Dr. Thornwell to the 
 chair of Theology, and of the writer of these pages to the 
 chair of Church History and Government, which he had 
 been provisionally occupying for some time, in connexion 
 with his pastorship of the Columbia church. At the 
 annual meeting of the Synod of South Carolina and 
 Georgia, the whole subject was fully debated; and the 
 well digested plans of the Board of Directors were car 
 ried through. In accordance with this intimation of the 
 will of the Church, Dr. Tliornwell tendered his resigna 
 tion of the Presidency of the College, on the 29th of 
 November, 1854; but was met, as once before, with the 
 enforcement of the law, which required a year s notice 
 before the resignation could take effect. He was not, 
 therefore, actually released until December, 1855, which 
 forms the date of his entrance upon the duties of his 
 Professorship in the Theological Seminary. This brief 
 rehearsal will give the key to allusions found in the cor 
 respondence that follows: 
 
 To the Rev. Dr. Breckinridge : 
 
 " SOUTH CAROLINA COLLEGE, July 18, 1854. 
 
 "My DEAB BROTHER: Your kind and welcome letter, received from 
 Buffalo, has remained unanswered, because I have been indulging the 
 delusive hope of saying to you in person much more than I can impart 
 on paper. I had thought of making a tour, in the course of the summer, 
 to terminate at Danville. But my plans have been defeated ; and I 
 must resort.to pen and ink for what the tongue could have done much 
 better. 
 
 " I am glad to see that Adger left Buffalo with so warm an attachment 
 to yourself. It is an additional bond of sympathy between us. I am 
 apt to measure a man s claims to respect by the estimate he forms of 
 you and of your services; and as I have a very high opinion of Adger, 
 I was gratified to find that he gave this proof of deserving it. He is 
 indeed a noble Roman, or rather an Israelite in whom there is no guile. 
 
 "You have probably Keen the resolutions adopted by the Board of 
 
384 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORNWELI* 
 
 Directors of this Seminary in their last meeting. Things had reached 
 a crisis, and something vigorous was to be done, or the Seminary vir 
 tually abandoned. It was ascertained that, if things remained another 
 year as they were, the next session would, in all likelihood, open with 
 the merest handful of students, not more than six or eight. The Board 
 determined to propose a measure which, it was thought, would remove 
 these grounds of complaint. They nominated me for the chair of The 
 ology, and Palmer for that of History. This procedure has, of course, 
 been a very embarrassing one to me. The station which I now occupy 
 is not lightly to be resigned. The field of influence is wide ; and the 
 indications are, that my labours are not without success. On the other 
 hand, it was a grave responsibility to say that this Seminary should be 
 closed. The work in it is most important, and a work for which I have 
 some qualifications that are not universal. The proposition was most 
 unexpectedly made to me, and was accompanied by so many strange co 
 incidences, that I was afraid peremptorily to decline it, lest I should be 
 found fighting against God. I resolved, therefore, to throw the whole 
 matter upon the two Synods, requiring them, not to pronounce directly 
 upon the question whether they would like to have me in the Seminary, 
 but upon the question whether I ought to leave the College for that 
 situation. The question, consequently, as it will go before the two 
 Synods, is as to the comparative importance of the two posts ; and in 
 this aspect of the matter, the decision is extremely doubtful. Trifles 
 have their weight ; and one little thing, which, if alt men were mag 
 nanimous, would hardly have suggested itself to me, has really had a 
 very considerable influence. In going to the Seminary, I shall have to 
 make an annual sacrifice of fifteen hundred or two thousand dollars ; 
 and I want it to be clear to all men that, if I am retained here, I have 
 not been retained because I was unwilling to encounter loss in the ser 
 vice of God. 
 
 Now, I want you to give me your frank opinion upon this whole sub 
 ject. You are able to compare the situation I now fill, with that which 
 I am asked to fill. I am sure that I cannot be unanimously elected ; 
 too many members of this Synod are interested in this Colleg for that ; 
 and if there should be a respectable minority against the change, the 
 question will have to be decided by myself, upon the best view I can 
 take of its merits. A unanimous vote I should look upon as a clear 
 call of God, precluding all debate on my part ; a divided vote, as I dis 
 tinctly announced to the Board, I should feel under no obligations to 
 treat with any further respect than to consider the question it raised. 
 Now, in case of a divided vote, which I confidently expect, what, in 
 your judgment, are the principles which should immediately control my 
 decision ? I really want your counsels and your prayers. 
 
 It has given me great pleasure to hear of the prosperity of Danville. 
 Your policy is a lofty magnanimity, and in your hands, I am sure it is a 
 policy which will be pursued. 
 
 I have nothing of special interest to communicate. I work hard, 
 
CLOSE OF HIS PRESIDENCY. 385 
 
 but accomplish little. Let me hear from you soon, very soon. I hope 
 to see you in Columbia next winter. We are to have a celebration in 
 commemoration of the fiftieth anniversary of the College. It will be 
 quite an occasion, and you will be invited to attend. Turn the thing in 
 your mind, and be sure to come. 
 
 "Most truly yours, as ever, 
 
 J. H. THORN WELL." 
 
 From the Rev. Dr. Breckinridge : 
 
 "July 28, 1854. 
 
 MY DEAR THORNWELL : Your letter of the 18th inst. has been delayed 
 in reaching me, by reason of having been directed to Danville. I have, 
 as yet, not been able to make such arrangements as to remove my 
 family to that place, though eight months of the year are spent there 
 by me ; the remainder being spent mainly at this place, the spot dearest 
 to me, and where the first years of my early manhood were passed, with 
 my young family. In truth, of all my changes, this one to Danville 
 has been attended with the greatest personal and domestic inconvenience 
 and sacrifice ; and by far the most cruelty and unkindness on the part 
 of other persons. It is only the strongest sense of duty that has induced 
 me to embark in the work, or that sustains me under its toils and re- 
 ponsibilities. At every : tep I have appeared to have no alternative, 
 except the one embraced ; and at every step, while everything has been 
 every time put to risk, thus far every step has been attended with suc 
 cess. And that is still our condition. Similar favour from God will 
 carry us, far and soon, on our way ; but one false movement may ruin 
 everything much faster than it has been built up. At present, all seems 
 promising. 
 
 "At Buffalo, I was made acquainted, confidentially, with the scheme 
 which the immediate and enlightened friends of the Seminary at Columbia 
 were meditating; and which has since then been made known to the 
 public, and partly carried to maturity. As to the proposed changes in 
 that Seminary, the proposed addition of yourself and Palmer to its pro 
 fessors, there can be but one opinion. No Seminary in this country can 
 c mpare with that, if these arrangements can be perfected. And, 
 frankly, after what has occurred within the last few months, I hardly 
 see any great need of our Danville Seminary at all. McGill is a great 
 addition to Princeton, in some important respects ; B. M. Smith and 
 Dr. Dabney are both decided gain to Prince Edwards, in many things 
 of great importance ; Plumer will make an era in Western Pennsylvania ; 
 and if you and Palmer enter Columbia, that Seminary must immediately 
 occupy the very first rank. I cannot help feeling, and I rejoice to be 
 allowed to think, that our movement in Kentucky has not been without 
 an important bearing, in stimulating others to these new exertions ; so 
 that, if we do nothing more, our efforts will not have been unfruitful ; 
 and if we can live amidst the noble competition thus created, it is better 
 
386 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORN WELL. 
 
 a hundred fold than to have swallowed up the poor things our Seminaries 
 were fast becoming. Thanks to God for all good, every way ! 
 
 "As to yourself, I would not hesitate to give the advice you ask, if I 
 had sufficient information to render it proper for me to do so. But you 
 need not feel any apprehension. The Lord will direct you plainly what 
 you should do. On either hand, you have a great work ; and if neither 
 work were within your reach, many others would be offered to you, 
 equal to either of them. And if none were offered, you have only to use, 
 any way and any where, the gifts and graces God has bestowed on you, 
 to accomplish what few others could accomplish at all. There is really 
 less, after all, in particular positions, than men persuade themselves 
 there is ; and in our day, less than formerly ; and less and less hereafter. 
 Still, I am able to see that, in the Seminary at Columbia, you could ren 
 der a service to our own ministry, and eventually to the cause of our 
 Master, which it would be impossible to estimate ; while, at the same 
 time, I rather suppose that Seminary would not be the most favourable 
 position for such a work as you could do, except so far as your con 
 nexion with it would most materially overnile many unfavourable pecu 
 liarities of its position. Whether the additional good you cduld hardly 
 fail to do to the Church, would compensate for the evil done to your 
 State, and society at large, by your change ; and whether, even admitting 
 this, the additional good is adequate, besides, to require the very serious 
 personal sacrifices required of you ; whether, on the whole, the deliberate 
 conviction of the Church itself in your two Synods, especially your own 
 Synod, is clear for this charge on your part : these, and similar ques 
 tions, which enter largely into the case, I cannot determine. This much 
 I may say : that, in the presence of the Assembly of 1853, I publicly 
 said, if I supposed there was the remotest possibility of your listening 
 to such a proposition, you were, of all men, the one we would select for 
 any chair you would agree to fill in our Danville Seminary. Therefore, 
 there is every reason why I should say, if fitness is the only question, 
 by all means accept ; but also every reason why I should say that, all 
 questions considered, I, who despaired of moving you in 1853, am unable 
 to say now, in 1854, that I can advise you to accept a similar, and cer 
 tainly not more important, place. Still, I must confess that, if such were 
 the will of God, I should feel glad for you to accept the position offered 
 to you under such peculiar circumstances, and for so needful a work to 
 our Church. May God bless and direct you, is the prayer of 
 Your faithful friend, 
 
 Ro. J. BRECKINRIDGE." 
 
 To the Eev. (now Dr.) Thomas E. Peck: 
 
 "SOUTH CAROLINA COLLEGE, February 23, 1855. 
 
 "DEAR THOMAS : Upon receiving the first number of the Presbyterial 
 Critic, I began a letter to you ; but not being in the right vein, I had to 
 discontinue it, and wait for a freer inspiration. That inspiration has not 
 
CLOSE OF HIS PRESIDENCY. 387 
 
 yet come ; but in consequence of the recent fire at the College, I have 
 been compelled to worship with the Presbyterian people in town, and am 
 subject to a ceaseless catechism from certain mothers in Israel, which a 
 regard for my own peace reqxiires that I should put to rest by writing 
 you what may pass for a letter. Direct assaults I might, perhaps, be 
 able to resist, at least to parry ; but if you could see the numberless ways 
 in which I am invaded the oblique hint, the sly inuendo, the caustic 
 inference, the leering suspicion you would perceive at once that there 
 was no use in holding out ; that I had better set to work, and do what I 
 can. Excuse me, therefore, as necessity is laid upon me. My small 
 paper is to be taken as no presumption against my good faith ; as from 
 the closeness and compactness of my handwriting, I put more upon a 
 sheet of this size, than most folks do upon foolscap or quarto. If you 
 will only take the trouble to count the letters, you will be surprised at 
 the quantity of matter, the multum in parvo, of my unpretending little 
 document. 
 
 "The appearance of your Magazine has reminded me very much of 
 Hamlet s ghost, at least, in its first effect upon the public mind. Thou 
 com st in such a questionable shape, that I will speak to thee. The 
 Presbyterian, Watchman, and Observer, and other similar papers, seem 
 to be in a great strait as to your real, character ; whether a spirit of 
 health, or goblin damned ; whether thou bring with thee airs from 
 heaven, or blasts from hell ; whether * thy intents are wicked, or chari 
 table. I hope, however, that you will prove an honest ghost, and 
 teach us, in the long run, that there are more things in heaven and 
 earth than are dreamed of in our philosophy ; in other words, that all 
 the wisdom of the Presbyterian Church is not locked up in one or two 
 places. But to be serious : I think that such an organ as you propose 
 to give us is greatly needed. The only mischief to be apprehended is, 
 that you may run too fast. Festina lente ; let that be your motto, and 
 you cannot fail to accomplish great good. With the tone and temper of 
 the articles I was entirely satisfied ; except that, in one of them, there 
 were foreshadowings of principles which I am not prepared to endorse. 
 I allude to the queries in " Hints for the Times," in relation to the press. 
 So, also, on the subject of theological education ; I am not sure that I 
 understand the nature of the change which has been introduced at Dan 
 ville, and which, it is insinuated, is an indication of progress. The 
 unity of a subject is not destroyed by synthetical teaching; and synthesis 
 has always been regarded as the true method of instruction. The other 
 method I do not comprehend. If a subject has parts, let the parts be 
 mastered and put together, and you have the whole. How you can get 
 the whole in any other way, is more than I can divine. 
 
 "These things have nothing to do with the general principle and 
 aims of your work ; and it is perhaps well that they should be thrown out 
 as problems, to elicit thought. You need not be assured of my* cordial 
 concurrence in your views of Doctrine and Polity ; and of my cordial 
 wishes, that your labours may be crowned with complete success. 
 
388 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORN WELL. 
 
 "Permit me to return you my thanks for your kind notice of my little 
 book, I do not know that it has attracted any attention at the North. 
 It has sold remarkably -well here. My prayer is, that God may make it 
 an instrument of good to the young. 
 
 " Let me hear from you often. It always refreshes me to get a letter 
 from you. Send your Critic regularly. I shall always look for it with 
 interest. The Lord bless you and yours. 
 
 " Most sincerely your friend, 
 
 J. H. THORNWELL." 
 
 To the same: 
 
 "SOUTH CAROLINA COLLEGE, October 27, 1855. 
 
 DEAR THOMAS : You have, no doubt, discovered by this time that I 
 am a poor correspondent, and not much better in any other respect. 
 One thing, however, I can say, and that is, I am not blind to my trans 
 gressions ; they are, indeed, ever before my eyes. But some how or 
 other, the great American figure of speech has become a part* of my na 
 ture ; so much so, that the only use which I make of the present, is to 
 live in the future. I am always going to do. The review of Dr. Hodge 
 is still in posse. I am ashamed to say that I have never yet finished 
 reading the document. I had to take it in broken doses, and the last 
 has not been reached yet. But, by the way, I am inclined to forgive 
 Dr. Hodge for all his sins against Presbyterianism, on account of the 
 able and satisfactory review of Sir William Hamilton, in the last Reper 
 tory. Upon internal grounds, I should be inclined to ascribe the article 
 to Tyler, of Frederick City ; but I have heard nothing as to its author 
 ship. No matter who wrote it, it is well done. 
 
 "Your Critic has been excellently sustained. It is the best paper in 
 the Church ; more manly and independent than any other. I must try 
 and write something for you in the future. The same notion has flitted 
 before my mind in regard to our Review, which has become so poor, 
 that I am ashamed to see it. I wish somebody would invent an instru 
 ment for daguerreotyping thought, without the trouble of writing. If 
 your ideas could be instantly transferred from your mind to the paper, 
 without any effort on your part, what a blessed consummation it would 
 be! 
 
 "The time is drawing near for my removal; and. in anticipation of 
 the event, as the merchants say, I have been taking stock. But to my 
 infinite horror, I found the shelves either all empty, or filled with -no 
 thing but old rat-eaten articles, that are not worth transporting. I un 
 derstand your mother is in Paradise. She has just got where she can 
 hear something that is fit to be called preaching. All I have to say is, 
 that if she never heard a sermon until she went to Baltimore, she ought 
 to hear very rare ones now, to make up for lost time. I hope she does 
 with you what she never could do with me, remember the text. Give 
 
CLObE OF HIS PRESIDENCY. 389 
 
 our kindest remembrances to her. We all want to see her. Excuse 
 this hasty note ; and believe me, 
 
 "As ever, most faithfully, 
 
 J. H. THORN WELL." 
 
 The authorship of the article on Sir William Hamilton, 
 above referred to, was soon definitely ascertained in a 
 pleasant note, which is without date, and which we trans 
 cribe, as showing the esteem in which one great thinker 
 is able to hold another: 
 
 " MY DEAR SIR : Please accept, as a token of my respect for you as a 
 thinker, the copy which is sent with this note of an article on Sir W. 
 Hamilton and his Philosophy, which I contributed to the Princeton 
 Review for this month. 
 
 "You are one of the few who are competent to appreciate these 
 higher speculations. I prepared the article in the midst of the most 
 arduous labours on Law-reform, as well as in my profession. I there 
 fore crave your indulgence. * 
 " Sincerely yours, 
 
 SAMUEL TYLER." 
 
 Dr. Thornwell was a member of the Assembly of 1855, 
 which met in the city of Nashville, Tennessee. It was 
 memorable only for a debate on the subject of Boards, 
 in which Dr. Thornwell was conspicuous as their oppo 
 nent, and the Rev. Drs. Boardman and Plumer as their 
 advocates. This discussion arose upon the proposition 
 to separate the work of Church extension, or the erec 
 tion of houses of worship, from the Board of Domestic 
 Missions, and to place it under independent management. 
 The alternative was to appoint a separate committee, or 
 to erect another Board for this purpose. The opportu 
 nity, of course, could not be missed of attacking the prin 
 ciple upon which all these Boards were constructed, even 
 though the opposition amounted to nothing in the result, 
 but to record a protest .against the established policy of 
 the Church. This necessity cannot always be avoided in 
 our ecclesiastical courts ; but it is always unfortunate 
 when questions of fundamental principle cannot be dis- 
 
390 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THOKNWELL. 
 
 cussed simpliciter,witli the view of determining abstractly 
 the modes in which the Church shall display her activity 
 and life. In this case, the proposition which was sub 
 mitted to debate assumed the policy of the Church to be 
 settled, and only asked for its extension in a new direc 
 tion. The discussion of that policy itself could only be 
 incidentally introduced, and a satisfactory vote, which 
 should clearly ascertain the mind of the Church in refer 
 ence to this, could not possibly be reached. The result 
 would doubtless have been much the same, even though 
 the abstract issue had alone been made ; for the opponents 
 of the Boards were doubtless in the minority in the 
 Church at large. But consistency and truth required the 
 opposition, although it was unavailing. In the course of 
 the argument, some reflections were indulged which drew 
 from Dr. Thorn Well a beautiful tribute to his friend, Dr. 
 Breckinridge : " He would never regard, otherwise than 
 with reverence and respect, the man who had been the 
 author of the Act and Testimony, and who had, under 
 God, been the means of our deliverance." He had occa 
 sion also to render a delicate vindication of himself. One 
 of the speakers had associated him with the great Cal- 
 houn, in a connexion to disparage his influence as a 
 dreamer and a theorist: "I listened," said Dr. Board- 
 man, "to his speech, which was a chain polished and 
 bright, as to the beautiful and ingenious speculations of 
 the great statesman of South Carolina." In rejoinder, 
 Dr. Thornwell indulged in a lofty panegyric upon the 
 dead statesman ; but proceeded to say that, in all his great 
 political views, he had been constrained to differ from him. 
 "As to one thing, however, I am glad : I am glad to be 
 called an abstractionist. The abstractionist stands upon 
 principle; and it was one of the most eloquent passages of 
 that great man s life, worthy of a great statesman, worthy 
 of Calhoun himself, when he defended himself as an ab 
 stractionist. I cannot be frightened by epithets. I have 
 but one single rule, which is to preserve a conscience void 
 
CLOSE OF HIS PRESIDENCY. ttUl 
 
 of offence towards God and towards man, and to abide 
 strictly by the principles of the Word of God." 
 
 It is not proper to close Dr. Thornwell s connexion with 
 the South Carolina College, without bringing into promi 
 nence the wonderful ascendency which he had acquired 
 over the students. Ten years before, the Hon. W. C. 
 Preston volunteered the testimony to the writer, that his 
 moral power in the College was superior even to the au 
 thority of the law; and the only criticism ever ventured 
 upon him, as a disciplinarian, was precisely this substi 
 tution of a personal influence, instead of the pressure of 
 mere legal obligation. Yet, how could it be helped, if, by 
 the force of personal character, he moulded the opinions 
 and shaped the conduct of the students, so that they had 
 no need to consider the stern authority with which the 
 laws of the College invested him ? Certainly it was never 
 true that he failed to uphold their supremacy ; but his un 
 failing method was so to impress convictions of duty upon 
 the conscience, as to render the obedience spontaneous, 
 rather than enforced. With each generation, as it passed 
 under his hands, there was a quiet formation of character, 
 and honourable principles were adopted which were a law 
 of themselves, and spared the necessity of hard collision 
 with mere external authority. Surely, this is the per 
 fection of discipline, when, under " the law of liberty," 
 obedience is rendered from a sense of right ; and the con- 
 
 o 
 
 trol under which the student is held becomes an element 
 in his moral education, the matrix in which the permanent 
 character is moulded. 
 
 Dr. Thorn well possessed a great advantage, in the vast 
 reputation he enjoyed as a man of genius. The only 
 aristocracy in College is that of mind. It is, perhaps, the 
 only community on earth in which the artificial distinc 
 tions in life entirely disappear. Brought together for the 
 single purpose of acquiring knowledge, the sole measure 
 by whicli all are tried is talent. Next to those instincts 
 which constitute the gentleman, comes the degree of in- 
 
392 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THOBNWELL. 
 
 tellect which may be possessed ; and the instances are not 
 rare, both with professors and with students, that men, 
 otherwise unpopular, are sustained through the reputation 
 for learning and genius which has been acquired. In 
 the case before us, the fact was indisputable. All men 
 throughout the State conceded to Dr. Thornwell this rare 
 endowment ; and to the students he was a crown of glory ; 
 they rejoiced in him as the ornament and pride of the 
 institution, and felt as though a portion of his honour was 
 reflected upon each of them. His reputation was a ped 
 estal upon which he stood as an idol before their eyes. 
 
 The office which he held as a preacher of the gospel, 
 was also of inestimable service in securing to him this 
 paramount influence over the students. In the class-room 
 he expounded the principles of moral philosophy, and 
 then ascended the pulpit to enforce the sanctions of the 
 Divine law. And perhaps tlie combined positions were 
 never used with greater efficiency in dealing with the 
 human conscience. In the one case, he laid bare the 
 grounds of moral obligation, as these are implicitly (Con 
 tained in the nature of man ; in the other, he stood outside 
 of that nature, as the representative of the Divine autho 
 rity, before whose supremacy the conscience of the crea 
 ture is compelled instinctively to bow. It requires the 
 skill of a master to wield the two in their harmonious co 
 operation ; but, with him, the eloquence which has been 
 denned to be "logic on fire" enforced the deductions of 
 philosophy with all the terrors of the final judgment, and 
 gave to him that control which belongs only to one who 
 has made himself master of the consciences of men. 
 
 Dr. Thornwell, moreover, commanded the love of young 
 men by the fulness of his sympathy in their struggles 
 with temptations and defeats, in their aspirations, their 
 hopes, their joys. His disposition was thoroughly genial 
 and affectionate. He never wrapped himself in the arti 
 ficial dignity which repels approach by exacting an horn-* 
 age scarcely consistent with another s self-respect. The 
 
CLOSE OF HIS PRESIDENCY. 393 
 
 perfect simplicity of his character was reflected in the 
 easiness of his carriage ; and the generosity of the youth 
 ful heart gave to him an exuberance of respect, the more 
 sincere because it was unchallenged and free. 
 
 But the great secret of his marvellous power, as a Col 
 lege officer, lay in the strong conviction he produced of 
 his own honesty and fairness. It seems a small thing to 
 say of any man, that he is truthful; but no attribute 
 begets such confidence as this, when it is recognized as a 
 pre-eminent trait in the character. No one ever accused 
 Dr. Thornwell of duplicity in -any of the relations of life. 
 He never resorted to indirections to accomplish his pur 
 poses. If he could not achieve success by fair and open 
 argument, he submitted to defeat. He inspired the young 
 students with unbounded confidence in his honesty ; and 
 the most reckless among them, when brought into straits 
 by their indiscretions, would lay their case in his hands 
 with a perfect assurance that nothing would be allowed 
 but what was proper and right. They knew him to be 
 incapable of favouritism or double-dealing; and that his 
 moral perceptions were so clear, that he could not easily 
 be deceived. With College students who, when wrong, 
 are generally the victims of their own sophistries he was 
 regarded as an umpire ; and his decision, supported by 
 the reasons he was always able to advance, were generally 
 accepted as final upon all questions of propriety. Cou 
 pled with this high moral attribute, Dr. Thorn well s mind 
 worked with amazing rapidity through the perplexities 
 of a case, and seized at once the real issue upon which it- 
 should turn. This was due to the logical structure of his 
 mind, and to the habit he had cultivated of carrying that 
 logic into all the practical duties of life. It rendered him 
 invaluable as a counsellor, and equally efficient as a dis 
 ciplinarian. 
 
 Three instances will be given of these qualities in actual 
 .exercise, which will serve also to illustrate the nature and 
 extent of the moral power which he wielded. Tho first 
 
394 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORN WELL. 
 
 rests upon the authority of the gentleman who acted as- 
 secretary of the meeting ; the second, upon the writer ^ 
 own recollections of the incident, when it occurred; and 
 the third, upon the testimony of one who was a par 
 ticipator in the scene. 
 
 Two young gentlemen, upon their application to enter 
 College, were found deficient in one or two departments 
 of study ; but were admitted conditionally, upon the pro 
 mise to make these up within a specified time. Upon re- 
 examination, they were found even more delinquent than 
 at first. The Professor in these studies was naturally in 
 dignant, and insisted at a meeting of the Faculty upon 
 their immediate dismission. A warm discussion ensued,, 
 in which there was a general concurrence in the opinion 
 that some punishment, at. least suspension for a month,, 
 should be meted out to the culprits. Dr. Thorn well,, 
 meanwhile, was walking around the room, looking ab 
 stractedly at the books upon the shelves, with no apparent 
 interest in the matter. At last, his opinion was chal 
 lenged by the presiding officer, when he came forward 
 with a simple syllogism, and cut the problem in two : 
 " These young gentlemen were admitted on a certain con 
 dition ; this condition has not been fulfilled; consequently 
 they are not members of the College. You cannot expel 
 or suspend them, without recognizing them as members. 
 As a matter of grace, I propose that we give them another 
 month; at which time, if the deficiency is not made up, 
 they may be told they are not admitted." It is only one 
 instance out of many, in which, while others were talking 
 round and round a subject until it was in a perfect tangle, 
 he would, in his incisive way, cut down to the point which 
 all had missed, and settle the case almost with a word. 
 
 Upon one occasion, some strolling minstrels had an 
 exhibition i^n. the town, during which some indecorum 
 among the audience drew forth a sharp rebuke from the 
 performers. It was unfortunately levelled at some students,, 
 who claimed to be innocent of the offence. The result 
 
CLOSE OF HIS PRESIDENCY. 395 
 
 was a row, in which the meeting was broken up in great 
 disorder. In the progress of the affair, the students be 
 came arrayed against the young men of the town, and 
 very soon a serious riot was threatened in the public 
 streets. The students rallied to a man, like an old Scotch 
 clan in the times of border warfare, and could not be 
 persuaded to disperse by those who harangued the tem 
 pestuous assembly. Df. Thornwell appeared late upon 
 the ground, and when the storm was at its height. With 
 out wasting breath upon men who were delirious with 
 passion, he sought out the parties originally aggrieved ; 
 ascended into the hall with them, confronted the other 
 party from whom the alleged grievance came; heard both 
 sides of the story, and made up his mind quickly upon the 
 merits of the case. He satisfied the minstrels that they 
 had been mistaken as to the real authors of the outrage, 
 and exacted of them a promise to repair the error by 
 coming the next day into the College Chapel, with a for 
 mal retraction of the charge. He then descended to the 
 street, and simply informed the infuriated students that 
 the case was amicably settled, and would be reported to 
 them on the morrow. This simple affirmation from one 
 in whose honour they implicity confided, appeased the 
 storm, and in a few moments the street was as quiet as a 
 church yard. On the next day, the public apology was 
 made in the College Chapel, and the affair was ended. 
 The reader does not need to have pointed out to him the 
 tact displayed in the management of this case, nor the 
 absolute repose of the students upon his veracity and in 
 nate sense of honour. 
 
 The case, however, now to be recorded was a far more 
 superb illustration of the majesty of his sway over the 
 students of the College. It occurred in the year 1856, 
 after his relations to them were terminated. One or two 
 of the young men, in a night frolic, came into collision 
 with the town police, one being finally arrested and in 
 carcerated. This, of course, brought the whole College 
 
396 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORNWELL. 
 
 to the rescue, who succeeded in liberating their compan 
 ion. The next day two of the students resolved to avenge 
 the insult by an open attack upon the offending police 
 man, and in a short time -the town was in commotion. 
 The students rushed to the scene of conflict, with such 
 arms as they could extemporize. The alarm-bell was 
 rung, and the militia called out to oppose them. The 
 two parties were drawn up in array, as in regular battle; 
 and a single pistol shot would have been the signal for 
 a massacre, that would have carried mourning into the 
 best families of the State, and stained the soil of Colum 
 bia with the blood of the proudest sons of the Common 
 wealth. Gentlemen of the highest character stood and 
 walked between the combatants, vainly entreating the 
 students to retire from the conflict. In the exigency, a 
 runner was despatched for Dr. Thornwell, who was at 
 the moment lecturing to his class in the Theological 
 Seminary. Moving rapidly between the contending 
 ranks, he addressed the students in substance thus: "I 
 know nothing of the origin of this trouble, and this is no 
 place to make the inquiry. Come back with me to the 
 campus ; and if I find you are in the right, and there be 
 no redress but in fighting, I will lead you myself, and die 
 in the midst of yon." Turning upon his heel, and shout 
 ing, " College! College!" he walked in the direction of 
 the campus, followed by the entire body. After getting 
 them in the chapel, he addressed them at length, repre 
 senting the impropriety of such riotous demonstrations ; 
 and appealing to their magnanimity not to bring a stain 
 upon the escutcheon of the College, which would make 
 the State blush that she ; had created it. The aroused 
 passions were by these appeals finally calmed down, and 
 peace w r as fully restored. It is not at all unsafe to say, that 
 he was the only man in South Carolina who could have 
 achieved that thing. The cry throughout the town was 
 for days afterwards, "Wonderful man! But for him, 
 our town would have been stained with a crime which 
 would have made it the horror of the State." 
 
CHAPTEK XXVIII. 
 EDITORSHIP OF "SOUTHERN QUARTERLY REVIEW." 
 
 LEAVES THE COLLEGE. BECOMES PBOFESSOK IN THE THEOLOGICAL SEMI 
 NARY. ASSUMES THE EDITORSHIP or THE "SOUTHERN QUARTERLY RE- 
 YIEW." CORRESPONDENCE IN RELATION TO IT. His ARTICLE ON MIRA 
 CLES. FRIENDLY CRITICISM OF IT. His REJOINDER DEATH OF HIS 
 MOTHER, AND OF HIS SON. OPINION OF HAMILTON S LOGIC. DISTINC 
 TION OF THE ABSOLUTE AND INFINITE. DEFENCE OF DUGALD STEWART, 
 AND OF THE SCOTCH PHILOSOPHY. ESTIMATE OF SlR W. HAMILTON. 
 DECLINE OF THE REVIEW. 
 
 THE election of Professor C. F. McCay, on the fourth 
 of December, 1855, as his successor, released Dr. 
 Thornwell from the Presidency of the College; and he 
 entered at once upon his duties as Professor of Didactic 
 and Polemic Theology, in the Theological Seminary at 
 Columbia, South Carolina. In connexion with this great 
 work, he assumed new and heavy responsibilities by un 
 dertaking the editorial supervision of the Southern Quar 
 terly Review. This valuable journal had, in former days, 
 under the conduct of such men as Legare, Harper, Elliott, 
 and others, taken the first rank among the periodicals of 
 the country. Through insufficient patronage, it preserved 
 an intermittent existence, sometimes suspended, and then 
 revived; until now, sanguine hopes were cherished that, 
 under the prestige of his name, it would rise speedily to 
 its ancient renown, and command a more honourable sup 
 port. He entered upon the task with energy and enthu 
 siasm. Letters from such men as the Hon. Edward 
 Everett, George Bancroft, Samuel Tyler, of Maryland; 
 George F. Holmes, of the Virginia University; Bishop 
 Elliott, of Georgia, President F. A. P. Barnard, of the 
 Mississippi University, and many others, attest the kind 
 
 397 
 
398 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORN WELL. 
 
 of talent he sought to secure to the enterprise. The pro 
 mise of co-operation from most of these, warranted expec 
 tations of success, which were doomed to be blasted by 
 the indifference of the public, who suffered it, after a 
 brilliant career of less than two years, to perish, from the 
 want of means to sustain it. 
 
 Dr. Thornwell s connexion with it during that period 
 enables us to enrich these pages with a correspondence, 
 which the reader cannot fail to peruse with delight. It 
 opens with the following note, which unfolds his plan : 
 
 " COLUMBIA, January 8, 1856. 
 " GEORGE F. HOLMES, ESQ. : 
 
 " DEAR SIR : A publishing house in this city proposes to purchase the 
 Southern Quarterly Review, provided I will undertake the editorial su 
 pervision of it. Two conditions I have insisted on as indispensable. 
 The first is, that I shall be put in a condition to pay promptly, at not 
 less than three dollars a page, for every article furnished and accepted. 
 The second is, that I can obtain the promise of men whom I know to be 
 able to write well, to become regular contributors. My design in ad 
 dressing .this note to you is simply to inquire whether I may rely upon 
 your co-operation in case the proposed arrangement should be made. If 
 the Review cannot be made a first rate journal, we had better let it 
 linger out and die. But there are talents and learning enough in the 
 country to make it equal to any other periodical in the Union. If our 
 means should justify it, I will give five dollars a page ; but for the pre 
 sent, I cannot promise more than three. Let me hear from you at once, 
 as my answer will depend upon the answers given by those to whom I 
 have applied. 
 
 "Very respectfully, 
 
 J. H. THORN WELL." 
 
 To the same : 
 
 " COLUMBIA, June 17, 1856. 
 
 MY DEAR SIR : I owe you an apology for not having written to you 
 sooner, but I have been very much engrossed by a severe and protracted 
 case of fever in my family. * * * I am happy to say that your 
 article on Slavery and Freedom has given great satisfaction ; and you 
 will draw on E. H. Britton for ninety-seven and a half dollars, which, 
 I assure you, I consider a poor compensation for such an essay. Your 
 other article, Greek in the Middle Ages, is in press. I gave it to the 
 printer without reading it, as your name was a sufficient security for its 
 quality. I wish I could say the same of all my contributors. I have a 
 drawer full of essays, which the kindness of friends has sent to me, but 
 
EDITOKSHIP OF SOUTHERN QUARTERLY REVIEW. 399 
 
 which no blindness of friendship can induce rue to accept. The ueces- 
 city of giving pain to others, and to persons whom I highly esteem, is 
 itself a great pain to me : afjupolv fOip ^iXoiU OVTOW OffiOU TTfiOT tfJiillJ 
 
 I see that your friends are pressing your claims upon the Virginia 
 University ; and I was glad to find that the Presbyterians have espoused 
 your cause so warmly. The article in the Central Presbyterian must 
 have been gratifying to you. If I can serve you in any way, do not 
 hesitate to command my efforts. * * * * 
 
 * With high esteem, your obedient servant, 
 
 J. H. THORN WELL." 
 
 To the same: 
 
 "THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY, July 30, 1856.* 
 
 " DEAB SIB : I received your kind letter a week or two ago ; and am 
 happy to say that my little boy, who was ill for so long a time, has 
 quite recovered. The Review will be out in a week ; we have only 
 thirty or forty pages to print. My absence at the General Assembly, 
 and the condition of my family, on my return, prevented me from pre 
 paring an article on Terrier s Institutes of Metaphysics, which I had 
 been meditating, and had partially executed. I have written, however, 
 an elaborate essay on Miracles, in opposition to the prevailing tone of 
 speculation imported from Germany on that whole subject. The article 
 wants finish ; but the doctrine is sound, and, I think, seasonable. The 
 contents are more miscellaneous than in the last number. * * * * 
 " Can you select any one to whom I can entrust the task of reviewing 
 Motley s * Rise of the Dutch Republic ? Bating a few eccentricities of 
 language, it has struck me as one of the noblest works that has issued 
 from the American press. It is conceived in the true American spirit, 
 and executed with great artistic skill. If you will either write yourself, 
 or procure from one who is able to do justice to the subject, a suitable 
 article, you will do what I am sure the country will regard as a good 
 work. * * * 
 
 "Very truly yours, 
 
 J. H. THOBNWELL." 
 
 From Mr. Holmes to Dr. Thorn well : 
 
 "BURK S GABDEN, TAZEWELL COUNTY, VA., August 8, 1856. 
 "DEAR SIB: By yesterday s mail I wrote to you, and sent an article 
 on Speculation and Trade. My messenger brought back your obliging 
 letter of July 30th, which requires an immediate acknowledgment. I 
 ordered from New York the twelfth volume of Grote, and thus learnt 
 that it had not been re-published. I will finish my article without it, 
 by the 1st of September. Is there any sufficient assurance that the 
 
4:00 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORNWELL. 
 
 twelfth volume is, or will be, the last ? Speculation and Trade may 
 wait patiently for once. 
 
 "Your Essay on Ferrier s Institutes would have been very welcome. 
 For my own encouragement, I trust your judgment is against it. I 
 find in the book the appearance, without the substance, of demonstra 
 tion; neoterisms in expression, rather than novelty of idea; and an 
 irresistible tendency to a, low grade of Pantheism, or its opposite and 
 twin extreme, Panhumanism. I am no admirer of the rebels in Scot 
 land against Sir William Hamilton. 
 
 " I learned accidently from Mr. Tyler, that an essay on this last and 
 late philosopher might be expected in your Review. I infer, and hope, 
 that it will be from your own pen. I should be anxious to see the keen 
 scrutiny of your logic applied to his doctrine. I have been asked to 
 write an essay on the subject for the New York Methodist Quarterly. 
 Your letter and its indications are full of interest. Your exposition of the 
 question of miracles will be very acceptable at this time, as a confirmation 
 of the understanding of believers, as an illumination of unsettled minds, 
 and as a refutation of the premises of current infidelity. I recently ex 
 amined this important dogma with much care and solicitude. 
 
 " Thank you for the information in regard to the criticism of - , 
 and the course you thought proper to adopt. There should certainly be 
 concord, if not absolute harmony, in the pages of the Review. I have no 
 fear for the validity of my conclusions. I believe in political economy 
 as the restricted theory of aggregate wealth ; I do not accept it as the 
 complete science of society. In this pretension, I regard it as the Muses 
 of Plocheirus regarded the worldly-wise man : 
 
 f/ Q X 
 
 rrfi ft dpsrrjz Trp 3oav dud" ofaoz <pdecc* 
 s fisduffae ry 
 
 "Sincerely yours, 
 
 GEORGE FEEDK. HOLMES." 
 
 From the same : 
 
 " BUEK S GARDEN, TAZEWELL COUNTY, VA., August 25, 1856. 
 " DEAE SIR : Last mail brought me the August number of the Southern 
 Quarterly. I have had time to read over only one of the articles, that 
 on Miracles. By it I have heen equally instructed and delighted. The 
 general argument is irresistible, and establishes, with a rigid logical 
 coherence, the important fact that miracles cannot be discredited, without 
 destroying the sufficiency of all testimony, and the validity of all know- 
 
 " On one or two points I venture to dissent from you, even after care 
 fully studying your essay. The dissent, however, I am aware is more 
 
EDITORSHIP OF 6OUTHKKX grARTKKLY REVIEW. 401 
 
 apparent than real. I cannot regard a miracle as a violation of the laws 
 of nature, but only as a violation of the customary laws ; or, more 
 properly, a suspension of the ordinary and familiar laws, by the interven 
 tion of superior laws, or of the supreme Fountain of all law. This pro 
 vides for real miracles of two sorts, by direct action, and delegated 
 power ; and relative miracles of two kinds, produced by super-human 
 knowledge, and superior human knowledge. I hold to the position of 
 S. Augustine, quoted by S. Thomas Aquinas, in continuation of your 
 extract from Suinma I. Qu. CV, Art. VI : " Deus contra solitum cursum 
 naturse facit ; sed coutra^ummam legem nullo modo facit, quia contra 
 eeipsTim non facit." Though S. Thomas Aquinas is as indistinct on the 
 subject of miracles as on election and predestination, this appears to be 
 his own conclusion, from his quotation from S. Augustine, and from the 
 conclusion of his reply to the first objection alleged in this article of his 
 treatise : " Cum igitur naturae ordo sit a Deo rebus inditus, si quid praeter 
 hunc ordinem faciat, non est contra naturam. Unde Augustinus dicit, 
 loc cit, quod id est cuilibet naturale quod ille fecerit a quo est omnis mo 
 dus, numerus et ordo naturae. " This doctrine is also corroborated by the 
 language and illustration employed in Summa I, Qu. XXII, Art. I. 
 
 "My apparent dissent from you on this point turns, as the tenor of 
 your remarks show that you perceive, on the latitude assigned to the 
 meaning of nature. You consider it unwarrantable to extend its signifi 
 cation beyond its ordinary employment. Do you remember the chapter 
 of Aristotle s Metaphysics on the ambiguities of this term, and the com 
 mentary of Alexander Aphrodisiensis on that chapter? Under the term, 
 nature, may be included, I think, the whole economy of the created 
 universe, or any complete sub-division of that total. Only a portion of 
 this economy is apprehensible, and a much smaller portion ordinarily 
 apprehended by men. To this limited part the designation of nature is, 
 by a convenient restriction, usually applied. But it implies the larger 
 sense, which seems the more correct, because logically the more complete 
 and precise, if only one significance is to be received. 
 
 "Pardon me for hazarding these remarks. I acquiesce cordially in 
 the aim, and I believe in the general purport of your argument ; and 
 venture to call your attention to this topic, because I deem the recogni 
 tion of a miracle, as a violation of nature, an important concession to 
 the polemics of Hume. I say nothing of other differences, which are 
 trivial, and would probably disappear on comparison of the precise 
 views entertained. They do not impair my cordial agreement with your 
 happily-timed, conclusive, and most serviceable argument, which is 
 directed against the centre of modern rationalism, and offers the sole 
 chance of a solid reputation of Strauss. 
 
 "You have assigned a most honourable position to my essay on 
 4 Greek in the Middle Ages, which it did not deserve, in company with 
 yours on Miracles. I wish mine had been on a more popular subject, 
 or cast in a more popular form. ***** I ascribe to you the article 
 on Plato s Phoedon, in consequence of the partiality avowed for Aris- 
 
402 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORN WELL. 
 
 totle. You are the only peripatetic known to me in this country. I 
 incline, rather than pretend to belong, to that school. 
 " With high respect and regard, 
 
 " Yours sincerely, 
 
 GEO. FKEI}K. HOLMES." 
 
 Reply from Dr. Thornwell : 
 
 " COLUMBIA, September 8, 1856. 
 
 "MY DEAR SIR: I returned from the up-country about three weeks 
 ago, and have since been engaged, night and day, in waiting upon my 
 mother, who appeared to be approaching her end. Her disease has, 
 however, taken a favourable turn, and I have resumed my studies and 
 my ordinary cares. Your letters have given me great satisfaction ; and 
 I am especially obliged to you for your friendly and ingenious criticisms 
 of my article on Miracles. I am sorry that I did not elaborate the 
 point in relation to nature a little more. The argument would have 
 gained in clearness, and, I think, you would have found that your objec 
 tion was obviated. The word is used in none of the senses signalized 
 by Aristotle ; but as a compendious expression for the whole created 
 universe, considered as a definite constitution, as made up of properties 
 and powers which opwate in a fixed and regular manner. The domain 
 of nature is, accordingly, the domain of law. Now, my notion is, that 
 from no properties and laws of the existing order of things, could the 
 miracle ever result. It is an order of events of a different character ; it 
 belongs to a distinct sphere, though bearing upon the same ultimate 
 moral end. In nature, the power of God is always mediately exerted ; 
 in the miracle, immediately. In nature, the agents that is, the direct 
 agents are the properties and powers of substances, or the creatures 
 that God has made ; in the miracle, He is the sole agent Himself. If 
 nature, however, should be taken to mean God s plan, or the Divine 
 idea of the universe in all phenomena and events, then the miracle is 
 natural, in the sense that it is necessarily included in the plan. It is a 
 part of the original scheme of things. Now, it is only in this sense, I 
 think, that Aquinas admits a miracle to be no violation of nature. It is 
 no departure from the Divine plan. It is not an after-thought, suggested 
 by an emergency. It was always contemplated as one of the elements 
 of the Divine government. These hints will be sufficient to indicate 
 how I would have presented the point; and I am not sure but that 
 I shall not develope it a little more fully. In return for your kind 
 ness, let me refer you to Saurez Disputat. Metaphys. Disput. XV, 
 Sect. XI, 4, for an acute stricture upon the senses signalized by 
 Aristotle. 
 
 " I do not know in what terms to express my sense of the value of 
 the article on Speculation and Trade. I have made it the leader in 
 my next number, which will be really a very fine one. I have already 
 
EDITORSHIP OF SOUTHERN QUARTERLY REVIEW. 403 
 
 a collection of choice articles. * * * I am now studying Brandis 
 Aristotle, having not had the opportunity of seeing it until last week. 
 " With much esteem, 
 
 J. H. THORN WELL." 
 
 From Mr. Holmes to Dr. Thorn well : 
 
 "BURK S GARDEN, TAZEWELL Co., VA., September 16, 1856. 
 
 "KEY. AND DEAR SIR: By last mail I received your most kind and 
 obliging letter, for which I offer you my most cordial thanks. I am 
 truly indebted to you for the very handsome testimonial enclosed in it. 
 I hope in some future day to merit it better than I can now suppose 
 myself to do. Notwithstanding the previous manifestations of your 
 favourable opinion, I have been surprised, gratified, and, I may add, 
 alarmed, at such an announcement of it. Your testimonial arrives in 
 excellent time for the election to the Professorship of History, which 
 will take place on the 2d of January. This is to me much the more de 
 sirable position, comporting directly, as it does, with the contemplated 
 course of my future studies ; and there seems to be an entire unanimity 
 amongst my friends and the public id designating me by preference for 
 that position. . 
 
 "I hear, with sympathizing pleasure, of the restoration of your mo 
 ther s health. It is with difficulty I realize the fact that we met only 
 once. I knew the acquaintance to be very limited ; but you have been 
 so long familiar to my thoughts, so long the object of my sincere respect 
 and admiration, and you were so often the subject of conversation with 
 common friends, during my residence in South Carolina, that it had 
 almost escaped my recollection that we Mad only met and parted like 
 ships on the sea. I trust, for my own sake, that we are not bound for 
 different ports. * * * * 
 
 "The explanation afforded by you of your views of nature, in your 
 essay on Miracles, accords with what I deemed to be very probably 
 your meaning ; and enables me to agree freely with your main argu 
 ment. The ground of disagreement seems to me the same as that which 
 divided Clarke and Leibnitz on the subject, in their celebrated cor 
 respondence ; and that appears to me to have been occasioned by the 
 equivocation of terms, and the absence of an admitted definition. I 
 find myself able to assent substantially to the views of both, except so 
 far as the doctrine of the pre-established harmony is involved. I agree 
 with Leibnitz and yourself : Quand Dieu fait des miracles, que ce n est 
 pas pour soutenir les besoins de la nature, mais pour ceux de la gr&ce ; 
 and that, in one sense, * le surnaturel surpasse toutes les forces des crea 
 tures. I hold with Clarke, (and with S. Thomas Aquinas, and your 
 explanation of him,) il est certain que le naturel et le surnaturel ue 
 different en rien (I would strike out en rien) 1 un de 1 autre par rapport 
 a Dieu : ce ne sent que des distinctions selon notre maniere de conce- 
 
404: LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORNWELL. 
 
 voir les choses. Donner un mouvement regie* au soleil ou k la terre, 
 c est une chose que nous appelons naturelle ; arre ter ce mouvement 
 pendant un jour, c est une chose surnaturelle selon nos ide e. Mais la 
 derniere de ces deux choses n est pas 1 effet d une plus grande puissance 
 que 1 autre ; et par rapport a Dieu, elles sout toutes deux e galement 
 (strike out e galement) naturelles ou surnaturelles. To this part of the 
 discussion, as to that relative to different orders of miracles, is appli 
 cable what Leibnitz remarks relative to the latter topic: On pourra 
 dire que les anges font des miracles, mais moins proprement dits, ou 
 d un ordre infdrieur. Disputer la-dessus serait une question de nona. 
 My objection to en rien and e galement are, that, in ordinary par 
 lance, consonant with the view ex parte humana, there is a wide distinc 
 tion between the natural and the supernatural ; and that this distinction 
 ought not to be obliterated in attempting to contemplate the subject ex 
 parte Dei; because the ordinary and extraordinary procedures of God 
 are logically and metaphysically distinct, although they may be termed, 
 according to the purpose designed, natural or supernatural, or both, or 
 neither. 
 
 "This explanation will, I trust, prove my virtual agreement with your 
 entire argument. If I remember rightly, the allusion made by me to 
 the diversity of meaning involved in the term nature, as signalized by 
 Aristotle, was introduced without reference to the mode in which you 
 had employed the term, and simply as a compendious illustration of its 
 numerous ambiguities. Suarez I know only by reputation. He has- 
 always been inaccessible to me ; b,ut I think I have seen his criticisms on 
 the diverse senses assigned to nature by Aristotle. You speak of studying 
 Brandis Aristotle. Do you mean the edition of the Berlin Academy, 
 edited by Bekker and Brandis, in four volumes, 4to. ? or the separate 
 edition of the Metaphysics and their scholia, by Brandis alone ? If the 
 former, can you tell me whether the fifth volume, containing the preface 
 and remaining scholia, has ever been published ? If the latter, are the 
 scholia more complete than in the entire works of Bekker and Brandis ? 
 These have been my companions for more than fifteen years. The more 
 I study Aristotle, the less necessity do I discover for any other philo 
 sophy than modernized and Christianized Peripateticism. Aristotle is 
 still, as in the thirteenth century, l il maestro di die cM sanno. 
 
 "I am happy to find you dissenting from the positions of the article 
 on the Infinite. I think the writer has been misled, like Calderwood, 
 into an ignoratio elenchi, a misapprehension of the real issue. No one 
 denies the conception, or the actual existence, of the Infinite, except the 
 most narrow-minded enthusiast of the narrowest materialism. The 
 question is simply as to the apprehensible significance of the Infinite, 
 the character of our conception of it. In words, it is incapable of any 
 thing but a negative verbal definition ; is it capable of a positive mental 
 definition ? That is the sole question. St. Thomas Aquinas and Leibnitz 
 accord with Sir William Hamilton ; and it is to Leibnitz that we owe the 
 definition employed by President McCay. 
 
EDITORSHIP OF SOUTHERN QUARTERLY REVIEW. 405 
 
 "It is to be anxiously hoped that you will execute your design of re 
 curring to the subject of miracles. If you would permit me to suggest 
 for your reflections a topic that would embrace it, and which you would 
 handle in such a manner as to render extensive service, and much in 
 struction and gratification to many others besides myself, I would indi 
 cate, as a thesis, the Divine Economy of the Universe, or the conciliation 
 of the realms of nature and of grace. Without, in any respect, imitating 
 or following Butler, Leibnitz, or McCosh, you could weave a stronger 
 argument, by rising to higher, more abstract, and more general con 
 siderations. * * * 
 
 "Excuse the tedious length of this letter. With sincere respect and 
 esteem, Yours, etc., 
 
 GEO. FEEDK. HOLMES/ 
 
 Dr. Thornwell to Mr. Holmes : 
 
 " THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY, October 9, 1856. 
 
 " MY DEAR SIR : * * * * I had heard that you were not a can 
 didate for the chair of Greek in the University, and therefore made no 
 effort for you in reference to that department. My own impression, too, 
 was very clear, that History was precisely the chair yon ought to fill ; 
 and I sincerely hope that Providence will allot you to the station in 
 which you seem pre-eminently qualified to be useful. 
 
 " Your article on Grote is a noble production ; and if you had never 
 written another line but that, it ought to be enough to elect you. * * * 
 I was much amused at the mistake into which I led you in relation to 
 Brandis s Aristotle. It was not the Scholia to Bekker s edition to which 
 I referred, but a far less formidable undertaking. It was the little trea 
 tise, Aristotclfs, seme Akademixchen Zeitgenossen und navhsten Nach- 
 folger, of which I have only the first half, published in Berlin in 1853. 
 If the second volume of the Scholia has ever been published, I have not 
 heard of it. We have only the first in our library. I have myself only 
 the Oxford reprint of Bekker s text, with the Sylburgian Indices, without 
 the Scholia or the Latin translations. 
 
 The prospects of the country fill me with sadness. The future is 
 very dark. The North seems to be mad, and the South blind. I have 
 been anxious to get a good article on the subject, written in the spirit 
 and temper of Legare s noble article on the American system, in the sixth 
 volume of the old Southern Review. It has occurred to me, from the 
 tone of their speeches in Congress, that Mason or Hunter would do the 
 thing well. I have no personal acquaintance with them, and am, there 
 fore, reluctant to approach them. Could you sound them for me ? The 
 Review must have something political ; but I shall for ever exclude the 
 topic, unless it is treated in a manly, patriotic, statesman-like, philo 
 sophical style. But I have perhaps wearied you with my gossip. At 
 any rate, advancing dawn reminds me that it is time to go to bed. 
 " Very sincerely, your friend, 
 
 J. H. THORNWELL." 
 
406 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THOKNWELL. 
 
 To the same: 
 
 "THEOLOGICAL SEMINAKY, November 20, 1856. 
 
 "MY DEAR SIB : You will need no excuse for my long silence, when 
 you come to know the circumstances in which I have been placed. For 
 more than two months my house was a hospital. My mother was first 
 seized, appeared to be recovering, then relapsed, and after a series of 
 dreadful sufferings, expired on the 18th of last month. A daughter, 
 nearly grown, took her bed about two weeks before the death of my 
 mother, and lingered in such a way as to fill us with dismal apprehensions, 
 until, about two weeks ago, she manifested decided symptoms of conval 
 escence, and is now, I am happy to say, quite restored. % My mother s 
 corpse was carried to her own home ; and while I was absent at .her fu 
 neral, a lovely little boy followed her to the unseen world. I found him 
 a corpse when I returned. These sad visitations, in such rapid succes 
 sion, weighed down my spirits. I had no heart for my everyday work. 
 But although I have suffered, and suffered keenly, and suffered, as I hope, 
 never to suffer again, yet I can truly say that I was not conscious of the 
 first emotion of rebellion against the Providence of God. I could trust 
 Him in the deepest darkness which surrounded me. The gospel which 
 I have long believed, and preached because I believe, was a very present 
 help in time of trouble. I felt its truth, and was strengthened by its 
 grace. But I shall not trouble you with my private griefs any further 
 than is necessary to vindicate myself from the .imputation of neglect. 
 
 * * * I am anxious for an able review of Motley, which shall present 
 the relations of the Dutch movement to the great principles of constitu 
 tional freedom. The state papers of William of Orange strike me as 
 containing the germs of every great doctrine of English and American 
 liberty. It is in this aspect that the subject is so profoundly interest 
 ing, and I know of none better qualified to do it justice than yourself. 
 * * * * * 
 
 "Very ti-uly, your friend, 
 
 J. H. THOBNWELL." 
 
 Mr. Holmes to Dr. Thornwell : 
 
 "BUBK S GARDEN, TAZEWELL Co., VA., December 1, 1856. 
 "Mr DEAB SIB: The narration of your severe domestic afflictions 
 enlists my cordial sympathies in your great and irreparable distress. 
 There is no agony which can befall a good man on earth greater than that 
 you have recently experienced ; there is no consolation which heaven 
 affords for the mitigation of human calamities, more cheering and 
 acceptable than the resignation which an earnest Christian faith blessed 
 you with in the hour of trial. I feel deeply the crushing blow which has 
 fallen upon you, and spread clouds over this life, but compensated the 
 gloom by exhibiting a brighter radiance and a more permanent satisfac- 
 
EDITORSHIP OF SOUTHERN QUARTERLY REVIEW. 407 
 
 tion in the eternal world. With what yearning anxiety the heart turns to 
 God, as it follows the departing spirits cf the good and the innocent of 
 our own blood ! * * * * 
 
 "I will use my best endeavours to procure a suitable essay on The 
 State of the Country, and to procure it promptly. There is no indica 
 tion of authorship to the articles in the November number. The last is 
 by Mr. Tyler, of Maryland. I ascribe to you that on Maimonides, and 
 the exquisite notice of Cicero de Officiis. I read the appeal on the 
 fourth page of the cover with equal regret and shame. I trust it may 
 be successful. * * * The Revieir ought to be sustained. It has been 
 an honour and a bulwark to the South ; it has been a crown of glory to 
 Sotith Carolina, and that State could well afford to lose one-half of her 
 cotton crop rather than to let her Southern Review go down. 
 "Yours truly, 
 
 . GEO. FREDK. HOLMES." 
 
 From the same : 
 
 " BURK S GARDEN, TAZEWELL Co., VA., December 30, 1856. 
 
 "REV. AND DEAR SIR: Dr. Moore, of Richmond, has very kindly 
 sent me the number of the Central Presbyterian, containing your gen 
 erous communication relative to the Chair of History in the University 
 of Virginia. If I could only feel conscious of meriting, in any degree, 
 the praise you have so graciously bestowed, I should feel much better 
 satisfied with myself, but could not be more grateful for your gratuitous 
 commendations. You have, however, set before me an ideal, which 
 I must endeavour to approach, though without hope of reaching it. 
 
 " I shall finish to-day an .essay on the Philosophy of Sir William 
 Hamilton, for the New York Methodist Quarterly. I am not satisfied 
 with it ; but when published, shall take the liberty of sending it to you, 
 with the hope of receiving your frank castigation of its views. * * * 
 I know no one in the country so competent as yourself to indicate its 
 blunders, and expose its weak points. And as I have been anxiously 
 seeking a philosophy capable of furnishing a complete conciliation of 
 reason and faith, there is no severity of judgment which will not be 
 acceptable. 
 
 " I am ready to take up Motley ; but I cannot do justice to him ; my 
 library is too scant. I admire both the spirit and execution of his work ; 
 but I miss with regret any suitable inquiry into the social condition and 
 commercial progress of the Low Countries ; and he has failed to avail 
 himself of the illustration of the intrigues, treacheries, and jealousies of 
 the nobles, and the hostility of parties furnished by the family con 
 nexions and hereditary traditions of the members of the Netherland 
 aristocracy. The Duke of Aerschot was a sovereign prince of the Holy 
 Roman Empire, as well as the Prince of Orange. But this, and other 
 points like this, are not mentioned by Mr. Motley. 
 
408 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THOKNWELL. 
 
 " I have in hand for you an essay on the Relations of Paganism and 
 Christianity, during the first three or four centuries. My collections 
 on the subject are extensive, but deficient in regard to the patristic evi 
 dence. The topic is an interesting and instructive one ; and I think I 
 can treat it in such a manner as to exhibit some novel aspects. 
 "Yours sincerely, 
 
 GEO. FKEDK. HOLMES." 
 
 From tlie same: 
 
 "BURK S GARDEN, TAZEWELL Co., VA., January 17, 1857. 
 
 REV. AND DEAR SIR : Your obliging note of the 9th inst. has just 
 reached me. I had nearly finished the rough draft of a notice of Motley, 
 and commenced transcribing it to-day. I will dispatch it in the course 
 of the coining week. This is not the first time that I have experienced 
 the wisdom of the old rule : if you desire information on any subject, 
 write upon it. Facts, recollections, suggestions, have started up from 
 obscure hiding-places in the crannies of the brain ; and though, when I 
 commenced the paper, I thought I was entirely ignorant of th. : age, I 
 have been unexpectedly oppressed with the redundance of my matter. 
 You will find traces in my article of many a curious volume of forgotten 
 lore; but no quotations except from Motley, and those brief. I feel 
 confident that it will meet your approbation ; it is infinitely better than 
 the notice of Grote. * * * * 
 
 "It is with deep concern I am informed by you of the unpromising 
 aspect of the fortunes of the Southern Quarterly, and of the possibility 
 of your retiring from its superintendence. Either would be a great 
 calamity to the South, and to its literature. * * * * 
 
 "Believe me, with grateful regard and esteem, 
 1 Yours truly, 
 
 GEO. FREDK. HOLMES." 
 
 Dr. Thornwell to Mr. Holmes: 
 
 "THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY, February 28, 1857. 
 
 " MY DEAR SIR : It gives me great pleasure to congratulate you upon 
 the manner, even more than the fact, of your election to the chair of 
 History in the University of Virginia. It was honourable to you, and 
 honourable to the Board. Our young men will be encouraged to devote 
 themselves to letters, when they find that real excellence is not destined 
 to pass without reward. Though it is true that Mammon is not the in 
 spiration of genius, and that philosophy should be sought for itself, and 
 not for the dowry, yet the native glow of inspiration requires a sun to 
 warm it, and disinterested love must have favourable circumstances to 
 expand it. As well might we expect the eagle to soar in void space, 
 without a supporting atmosphere, as the most gifted mind to unfold its 
 powers without opportunities. I rejoice that you have found a field 
 
EDITORSHIP OF SOUTHERN QUARTERLY REVIEW. 409 
 
 suited to your talents and your taste. God grant that you may long 
 live to occupy and adorn it ! 
 
 "There are two portions of modern history which, in my judgment, 
 have not received the attention they deserve. The first is the reign of 
 Henry IV, of France, and the other is the period intervening, until the 
 commencement of the French Kevolution. It might be called the Rise 
 and Growth of Absolutism in France. A life of Henry, and a general 
 philosophical history of the subsequent period, would fill a chasm which 
 I know of no work of any signal ability that supplies. What think you 
 of either, or both, parts of this great enterprise ? Whoever should exe 
 cute it well, might adopt the language of Thucydides, and call it a work 
 for all time. 
 
 "In relation to the Review, I am sadly discouraged. The February 
 number I have kept back, of purpose, hoping to stimulate a greater 
 degree of interest. I do not see that much has been accomplished. The 
 work has been warmly praised ; but praises pay neither printer, editor, 
 nor contributors. A project is on foot to make it the property of a joint 
 stock company, with a sufficient capital to sustain it adequately. One 
 hundred stockholders, at one hundred dollars apiece, would put it on a 
 firm foundation. I trust that, if kept up, you will not remit your interest 
 in its prosperity. 
 
 "Let me express the hope that you may find occasion to revisit Soiith 
 Carolina ; and, in that case, let my claims upon your person, as a captive 
 or a guest, be regarded supreme. 
 
 "Very truly, your friend, 
 
 J. H. THORNWELL." 
 
 From Mr. Holmes : 
 
 "BURK S GARDEN, TAZEWELL Co., VA., March 7, 1857. 
 
 " REV. AND DEAR SIR : ***** Thank you for your valuable 
 suggestion in regard to the reign of Henry IV, and the succeeding times 
 in France. I agree with you in your estimate of those ages, and their 
 long disregarded importance. They attracted my attention at one time, 
 but I discontinued my researches, from the difficulty and expense of 
 procuring the requisite documents. Since that period, my mind has 
 been gradually forced backward to the consideration of the phenomena 
 of decay in the society of the Roman Empire, and the equally interesting 
 characteristics of the reconstruction of- society, and the germination of 
 modern civilization in the remoter period of the Middle Ages. My col 
 lections on this subject are already extensile. * * * 
 
 " You afford a gleam of hope for the perpetuation of the Review. If 
 the scheme be carried out, I may be able to aid in giving it some assist 
 ance when I reach the University. My interest in the existence and 
 honour of the Review cannot fail. It exercised and promulgated my 
 earliest speculations ; it gave me my first reputation ; it has been instru 
 mental in securing my present appointment ; and your kindness has 
 finally linked my name with its fortunes and honours." * * * 
 
4:10 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORN WELL. 
 
 " May 30, 1857. 
 
 * * * "I had hoped to have heard your judgment of the criticism 
 of Sir William Hamilton, which I directed to be sent to you in the num 
 bers of the New York Methodist Quarterly, when it was published. I 
 am solicitous for this, as the points discussed are, in my estimation, of 
 great importance ; and there are few, if any, who can as readily detect 
 their importance and bearing, and estimate their validity or invalidity. 
 
 * * * " Believe me, very respectfully and sincerely yours, 
 
 GEO. FEEDK. HOLMES." 
 
 Dr. Thornwell to Mr. Holmes : 
 
 " THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY, July 7, 1857. 
 
 "Mr DEAR SIB: Your articles on Hamilton were read by me with 
 great interest ; and it may gratify you to know that I put them into the 
 hands of my class in the Seminary, to whom I was delivering, at the 
 time, some side lectures on Kant. Sir William s changes in logic the 
 exclusion of the categories and all material considerations, the thoroiigh- 
 going quantification of the predicate, the consequent extension of pro- 
 positional forms, and the simplification of the whole doctrine of con 
 version have always appeared to ihe specimens of a keen, but perverse, 
 ingenuity. I cannot see their importance ; and I am sure, and he even 
 admits, that language is not constructed with reference to them. And 
 yet, are not the laws of language the laws of thought ? Then, again, the 
 unfigured syllogism, I am quite certain, can be reduced to shape. Propo 
 sitions, in which the terms are not related as subjects and predicates, 
 seem to me harder to understand than the doctrines of St. Paul. 
 
 "The philosophical reason you suggest for not recognizing the quan 
 tification of the predicate in affirmative propositions, was quite new to 
 me; and, I am disposed to think, is not without more significance than 
 you have attached to it. That the very forms in which we embody our 
 positive knowledge, should contain intimations that there remains much 
 more to be known ; that all science should be a confession of ignorance, 
 is in exact accordance with the spirit of Sir AVilliam Hamilton s philos 
 ophy, and the real state of the case. 
 
 "Upon the point in dispute between Sir William and Cousin, I have 
 always thought that the victory was with Sir William. And yet I am 
 not clear that the Infinite and Absolute are species of the same genus,, 
 exhaustive of the whole sphere of the Unconditioned ; still less can I 
 admit that all positive thought is mediated between two extremes, 
 neither of which is cogitable ; but one of which and, as far as the state 
 ment goes, no matter which must be admitted. The Infinite and the 
 Absolute appear to me as different aspects of one and the same thing : 
 different phases under which it is contemplated by the mind. It is the 
 Infinite, when considered in itself : the boundless sphere of being, the 
 substratum or ground of all existence. It is the Absolute, when consid 
 ered as determining being, as conditioning and regulating the finite and 
 
EDITORSHIP OF SOUTHERN QUARTERLY REVIEW. 411 
 
 limited. The Infinite One is the Essence in itself ; the Absolute, that 
 Essence as entering into, and giving force to all dependent existence. 
 The Infinite is the negation of the finite ; the Absolute involves its affir 
 mation. These seem to me the senses in which these terms are em 
 ployed by the Absolute philosophers. 
 
 "There is only one thing in your articles to which I must demur; 
 and that is your low estimate of my old friend, Dugald Stewart. His 
 work was the first to inspire me with any love for philosophical pursuits, 
 and I confess that I prize his writings very highly. His candour, his 
 love of truth, his modesty in stating his opinions, his scrupulous pre 
 cision in the use of language, are beyond all praise. The man who in 
 spired into his pupils the enthusiasm kindled by Stewart, must have had 
 more than ordinary merit. His sketch of modern philosophy is an ex 
 quisite morceau. His speculations upon the real nature of mathema 
 tical reasoning, his remarks upon axioms, and the proper place of first 
 truths, strike me as all indicating no mean talents for philosophy. As 
 an expounder of Reid s system, he has been very successful in eliminat 
 ing its radical principles, and in guarding them from abuse. Take out 
 his silly speculations upon language, especially the Sanscrit, and a few 
 other blemishes, and I know of no other books that can be read with 
 more interest, profit and delight, than the speculations of Dugald Stewart. 
 From the influence of early associations, I love him as Tani O Shanter 
 loved his drouthy crony. I love him as a very brither. But I am, 
 perhaps, tedious. I have written these hasty lines without your articles 
 before me, and without having seen them for more than two months. 
 I lent them to some of my pupils ; and it may be that I have written 
 unadvisedly. Wishing you every prosperity, I am, 
 "As ever, your sincere friend, 
 
 J. H. THORNWZLL." 
 
 "P. S. The article on the Disuse of the Latin Language, I had 
 retained for the next number of the Review. What shall I do with it ? 
 Shall I return it to you ? or shall I send it to any other journal ? 
 
 This postscript is the last note of the bell, as the foun 
 dering ship went down beneath the flood. The Southern 
 Quarterly was no more ! In a second postscript to the 
 above letter, Dr. Thorn well says: "I will re-pernse your 
 article on Hamilton, and give you my opinion more in 
 detail." In reference to which promise, Mr. Holmes 
 writes : " The more detailed views of Hamilton s Philoso 
 phy were never sent. The decease of the Southern 
 Quarterly Review, and the occupations of us both, soon 
 terminated the correspondence." We find, hewever. 
 
412 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORN WELL. 
 
 among the loose papers in our possession, a fragment, 
 which was evidently intended as the fulfilment of his 
 pledge; and though it bears upon -its face evidence of 
 being only the commencement of an extended criticism, 
 the two points signalized in it are so important, as the 
 expression of his philosophical views, that it would be 
 criminal to withhold it. The reader cannot but be grati 
 fied to learn, from his own pen, the precise estimate in 
 which he held the contribution made by Sir William 
 Hamilton to philosophy: 
 
 "My LEAB SIB : In one respect I rejoice, in another I ain sorry, that 
 I promised to give you a more detailed review of your admirable article 
 on Sir William Hamilton s philosophy. I rejoice, because the reading 
 and re-reading, and reading of them again, which it rendered necessary, 
 have been to me a source of the purest satisfaction. Your essays have 
 not only confirmed my impressions of your learning, but given me an 
 insight into qualities of mind which, I frankly confess, I was not pre 
 pared to attribute to you, in anything like the degree in which you have 
 shown yourself to possess them. You will not be surprised, therefore, 
 that I regret having made the promise, as the execution of it is likely to 
 be of as little profit to you as credit to myself. One revenge, however, 
 I shall inflict on you for the loss of my time and pains that of passing 
 over in silence, or with a mere allusion, those parts of your essay in 
 which I can find nothing to censure, and dwelling upon those in which 
 there seems to be a chance of picking holes. I could not justly claim 
 to be a critic, if I found no fault. 
 
 " 1. I am glad to see that you appreciate so justly the subordination 
 of philosophy to faith. For myself, I have long looked upon the Scrip 
 tures as containing the key to the true solution of the problem of ex 
 istence ; and I have been struck, in several instances, with the remark 
 able fact, that the speculations of Aristotle break down just where a 
 higher light was needed to guide him. He has tracked truth through the 
 court and sanctuary to the mystic veil, which he was not permitted to 
 lift. One hint from revelation would have perfected his theory of hap 
 piness ; a single line of Moses would have saved a world of perplexity, 
 touching the relations of matter and form. Any system of philosophy 
 must be fundamentally false .which does not lay a foundation for the 
 possibility of revelation ; and to do this, the notions of a personal God, 
 and a strict and proper creation, must be vindicated. In all this we 
 agree ; but I have been unable to determine to what class of philoso 
 phers you refer (p. 24), as being inclined to look upon the created uni 
 verse as an episodical digression. The predominant vice of modern 
 philosophy, it seems to me, is just the opposite ; it is to look upon na- 
 
EDITORSHIP OF SOUTHERN QUARTERLY REVIEW. 413 
 
 ture as the all. Whatever form of the Absolute you take, it quietly pro 
 ceeds upon the category of the immanent, assumes the doctrine of sub 
 stantial identity, and recognizes no principle but that of necessary de 
 velopment, or inevitable self-manifestation. The consequence is, that 
 a personal God, with all free causation, is excluded. Where there is no 
 design, there can be no episodes ; and where all is necessary, nothing 
 can be incidental. 
 
 " 2. Your estimate of the Scotch school is so different from my o\rn, 
 that I am constrained to believe that either you or I have misapprehended 
 its characteristics. In my judgment, your articles breathe the very 
 spirit of the Scottish philosophy ; and every exception you have taken 
 to the tenor and bearing of Sir William s speculations is only in in 
 stances in which he has diverged from the track of Reid and Stewart, and 
 the scope of your criticism is to bring him back. His great merit is 
 that he has explained, purified, vindicated, and enlarged the doctrines 
 of his masters. He has supplied deficiencies, corrected errors, suggested 
 amendments ; but his whole effort has been to bring the system into 
 harmony with itself. His philosophy is only that of Reid and Stewart, 
 perfected by an instrument a sound logic which they did not possess. 
 I cannot agree, therefore, that he has introduced something like sys 
 tem, substance, order, and coherence into their vague experimental psy 
 chology, by a sweeping and revolutionary legislation, (p. 27.) Apart 
 from a more thorough exposition of the criteria of our fundamental be 
 liefs and primitive cognitions two things, by the way, which Sir Wil 
 liam Hamilton does not, and Stewart does, distinguish apart from a 
 consistent and logical account of the conditions indispensable to the 
 possibility and validity of the philosophy of common sense ; these con 
 tributions, and the distinctions and explanations which the theory of 
 realism supposes, such as those in relation to presentative and repre 
 sentative knowledge, and the real nature of consciousness, I know of 
 nothing that Sir William has contributed to philosophy ; and these are 
 all in accordance with the system of Reid and Stewart, except the effort 
 to define more precisely the limits of human knowledge in the Philoso 
 phy of the Conditioned. That, as far as it is sound, is out and out 
 Scottish ; as far as it is unsound, it departs from the characteristics of 
 the school. The estimate which I have expressed of Sir William s re 
 lations to the Scotch school, is precisely that of Cousin. In that beauti 
 ful and exquisite letter which he wrote to Professor Pillans, when Sir 
 William was a candidate for the chair of Logic and Metaphysics, he re 
 presented him as the very impersonation of the Scottish philosophy ; and 
 the question before the electors was the question of giving a successor 
 to Reid and Stewart. You will find the whole letter, (and a reference 
 to it would have graced your article) in * Peipi s Fragments de Philo 
 sophic. 
 
CHAPTER XXIX. 
 
 SEMINARY LIFE. 
 
 DEATH OF HIS MOTHER, AND OF HIS SON. His VIEWS OF THE FAMILY 
 COVENANT. ASSEMBLY OF 18">G. His SERMON ON FOREIGN MISSIONS. 
 LETTER TO HIS DAUGHTER. PASTOR OF THE COLUMBIA CHURCH. VIEW 
 OF AFRICAN SLAVE TRADE. TOUR THROUGH THE WEST. LETTERS TO 
 HIS CHILDREN AND WIFE. MEMBER OF ASSEMBLY IN 1857. APPOINTED 
 CHAIRMAN OF COMMITTEE ON REVISION OF THE BOOK OF DISCIPLINE. 
 LETTEB IN RELATION TO IT, FROM THE MODERATOR. His INAUGURATION 
 AS PROFESSOR IN THE SEMINARY. 
 
 T NTIM ATION has been given, in a preceding letter, of 
 JL the bereavement he sustained in 1856. His mother, 
 left a widow in 1820, contracted a second marriage, on 
 the 26th of February, 1829, with Mr. Ananias Graham, 
 a plain man, but of excellent character and good position. 
 This relation continued unbroken until her own death, on 
 the 18th of October, 1856. It must have been to her a 
 great privilege to fall asleep, as she did, in the arms of 
 her distinguished son. It was so ordered, by a kind 
 Providence, that she was on a visit to him, when she was 
 taken down with typhoid fever ; and after lingering many 
 weeks, during which he nursed her with the utmost ten 
 derness, she fell asleep in Jesus. He accompanied her 
 remains to Bennettsville, South Carolina, which was her 
 home, and returned immediately to Columbia, to en 
 counter, if possible, a heavier sorrow. Two of his chil 
 dren were lying ill, of the same disease, when he left. 
 Upon entering the house, the family met him at the door, 
 with countenances veiled with peculiar sadness. " Tell 
 me the worst," he exclaimed; "tell me if my dear 
 daughter is dead." She was thought, aj: the time of his 
 departure, to be the sicker of the two. " No," was the 
 
 415 
 
416 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THOKNWELL. 
 
 reply; "but Witherspoon is; he died about half an hour 
 ago." He was completely overcome by the tidings, and 
 had to be assisted to his room; but, adds the gentle nar 
 rator, " He had the sweet assurance that his darling boy 
 was with Jesus ; he had given every evidence of a change 
 of heart before he was sick." 
 
 This little boy, who was taken away when a little over 
 nine years of age, had been, in some respects, a remark 
 able child from his birth. He was distinguished, not 
 only by a singular sweetness of disposition, but by an un 
 common development of religious feeling. This was 
 indicated, not so much by the usual childish curiosity 
 about religious subjects, as by the prayerful exercises in 
 which he secretly engaged. It was not an uncommon 
 thing to find him alone, in some unfrequented place, upon 
 his knees; in one instance, just before his illness, con 
 cealed behind the wood-pile, in the yard. Some weeks 
 after his death, the writer asked of his father, what was 
 his opinion as to the salvation of children who died at the 
 dubious age of his own son, when it was, so difficult to fix 
 the boundaries of personal accountability ? After stating, 
 in reply, the more special grounds of hope afforded in 
 this case, Dr. Thornwell added : Independently of all this, 
 however, I believe the covenant which God has made with 
 His people, and which is sealed to their faith in the bap 
 tism of their offspring, to be a real and a precious tiling ; 
 and where Christian parents have, in faith, laid .hold upon 
 this covenant, and have pleaded its promises on behalf of 
 their seed, they may, when dying in these early years of 
 childish immaturity, be laid, without a particle of appre 
 hension or distrust, upon the bosom of that promise, " I 
 will be a God to thee, and to thy seed." We do not em 
 brace this statement in quotation marks, simply because 
 we cannot reproduce the exact language, after the lapse 
 of so many years. But an experience of our own, in a 
 similar bereavement, had made that view of the baptismal 
 covenant exceedingly precious; and this confirmation of 
 
SEMINARY LIFE. 41? 
 
 it, by one whose opinions were so carefully formed, made 
 an impression too distinct to allow any mistake of his 
 meaning. 
 
 Dr. Thorn well was a member of the General Assembly, 
 which met in New York city, in 1856. In reference to 
 him, however, there is nothing worthy of special mention 
 but the delivery of the sermon on Foreign Missions, by 
 appointment of the preceding Assembly. It was pub 
 lished, by order of the Assembly, and may be found in 
 the second volume of his "Collected Writings." Its theme 
 was, " The Sacrifice ot Christ the type and model of mis 
 sionary effort." Dr. Addison Alexander, himself a won 
 derful example of pulpit eloquence, heard it delivered, 
 and pronounced it "as fine a specimen of Demosthenian 
 eloquence as he had ever heard from the pulpit, and that 
 it realized his idea of what preaching should be:" a noble 
 testimony from a source which no one can afford to dis 
 parage, and honourable to the frank and generous heart 
 from which it sprang. They are both . in heaven : can 
 one conceive the fellowship between the two, before the 
 Throne, rising together, from the learning and philosophy 
 of earth, to the higher scholarship known only to the im 
 mortals ? 
 
 The following letter is transcribed with a melancholy 
 interest. It is the only one that can be identified, with 
 certainty, as addressed to his eldest daughter, Nannie, of 
 whom there will be a touching memorial in the sequel : 
 
 " COLUMBIA, June 7, 1856. 
 
 MY DEAR DAUGHTER : We have just received your letter, and were 
 becoming very anxious on account of what appeared to us as your 
 protracted silence. There must have been some irregularity in the mail 
 which brought it, or some detention of it in your own hands after you 
 had written it, or it could not have been so long on the way. We were 
 gratified to learn that your health was preserved, and not astonished to 
 find you complaining of a feeling of lonesomeness. This will wear off, 
 as your mind becomes interested in the objects around you. I want you 
 to improve the opportunities you enjoy, and to evince, when you return, 
 the benefits of your trip. 
 
LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORN WELL. 
 
 The first thing, my dear child, that I would impress upon you is the 
 care of your own soul. That, after all, is the business of life. I do not 
 mean merely that you are to read your Bible with regularity and atten 
 tion, and observe your hours of private devotion. This, I am sure, you 
 will not neglect. But I am anxious to see you really interested in the 
 great salvation. Nothing would delight me so much as to hear that you 
 felt yourself by nature a lost and miserable sinner, and that you were 
 trusting in Jesus for the pardon of your guilt. Do not be easy until you 
 have a good hope that your sins are forgiven, and that your heart is re 
 newed. Try to profit by the sermons you hear. Apply them to your 
 self ; pray over them, and beg the Lord to make them contribute to your 
 good. True religion will be the greatest accomplishment you can possi 
 bly require. Seek it until you find it. 
 
 " In the next place, be attentive to your studies. Endeavour to store, 
 your mind with useful and elegant knowledge. You may abandon the 
 study of Latin, but give yourself closely to the acquisition of French. I 
 want to see you so perfectly master of that language, as to write and 
 speak it with fluency and ease. Give attention also to English composi 
 tion. Now is the time to form your taste. If you have an opportunity, 
 and I have no doubt they are frequent in New York, you would do well 
 to take lessons from a writing-master, so as to improve your hand. You 
 see that I do not wish you to be idle, and I do not wish you to be 
 diverted from solid pursuits by company or visiting. There is one ex 
 ercise which I must exact from you, and you must be sure to perform it 
 punctually ; and that is, to write me every Monday an account of the 
 sermons you heard on Sunday, particularly the morning sermon. This 
 will be profitable to you, and very interesting to me. 
 
 "We found Charlie very ill upon our return, and for several days I 
 despaired of his life. But he is now much better, and I feel encour 
 aged to hope that he will recover from the attack. He is a mere skele 
 ton, but his spirits are good, and he frequently talks about Nannie. He 
 made us read your letter aloud to him, and was as much interested as any 
 of the family. The little fellow has been a model of patience and self- 
 denial, and I sincerely trust that God is sparing him for some valuable 
 end. * * * * All keep well but Charlie. You must write to us 
 twice a week, and do not forget the sermons on Monday. It is Saturday 
 night, and I must get ready for to-morrow. So farewell for the present. 
 "Your affectionate father, 
 
 J. H. THOKNWELL." 
 
 This allusion to preparation for the Sabbath, renders 
 it proper to state, that the Columbia church being at 
 that time vacant, he was invited to nil the pulpit, by a 
 people who gratefully remembered his ministrations to 
 them fifteen years before. In consequence of this ar. 
 rangement, Dr. Thornwell, in adition to his duties as a 
 
SEMINARY LIFE. 419 
 
 Theological Professor, and as the editor of a leading 
 quarterly, found himself in the service of one of the 
 most important churches in the South. 
 
 We insert here a letter to a near kinsman, upon the 
 death of his young wife. It is full of valuable counsel 
 to such as are temporarily thrown off their balance by 
 sorrow ; and exhibits a proof of that friendship which 
 does not hesitate to wound in order to heal. 
 
 "THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY, September 4, 1856. 
 
 " DEAR DONNOM : I regret very much that I did not have the oppor 
 tunity of seeing more of you, during your short visit to Columbia. 
 Your case has excited an intense interest in my mind, not only in the 
 way of sympathy for your sore and terrible affliction, but in the way of 
 apprehension for the use you are likely to make of it. You must ex 
 cuse me for speaking plainly ; my anxiety on your behalf will not allow 
 me to hold my peace, or to speak what your feelings would prompt you 
 to ask. Your situation is critical, much more critical than you and your 
 friends may possibly suspect. You are in danger of pursuing a course 
 that may terminate in serious and lasting injury to your character and 
 prospects. 
 
 "In the first place, Donnom, let me say to you frankly, that the 
 want of fortitude which you seem to feel it no reproach to exhibit, 
 is inconsistent alike with the dignity which becomes a man, and the 
 submission which belongs to a Christian. To bear with firmness what 
 Cannot be avoided, is the dictate of philosophy ; to bear with resigna 
 tion what God appoints, is the dictate of religion. To be unnerved by 
 calamities, to nurse our sorrows, to foster our grief, and make it our 
 whole business to mourn, is a spirit of rebellion and insubordination, 
 which not only cannot be justified, but cannot even be excused. It has 
 no parallel but in the case of children, who pine over their losses in 
 stubborn fretfulness, and refuse all the kindness and condescension of 
 their parents to soothe their petulance. The language of such a course 
 to the Almighty, when rightly interpreted, is a language of defiance, 
 which a creature should shudder to use. It is a virtual declaration that 
 because God has crossed you in your schemes and hopes, you are re 
 solved to enjoy no more of His gifts, and to discharge no longer the 
 duties He has imposed upon you. It is the language of sullen resentment. 
 I do not object to the pungency of your grief : it is right to feel afflic 
 tions, and to feel them keenly. Religion does not convert us into 
 stones. But while, like Jesus, we may weep at the tomb of our friends, 
 we should never permit our nerves to be unstrung, nor our loins un- 
 girded, for the duties and responsibilities which still rest upon us. We 
 are still men, and still sustain the relutions of men. With subdued and 
 
420 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THOKNWELL. 
 
 chastened spirits we should return from the grave to the earnest calls of 
 life. There should be a dignity in our bearing, a majesty in our woe, that 
 should command the respect and awe the sympathy of all who take 
 knowledge of us. This is the deportment that I want to see you adopt. 
 I have been distressed to see you moping about, and arming yourself 
 with industrious patience, against the. invasion of every thought that 
 would divert you from your loss, as if your sole business now was 
 simply to fan the flame of your sorrow. You seem to have forgotten 
 that you are a son, a brother, a master, a man. You are resolved to ex 
 tinguish every relation of life in the disruption of the tie which bound 
 you as a husband. It is a serious, and may prove in the end, unless 
 you summon your energies to correct it, a fatal mistake. You must 
 resist this weakness. Pardon me for saying that I was shocked when 
 you told me that you intended to sell your property and return to 
 Alabama, for the purpose of being constantly associated with those who 
 could nurse your sorrows, and keep the sore everlastingly running. 
 Donnom, this must not be. I say to you in all earnestness, as you prize 
 your best and highest interests, do not think of making, in the present 
 condition of your mind, any permanent change in your arrangements 
 for life. You are not qualified to form an impartial judgment, and the 
 spirit and end of the proposed scheme are such as to promise nothing 
 but disaster. Wait till reason and reflection have resumed their as 
 cendency, before you venture to disturb the existing state of your 
 affairs. Do nothing without the advice of your father. He is cool and 
 collected, and is competent to counsel you with discretion. 
 
 "But, Donnom, my worst fear in relation to you is, that this affliction 
 is likely to pass off without any profit. If it is not sanctified to your 
 spiritual good, it will do you incalculable harm. As I told you, in the 
 brief conversation I had with you, your mind was turned to none of 
 those Christian aspects in which, as a visitation of God, your bereave 
 ment should be contemplated, but was wholly absorbed in the selfish 
 considerations of your own personal loss. You have obstinately refused 
 to see the hand of God ; you fix upon nothing but the happiness which has 
 fled from your grasp. Now, the effect of this perverseness cannot fail to 
 be disastrous. However improbable it may now sound to you, time will do 
 its work ; other associations will eventually take possession of the mind ; 
 the intensity of your anguish will pass away ; and unless your human 
 nature is different from that of all other men, the reaction will be as 
 violent to the other extreme ; and you may be the victim of a levity as 
 unbecoming as your present unmanly grief. If selfishness is to rule 
 the hour, this must be the effect. It will keep you for a while in your 
 present state of mind, making- morbid luxury of tears; but the same 
 law which produces this result will, after the satiety of grief is over, 
 seek a different species of luxury in other channels. Mark my words. 
 I have studied that mystery of inconsistencies and contradictions, the 
 human heart, and I know what I am saying. The effect of such a re 
 action will be fatal to all seriousness of character. If you permit this 
 
SEMINARY LIFE. 421 
 
 season to pass without having the selfishness of your nature eradicated 
 or subdued, it will become the predominant principle of your life ; and, 
 though it may not assume offensive forms, it will be as deadly in its 
 hostility to religion as if it wore the hateful and disgusting shapes which 
 provoke the reprobation of the world. Your character is now passing 
 through a crisis. Self is uppermost ; God has called you to a dreadful 
 sacrifice of that principle. He has taken what is dearest to self : and 
 now self shows its power by refusing to be comforted, or even to 
 submit, because its pride has been wounded. Let this spirit continue 
 to regulate your feelings, and you become a confirmed votary to self, 
 and an incorrigible rebel against God. Your afflictions will turn out to 
 be a curse, instead of being improved as a blessing. It is, therefore, of 
 the last importance that you should begin to consider your case in a new 
 li,<<ht ; to look upon it as a dispensation of God, designed to answer 
 salutary ends ; and to seek, by prayer and devout meditation, to have 
 its lessons impressed upon your mind. 
 
 " The first thing which the pungency of your grief should teach you, 
 is the bitterness of sin. I do not say that your affliction is any judgment 
 upon you ; we have no right so to interpret the events of Providence. The 
 estimate of personal character is not to be measured by outward circum 
 stances. But all pain is ultimately due to sin ; and the degree of pain 
 which exists in the world may give us some notion of the extent to which 
 God hates sin. 
 
 "Now, you know how much you have suffered by this bereavement. 
 From the intensity of your anguish, learn the intensity of that poison 
 which has infused all this bitterness into your cup. If, in this world, 
 sin can produce so much sorrow, what are we to expect from it in a 
 \vorld of righteous retribution, where it is to receive according to its 
 nature and deserts. It has occasioned you an awful loss here, the loss 
 of a wife ; it will occasion you hereafter, if not renounced and forsaken, 
 the still more awful loss of your soul and God ; and you will be made 
 to feel these losses there with a weight of sorrow compared to which 
 your present agony is joy. In all your distresses, see sin as the cause ; 
 from what it has cost you, learn to hate it, and to flee from it. Unless this 
 lesson is mastered, the rod has been in vain. 
 
 "In the next place, you should learn that man s portion is not here 
 below. This is neither our home nor our rest. How forcibly has this 
 been impressed upon you! You had a pet lamb; you loved it, and 
 nursed it, and watched it ; you garnered your affections upon it, and 
 rejoiced in the consciousness that this beautiful and lovely creature you 
 could call your own. God took it at the very height of your self-satis 
 faction ; and all to teach you that you were to have no pet lamb of your 
 own, but that you must regard supremely His own Lamb, the Lamb of 
 God, which taketh away the sin of the world. You were making your 
 self warm in your nest, and God has stirred it up, and driven you from 
 it. He has been teaching you the great truth, that life is a pilgrimage ; 
 that we are strangers and sojourners here, and that we must seek a city 
 
422 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORNWELL. 
 
 which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God. If you can 
 only now be disgusted with sin, and allured to thoughts of the heavenly 
 city, you can have no difficulty in the way of life, which is none other 
 than the Lord Jesus Christ ; and this consideration suggests the last 
 thought which I wish now to commend to your attention. It is the 
 importance of a personal communion with Jesus. He was a man of 
 sorrows ; he knew what affliction and distress meant. Your cup is 
 sweetness compared to His ; and all, that He might be a merciful and 
 faithful High Priest. He is the Friend of sinners. Go to Him ; He 
 will receive you kindly and tenderly ; He will enter into your griefs ; 
 He will soothe your woe ; and give you the oil of grace for the spirit of 
 heaviness. You need just such a friend. Look away from men, and 
 fix your eye and your heart steadily upon Jesus ; and you will find one 
 who is more than father, or mother, or wife, or sister ; who sticketh 
 closer than a brother. Do this, and your soul shall live. 
 
 I have written to you, Donnom, these hurried lines, from a sincere 
 desire to minister to your profit. I have always loved you, and have often 
 prayed for you ; but I love you more, and pray for you more tenderly, 
 now, since the Lord s hand is upon you. It may be that my plain deal 
 ing may offend you. If so, I shall regret it ; there is nothing farther 
 from my heart than to give you pain. Your sorrow is sacred in my 
 eyes ; but I have seen your danger and your snare, and I have endea 
 voured faithfully to put you on your guard. I would have preferred 
 talking with you, but your brief stay precluded that. May the Lord 
 bless you, and guide you, and keep you, and make all things work to 
 your good and His own glory. 
 
 "Most sincerely, your friend, 
 
 J. H. THOKNWELL." 
 
 The following letter, to the Kev. Dr. Adger, discloses 
 his views upon a grave public question, at that time some 
 what agitated in political circles : 
 
 " THEOLOGICAL SEMINAKY, December 10, 1856. 
 
 " MY DEAB BKOTHEE : Send your article by the first of January. My 
 judgment and my feelings are decidedly opposed to the slave trade, in 
 every respect in which the subject can be viewed, and I am sorry that it 
 has been agitated at all. In the first place, it would change the whole 
 character of the institution, as it exists amongst us. It is now domestic 
 and patriarchal ; the slave has all the family associations, and family 
 pride, and sympathies of the master. He is born in the house, and 
 bred with the children. The sentiments which spring from this circum 
 stance, in the master and the slave, soften all the asperities of the rela 
 tion, and secure obedience as a sort of filial respect. This humanizing 
 element would be lost, the moment we cease to rear our slaves, and rely 
 upon a foreign market. In the next place, it would render the institu- 
 
SEMINARY LIFE. 423 
 
 tion positively dangerous. Lawless savages imported from Africa, 
 many of whom have been accustomed to command, to war and to cru 
 elty, and none of whom have been accustomed to work, would be about 
 the surest instruments of insubordination and rebellion that could be 
 desired. We should have to resort to a standing army, as they do in the 
 West Indies, to keep our plantations in order. In the third place, the 
 whole thing proceeds on a blunder. Capital and labour with us are not 
 distinct. The slave is as really capital, as he is a labourer. To reduce 
 his value, therefore, is not simply to cheapen labour, it is to reduce the 
 amount of capital. The country will be no richer by the foreign impor 
 tations. In the fourth place, it will operate as a constant cause of wars 
 and seditions in Africa, and will involve largely the additional crime of 
 man-stealing. These are mere hints, but they show my way of thinking. 
 I have expressed my opinions freely to the Governor himself, whom I 
 highly esteem. The sentiments of the State will revolt at the thing ; it 
 cannot go. 
 
 "In relation to yourself, the difficulties which are gathering, or have 
 gathered around you, only render your duty the more manifest. Your 
 external call* was clear and unambiguous ; it was indeed very remarkable. 
 The internal one must be equally obvious, if you will only reflect upon 
 the state of your own mind beforehand. You wanted the door open, and 
 you professed a willingness to make any sacrifice to enter it. God has 
 opened it, and put you to the trial. He has thought you worth trying, 
 and therefore father, and brother, and sister are permitted to rise up 
 against you, to give you the opportunity of showing that His voice is 
 louder in your ears than theirs. The case to me is very plain, and I 
 shall really tremble for you, if you decline. Your mouth must be shut 
 against any prayer hereafter for a field of ministerial labour. God may 
 say, I called, and ye refused. 
 
 "Most devotedly, your friend, 
 
 J. H. THOKNWELL." 
 
 On being returned to the Assembly of 1857, at Lex 
 ington, Kentucky, Dr. Thornwell made a tour of more 
 than two months through parts of Alabama, Mississippi, 
 and Tennessee, in behalf of the Seminary at Columbia. 
 His object was to awaken a more general interest in its 
 welfare, and to complete its endowment, which had been 
 successfully initiated by other parties visiting the so.uth- 
 west. His preaching was attended with great power 
 wherever he went ; and in the freedom of epistolary inter- 
 
 * His election to the chair of Church History and Government in the 
 Theological Seminary, recently vacant by the writer s removal to his 
 present field of labour. 
 
4:24 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORNWELL. 
 
 course lie refers, with humble gratitude, to the universal 
 acceptance of his labours. A warm friend of his in earlier 
 days thus speaks of his visit to him in Mississippi : "I 
 was enthusiastic in my love and admiration for him. 
 After my removal from South Carolina to Mississippi I 
 often told my friends here of his powers. At length, one 
 gentleman, an eminent lawyer, and a particular friend, 
 told me that he thought my enthusiasm led me to exag 
 gerate. A few days after this conversation, I received a 
 letter from Dr. Thornwell, informing me that he would 
 pay me a visit on his way to the General Assembly at 
 Lexington. I called on my friend, and told him that he 
 would soon see and hear for himself. He came according 
 to promise, and preached twice each of two Sabbaths, and 
 twice through the week. The community was held en 
 tranced by his pulpit discourses ; and after he left, my 
 friend voluntarily said to me, " you did not tell the fourth 
 part." 
 
 His letters, written home during this absence, are ad 
 dressed often to his children, and adapted in their style 
 to their different ages. We present brief extracts, only 
 for the purpose of bringing him more distinctly before 
 the reader in his family relations. 
 
 The first is to his son, Gillespie, twelve years old. 
 
 " TUSCUMBIA, ALA., May 4, 1857. 
 
 " MY DEAR BOY : If you will take a map, and look upon that part of 
 the State of Alabama which lies upon the Tennessee river, and is near 
 to the States of Mississippi and Tennessee, you will see where your 
 father is. The river is a noble stream. Steamboats run up it for nearly 
 five hundred miles. In some places, it lies between banks of mountains 
 of limestone, and you see tall mountains lying on both sides of it in the 
 distance. It abounds in fish. I have seen whole wagon loads caught in 
 it in a short time ; and you would enjoy yourself very much here with 
 a hook and line. Between Tuscumbia and Florence the river is nearly 
 a mile wide, and we have to cross it in a little steamboat. The whole 
 region is full of limestone, and abounds in bold springs. There is a spring 
 here which runs almost like a river ; boats come to its very head, and 
 it will often swim a horse. The water is clear as cyrstal, and gushes 
 from r. solid bed of rock. This spring supplies the whole town of Tus- 
 
SEMINARY LIFE. 425 
 
 cumbia with water. In wet weather the country is very muddy ; and 
 the lime makes the mud stick more than it sticks in Lancaster. But it 
 keeps the soil from washing away. They have no large gullies in the 
 fields, like we have in the Waxhaws. It is a beautiful region. 
 
 I spent night before last with Dr. , and I was delighted to find that 
 
 his oldest boy was a professor of religion. I thought what a comfort it 
 would be to me to have my oldest boy, as indeed all my children, chil 
 dren of God. Begin now, my son, to fear and love and serve the God 
 of your father. Do nothing which your Bible condemns. Pray from 
 the heart; and earnestly seek that you may have a heart that loves to 
 pray. * * * The Lord bless you, and make you a blessing to your 
 
 fellow men. 
 
 "Your affectionate father, . 
 
 J. H. THOKNWELL." 
 
 The next is to one of his daughters : 
 
 " HOLLY SPKINGS, Miss., May 14, 1857. 
 
 " MY DEAR PATTIE : I received your welcome letter to-day ; and though 
 I wrote to Jennie this morning, I cannot refrain from dropping you a 
 line to-night. Your letter was a great comfort to me ; and I was particu 
 larly delighted at your saying that you wanted to be a Christian, and 
 that you hoped to be one soon. Nothing would do me so much good as 
 to see my dear little daxighter converted to God. The Lord has pro 
 mised His grace to those who seek Him early. You cannot begin too 
 soon. For, lovely as you are in my eyes, you are a sinner in the sight 
 of God ; and your first care should be to obtain pardon through the Lord 
 Jesus Christ, and to get a new heart. Pray to God, for Christ s sake, to 
 give you the Holy Spirit. He will be willing to hear the prayers of a 
 child. Study your Bible, and try to trust in the Saviour. Give yourself to 
 Him ; and beg Him to save you, and make you a true child of God. * * 
 
 " I love to read your letters. I did not know that you could write so 
 well. And now, my dear child, may God bless you and keep you, and 
 lead you in the way everlasting. I sincerely pray that I may find you a 
 Christian when I come back home. 
 
 " Your affectionate father, 
 
 J. H. THORN WELL." 
 
 To Mrs. Thdrnwell : 
 
 "MEMPHIS, TENN., May 18, 1857. 
 
 "MY DEAREST WIFE: I reached here on Friday night, and spent 
 Saturday in looking around this young and flourishing city, which, 
 within a quarter of a century, has sprung up like magic, and is daily in 
 creasing in an astonishing ratio. To have an idea of the real progress 
 of our country, one must come to the West. He will see the reason why 
 we are compared to a young giant. On Saturday morning I saw the 
 Mississippi river for the first time. It was in its glory j almost to high 
 
426 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORN WELL. 
 
 water mark ; and well deserves the name of the Father of Waters. Mem 
 phis contains about eighteen thousand inhabitants, and is as well sup 
 plied with churches as most of our older cities. It has the appearance 
 of great activity and enterprise ; everything is full of life and bustle. 
 
 " The scale on which they make cotton in Louisiana, Mississippi, and 
 Arkansas, reduces us in South Carolina to mere pigmies. A man who 
 does not make a thousand bales, weighing five hundred pounds apiece, 
 is a small planter. Some make upwards of three thousand bags. Their 
 trades are on an equal scale. They talk of a hundred thousand dollars 
 as we talk of a thousand; and they think no more of a draft of fifty 
 thousand dollars, than a prosperous planter in South Carolina would 
 think of five thousand. * * * 
 
 I preached yesterday to a large and attentive congregation. Both 
 the Presbyterian churches here are jstrong and influential bodies. My 
 trip to the West has impressed me more than ever with the importance 
 of our Seminary. The gospel must keep pace with the tide of popula 
 tion ; the hope of our country depends upon its being pervaded with the 
 spirit and institutions of Christianity. And I think I have a clear notion 
 of what sort of preachers we want. I feel that we have a great work to 
 do ; and I am resolved, in God s strength, to gird up my loins and set 
 about it. I have made several acquaintances here. The Lord has raised 
 me up friends wherever I have gone. He has truly sent His angel be 
 fore me, to keep me in the way, and to bring me from place to place. 
 Every day adds some new memorial of His goodness. I leave this after 
 noon for Kentucky ; and I sincerely trust that the same goodness, which 
 has followed me hitherto, will conduct me still. 
 
 I presume that this letter will find you at home ; biit you may be in 
 Sumter. My heart is with you, wherever you go. I earnestly pray that 
 your health may be preserved, and that your soul may prosper. I can 
 not tell you how often and how tenderly you are in my thoughts and my 
 prayers. The Lord has greatly blessed me in my family, and I feel my 
 self utterly unworthy of His kindness. My journey has been sanctified 
 to me, in bringing me much into communion with my own heart, and 
 revealing to me my spiritual wants and defects. I am resolved, by God s 
 grace, to live a holier and more devoted life. I want to be entirely con 
 secrated to God, weaned from self, from pride and vanity, and know 
 ing nothing but Christ and Him crucified. Pray for me, my dearest 
 love, for I need much prayer. God bless you, and_ comfort you and 
 
 keep you. 
 
 " Your devoted husband, 
 
 J. H. THORNWELL." 
 
 To the same: 
 
 " GENERAL ASSEMBLY, LEXINGTON, May 26, 1857. 
 "Mr DEAREST LOVE: I seize a moment amid the business of the 
 Assembly, and while a member is making a long-winded speech, to hold 
 communion with the being who is dearest to me of alt other beings on 
 
SEMINARY LIFE. 427 
 
 earth. Your letter from Sumter has been received, and you have a 
 thousand thanks for its precious contents. I trust that I am uufeignedly 
 thankful to God for all His mercies to me ; and especially in the restora 
 tion and preservation of your health, and for the health of all my chil 
 dren and servants, since I left home. I have a very pleasant time here ; 
 meeting many acquaintances, and receiving a thousand marks of kind 
 ness and esteem. The Lord has enabled me to preach with great accep 
 tance. 
 
 " We had a fine day yesterday. It was devoted entirely to the subject 
 of Foreign Missions. I made a speech, which I hope the Lord blessed 
 to the good of us all. I go next Sunday to Cincinnati, and preach there. 
 I have so many solicitations to preach at different places, that it hum 
 bles me to think how much God honours me when I am so unworthy. 
 The only setting down that I have had in the way of compliment was 
 the question which was asked, if I did not wear a wig. But I am 
 thought to be much younger looking than was expected. Everybody 
 inquires after you. There is a great curiosity to see you, as it is thought 
 you must be a very remarkable woman. I tell the people that I have 
 the greatest wife in the world, and they all believe it. Much love to all 
 the children ; kiss them all, and remember me to the servants. 
 * Your devoted husband, 
 
 J. H. THORN WELL." 
 
 To the same : 
 
 "STEAMER EMPRESS, OHIO KIVER, June 5, 1857. 
 
 "Mr DEAREST LOVE: I was so beset and occupied with calls the day 
 that I left Lexington, that I had not time to write to you what my heart 
 prompted me to say. We had a most delightful meeting of the Assem 
 bly. The Lord gave me special favour in the eyes of the people ; and I 
 sincerely trust that every sermon which I preached was accompanied 
 with His blessing. I preached one night to the students of Transylva 
 nia University ; and as I was leaving Lexington, I received a letter from 
 them, at the hands of a committee, beautifully and touchingly written, 
 begging me to accept a splendid silver pitcher, which I had work to get 
 into my trunk. I have said nothing about it, as I do not like to make 
 a blowing-horn of such things ; but I know it will be gratifying to you 
 to learn that the Lord has prospered my way. 
 
 " We are now on the river ; and the weather for two days has been so 
 cold that we have found fires necessary to our comfort. I am afraid 
 that we shall not be able to get beyond Memphis for Sunday. * * * 
 1 dread the trip which I have to make ; but the interests of the Seminary 
 will be greatly promoted by it. I have done much good already. Kiss 
 all the children for me, from Nannie down. God grant that they may all 
 be children of His grace ! Tell the boys that I am particularly anxious 
 to hear good reports from them. They must not pass a day without 
 
4:28 LIFE OF JAMES HEXLEY THORNWELL. 
 
 reading their Bibles, and calling upon God in prayer. Kemember me- 
 also to the servants. And now, dearest, may the Lord be with you, and 
 keep you, and bless you, and lead you in the way everlasting ! 
 "Your devoted husband, 
 
 J. H. THOENWELL." 
 
 The only part of the proceedings of the Assembly of 
 1857 with which these Memoirs are concerned, was the 
 appointment of a Committee to revise the Book of Disci 
 pline, with Dr. Thornwell as its Chairman. The subject 
 came up before the Assembly through two overtures, one 
 from Dr. R. J. Breckinridge, proposing a change from 
 Presbyterial to Synodical representation, and a limitation. 
 of the General Assembly to fifty ministers and fifty ruling 
 elders, each; the other from the Presbytery of Phila 
 delphia, proposing a form of judicial proceedings. The 
 first suggestion was, to commit these topics to suitable 
 men for consideration, who should report to the next 
 Assembly. This was enlarged so as to require an ex 
 amination and revision of the whole Book of Discipline. 
 The Rev. Dr. Hoge, of Ohio, proposed to add the Form 
 of Government also as a subject for revision, which was- 
 resisted by Dr. Thornwell, on the ground that the Church 
 was not yet prepared for this. This measure was there 
 fore dropped, and the Book of Discipline was put for 
 revision into the hands of a committee, consisting of 
 Rev. Drs. Thornwell, Breckinridge, Hodge, Hoge, McGill, 
 Swift, and Judges Sharswood, Allen, and Leavitt. It 
 may be added, that the subject continued to be under 
 discussion until the breaking out of the war, and the 
 separation of the Southern Church from the Northern, 
 It was taken up in the Southern Assembly after its or 
 ganization, under a committee of its own, which reported 
 a revised code for adoption. The Presbyteries not being; 
 sufficiently agreed, the work was laid by; and thus the 
 matter at present rests. The reader will be interested in 
 the following letter from the lamented Dr. Van Rensse- 
 laer, the Moderator by whom the appointment of the 
 
SEMINARY LIFE. 
 
 original committee was made. It is addressed to Dr. 
 Thorn well: 
 
 "PHILADELPHIA, August 10, 1857. 
 
 "MY DEAR BROTHER: J. feel some solicitude about the results of the 
 action of the committee, appointed by the last Assembly, to revise our 
 Book of Discipline. I say solicitude, chiefly because I had the responsi 
 bility of the appointment of the committee, as Moderator. On reviewing 
 the whole matter frequently, I have always come to the conclusion that 
 I couJd not have done better. I firmly believe that it is in your power 
 to bring in a report satisfactory to the great body of our people. The 
 reasons why I named you as chairman were, first, your conservative 
 views on the subject of altering our Book; second, your influence in 
 carrying the question in the Assembly ; third, the great confidence and 
 love of the Church towards you, and the respect entertained of your 
 mental endowments ; fourth, I wished to avoid the appearance of giving 
 too much predominance \o this section of the Church ; fifth, I was 
 strongly drawn towards you that night, by an influence which seemed to 
 me more like a special Divine influence than anything I remember to 
 have experienced during my whole life. My mind was led to you, and 
 to none but you. 
 
 "Under these circumstances, I have a strong desire to see the work 
 done, and done by you ; and I believe that, under God, you can do it. 
 Alterations in the book are unquestionably called for ; and if they are 
 made with judgment and decision, and are not too numerous, the Pres 
 byteries will adopt them." 
 
 Here follow some matters of detail, as to the meeting 
 of the committee. The letter concludes : 
 
 "Praying that you may fulfil the best hopes of the Church in the im 
 portant work committed to your care, I am, 
 
 Yours respectfully and fraternally, 
 
 C. VAN KENSSELAER." 
 
 Although Dr. Thornwell had occupied the chair of 
 Didactic and Polemic Theology in the Seminary, from 
 the beginning of 1856, his inauguration, as a matter of 
 form, did not take place till near the close of the second 
 year of his incumbency. On the 13th of October, 1857, 
 in the presence of the Board of Directors, and of many of 
 the members of the Synod of South Carolina, he delivered 
 his Inaugural Discourse, in the Presbyterian church, Co 
 lumbia, South Carolina. The services were solemn and 
 imposing throughout. A felicitous charge was first given, 
 
430 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THOKNWELL. 
 
 by the Rev. Dr. Smyth, of Charleston, to the Professor 
 elect ;* who then publicly subscribed the formula prescribed 
 in the Seminary constitution, binding him to teach nothing 
 contrary to the standards of the Presbyterian Church. 
 The discourse then pronounced had been written at a 
 single sitting the preceding night, but, as he said, " with 
 his mind at a white heat;" and though occupying but ten 
 pages in the first volume of his " Collected Writings," in 
 the expanded form in which it was delivered, without 
 notes, one hour and a half were consumed, without weari 
 ness to his delighted auditors. The subject was as com 
 prehensive as it was appropriate : " The Scope of The 
 ology: its claims to be considered as a science, and the 
 principle which should regulate the arrangement of the 
 parts, and their combination into a complete and har 
 monious whole." The subject, the occasion, and the 
 speaker, were alike worthy of each other, and the scene 
 one never to be forgotten by those who were privileged 
 to witness it. 
 
 It is proper to state that, about this date, during the 
 summer or autumn of 1857, the additional title of Doctor 
 of Laws was conferred upon him, we believe, by Ogle- 
 thorpe University, of Georgia. There being nothing in 
 the papers we have in our hands to fix either the date or 
 the source of this academic distinction, we are forced to 
 rely upon the impressions of his friends as to the latter, 
 and upon a comparison of dates for the former. 
 
CHAPTER XXX. 
 SEMINARY LIFE CONTINUED. 
 
 VISITS THE SOUTHWEST ON BEHALF or THE SEMINARY. IMPRESSIONS 
 OF NEW ORLEANS. EFFECT OF His PREACHING. DEATH OF His 
 FRIEND, REV. MR. BISHOP. LETTER TO His WIDOW. ASSEMBLY OF 
 1859. His REPORT ON REVISION. REMARKABLE SPEECH IN THE AS 
 SEMBLY. LETTERS FROM INDIANAPOLIS. RETURN HOME. DEATH OF 
 His OLDEST DAUGHTER. AFFECTING CIRCUMSTANCES ATTENDING IT. 
 His AFFLICTION AND RESIGNATION. LETTER DETAILING HER SICKNESS 
 AND DEATH. ANXIETY FOR THE CONVERSION OF His CHILDREN. LET 
 TER OF SYMPATHY. ASSEMBLY OF 1800. His DEBATE WITH DR. HODGE 
 ON THE QUESTION OF BOARDS. 
 
 IN the early part of the year 1858, Dr. Thornwell 
 visited the city of New Orleans, in the interest of the 
 Seminary at Columbia. It had always been the design 
 of this institution to extend its influence over the entire 
 Southwest, which seemed to be the territory from which 
 its patronage should largely be drawn. As early as 
 1855, a deputation had been sent to the churches in this 
 region, to draw more closely the bonds of sympathy and 
 union. Dr. Thornwell s mission was, however, to the 
 Synod of Mississippi, which met, later than usual, at New 
 Orleans. It was the author s unspeakable pleasure to 
 receive the friend whom he loved into his home as a 
 guest, and to hear his voice proclaiming the gospel of the 
 grace of God, as in former years, from his own pulpit. 
 The few discourses which his strength enabled him to 
 deliver, are held in sweet remembrance by many at this 
 day ; and are mentioned still as the standard the highest 
 they had ever known of what pulpit eloquence should 
 be. The brief letters of this date will convey his own 
 impressions of what he heard and saw; mutilated, as 
 these letters must be, of all personal reference to him by 
 whose hand they are here transcribed: 
 
 431 
 
432 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORNWELL. 
 
 OELEANS, January 12, 1858. 
 
 "My BEAKEST WIFE : The Synod of Mississippi adjourned last night 
 about eleven o clock. My meeting with the brethren has been very 
 pleasant, and my mission for the Seminary far more successful than I 
 had any right to expect. Our proposition was not accepted, to have 
 this Synod adopt the Seminary, as Alabama had done ; but resolutions 
 were unanimously passed, expressing confidence in us, commending us 
 to the churches, and declaring that it was never the purpose of the Sy 
 nod to tie itself to Danville. We have gained more than might have 
 been expected, when the efforts of Danville for several years are con 
 sidered, and the resolutions of two other meetings of Synod in favour 
 of Danville are taken into the account. If I had not come, we should 
 have been apt to lose Mississippi entirely. As it is, the country is now 
 pretty safe. 
 
 "I had a meeting yesterday evening of the leading gentlemen con 
 nected with Dr, Palmer s church, and laid the claims of the Seminary . 
 before them. They were very cordial, even warm and zealous in our 
 favour. They advised me to remain another Sunday, and to make the 
 same statement to the public which I made to them. They thought 
 that the impression would be very happy, and that I would prepare 
 the way for a handsome donation, as soon as the present pressure was 
 in some degree relieved. My aim is to get New Orleans to shoulder the 
 debt for Dr. Smyth s library ; that is, to guarantee to us fifteen thou 
 sand dollars principal, and the interest until it is all paid. I think 
 they will do it ; and if they do, I shall feel that I have been enabled, by 
 the blesing of God, to accomplish a most important work here. My 
 next effort will be at Mobile. I intended to be there next Sunday, but 
 this new arrangement will throw me back a week later. Anxious as I 
 am to be at home, I feel that, while I am out, it is my duty to explore 
 the field, and do what I can. My own fireside is all the world to me. 
 Still I am glad that I have made so many interesting acquaintances. It 
 has enlarged my sphere of usefulness. * * * 
 " Your devoted husband, 
 
 " J. H. THOBNWELL." 
 
 To the same : 
 
 "NEW OELEANS, January 15, 1858. 
 
 "My DEAKEST WIFE : It seems to me almost a year since I left you and 
 the little ones at home. * * But I am reconciled to my long and dreary 
 absence by reflecting that I am on the Lord s business, and that I am 
 promoting the interests and glory of His kingdom. My visit here has 
 been of signal benefit to the Seminary. The people here have received 
 me with open arms ; and my only regret is, that I have not been able to 
 labour more efficiently among them. I have suffered very much from a 
 bad cold ; and the weather has beqn so wet and warm, that I can make 
 very little headway in recovering. The climate here is like spring , 
 
BEMINARY LIFE. 433 
 
 flowers are blooming, trees budding; English peas, lettuce, and spring 
 vegetables, are abundant. So far from needing fire, most of the day we 
 have to leave the windows open. It is, no doub t, unusually warm ; but 
 the climate is far milder than ours. But the moisture is very great. The 
 ground is saturated with water; and, where they are not paved, the 
 streets are intolerably muddy and nasty. * * * 
 
 "I shall leave here on Monday or Tuesday, for Mobile. How long I 
 shall remain there, I cannot say, until I feel the pulse of the people. 
 Kiss the children for me, and accept any quantity of love for yourself ; 
 
 and believe me, 
 
 "Your devoted husband, 
 
 J. H. THORN WELL." 
 
 The next letter is addressed to one of his daughters : 
 
 "MOBILE, January 20, 1858. 
 
 "Mr DEAR DAUGHTER: I received your welcome and affectionate 
 letter yesterday, just as I was leaving New Orleans ; and was rejoiced to 
 hear that you were well, and were gratified with your visit to Abbeville. 
 I was particularly delighted that you prized so highly the privilege of the 
 Lord s Supper. It is indeed a feast to those who love the Lord Jesus 
 Christ in sincerity and truth. He is the food of our souls. To His pre 
 cious blood we look for pardon ; to His righteousness, for favoiir ; and to 
 His Spirit, for holiness. He is as willing, as He is able, to bless us ; and 
 it is a glorious thing when we can resign ourselves into His hands, feeling 
 that we are nothing, and that He is everything. Endeavour, my dear 
 child, to live close to Him, and to seek His guidance and His favour in 
 everything. Confide in Him as a friend, and trust Him with all your 
 cares. Lean upon Him, as you would lean upon your father, and He will 
 keep you in all your ways. Never forget to pray, and to study the Holy 
 Scriptures, and ask for light to understand them. 
 
 " I left New Orleans yesterday, after a pleasant stay of two weeks. My 
 mission was quite successful. The people have determined to raise there 
 fifteen thousand doUars for the Seminary, certainly, and perhaps more. 
 They were very cordial to me, and seemed highly edified with my 
 preaching. It is a great place, and one of the widest fields of usefulness 
 on our continent. * * * 
 
 " The Lord be with you all, and bless and keep you. 
 "Your affectionate father, 
 
 J. H. THOKNWELL." 
 
 The death of the Rev. Pierpont Bishop drew forth a 
 letter to his bereaved widow, in which are expressed his 
 feelings of veneration and love for one whose depth of 
 piety and religious zeal never failed to impress those to 
 whom he was known: 
 
434 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORNWELL. 
 
 "THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY, March 9, 1859. 
 
 " MY DEAR MRS. BISHOP : I have just this moment received the painful 
 intelligence of your husband s death. Little did I dream, when I left 
 him on Thursday morning, and when he so confidently expected to visit 
 us in May, that my eyes should never more behold his venerated form. 
 Still less did I dream, when I received, two weeks ago, a letter of con 
 dolence and of sympathy from him, that I should so soon be called upon 
 to administer* consolation to his beloved family. I need not say to you 
 how deeply I sympathize with you in your sad bereavement. You have 
 reason to weep. You have lost one who has left few equals on earth. 
 He was a man of God ; a man whose heart was in heaven, while his body 
 freely mingled among the sons of men. He was a man of prayer, full of 
 the Holy Ghost, full of zeal in his Master s cause, and full of charity to 
 his fellow men. None knew him without loving him ; and the more 
 they knew, the more they loved him. I always esteemed his intimacy 
 and friendship as among the richest blessings of my life. Your loss is 
 great. But in the midst of your sorrow you have much to be thankful 
 for. You should be thankful for the many years you were privileged to 
 enjoy the society, guidance, confidence, and love, of such a man. It was 
 a rich boon, and a boon conferred upon very few of your sex. You 
 should be thankful for the precious memories which you are permitted 
 to cherish of his conversation, his charities, and his zeal. You should 
 bless God for the noble legacy he has left you and your children, in a 
 pure example, a treasury of prayers, and a hearty consecration of you 
 all to God. Depend upon it, you have been highly favoured ; and you 
 must not forget that, if your affliction is unusually severe, it is only be 
 cause your blessings have been pre-eminently great. You know, too, 
 that you shall see him again. Those who sleep in Jesus will God bring 
 with Him. He is not dead, but sleepeth ; and the Saviour, at the proper 
 time will assuredly wake him ; and you shall then see that his death, at 
 this precise juncture, was for the glory of God. In the meanwhile you 
 are not a widow ; for the Lord Jehovah promises to be your husband. 
 Trust in Him, make His promises your portion, and, above all things, 
 murmur not against His will. His ways may be in the dark ; but infinite 
 wisdom, and goodness, and love, regulate all the dispensations of His 
 providence to His children. What He does, you may not know now, 
 but you shall know hereafter ; and when you come to understand it, 
 you will cordially approve it. Trust, therefore, in Him, and commit 
 yourself and your children into His hands. Could your husband speak 
 to you from the skies, this is what he would say to you. 
 
 " My whole family deeply sympathize with you. Every child in my 
 household loved the very name of Bishop. God grant that we may all 
 imitate his example, and follow him as he followed Christ. 
 
 " I have written in great haste, upon the very instant of receiving the 
 sad news. I almost regret that I had not remained to pay the last tri 
 bute of respect to his remains ; and yet I do not know how I could have 
 borne the sad spectacle. I apprehended no danger. The Lord bless 
 
SEMINARY LIFE. 435 
 
 you and keep you. and be the Guardian, Friend, and everlasting portion 
 of you and yours. 
 
 " Most truly your friend, 
 
 J. H. THOKNWELL." 
 
 Dr. Thorn well was a member of the Assembly of 1859, 
 which met at Indianapolis; and there, as chahman of the 
 Committee on the Revision of the Book of Discipline, 
 submitted his first report. The subject, after full dis 
 cussion, was recommitted; and remained in the hands 
 of the Committee until the war, and the division of the 
 Church, which that necessitated, in 1861. Those who 
 desire to be minutely informed of the changes which 
 were proposed in the revised code, are referred to the 
 full exposition and defence of them by the chairman, as 
 found in the fourth volume of his " Collected Writings." 
 They were intended to simplify the book ; to remove am 
 biguities; to state more accurately what are "offences," 
 in the view of our standards; to adjust the relations of 
 the lower and the higher courts, in cases of appeal; to 
 define with greater exactness the sense in which the bap 
 tized and non-communicating members of the Church are 
 under its discipline, and the like. The intense conserva 
 tism of the Presbyterian Church has hitherto resisted all 
 efforts to remove even the acknowledged defects and 
 anomalies of the existing book ; and that, too, in the face 
 of a very general admission that most of the changes, 
 which have been suggested in these various revisions, are 
 a manifest improvement. The writer frankly acknow 
 ledges himself to be of that class, who would hail with 
 delight a more articulate and a more pronounced exposi 
 tion of our principles of Church Order and Government, 
 as these have been elucidated in the discussions and con 
 troversies of the last thirty years. Both in Europe and 
 America, the Presbyterian Church has been, to a greater 
 or less extent, embarrassed by complications, which have 
 hindered the fullest expression of all her principles ; and, 
 in the struggle to emancipate herself, has been plunged 
 
4:36 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THOKNWELL. 
 
 into controversies which have brought these out more and 
 more distinctly into view. In the Southern branch of 
 the Church, a degree of unanimity prevails upon all es 
 sential points, most favourable to an authoritative expo 
 sition of them, but for the restraint imposed by a simple 
 dread of the spirit of restlessness and change. The 
 Church, indeed, is safe under a proper and strict inter 
 pretation of her law, as it stands; but.it would be an im 
 mense gain if that interpretation itself were fixed for ever 
 by the removal of ambiguities from the code by which 
 she is governed. 
 
 Near the close of the session of this Assembly, Dr. 
 Thornwell delivered a short speech, far less elaborate 
 than many we have heard from his lips, but which was 
 an admirable specimen of his forensic power, in some 
 times sweeping an audience away with a burst of impas 
 sioned feeling. A paper had been introduced commend 
 ing the African colonization scheme. Dr. Thornwell 
 was seated on one of the front benches, at the side of the 
 rostrum, in a listless and inattentive mood. The writer 
 touched his hand, and said, in a whisper, " Now is your 
 time: this is an unembarrassed issue in which to uri> e 
 
 O 
 
 your views as to the spiritual functions of the Church. " 
 He sprang instantly to his feet, and, without a moment 
 for the arrangement of his thoughts, proceeded to argue, 
 that "the Church is exclusively a spiritual organiza 
 tion, and possesses only a spiritual power. Her business 
 was the salvation of men ; and she had no mission to care 
 for the things, or to become entangled with the kingdoms 
 and policy, of this world. To this view," he said, "the 
 Church has been steadily coming up ; and in consequence, 
 what a spectacle does she present to the country and the 
 world ! And why does our beloved Zion stand thus the 
 beauty of the land ? It is because the only voice she 
 utters is the "Word of God ; because no voice is heard in 
 her councils but His. He gloried in the position of this 
 Church. He was once attended by a young gentleman, a 
 
SEMINARY LIFE. 437 
 
 native of Great Britain, through the Tower of London; 
 and we passed through the long apartments and corri 
 dors in which were deposited the trophies which Eng 
 land s prowess had won in her many wars. As my 
 companion pointed with becoming patriotic pride to 
 these trophies," said Dr. Thorn well, " I raised myself to 
 the fullest height my stature would permit, and replied, 
 i Your country has carried on two wars with mine ; but I 
 see no trophies won from American valour. Let our 
 Church," h continued, "lend herself, in the name of the 
 Lord, and in her own proper sphere, to her own mission, 
 and her enemies will never rejoice over trophies won 
 from her. The salt that is to save this country is the 
 Church of Christ, a Church that does not mix up with 
 any political party, or any issue aside from her direct 
 mission." 
 
 The generous patriotism that breathed in these closing 
 sentences, a patriotism which gloried in the American 
 name, sent an electric thrill through the house; and it is 
 the only occasion on which the writer lias ever known 
 the gravity and decorum of an ecclesiastical court dis 
 turbed by an involuntary, though subdued, applause, 
 which was instantly repressed by the Moderator s gavel. 
 The whole passage has a melancholy interest to those 
 who reflect how completely, and in how short a time, this 
 glowing picture of a Church, true only to her own mis 
 sion, w r as reversed and turned to the wall. We pass, 
 however, to the letters of this period : 
 
 "INDIANAPOLIS, May 19, 1859. 
 
 " MY DARLING WIFE : I have waited till night to write to you, that I 
 might give you some account of the organization of the Assembly. As 
 Dr. Scott, the last Moderator, was not present, Dr. Rice opened the 
 Assembly with a sermon, which gave very general satisfaction. After 
 the sermon, the Assembly adjourned until four o clock in the afternoon. 
 We then met, and elected a Moderator, Dr. W. L. Breckinridge, who 
 was unanimously chosen, all other nominations being withdrawn. 
 
 " I have met a great many old acquaintances, and they all seem glad to 
 see me ; a number that served with me at Nashville, New York, Lexing- 
 
438 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THOKNWELL. 
 
 ton, and Cincinnati. What the course of business will be, and what the 
 temper in which the business will be conducted, I cannot yet conjecture. 
 Much will depend on the committees to be reported to-morrow. But I 
 sincerely trust that the Spirit of God will be poured out upon us, and 
 that we may be guided in all our deliberations by Divine wisdom. 1 * * * 
 
 Again, under date of May 30th, 1859: 
 
 "MY BELOVED WIFE: This is Monday morning; and before the As 
 sembly opens, I seize a moment to drop you a line. I preached yester 
 day morning in one of the churches, to a very large congregation. The 
 house was jammed, and many had to go away. The sermon seems to 
 have produced some impression, though I did not preach to my own 
 satisfaction. We held communion yesterday afternoon. It was a very 
 pleasant and refreshing season ; and my affections and prayers were 
 earnestly engaged in behalf of the dear ones at home. 
 
 "My speech on the Kevision question was well received, and pro 
 duced a decided effect. The body still continues very harmonious, and 
 a fine spirit prevails. It is- feared that the disappointed party, after the 
 election shall have been made for Professors in the North Western Semi 
 nary, will try and make trouble ; btit I hope that there is no founda 
 tion for the fear. The Assembly will probably not adjourn until the 
 second or third day in June. I shall then have to spend a day or so in 
 Kentucky. I am very reluctant to go, but I feel it to be my duty ; and 
 all Dr. Breckinridge s friends think it very important that I should see 
 him.* If so, I may not be at home before the 10th of June. * * * * 
 Love to all. To God I commit you. Abide under the shadow of His 
 wings. Your devoted husband, 
 
 J. H. THOKNWELL." 
 
 It was during this meeting that Dr. Thornwell preached 
 a sermon from the text, " Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou 
 Me ? " which is said to have melted the whole audience 
 into tears. The statement does not surprise those who 
 are familiar with the marvellous unction with which he 
 would often expound Divine themes, when he seemed 
 borne out of himself by a secret and resistless, impulse, 
 and was only less than inspired. He himself afterwards 
 said of this sermon, that he had prepared it but a short 
 time before, in his ministrations in his own pulpit, and 
 never anticipated the great impression produced by it on 
 this occasion. The fact is, the grandest illustrations of 
 his power were not to be found in his elaborate and set 
 
 * Dr. Breckinridge had recently lost his wife. 
 
SEMINARY LIFE. 439 
 
 discourses, which were sometimes overweighted; but in his 
 ordinary preparation, on occasions when the Divine afflatus 
 was upon him, and he would appear more like one of the 
 old Hebrew prophets, upon whom rested some " burden 
 of the Lord," forcing* its utterance from the lips. 
 
 Dr. Thorn well returned home from Indianapolis to en 
 counter a great sorrow. His eldest daughter, Nannie 
 TTitherspoon, just twenty years of age, had been taken ill 
 two clays before his return, and within a week was laid in 
 the tomb. He was accustomed to say of her that, of all 
 his children, she was most like himself in the order and 
 structure of her mind; and, perhaps on this account, he 
 felt in her a peculiar joy and pride. She was the idol of 
 his heart. His first meeting with her, upon his return, 
 was affecting in the extreme; but, as it is simply said in 
 the account from which we draw, it was " too sacred for 
 any eye save of those bound to him by ties of blood." In 
 the progress of her disease, he wrestled with his grief, 
 and could not easily give her up. When it became ap 
 parent that she must die, he took his w r ife into the ad 
 joining room, and there the two knelt and prayed for help 
 and for submission. At intervals, he read and prayed 
 with the departing one; and she, in the triumph of her 
 faith, became his comforter, and sought with tender words 
 to reconcile him to the inevitable separation. It was a 
 beautiful scene: this reversal of positions between the 
 dying child and the strong father, writhing in the cruci 
 fixion of his affections. But, like David, when the blow 
 fell, his prayer for help was answered, and he bowed him 
 self, and said, "It is the Lord!" The peculiar circum 
 stances of this bereavement threw around it an inex 
 pressible tenderness/ The young lady was on the eve of 
 her marriage, with one for whom she knew it would be a 
 joy to live. The father had hastened back to bestow his 
 parental blessing upon the union that seemed to be so 
 auspicious. The invitations to the wedding had already 
 been issued. So violent had been the illness, and so 
 
44:0 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORNWELL. 
 
 sudden its termination, that such as were sent to a dis 
 tance could not be recalled. The bridal dress became the 
 shroud; and just a little after the day when she should 
 have plighted her vows before the altar, the very attend 
 ants who, in a different scene, should have "rejoiced, 
 hearing the bridegroom s voice," with their white gloves 
 lifted the bier, and bore it to the grave. In the peaceful 
 Elmwood Cemetery, at Columbia, a marble slab bears the 
 simple inscription of her name and age, with these appro- 
 words beneath : 
 
 "PEEP ABED AS A BBIDE ADOBNED FOB HEE HUSBAND." 
 
 It was a sorrow from which the stricken father never 
 fully recovered. From this time his health became feebler, 
 a tinge of sadness rested upon his countenance, the Chris 
 tian graces became sweeter and softer every day, and it 
 was evident to all that he was himself mellowing rapidly, 
 to be gathered above with her who had gone. 
 
 The letter which follows was addressed to Mr. Robert 
 Carter,* of New York, presenting some details of this 
 
 *We cannot refrain from subjoining the note of Mr. Robert Carter, 
 accompanying a copy of this letter, when sent to the writer. It is so 
 honourable to him, and bears such a cheerful testimony to the worth of 
 our common friend. What shocks Christian affection has power to sur 
 vive ! The differences of earth may cause it to tremble like the magnet, 
 but cannot throw it from its delicate poise : , 
 
 "NEW YOBK, August 29, 1874. 
 
 "Your letter, dear sir, calls up many pleasing and many painful recol 
 lections. Dr. Thornwell was one of my .dearest friends. We were thrown 
 together in London, in 1841, and sailed together, in the Britannia, 
 home. I had the opportunity of meeting him at many of our Assem 
 blies. We spent a delightful day at Chattanooga, on Lookout mountain, 
 on our way to Nashville ; and he spent the last days he was North at my 
 house, when the dark cloud was thickening which shrouded his latter 
 days. My heart bleeds when I think of one whom I loved so dearly, 
 and whom I shall see no more on earth. I consider him one of the most 
 eloquent preachers I ever heard. As a friend, I can scarcely speak of 
 him. He was so confiding, so winning, so witty, and, in his graver mo 
 ments, so tender and spiritual, that I look around in vain for one to take 
 his place. Yours fraternally, 
 
 EOBEETCAETEE." 
 
SEMINARY LIFE. 
 
 sweet young Christian, which we have reserved to be 
 given in the father s own words : 
 
 "THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY, June 27, 1859. 
 
 " MY DEAR FRIEXD : I have just received your kind and cordial letter 
 of Christian sympathy ; and as the subject is one upon which I take a 
 melancholy pleasure in dwelling, I proceed at once to answer your tender 
 and affectionate inquiries. You may remember that I told you of her 
 approaching wedding. She was to have been married, on the loth in 
 stant, to a young man eminently worthy of any heart or any hand.f I 
 reached home on the morning of the Dth, and found her in bed with a 
 raging fever. She had then been sick two days. Her symptoms ap 
 peared to me unfavourable, and I called in two other physicians. The 
 next day I became alarmed, and on Friday gave her to understand that 
 her case was critical. She was not at all disconcerted. She assured me 
 that her peace was made with God ; that, though she had many earthly 
 ties, and some of them very tender, there was nothing that she loved in 
 comparison with the Lord Jesus Christ, and nothing that she was not 
 ready to sacrifice at His call. She called all the family to her bed side, 
 united in prayer with them, and gave to each a parting benediction. The 
 scene was sublime beyond description. To see a young girl, elegant, 
 accomplished, and highly esteemed, with the most flattering prospects in 
 life, just upon the. eve of her marriage with one whom she devotedly 
 loved, resign all earthly hopes and schemes and joys with perfect com 
 posure-, and welcome death as the voice of one supremely loved, was a 
 spectacle that none who witnessed can ever forget. It was grand ; it was 
 even awful. It impressed some who were in the room in a way they were 
 never impressed before ; and I felt more like adoring God for that won 
 drous triumph of His grace, than weeping for my own loss. 
 
 " After this scene she rallied ; and the next day, the physicians thought 
 that there was a fair prospect of her recovery. When it was announced 
 to her that she might yet get well, she said that she wished to have no 
 choice in the matter. All that she desired was that God might be glori 
 fied, whether by her life or her death. . For the sake of others, she 
 might desire to live ; but upon the whole she would prefer, if it was the 
 Lord s will, to depart and be with Jesus. She spent the whole day in 
 listening to the Scriptures, and conversing with me about the condition 
 of the soul after death. She was perfectly calm and collected ; and 
 what she said was the deliberate utterance of faith, not the language; of 
 excitement. 
 
 " Before the last hour came, she had a momentary conflict ; but gained 
 a glorious victory, and her joy was irrepressible. She threw her arms 
 around my neck, and told me that her happiness was beyond expression. 
 She felt the presence of Jesus, and rejoiced in Him with joy inexpress- 
 
 t The Rev. (now Dr.) T. D wight Witherspoon. 
 
4:42 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORNWELL. 
 
 ible, and full of glory. It was a glorious death, a triumphal procession. 
 "What makes the whole matter more consoling is, that there had been for 
 months a marked and rapid progress in Divine things. She had been 
 much in prayer and as a proof of her intense spirituality, she has left 
 behind her a paper, containing her reflections and feelings and purposes 
 in the prospect of her marriage, and all bespeak the condition of one 
 whose eye was single to the glory of God. It is a precious document, 
 absolutely amazing for her years. Two days before she was taken sick, 
 she had been on a visit to a friend in Sumter ; and upon her return, 
 spoke to her mother of the delightful communion she had enjoyed with 
 God in prayer. The Master was evidently maturing her for heaven. 
 The family has been amazingly sustained. The truth is, we dare not 
 murmur. The grace has been so transcendent, that it would be mon 
 strous to repine. I feel my loss, for I loved her very tenderly. But 
 I bless God for what my eyes have seen, and my ears heard. We have 
 been afraid to grieve, the triumph was so illustrious. My second daughter 
 is a professor of religion, and, I think, a true child of God. My boys 
 are still out of the ark. Pray for us, my dear friend ; especially pray 
 that I may have no unconverted child. The event has been greatly 
 sanctified to me and my wife. God grant that we may never grow faint. 
 I never relax my hold upon the covenant. Jesus has been more pre 
 cious to me than I have felt Him for a long time, and the gospel more 
 glorious. Henceforth I am bound, I trust, for eternity. I want to live 
 only for the glory of God. Pray for me and mine. The Lord bless you, 
 and reward you for your kind and Christian sympathies. 
 "As ever, yours, 
 
 J. H. THOBNWELL." 
 
 His anxiety fr the salvation of his children is expressed 
 in almost every letter, and is never omitted in those writ 
 ten directly to them. We give extracts from two, ad 
 dressed to his eldest son, Gillespie, than a boy of fifteen. 
 The first is dated 
 
 "KICHMOND, August 4, 1859. 
 
 "MYDEABBoY: ***** I have endeavoured to commit you 
 all to God ; and there is nothing on which my heart is so much set as to 
 see you all enlisted in the service of the Lord Jesus Christ. My cup of 
 earthly happiness would be full, if you, and Jimmie, and Charlie, were 
 only true Christians. You would then be safe for time and for eternity. 
 Depend upon it, my dear son, you will never repent of it, if you should 
 now give your heart unto the Lord. Let me beg you to seek, this sum 
 mer, the salvation of your soul. You will have time to think, and read, 
 and pray. Write to me that you are not neglecting the one thing need 
 ful. Be all that you know you ought to be. I think of you all the time, 
 and never cease to pray for you. * * * * 
 
SEMINARY LIFE. 44:3 
 
 The second letter is addressed to him at Oxford, Mis 
 sissippi, where he was pursuing his studies with the Rev. 
 T. Dwight Witherepoon, who had shared so deeply in 
 the late great sorrow. It is more various in its counsels, 
 and is given because it brings out the affection which 
 marked his intercourse with all his children : 
 
 " THEOLOGICAL, SEMINARY, November 6, 1859. 
 
 "My DEAR BOY : I received your welcome letter the first of the week, 
 and in consequence of the pressure of my public engagements, have 
 deferred answering it until to-day. I need not say to you how much I 
 am delighted at your purpose to study resohately and continuously. Be 
 on your guard against passing over things too rapidly. There must be 
 a certain degree of dwelling upon any matter, in order that it may stick 
 in the memory. * * * I am glad to hear that you are getting fonder 
 of Greek. It is a great language, and I want to see you thoroughly mas 
 ter of it. Now is the time to lay the foundation broad and deep. Make 
 yourself perfect in the Grammar, and the difficulties are all surmounted. 
 I would like for you to read something besides your lessons. Plutarch s 
 Lives, Bancroft s History, Hume s History, Irving s Life of Washington, 
 or any books of the sort, will be of immense benefit to you. Try and 
 get a love for reading; make notes of what you read; and often run 
 over what you have read in your mind ; so as to fix it in the memory. 
 I want you also to commit a great deal to memory ; it is one of the best 
 exercises in the world. A good memory is indispensable to a man of 
 letters. It is useless to have a thing, if you have no place to put it. 
 
 "The accounts which I have had of you are very gratifying. They 
 have done me good. If you hold coit as you have begun, you will make 
 a man of yourself. But, above all things, keep constantly in view your 
 dependence on God. I never bow my knees without thinking of you 
 and Dwight. I look upon both of you as my boys, and I feel that both 
 of you are safe only in the hands of God. Make it your great business 
 to grow in grace. Watch the whole frame of your mind. Live close 
 to the Lord Jesus Christ. Let nothing induce you to neglect prayer, or 
 the reading of the Scriptures, and try to understand what you read. 
 * * * * 
 
 "You may drop -Virgil, if you are tired of it; but you ought to read 
 the whole of it at some time. You must learn to scan all the Odes of 
 Horace ; make yourself master of them. I would advise you to take 
 pains in trying to write a good hand. Imitate Dwight s : he writes 
 beautifully. If you hold out as you have begun, and please me in all 
 things, I shall be very happy to make you a present of my fine blooded 
 mare, when you return home. The pups have grown finely. Jimmy 
 and Charley attend to them every day. Much love to Dwight. 
 " Your devoted father, 
 
 J. H. THORN WELL." 
 
4:4,4: LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORNWELL. 
 
 About this time lie paid a second visit to the South 
 west, to strengthen the interest he had awakened the 
 preceding year in the Theological Seminary. He did 
 not, however, get beyond Mobile, being compelled, by 
 indisposition, to return home from that point. He thus 
 writes to his brother-in-law, the Rev. A. J. Witherspoon : 
 
 "THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY, December 23, 18.">9. 
 
 "Mr DEAR JACK : You have probably heard before this of my indis 
 position in Mobile, which prevented me from going to New Orleans, 
 and from attending the Synod of Mississippi. The whole thing was 
 ordered in wisdom and love. It caused me to return home at once, 
 where I found a letter requiring immediate attention, in relation to the 
 business of my widowed sister. Had I executed my original purpose, 
 she would have been left in great distress, without an adviser and with 
 out a friend in whom she could repose implicit confidence. During my 
 absence, too, one of my little negroes, a very promising child of Norah s, 
 died suddenly and unexpectedly. I sincerely trust that she was prepared 
 for the change. 
 
 "I am very intent on raising the fifty thousand dollars in the Synod 
 of Alabama, by finding fifty men who will become responsible for a 
 thousand dollars apiece The scheme must not fail. "We must put the 
 Institution upon a footing worthy of the South. The Lord is smiling upon 
 us, and it becomes us to take courage, and do more than we have ever 
 done before. I want you to exert yourself, and find men who will come 
 into the arrangement. Last night one of our seminary students fell 
 asleep in Jesus. He was the victim of a rapid, hereditary consump 
 tion. My own family are all in usual health, and all join in much love 
 to you and yours. 
 
 As ever, your devoted friend, 
 
 J. H. THORNWELL. 
 
 The great comfort he experienced in the triumphant 
 death of his own daughter, brought him into close sym 
 pathy with one who was partaker of the like sorrow and 
 like consolation. The following, addressed to the Rev. 
 John F. Lanneau, of Salem, Va., may be read as a com 
 mentary upon the Apostle s declaration, "We glory in 
 tribulation also." 
 
 " THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY, Ja/nuary 30, 1860. 
 
 "MY DEAR BROTHER: I have just seen the account of the death of 
 your darling Jimmie, and must beg the privilege of being permitted 
 to rejoice with you in this wonderful triumph of Divine grace. It 
 
SEMINARY LIFE. 
 
 would be monstrous ingratitude to talk of grief in a case like this. 
 There may be, and there must be, the pang of separation ; there may and 
 there must be those tears of nature, which testify to a father s interest, 
 and a father s love ; but anything that deserves to be called grief, must 
 not enter where God and Christ are so gloriously present, and where the 
 chamber of death is irradiated with the light, and joy, and blessedness 
 of the eternal city. God has honoured you, and your proper attitude 
 before Him is that of profound and intense thanksgiving. I want to 
 join with you in your song of praise. I write to you now, not to com 
 fort you, but to congratulate you that God has done such great things 
 for you. How delightful to think that your dear boy is now safely 
 housed for ever, and that his young faculties ai e destined to expand and 
 mature amid scenes in which there shall be nothing to disturb, distract, 
 or obscure. Gone to heaven to be educated ! what an honour ! 
 
 * I have just finished Calvin s Commentary on Genesis, and cannot 
 tell you how much spiritual refreshment and comfort I have derived 
 from the light which his own experience and grace enabled him to throw 
 upon the dealings of God with the ancient patriarchs. Every day en 
 larges my views, and deepens my convictions of the infinite riches of 
 Divine wisdom and goodness. We serve no hard master. Our religion 
 is no cold and lifeless homage to an unsympathizing superior. We have 
 a Saviour that loves us, that enters into all our joys and sorrows, that 
 permits us to converse familiarly with Him, and that shows, in the con 
 fidence of friendship, the secret of His covenant. Our light afflictions, 
 which are but for a moment, work out for us a far more exceeding and 
 eternal weight of glory. It doth not yet appear what we shall be, but 
 we know this, that when He shall appear we shall be like Him, and 
 shall be everlastingly participants of His glory, liejoice, my brother, 
 that you are a child of God ; rejoice, again, that you are permitted to be 
 father of sons and daugthers of the Lord Almighty ; and rejoice above 
 all things, that after a few more changes and vicissitudes, you and yours 
 shall be for ever gathered to the Lord. 
 
 "Excuse these hasty lines, coming from a sympathizing heart. I 
 could not forbear to speak ; and yet I have almost felt it an intrusion tof 
 say anything where God is so conspicuously present. My whole family 
 have expressed the profoundest interest in your case. We know how 
 you feel. The Lord be with you, and bless you, and keep you in the way 
 of holiness and peace. 
 
 " Very truly, as ever, 
 
 J. H. THOKNWELL. 
 J 
 
 The Assembly at Kochester, New York, was the tenth 
 and last General Assembly of the united Church in which 
 Dr. Thornwell sat as a member. It is no slight proof 
 of the estimation in which he was held as a presbyter, 
 that he should have been returned to tin s supreme council 
 
44:6 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THOKNWELL. 
 
 of the Church at two-fifths of its annual sessions, from the 
 year 1836, when his ministry began, to the year 1860. 
 During almost this entire period,, moreover, he was con 
 nected with the same Presbytery, and that Presbytery 
 rather remarkable for the number of distinguished and 
 representative men upon its roll. 
 
 The Assembly at Rochester is chiefly memorable for 
 the earnest and able debate which was held on the subject 
 of Church Boards. It was hardly possible that the two 
 sides of this question could have been better represented 
 than by Drs. Thornwell and Hodge; and as both were 
 giants, the whole strength of the argument, on the one 
 side and on the other, was brought out. In the fourth 
 volume of Dr. Thornwell s " Collected Writings," the en 
 tire debate has been reproduced, with impartial fairness, 
 by the editors. Not only the speeches delivered on the 
 floor of the Assembly may be found, but the essays in the 
 Princeton and in the Columbia Reviews, in which the 
 arguments of both parties are more fully expanded. We 
 cannot, of course, in these pages, re-state this controversy ; 
 but, in justice to him whose career we are undertaking to 
 sketch, it is proper to set forth the estimate he had of its 
 importance. In his judgment, "the whole question is but 
 an offshoot from another question, which is the organiza 
 tion of the Church itself. One* party holds that Christ 1ms. 
 given the materials and principles of Church government, 
 and has left us to shape them pretty much as we please: 
 the other party holds that He has given us a Church, 
 a constitution, laws, Presbyteries, Assemblies, presbyters, 
 and all the functionaries necessary to a complete organi 
 zation." Proceeding from this view, lie argued "that the 
 Boards were an organism, and not an organ; that they 
 are the vicars of the Assembly, and appointed in its place; 
 and that the principles of action by which they are gov 
 erned were unfavourable to the development of the life 
 and zQal of the Church." His speech did not carry the 
 Assembly, though it was deeply moved by it. In the 
 
SEMINARY LIFE. 447 
 
 conclusion, when he summoned the whole host of God s 
 elect to come up to the great work of giving the gospel 
 to a lost world, the whole audience was nek], in breathless 
 attention, their hearts vibrating as the heart of one man, 
 to the fervent "Amen, and amen" with which he closed. 
 A single brief letter is all that gives his own impression 
 of this Assembly, and of the part he took in its pro 
 ceedings : 
 
 "ROCHESTER, May 28, I860. 
 
 * MY DARLING WIFE : The Assembly is still in session, and likely to 
 continue so for two days longer. The debate on the Boards has ended, 
 and the other side carried the day by a large majority ; but I think we 
 had the best of the argument. Their victory will not do them much 
 good. 
 
 "We had an address from Father Chiniquy to-night, and it was the 
 most interesting and touching thing I ever listened to. He is evidently 
 a true man, and the work among his people is a wonderful work of God. 
 I never had my heart more stirred than in listening to his simple story 
 of the dealings of God with him. 
 
 "I have preached twice here, and, I have reason to think, with great 
 acceptance. The people have been very kind and hospitable. "I am 
 so occupied, day and night, that I cannot steal the time to write as 
 often as I desire ; and I pray God that you may constantly experience a 
 sense of His love, and confidence in His protecting care. As the time 
 approaches for me to sail, I am strongly tempted to draw back. The 
 thought of not seeing you all, for so long a time, is a heavy burden. I 
 shall probably not write again until I get to New York, and make all my 
 arrangements. I will inform you of my plans, and how to address let 
 ters. Kiss the children ; and may the good Lord bless you all. 
 " Your devoted husband, 
 
 J. H. THORNWELL." 
 
CHAPTEK XXXI. 
 
 SECOND TRIP TO EUROPE. 
 
 FAILURE OF HEALTH. SECOND VOYAGE TO EUROPE. AGREEABLE PARTY. 
 ISLE OF WIGHT. STAY IN LONDON. LETTERS HOME. IRELAND. 
 IRISH ASSEMBLY. SCOTLAND. EDINBURGH. ITS CLERGY. RETURNS 
 TO LONDON. ITS HISTORIC ASSOCIATIONS. ITS MINISTERS. VISITS 
 THE CONTINENT. BASLE. GENEVA. THE ALPS. MOUNTAIN SCENERY. 
 ZURICH. ITS ASSOCIATIONS. KETURNS TO AMERICA. 
 
 TTPON the rising of the Assembly, Dr. Thornwell went 
 U immediately to New York, to embark for Europe. 
 His constitution was visibly impaired, though neither he 
 nor his friends perceived that it was irrecoverably broken. 
 ^Nineteen years before, a sea-voyage had restored him, 
 when threatened with a serious decline ; and large hopes 
 were cherished that he would again be toned up by a 
 second trial of the sea, and the recreation of foreign 
 travel. The Church in Columbia had recently associated 
 with him, as co-pastor, the Rev. F. P. Mullally, then just 
 out of the Seminary ; so that he was relieved of all public 
 care in making the trip. He was more fortunate than 
 when he first crossed the Atlantic, in being now accom 
 panied by congenial friends. His own suite consisted of 
 his second daughter, a young bride, with her husband, the 
 "Rev. Robert B. Anderson ; his nephew, John A. Witlier- 
 spoon, a student of Divinity, and the Rev. P. H. Thomp 
 son, a recent graduate from the Seminary; these, with 
 his intimate friend, Rev. John Douglas, wife, and niece, 
 made up a party of eight; most of whom were young, and 
 buoyant with life and hope. His letters, therefore, are 
 more cheerful, and less filled with expressions of loneli 
 ness and home sickness, than those he formerly penned 
 from Europe. 
 
 449 
 
450 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORNWELL. 
 
 On the second of June, 1860, they sailed from New 
 York, in the steamship Adriatic, and landed at South 
 ampton, England, on the twelfth. The reader will re 
 member the reflections which Dr. Thornwell indulged, on 
 
 O 
 
 the wearisome monotony of the ocean. His friends de 
 scribe him on this voyage as evincing little admiration for 
 the wide expanse of waters, and as rarely coming upon 
 deck, except for a few moments between supper and dark; 
 giving occasion for the jocose remark that he was like a 
 racoon, never leaving his den so long as he could see his 
 own shadow. He preached but once during the voyage, 
 which terminated without any of the incidents which are 
 noted in his journal before. The day following his arrival 
 in England was spent in a delightful excursion on the 
 Isle of Wight, the beauty and cultivation of which formed 
 an exquisite contrast with the confinement and monotony 
 of the vessel. Dr. Thornwell had great enjoyment in 
 scenes rich with historical associations, and the Isle of 
 Wight abounded in these. He explored the ruins of 
 Carisbrook Castle, where Charles the First was impri 
 soned before his execution; and said that he was greatly 
 assisted in bringing before his imagination the civil con 
 vulsion that resulted in the execution of Charles, and the 
 elevation of Cromwell. 
 
 But the story of his impressions will be told best in the 
 language of his own letters, which are indeed the only 
 chronicle from which we are able to draw : 
 
 / 
 
 "LONDON, June 18, 1SGO. 
 
 "MY DEAKEST WIFE : I reached London last Friday, having made be 
 forehand a pleasant excursion to the Isle of Wight. We visited Caris 
 brook Castle, and spcmt the night at Portsmouth, where we had most 
 wretched accommodations. We have been very much annoyed in try 
 ing to get comfortable quarters in London. We squeezed in, the first 
 night, at a hotel in Westminster, and were most outrageously gouged. 
 We spent a day in seeking private quarters, and have found a place in 
 the northern part of the city, in which we are constantly annoyed by the 
 want of servants. It has disgusted the whole party with London, and 
 they are anxious to get away. W 7 e have visited St. Paul s, the Tower, and 
 
SECOND TRIP, TO EUROPE. 451 
 
 Thames Tunnel. Jennie has enjoyed herself very much. Her health 
 has improved steadily ; she eats heartily, sleeps soundly, and is always 
 in a good humour. She and I did not go to church yesterday, on account 
 of rain. The rest of the party went in the morning to hear Dr. Hamil 
 ton, and in the afternoon to hear Dr. Gumming. Jennie and I remained 
 at home, and read our Bibles, and talked, and thought, and prayed about 
 the dear ones in America. You cannot imagine how much I long to see 
 you all ; and if it were not for the comfort and consolation of prayer 
 and faith, I would not be able to endure the pangs of separation. But 
 the Lord has been very merciful to us since we left home, and it would 
 be most ungrateful not to trust Him still for the continuance of His 
 grace. I thought of you all yesterday, in your public worship. I could 
 see you getting ready for the house of God. I could see you, as you set 
 out from home ; and I could fancy Mullally in the pulpit. You had my 
 earnest prayers for the blessing of God upon you. 
 
 "This is the gay season in Londoa. The city is crowded with the 
 nobility and with strangers. Parliament is in session, and parties and 
 balls are given every night by some attendants of the court. Of course, 
 the Queen has not heard of our arrival, and we have received no invita 
 tions to the great Vanity Fairs ! 
 
 " You may be surprised to hear that I have kept away from the book 
 stores. I do not intend to enter into temptation. I want to keep money 
 enough to bring me home. I even keep my old hat, and it is a perfect 
 curiosity here ; the English all wear the high, stiff beaver. I intended 
 to get a new hat, but was gouged so badly at the Brunswick hotel, that I 
 have got into an economical fit, and will not spare the money. They 
 charged us, at that hotel, for one day, about ten dollars apiege. We are 
 now living at about two doUars a day, all expenses included. "We have 
 rented a house for a week, furnished ; and the landlady is to supply us 
 with everything. But her husband has been opposed to the operation, and 
 the servants have been hindered, by the cross-firing between the parties, 
 from giving us proper attention. "We are in a very retired and quiet 
 part of the city, and in a very pretty situation ; but not as comfortable 
 as we might be in Westminster. 
 
 " The weather has been very cold. We have fires every day, and 
 sleep under two blaAkets and a counterpane every night. It is said that 
 the oldest Englishman has no recollection of so cold a spell in June. 
 But the climate is very bracing. My own health seems to be as good as 
 it ever was. I can walk ten miles a day without fatigue, and sleep well 
 for me. I have, as yet, made no acquaintances. I have not called on 
 the American minister. I want to go to Oxford and Cambridge this 
 week ; next week we shall visit Edinburgh, then run over to Ireland, and 
 then set out for the continent. ****** 
 
 " Kiss all the children ; remember me to the servants. The Lord be 
 with you all, and bless you a thousand fold. 
 " Your devoted husband, 
 
 J. H. THORN WELL." 
 
452 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THOKNWELL. 
 
 His next letter is addressed to his daughter : 
 
 " LONDON, June 19, 1860. 
 
 " MY DEAB PATTIE : Though I have recently written to your mother, 
 yet, as the weather prevents me from going out to-day, I cannot spend 
 the time more pleasantly than in conversing with the dear ones at home. 
 Your mother and the children are never out of my mind. I think of you 
 by day, and dream of you by night ; and would suffer much from home 
 sickness, were it not that the company around me is all so merry and 
 full of frolic. ****** 
 
 " I called on Mr. Dallas, the American Minister, yesterday. He was 
 very polite and kind. I had a letter to him from Mr. Bancroft. We 
 went yesterday to Westminster Abbey, to the two Houses of Parliament, 
 and to Westminster Hall. We saw the courts in session, and were much 
 amused with the white wigs. We heard a case partially argued before the 
 Lord Chancellor, in the House of Lords. We went into another court, 
 where there were three judges on the bench in their wigs ; and they 
 were quietly eating a lunch, while a barrister was pleading, with great 
 earnestness, before them. We rode round St. James Park, and took a 
 view of Buckingham Palace and St. James Palace. 
 
 I have an invitation to-night to a sort of conference at Stafford 
 House, where the Earl of Shaftesbury is to preside. Stafford House is 
 the finest Ducal residence in the city. It belongs to the Duke of Suther 
 land. If you take down my Guide Book for London, you will find a full 
 description of it. I intend to go, as it may be the means of introducing 
 me into society. I expect to find an interesting party there. Mr. Dallas 
 has promised me a letter to Professor Mansell, of Oxford. The Com 
 mencement* is still going on there. I intend to go there, either this week 
 or next. I propose also to visit Cambridge, on my way to Edinburgh. 
 About the middle of July we shall go to Paris. For myself, I am tired 
 of sight-seeing; when one makes a business of it, the thing becomes 
 very laborious. I much prefer meeting with educated men, and con 
 versing with them. 
 
 "I leave it to Jennie to tell you all the sights ; she is full of them, and 
 enjoys them very much. The party has a great deal of fun every night 
 in writing up journals. I write nothing at all, except what I scribble 
 home. I hope Gillespie will study hard, and get ready for College. I 
 intend to bring him a handsome gold watch, with lumting case. Tell 
 Jimmie and Charlie that they will get some fine presents from Europe, 
 if they study to be good boys. I want them to attend very closely to 
 their books. But, above all, exhort them to seek the favour of God. 
 The great thing is true religion. There is nothing I desire so much as 
 to see all my children walking in the fear of the Lord. I have conse 
 crated them all to God, and sincerely pray that they may consecrate 
 themselves. My efforts cannot save them. They must pray for them- 
 .selves ; they must repent and believe in Christ for themselves. They 
 must seek the salvation of their own souls. Let me beg you all to attend 
 earnestly to this great matter. 
 
SECOND TRIP TO EUROPE. 453 
 
 "I hope Mullally is getting on well in the church. I never cease to 
 pray for him, and the people of our common charge. Kemember me 
 kindly to all friends. Kiss all the children, and remember me to the 
 servants. The Lord bless you all, and keep you. 
 
 " Your affectionate father, 
 
 J. H. THORNWELL." 
 
 Three days later, he writes to his son, Gillespie ; from 
 which the following extract will suffice : 
 
 "Yesterday we went to Windsor Castle, built by William the Con 
 queror, more than eight hundred years ago, and refitted by George the 
 Fourth. We were admitted into the State rooms, and some of the pri 
 vate apartments of the Queen. The paintings, I suppose, are very fine, 
 as they were executed by the best masters ; but I am no judge of excel 
 lence in that department of art. The grounds embrace a circuit of many 
 miles. We rode about fifteen. Here is the forest which is the scene of 
 Shakspeare s play of The Merry Wives of Windsor. " About a mile from 
 Windsor, on the other side of the Thames, is Eton College, to which 
 Gray devoted a beautiful ode. Its chnpel is a fine Gothic structure. 
 The College was founded by Henry the Sixth, and some of the noblest 
 scholars of England have been educated at it. The education it gives 
 is only preparatory to the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge. * * 
 
 " The, great Commencement took place at Oxford yesterday. I missed 
 it by not knowing the da*y ; but I have-had a full account of it from eye 
 -witnesses. It was a grand occasion. We shall be here nearly a week 
 longer. There is still much for the young folks to see. The Queen has 
 a great military review on Saturday, and they all expect to go. There 
 is also to be a grand concert at the Crystal Palace, on Monday or Tues 
 day, and they expect to be there. A thousand loves to all the family. 
 The Lord bless you all, and keep you. 
 
 " Your affectionate father, 
 
 J. H. THORNWELL." 
 
 The trip to Ireland and to Scotland was a hurried one, 
 and is thus glanced at in a letter to his old friend, General 
 James Gillespie: 
 
 "LONDON, July 21, I860. 
 
 " MY DEAR GENERAL : I arrived in England about six weeks ago, after 
 a smooth passage of ten days from New York to Southampton. After 
 spending ten or twelve days in London, I set out for Oxford, Warwick, 
 Wales, and Ireland. I spent only a week in the Emerald Isle, and 
 chiefly in Belfast, where I met a great many Presbyterian preachers, 
 the General Assembly being in session at the time. I was treated with 
 great courtesy, and repeatedly pressed to preach, which I declined to do. 
 The great revival has left its impress very strongly marked upon the 
 
454 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THOKNWELL. 
 
 country. It was certainly a very wonderful work of grace. The reci 
 tals made in the General Assembly, and the accounts which I received 
 from individuals, were profoundly interesting. I procured a historj- of 
 the work, prepared by the Professor of Moral Philosophy in the Belfast 
 College, with whom I formed a very pleasant acquaintance. 
 
 " From Belfast I crossed the Channel to Glasgow, and then proceeded 
 to Edinburgh, where I lingered for more than a week. The society 
 there was truly refreshing. I was a great deal with the Principal of. 
 the New College, the Rev. Dr. Cunningham, an able and learned theo 
 logian ; and spent part of a day very happily with Professor Fraser, the 
 successor of Sir William Hamilton in the University of Edinburgh. I 
 was gratified to find that I was not wholly unknown to the clergy of 
 Scotland. Several of my articles in the Southern Presbyterian Review 
 had been re-published in the British and Foreign Evangelical Review, 
 and some of them had been complimented very highly. I went to Mel- 
 rose, Dryburgh, and Berwick-on-Tweed ; thence to York, where I had 
 the opportunity of attending a Cathedral service ; and from York to Lon 
 don, where I am at present. On Monday I embark for the Continent. 
 At York I went into the Court. A most exciting case was on trial, the 
 impeachment of a member of Parliament for bribery. The result 
 speaks well for British justice. The man was convicted, and fined fifty 
 thousand dollars ; or, in default of payment, sentenced to ten year s 
 imprisonment. My health has been greatly improved. The climate 
 here is bracing ; but I have never seen the like for rain ; six times a 
 day in London is a modest allowance. While my body is nere, my 
 heart is in America. I remember you all with intense interest, and 
 never cease to pray for you. I shall write to you again from Switzer 
 land. 
 
 "As ever, 
 
 J. H. THOENWELL." 
 
 Before taking a final leave of England, it may be well 
 to record the testimony of one of his party : " Dr. Thorn- 
 well, like Dr. Samuel Johnson, had a great partiality for 
 London. He admired the great solidity of everything about 
 it; and loved to dwell upon the interesting associations 
 that clustered around the grand old city, as she stood, a 
 huge monument of the past. Her ancient history was 
 our history; her people w T ere of our race and lineage, 
 and possessed our language and literature. He loved to 
 linger in Westminster Abbey, and stroll slowly through 
 its long nave, and numerous passages; to pause at the 
 dust of the illustrious dead, from the tombs of the earliest 
 monarchs, statesmen, warriors, and poets, to the new- 
 
SKCONI) TRIP TO EUROPE. 455 
 
 made grave of Lord Maeaulay. A favourite spot with 
 him was the Tower of London, with its rich depository 
 of relics, memorials of the reign of every monarch, and 
 its countless trophies of war. 
 
 " Still more did he love the British Museum ; he never 
 grew tired of inspecting its wonderful curiosities, and 
 looking in silent admiration upon its mammoth library 
 of six hundred thousand volumes. 
 
 " Paternoster Kow, (a street made up mostly of book 
 stores,) was a place of great attraction to the doctor. He 
 loved to explore those immense second-hand bookstores, 
 where rare books of great value could be bought for a 
 few shillings. He did not preach in London, on this visit 
 to the city, though earnestly pressed to do so by Dr. 
 Hamilton and others. He admired the spirituality of 
 Hamilton s religion, and the gospel unction that imbued 
 his sermons. He heard Baptist Noel, and Dr. Gumming; 
 the simple gospel preaching of the former pleased him 
 very much; the latter, he never admired. Melville was 
 sick, and Spurgeon was taking a trip to the continent; 
 though most of the party heard him more than once, later 
 in the season. Mr. Dallas, who was then the American 
 Minister at the Court of St. James, presented Dr. Thorn- 
 well with tickets of admission, for himself and friends, 
 to the Parliamentary debates. They were present at an 
 animated discussion, participated in by Gladstone, Pal- 
 merston, Lord John Russell, and others. It was the unani 
 mous opinion of the party that Gladstone was incom 
 parably the first man amongst them, the balance were 
 poor debaters, except Palmerston, who was a good second- 
 class speaker." 
 
 His .next letter, written from Paris, on the 8th of Au 
 gust, possesses no general interest, and we pass on to 
 another, which is dated 
 
 "BASLE, August 15, 1SGO. 
 
 "MY DEAREST WIFE: Here we are in Switzerland, in the city of 
 Erasmus, where one of the first copies of the Bible was printed. Here, 
 
456 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THOENWELL. 
 
 too, three hundred and twenty-four years ago, when persecution was : 
 raging in France against the Protestants, Calvin published the first edi 
 tion o f his immortal Institutes, and dedicated it to Francis the First, 
 in defence of the principles and faith of his suffering brethren. Here, 
 too, a council was held in 1431, which elected the Duke of Savoy as 
 Pope. The city is divided into two unequal parts by the river Rhine, 
 which flows through it. The view from the river is quite striking. 
 Our hotel is immediately on the river ; and our rooms look out upon it, 
 and give us a noble and refreshing prospect. Last night we spent at 
 Baden-Baden, where Napoleon lately held his conference with the 
 Princes of Germany. It is a fine watering place, romantically situated 
 in the midst of mountains, and reminds you very much of the Virginia 
 Springs. This place is particularly celebrated for its magnificent arrange 
 ments for gambling. There is a large house, with splendid saloons, ele 
 gantly furnished, for the purpose of carrying on this nefarious business ; 
 and the first families in Germany crowd around these tables, and pat 
 ronize the business. There is one immense hall, in which the tables are, 
 and the other saloons are for promenading, lounging, eating, and what 
 not. by way of attraction. From morning till midnight the work goes 
 on ; and you find ladies as freely as gentlemen, Princes, Dukes, and 
 Duchesses, all mingling in the scene. Of course, I did not go in ; but 
 
 and slipped off at night, taking care to leave their money, and 
 
 reported what they saw. 
 
 "The day before coming to Baden, we spent at Heidelberg. This 
 city is situated in a narrow vaUey, on the banks of the Neckar, between 
 two ranges of mountains. On one of the mountains is one of the finest 
 ruins in Europe. It is an old castle, which, in its day, was a city within, 
 itself. The views from the towers are as commanding as those from 
 the highest point of the Warm Spring mountain, in Virginia. The 
 city takes name from the huckleberries that grow upon the mountains. 
 Heidelberg means the mountain of huckleberries. Here I found Un 
 derwood, who spent two years under me at Columbia. As soon as he 
 saw me, he threw his arms around my neck, and hugged me for very 
 joy. He came on to Baden with us, and spent with us our whole time 
 there. You may well guess that I was delighted to see him. At Co 
 logne, where I spent the first night after leaving Brussels, I bought a 
 few bottles of the pure water for you and Pattie. They sell it higher 
 than you can get it in Columbia. From Cologne I went to Bonn, 
 the seat of a flourishing University ; and there I found some South 
 Carolina students. Since leaving Brussels, besides Cologne, Bonn, and 
 Heidelberg, we have passed through the beautiful towns which lie be 
 tween Bonn and Heidelberg Coblentz, Mayence, and Darmstadt ; and 
 also Carlsruhe, the capital of Baden, which lies between Heidelberg and 
 Baden-Baden. The finest city between Baden and this place is Frei- 
 bourg. It has a noble situation, in a spacious valley on the Rhine, be 
 tween extensive ranges of mountains on every side. The whole country 
 on the banks of the Rhine is enchanting. The river is skirted by moun- 
 
SECOND TRIP TO EUROPE. 457 
 
 tains, and on both sides is dotted with towns and villages; while the 
 ruined battlements of antiquated castles frown upon you every four or 
 five miles. The valleys are luxuriant with the vine, with corn and to 
 bacco ; and the people seem cheerful, contented, and happy. Through 
 the fields, and all along the road-side, crucifixes are erected of wood, some 
 of them very large, to secure blessings upon the country, and to attract 
 the devotion of the traveller. They always excited my pity. I could 
 not but lament that they had substituted dead images of wood and stone 
 for the living Saviour. To-morrow we go to Geneva, the city of the 
 great Calvin, where w r e propose to make our headquarters for a week or 
 ten days, and where I expect to receive letters from you. 
 
 "It seems to me incredible how much I have accomplished since the 
 12th of June, the day that I landed at Southampton. In two months 
 and four days I have traversed England, Ireland, and Scotland. I have 
 run over France, Belgium, and a considerable portion of Germany ; and 
 am now in Switzerland. I have seen so much, that I can hardly retain 
 a distinct recollection of the different places and the different scenes. 
 It appears to me like a dream ; and at times I am almost tempted to 
 doubt that it can be true, that I am five thousand miles from home, and 
 in a foreign land. If I had you and the dear little ones with me, I 
 should be delighted to spend the winter at some of the German Uni 
 versities, and give myself to unbroken study. But the Lord has other 
 work for me to do, and I am content. One great benefit of travelling, 
 is to make us prize our own country. After all, there is no land like 
 our own. In all that makes a people great and powerful, we are de 
 cidedly in advance of Europe. There is no such population on the 
 globe as our own ; and if we can have the grace to deal justly and hon 
 ourably with one another, and to hold together as a people, the time is at 
 hand when the distinction of being an American citizen will be as proud 
 and glorious as it ever was to be a citizen of Rome. On the continent 
 of Europe we are every where respected. The very conductors on the 
 railways show us marked civilities. Our example is looked up to with 
 deference ; and the great mass of thinking men sigh in their hearts for 
 American institutions. We are felt to be a model people. What a 
 shame it wiU be to forfeit, by our follies and our sins, the noble inheri 
 tance to which Providence has called us ! I am happy to say that the 
 Church in America is very far ahead, in spirituality and power, of any 
 Church in Europe. I have kept my eye closely upon this point, and I 
 am sure that I am not mistaken. The tone of piety is higher ; the 
 liberality to religious institutions, in proportion to wealth, is greater ; 
 and the efficiency of the pulpit superior beyond comparison. Our 
 church edifices are better, far better, in their adaptation to the uses of 
 religious worship. In technical learning, we are still behind ; in power 
 of pure thought, ahead. Our scholars are inferior; our men, greater. 
 But I forget. I am not writing an essay ; I am w r riting to my wife. 
 You must excuse me that I permit myself to think aloud in your de 
 lightful presence. ******* 
 
458 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORNWELL. 
 
 "I have written to Liverpool to secure rny passage on the 22d of Sep 
 tember. If so, I shall leave Geneva in eight or ten days, and return to 
 Paris by Constance, Augsburgh, Munich, Dresden, Berlin, Hanover, and 
 Brunswick. After you receive this letter you need write no more, as I 
 bhall probably be on the ocean when your letters would reach Liverpool. 
 The party have all continued well. Jennie was a little outdone by the 
 fatigue of travel for the first few days after leaving Paris, but is quite 
 recruited again. I think it likely that none of the party will attempt to 
 get to Rome, though J. and T. have their hearts mightily set upon it. 
 I have no notion of hazarding the trip myself. My thoughts are on 
 Berlin, the metropolis of modern learning. 
 
 "It is now late at night. The river is roaring at my feet, just as it 
 sounded in the ears of Caesar nearly two thousand years ago. His 
 thoughts were those of ambition and of conquest; mine are of wife, 
 children, and friends. Rome was the centre of his affections ; a little 
 town, in the remote, and then unknown, province of America, is mine. 
 How gladly would I bridge the Rhine, if that could bring me home ! 
 
 " Kiss all the children for me. Remember me to the servants. Tell 
 all the congregation that I remember them all, and trust that they re 
 member me. May grace, mercy, and peace be multiplied upon them all. 
 
 Your devoted husband, 
 ^ J. H. THOBNWELL." 
 
 To the same: 
 
 " GENEVA, August 20, 18GO. 
 
 "Mr PKECIOUS WIFE: Here I am in Geneva, the city of Calvin, of 
 Beza, of Farel, of Viret, of Turretin, and of Pictet. I have stood under 
 the same canopy which covered the head of Calvin three hundred years 
 ago, wnen he preached the gospel in the dawn of the Reformation. The 
 pulpit has been destroyed, but the canopy still remains. The church 
 has been somewhat remodelled, but ail its essential features are un 
 changed. I visited also his grave, i here is no monument to mark the 
 spot. He gave orders in his will against all ostentation. There is no 
 thing but a little stone, with the letters J. C. marked upon it ; but I felt 
 the inspiration of his genius, of his learning, and of his piety, as I stood 
 over the earth which contained his mortal remains. I visited to-day the 
 Public Library, where many of his letters, and volumes of his manuscript 
 sermons, are preserved. It contains, also, portraits of all the illustrious 
 men of Europe during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. I could 
 have lingered there for days. The site of Geneva is most enchanting : 
 on a beautiful lake, just at the point from which the Rhone emerges, 
 surrounded on all sides by majestic mountains. It is a fit place* for 
 heroes and poets. The city itself is not striking. The ancient part is 
 made up of tall, unseemly buildings, and pervaded with very dark, 
 narrow streets ; but the suburbs are romantic and picturesque beyond 
 anything that I have seen in Europe. I had also the satisfaction of 
 
SECOND TKIP TO EUROPE. 459 
 
 meeting here Professor Mansell, of Oxford, whom I missed seeing in 
 England. He and his family are here qn an excursion of pleasure. I 
 found him very simple and unassuming. I should never have taken him, 
 from his appearance, for the great man that he is. We had at dinner 
 to-day quite a learned table. Beside Mansell of Oxford, there were Taze- 
 well of Rhode Island, Professor Pierce of Cambridge, near Boston, Dr. 
 Adams of New York, and several others, whom I cannot take time to 
 name. This is a great place to see the world ; everj-body comes here. 
 Yesterday we attended preaching in the English chapel, and heard a very 
 evangelical sermon. At night we had a meeting of the Americans in Dr. 
 Adams room. The room was crowded, and we had representatives from 
 no less than eight States. I led the meeting. You may well imagine 
 that it was very refreshing. 
 
 "To-morrow we make an excursion to Chamouni, to see the glaciers 
 and th ,2 sea of ice. We have already had a distant view of them, and 
 we want to see them closer at hand. When we return, we shall set our 
 faces homeward. I have almost given up my expedition to Berlin, 
 It is so far, and I am getting tired of travelling. We are all satiated 
 with sight-seeing, and are anxious once more to be in our native land. 
 I count the days until the time of going on board the Arabia, and then 
 I shall count them until I reach America. The Lord be with you, and 
 bless you, and keep you. 
 
 " Your devoted husband, , 
 
 J. H, THORXWELL.* 
 
 To the same: 
 
 ** GENEVA, August 25, I860. 
 
 "My DARLING WIFE : Since I wrote to you before, we have made an 
 excursion to Chamouni, in Savoy, where we enjoyed the grandest 
 scenery that adorns the continent of Europe. The distance from 
 Geneva is fifty-four miles. We set off in a heavy rain, but before 
 we had travelled far, the clouds dispersed, the sun appeared in his 
 strength, and the mountains rose before us in all the grandeur of their 
 eternal repose. It is perfectly idle to attempt a description of the 
 wild and majestic scenes through which we passed. Our road lay in 
 the valley of the Arve; and at times we seemed to be entirely sur 
 rounded by beetling crags, to which it almost made us dizzy to look up. 
 The summits were capped with snow, transparent streams were rattling 
 down the sides, and occasionally a bold waterfall varied the magnifi 
 cent prospect. As we ascended the mountain on the other side of Pont 
 Pelessier, Mount Blanc broke upon us from his throne of rocks, in his 
 diadem of snow ; and the prospect was so overwhelmingly grand, that 
 the first impulse was to fall prostrate to the earth, and adore the majesty 
 of God. We were on a plain, four thousand feet above the level of the 
 sea; we were surrounded by mountains on all sides, from five to six 
 thousand feet above the level of the plain, and in full view before us, 
 
460 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THOKNWELL. 
 
 toward Mount Blanc, the old monarch of mountains, nine thousand feet 
 above the tallest cliff around us. The clouds girdled its sides, the sun 
 shone splendidly on its summit, and the snow reflected his beams 
 in rays of living glory. Oh ! how I wished that you had been with us, 
 to enjoy the sight. My imagination had never conceived of ought that 
 approximated the sublime reality. The mountains of our country are 
 rich, and beautiful, and picturesque ; but the Alps are awful. It is tame, 
 to call them sublime ; their grandeur is absolutely awful. They make 
 you hold your breath, and pause before them in deep and solemn vene 
 ration. That one view has repaid me for all the fatigue and anxieties of 
 the journey. At Chamouni, we climbed Montauvert, and went to the 
 famous sea of ice, one of the most wonderful glaciers in the Alps. It is 
 upwards of six miles long, and more than a mile wide ; and in parts, the 
 ice is nearly one hundred feet thick. It is a marvel of this marvellous 
 region, which I am wholly incompetent to explain. Anderson and John 
 nie went over it ; none of the rest of us had the courage to risk it. Just 
 a few days before, three young Englishmen had perished by falling into 
 one of the crevices. 
 
 After an absence of three days, we returned to Geneva, and here our 
 party divided. Mr. Douglas left this morning for Italy. We that is, 
 Anderson, Jennie, Johnnie, Thompson, and myself remained behind, 
 "We shall spend Sunday here, and then we divide. Johnnie and myself ,. 
 and, perhaps, Thompson, will go, on Monday, through Zurich, Linden, 
 Munich, Augsburgh, and Nuremberg, to Berlin ; Anderson and Jennie 
 will go through Lyons and Marseilles to Paris., and wait for us there. 
 I shall remain in Berlin several days, and then return to Paris ; and 
 after making a few purchases there, set out for Liverpool. 
 
 "Jennie enjoyed Chamouni very much. She walked down Montau 
 vert, a descent of about five miles, and suffered no inconvenience from 
 it. We ascended it on mules ; and in places the path was so narrow,, 
 and the precipices so steep, that I had to shut my eyes to keep my head 
 steady. Every now and then my mule would stop and look over the 
 precipice, as if he proposed to tantalize me, or try the strength of my 
 nerves. I think I must have walked eight or ten miles in the course of. 
 one day s excursion. If you were only with me, my enjoyment would 
 be perfect. The glorious scenes cannot drive away home-sickness. I 
 think of you in the Alps, as well as in the busy hum of the city, or on 
 the lone highway of the sea. It is strange to me that the inhabitants of 
 these Alpine passes are so miserable and degraded in their physical ap 
 pearance. Their throats are horribly disfigured with goitre ; their heads 
 are large and flat ; and many of them are hardly above the level of an 
 idiot. Where nature is grandest, man is meanest. The mountains en 
 dure no rivals. But one thing can be great at a time ; and the soul 
 dwindles where rocks tower in majesty. 
 
 " Yesterday evening Thompson and I walked about four miles on the 
 edge of Lake Leman. The moon was shining in her beauty, the sky 
 was perfectly clear, the waters of the lake as smooth as a mirror. We, 
 
SECOND TRIP TO EUKOPE. 461 
 
 passed terrace after terrace, beautifully adorned, and surmounted by 
 elegant chateaux. Among others, we strolled by the house which Byron 
 occupied when he sojourned in Geneva. It was a fit place for a poet ; 
 and I could not but think of his beautiful description of the lake in 
 Childe Harold. The scene was romantic ; and ever and anon we broker 
 its spell, by contrasting with its calm beauties the warmer attractions of 
 home. When I returned, I found your sweet letter of the 31st of July, 
 enclosing another from Charlie, and my cup was full. I poured out my 
 heart in gratitude to God that He had preserved you all ; and I prayed 
 most fervently that we might soon meet again, to talk over, in gratitude 
 and praise, the things we had witnessed. 
 
 " There was a little incident on our journey to Chamouni, which I 
 had almost forgotten to mention. As we passed through one of the 
 little villages that line the road, we encountered a bridal party, rigged! 
 out in all the pride and bravery of a rustic wedding. The bride was 
 gorgeously adorned with flowers and ribands for a Savoy peasant s- 
 daughter ; the bridegroom was in his best attire ; and the party of rude 
 friends were as lively as a gala day could make them. As we moved 
 slowly along, one of the party hailed our carriages, and regaled us with 
 an account of the festive scene. A dashing maiden posted herself near 
 the carriage, drew a pistol, levelled it at us, and fired it in our faces, to 
 the infinite amusement of the whole crowd. We shouted and hurrahed 
 with the rest, and all seemed to be happy together. It was all a good- 
 natured frolic; and I never saw fun so sincerely enjoyed in my life. 
 Nature was acted out. McM. could have written a poem on the occa 
 sion. The village was on the side of the mountain, which commanded 
 a noble view of Mount Blanc ; and the contrast was refreshing betwixt 
 the gayety below, and the awful, frowning, sullen majesty above us. 
 
 * I am afraid that you will think that I am losing my senses, in dwell 
 ing upon these frivolities ; but they relieve the monotony of travel, and 
 if they ainuse you, I shall be content. I am greatly delighted to hear 
 that things are going on so well in the church, and I bless God that He 
 has given me such a colleague as Mullally. I anticipate a happy time 
 in cultivating with him the vineyard which God has entrusted to our 
 joint care. The work among the negroes is one in which I feel a special 
 interest, and I do sincerely pray that Charles* may be led to the know 
 ledge of true religion. For his faithfulness in my absence, I intend to 
 bring him a handsome present. ***** 
 
 "My passage is taken in the Arabia for Boston, on the 22d of Sep 
 tember. That is as soon as I can leave, in justice to the friends who have 
 sent me abroad. By staying until then, I traverse nearly the whole con 
 tinent of Europe. On Monday I leave for Berlin. It will take me 
 three days to get there, but I pass through historic places and scenes. 
 
 "Again, dearest, may the Lord bless you. Jennie and Anderson 
 send much love ; for everybody loves you, and I more than all. 
 "Your devoted husband, 
 
 J. H. THORN WELL." 
 * His body servant, in whom he resposed great confidence. 
 
462 LIFE OF JAMES HEJSTLEY THOKKTWELL. 
 
 It was in the ascent of the Alps described in the fore 
 going letter the incident occurred which we have recorded 
 in the eleventh chapter, when the veil of mist was sud 
 denly lifted, and the entire glory of the mountain scenery 
 burst upon his sight at once, and filled his heart with 
 adoring wonder. Though broken from its proper con 
 nection, for a special purpose, in the place we have chosen 
 to put it, the reader will perceive how precisely it tallies 
 with the expression of more than poetic admiration which 
 fell from his own pen in this, as well as in the letter that 
 follows. 
 
 To General James Gillespie : 
 
 "GENEVA, August 25, 1860. 
 
 "MY DEAK GENERAL: In this distant land I cannot describe to you 
 how my mind reverts to the friends of my childhood and youth. 
 I tread amid the monuments of the buried past, or gaze upon na 
 ture in her grandest forms ; but the heart finds its home, the centre 
 of its earthly attractions, far beyond the swelling mountains, or the 
 the majestic deep. If there be a region on earth fitted to kindle in 
 the soul the inspiration of great thoughts, that region is the one in 
 which I am now sojourning for a brief season. Here, more than three 
 hundred years ago, a youthful fugitive from France was arrested in his 
 flight, and induced to take up his permanent abode. The world has felt 
 the influence of his genius, his piety, and his learning. I have seen the 
 spot where stood the house in which John Calvin resided. I have stood 
 beneath the canopy under which he preached. I have gazed upon the 
 tombs which met his eye as he ascended the throne of his power, the 
 pulpit of St. Pierre ; and have paused, in grateful meditations, over 
 the humble grave, without a stone or monument, which covers his 
 mortal remains. I bless God for the labours and sufferings of His 
 honoured servant. Indeed, for the last six weeks, every inch of the 
 grcfund beneath my feet has been hallowed ground. At Brussels, my 
 soul swelled with the thought that there was the cradle of modern 
 constitutional liberty. There, William of Orange conceived that glorious 
 . scheme of patriotism, which resulted in the independence of Holland, and 
 formed an asylum for the martyrs and confessors of England and France. 
 I went into the very hall in which Charles the Fifth, leaning upon the 
 arm of the young Dutchman, who was afterwards to shake his throne, 
 resigned his sovereignty in favour of his worthless son. I gazed upon 
 the palace of the Duchess of Parma, the atrocious Alva, and the silly Don 
 John. I saw the very spot on which Horn and Egmont were executed ; 
 and I mused along the very squares in which the beggars were accus 
 tomed to meet. The past came visibly before me. And then a few miles 
 
SECOND TRIP TO EUROPE. 463 
 
 from the city was Waterloo, that place of skulls, with its enormous 
 mound, and its endless historic interest. 
 
 " From Brussels I proceeded to the Khiiie, the stream on which Ciesar 
 gazed two thousand years before I was born ; and as I traced the faded mon 
 uments of mediceval chivalry, and of mediaeval superstition, ruined castles 
 and convents and nunneries, I felt that I was in a new world, and for a 
 while belonged to another age. I went up the Rhine from Cologne to 
 Bonn ; from Bonn to Mayence, Heidelberg, and Baden ; from Baden to 
 Basle ; and from Basle to Geneva. Here Rousseau was "born ; here Vol 
 taire sported his wit ; here Byron sojourned for a season ; and here, too, 
 Maria Louise took up her summer residence when her husband was in 
 exile. Here, too, flourished Calvin and Farel, and Viret and Beza, and, 
 in later times, the Turretins and Pictets. Here, too, slumbers Sir 
 Humphrey Davy. Here lie the ill-starred Neckar and his illustrious wife. 
 But the grand attraction of this region of country is the Alps. I have 
 just returned from an excursion to Chamouni, and to my dying day I can 
 never forget the impression of the august scenes which my eyes have 
 beheld. The road lay through the valley of the Arve. On both sides of 
 the river, mountain after mountain rises in awful grandeur ; and the path 
 .of the traveller is under frowning crags and beetling precipices, to which 
 it makes him dizzy to look up. As we ascended the mountain beyond 
 Pout Pelessier, Mount Blanc rose upon us, from his throne of rocks, in 
 such awful sublimity that the first impulse was to fall down and worship 
 the terrible majesty of God. [Here follows a similar description, of de 
 tails as in the preceding letter.] My imagination had never conceived 
 such a spectacle. I gazed, and gazed, and gazed, and felt that I could 
 never gaze enough. * * * * 
 
 " I could keep you up night after night with the wonders I have seen. 
 But my native land is dearer than ever. America, after all, is the coun 
 try for me ; it is the country in which man is himself. May the Lord 
 bless you. Most devotedly, 
 
 J. H. THORN WELL." 
 
 The following closes this series of letters written from 
 Europe : 
 
 " ZURICH, August 2<), 1800. 
 
 "M\ r DARLING WIFE : We are lodged to-night in a hotel which over 
 looks the beautiful lake of Zurich, just at the point where the Lhmnat 
 emerges from it. The prospect by moonlight is as calm and tranquil 
 as the repose of a peaceful conscience* The mountains in the distance 
 furnish a striking background ; and the memory of the illustrious Zuiu- 
 gle who was second only to Calvin in the strength of his genius and 
 the perspicacity of his views, and who was simultaneous with Luther in 
 the promulgation of the gospel gives a hallowed association to the 
 place ; which loses nothing of its softness from the history of the illus 
 trious Lavater, the great physiognomist, who was born and murdered in 
 
46-i LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THOENWELL. 
 
 -this city. The gardens upon the lake are tastefully arranged, and the 
 promenades which they afford are most enchanting. The waters are so 
 clear that you see the fish sporting themselves below, and children amuse 
 themselves by throwing out crumbs of bread, for which the finny tribe 
 strive as manfully as the occupants of a farm-yard for a grain of wheat. 
 
 " We spent last night at Fribourg, a most picturesque spot ; and I was 
 fool enough to go to the Cathedral, and hear the celebrated organ, which 
 is said to be the finest in the world. It was no doubt very grand. Every 
 body pronounced it unrivalled ; but I was so green that I could hardly 
 keep from going to sleep. We came to Berne for breakfast. That is the 
 capital of the Swiss Confederation. Apart from the view which it affords 
 of the Alps in the distance, and its attractive promenades, I cannot say 
 that there is anything about it of special interest. The whole country 
 -of Switzerland is charming. The valleys are as lovely as the mountains 
 are grand; and away from the Alps, the people .-seem healthful, indus 
 trious, and robiist. The women all work, like negroes, in the field. 
 They plough, spade, mow, and carry burdens on their shoulders. They 
 are, like oxen, strong to labour. The hotels of Switzerland are about 
 the best in Europe. The enormous amount of travel makes inn-keeping 
 a very lucrative business. The summer climate is lovely, soft, and 
 balmy, regaled alike by breezes from the lake and mountains. It is 
 just the country that would take your eye. 
 
 "In the library of this city are whole volumes, in manuscript, of the 
 correspondence of the Reformers ; and what is particularly interesting, 
 are three letters, in a neat, fair hand, of Lady Jane Grey to Henry Bull- 
 inger. They are in Latin. I have not yet seen them. * * * * Our 
 party is now small. Douglas and his party have gone into Italy ; Thomp 
 son went back from Geneva to Paris. Anderson and Jennie and Johnnie 
 are now my only companions. The air of Switzerland has agreed finely 
 with Jennie ; she has been better than at any time, except when we were 
 in England. It has also been very propitious to me. I have been able to 
 take a great deal of exercise without fatigue ; and we are all always ready 
 whenever meals, particularly dinner, are announced. But I am tired 
 -of travelling ; I sigh for the quiet and repose of home. Sometimes I 
 am tempted to break away, arid come home without completing my cir- 
 cirit. Had it not been for those with me, I think I should have given 
 out three weeks ago. But I sincerely pray that the Lord may soon 
 bring us together again, no more to part. He has been amazingly 
 good ; and I do hope, when I return, to serve Him better than .1 have 
 done before. Let us trust Him at all times. I am as ever, 
 " Yours devotedly, 
 
 J. H. THOKNWELL." 
 
 The party of eight re-assembled at Paris, and there 
 divided again on their route homeward. A portion sailed 
 from Havre, while Dr. Thorn well and his suite embarked 
 
SECOND TRIP TO EUROPE. 465 
 
 from Liverpool. The only incident that varied the re 
 turn voyage was a severe storm. The great object for 
 which the trip was undertaken seemed, however, to be 
 accomplished, in the improvement of his health, and the 
 ability to resume his public labours. 
 
CHAPTEE XXXII. 
 
 THE LATE WAR. 
 
 RETURN FROM EUROPE. THE COUNTRY UPON THE EVE or REVOLUTION. 
 RAPID SUCCESSION OF EVENTS. His ESPOUSAL OF THE CONFEDERATE 
 CAUSE. ORIGINAL ATTACHMENT TO THE UNION. PROVED BY His LET 
 TERS. His COURSE IN REGARD TO NULLIFICATION. His ATTITUDE IN 
 1850. LETTERS THEN IN REGARD TO SECESSION. POSITION IN HALA 
 TION TO THE KNOW-NOTHING MOVEMENT. HISTORY OF THE STEPS LE AD- 
 IK G TO THE CRISIS OF 1850. His CONTRARY POSITION IN I860. REA 
 SONS FOR THE CHANGE. His CASE TYPICAL OF THE SOUTH GENERALLY. 
 
 DR. THOKNWELL returned from Europe to find the 
 country already circling within the eddies of a mighty 
 revolution. He landed upon his native shores in the 
 month of September, 1860. On the 20th of the follow 
 ing December, South Carolina passed her Ordinance of 
 Secession from the Federal Union; and by the first of 
 February, 1861, her example had been followed by the 
 States of Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisi 
 ana, and Texas. A Provisional Government for the seced 
 ing States was organized on the 4th of February, a Con 
 stitution was adopted on the 8th, and on the 9th, the 
 administration was set on foot by the election of Mr. Jef 
 ferson Davis, as President of the new Confederacy. On 
 the 15th of April, 1861, Mr. Lincoln issued his proclama 
 tion, calling for 75,000 troops, to suppress the so-called 
 insurrection; the immediate eifect of which was to add 
 Virginia, Arkansas, North Carolina, and Tennessee to 
 the roll of States which must be conquered. 
 
 Into this movement Dr. Thornwell threw himself, from 
 the beginning, with all the ardour of his nature; and to 
 the day of his death, laboured and prayed, with patriotic 
 fervour, for the success of the Confederate cause. He 
 
 467 
 
4:68 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORNWELL. 
 
 f 
 
 was, in this, an eminent type of the great body of the 
 Southern people; who relinquished with unspeakable pain 
 their traditional attachment to the Union, from a stern 
 conviction that they could no longer live under it with 
 safety or with honour. For this reason we desire the 
 more to trace his political career throughout, in ordei 
 that through this, as a representative case, posterity at 
 least may pronounce upon the supreme necessity which 
 compelled the erection of another government, as the ark 
 in which constitutional liberty might be preserved. A 
 future generation will read these events by a better light 
 than the present; for nothing is more certain than that 
 principles will work themselves out, and reveal their true 
 nature, in the results which they produce; and no men 
 ever committed themselves to the vindication of history 
 with greater confidence, than those who embarked in this 
 struggle for independence. Such men as Dr. Thorn well 
 were accustomed to take broad views of life, and were 
 not in subjection to their passions. Indeed, in his case, 
 all the sentiment and the prejudice were enlisted upon 
 the other side of the question from that which he espoused. 
 His letters which have been already reproduced writ 
 ten only for the eye of his family, and written at long in 
 tervals and under different surroundings, sometimes while 
 traversing the great West, and sometimes visiting foreign 
 lands across the sea all breathe a fervent love for the 
 country as a whole. He gloried in the American name. 
 He rejoiced, almost in the spirit of covetousness, in the ac 
 quisition of territory, as extending the area of civil free 
 dom, and adding to the splendour and triumph of repub 
 lican principles. His imagination was dazzled with the 
 vision of an entire continent covered with a net work of 
 free States, and bound together in a harmonious confedera 
 tion. Although, in one of his letters, he cannot but detect 
 the tendency to slide from a Representative Republic into a 
 turbulent and lawless Democracy, with singular hopeful 
 ness he counts upon the intelligence and virtue of the 
 
THE LATK WAR. 469 
 
 people to resist the danger, and to preserve the spirit as 
 well as the form of our free institutions. It is impossible 
 to read these passages in his correspondence, without 
 being impressed with the breadth, as well as the fervour, 
 of his patriotism. It gushes so freely and so warmly 
 from his heart, as to burst through all the barriers of 
 section and of party, and take up the whole country into 
 its passionate embrace. 
 
 In addition to this general evidence, which lies suffi 
 ciently before the reader, we may recur to two periods 
 in his history, when, as a pronounced Union man, he 
 took open ground against the declared policy of his na 
 tive State. Indeed, as a mere politician, he could never 
 have risen to high position in South Carolina, the cur 
 rent of his views being in opposition to the prevailing 
 sentiment on most of the great questions of his day. The 
 first of these two periods was during the Nullification 
 struggle in 183^. "South Carolina, as well as a number 
 of the other States, held that the power to levy duties on 
 imports, not with a view to revenue, but to protect and 
 aid particular classes, was not delegated to Congress." 
 An odious, because discriminating, tariff had been borne 
 so long as it w T as necessary to provide for the existing 
 public debt; but when this was cancelled, and a large 
 surplus was accumulating in the national treasury, she de 
 manded that this tariff should be conformed to a revenue 
 standard. Failing to secure this modification by Congres 
 sional legislation, she interposed her prerogative as a 
 sovereign State to judge, in the last resort, in all ques 
 tions affecting her own rights, restraining the general 
 government from collecting this revenue within her 
 limits. We have no concern, in this connexion, with 
 tliis measure, except as a simple fact of history; only 
 adding that Congress soon afterwards passed what is com 
 monly known as the "Force Bill," clothing the Presi 
 dent with the power necessary to enforce the collection, 
 and for this purpose putting at his disposal all the land 
 
470 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THOKNWELL. 
 
 and naval forces. Collision was imminent between the 
 State and Federal authorities, which was averted by the 
 famous Compromise Act of Mr. Clay, yielding the prin 
 ciple of protection, and providing "a gradual reduction 
 of duties, until, at the expiration of ten years, twenty per 
 cent, ad valorem should be established as the uniform 
 rate." 
 
 Against this policy of Nullification, Mr. Thornwell,. 
 then a young man just graduated from College, con 
 spicuously planted himself, in a series of articles through 
 the public press. These early fugitive essays we have 
 not been able to recover and identify, and cannot state 
 the precise grounds of his opposition. He may not have 
 regarded the issue as sufficiently important to justify so 
 imperative an assertion of State sovereignty, which, ab 
 stractly, he always admitted; or he may have thought 
 it illogical for a State to remain in the Union, and yet 
 resist the legislation of a common Congress. For there 
 were many in that day who affirmed the right of seces 
 sion, and did not recognize nullification as the proper 
 remedy against the abuse of power. Nothing, however, 
 is important to the purpose of this narative beyond the 
 fact itself, that, in this particular conflict, he withstood 
 the pressure of public opinion in his State, and was en 
 rolled in the number of those who were designated under 
 the party name of " Union men." 
 
 The second period was in 1850, when the South stood 
 upon the brink of secession; w T hich was at that time 
 averted only through the patriotic interposition of Mr. 
 Webster and Mr. Clay. It will be necessary to trace 
 briefly the steps which led up to that crisis. The agita 
 tion against slavery commenced at the North as early 
 as 1790, within two years after the adoption of the Fed 
 eral Constitution, and within twelve months after Wash 
 ington was inaugurated as President. "A petition, 
 headed by Dr. Franklin, was sent to Congress, invoking 
 the Federal authorities to take jurisdiction of this subject, 
 
THE LATE WAR. 471 
 
 with a view to the ultimate abolition of this institution in 
 the States respectively." To which it was replied, in the 
 resolution adopted, " that Congress have no authority to 
 interfere in the emancipation of slaves, or in the treat 
 ment of them, in any of the States; it remaining with the 
 several States alone to provide any regulations therein, 
 which humanity and true policy may require." This de 
 serves to be noted, as showing how, from the beginning, 
 the question as to the powers of the general government 
 was interwoven with the slavery agitation, the former 
 being the true pivot on which the controversy turned; 
 the latter, simply the medium through which the aggres 
 sions of the central power were constantly pressed. ]STo 
 proper understanding can be had of the causes of the 
 late war, without bearing in mind the interpenetration of 
 these two questions, the convolution of the one within the 
 other. 
 
 The struggle, once begun, was destined more and more 
 to force its way into American politics. In 1803, France 
 ceded to the United States, in the Louisiana purchase, a 
 vast territory, extending from the Gulf of Mexico to the 
 extreme north, on parallel 49 of north latitude, far up 
 the Mississippi river, to Iowa and Minnesota; including 
 Kansas and ^Nebraska, if not Oregon, and of course Mis 
 souri and Arkansas ; and stretching westward to the Rocky 
 mountains. In the treaty by which this immense domain 
 was acquired, it was stipulated that "the inhabitants of 
 the ceded territory shall be incorporated in the Union of 
 the United States, and admitted as soon as possible, ac 
 cording to the principles of the Federal Constitution, to 
 the enjoyment of all the rights, advantages, and immu 
 nities of citizens of the United States; and in the mean 
 time they shall be maintained and protected in the free 
 enjoyment of their liberty, property, and the religion 
 which they profess." Under the double obligation, there 
 fore, of constitutional law and of treaty stipulations, the 
 States carved out of this territory were to be admitted 
 
472 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THOKNWELL. 
 
 upon the same footing with the States already in the- 
 Union. When, however, in 1818, Missouri knocked at 
 the door of Congress for admission upon these terms, the 
 attempt was made to fasten upon her the restriction of 
 slavery, in the provision " that the further introduction of 
 slavery, or of involuntary servitude, be prohibited, except 
 for the punishment of crimes, whereof the party shall have 
 been fully convicted; and that all children born within 
 the said State, after the admission thereof into the Union, 
 shall be free at the age of twenty-five years." The dis 
 cussion which ensued shook the country to its centre,, 
 during the two years in w T hich it was protracted. But,, 
 as the character of the speeches in Congress clearly shows, 
 the issue was simply as to the power of the Federal gov 
 ernment to impose the restriction ; and upon this issue 
 the debate exclusively turned: speakers, North and South,, 
 insisting, without any regard to the morality or the policy 
 of slavery, that Congress had no power to interfere with 
 it. The strife was, for the time, composed by the adop 
 tion of the well-known Missouri Compromise, running a 
 geographical line along the latitude of thirty-six degrees 
 and thirty minutes, above which slavery was for ever pro 
 hibited, and below which it should be allowed. This com 
 promise was not a Southern measure. Its real author was 
 a Senator from Illinois ; and it was reluctantly accepted 
 by the South, upon the principle of a division of the; 
 public domain between those who were joint partners in. 
 its acquisition : a division, however, by which she acquired! 
 only about 232,000 square miles, against nearly 668,000 
 acquired by the North. This geographical line, too,, 
 seemed to be the natural boundary of slavery under the- 
 law of climate, fixing the habitat of the negro; so that to^ 
 have refused it might appear to be a contest for a pure 
 abstraction, whilst to accept it promised to put to rest 
 this vexatious assault upon her institutions and rights.. 
 Unfortunately, it conceded the principle which lay at the 
 bottom of the struggle ; which none was quicker to per- 
 
THE LATE WAR. 473 
 
 ceive than the sage of Monticello, when, lifting himself 
 up in his retirement, he penned these memorable words : 
 
 " I had for a longtime ceased to read newspapers, or pay any attention 
 to public affairs, confident they were in good hands, and content to be a 
 passenger in our bark to the shore from which I am not distant. But 
 this momentous question, like a fire-bell in the night, awakened me, and 
 filled me with terror. I considered it at once as the knell of the Union. 
 It is hushed, indeed, for the moment ; but this is a reprieve only, not a 
 final sentence. A geographical line, coinciding with a marked principle, 
 moral and political, once conceived and held up to the angry passions of 
 men, will never be obliterated ; and every new irritation will mark it 
 deeper and deeper. * * * I regret that I am now to die in the belief, 
 that the useless sacrifice of themselves by the generation of 177G, to 
 acquire self-government and happiness to their country, is to bo thrown 
 away by the unwise and unworthy passions of their sons ; and that my 
 only consolation is to be, that I live not to weep over it." 
 
 How solemn are the words of prophecy, when read in 
 the light of their fulfilment ! And what a comment upon 
 the vanity of human glory, that the hand which penned 
 the immortal Declaration of Independence, should be the 
 hand to write this melancholy epitaph upon the insti 
 tutions of his country ! 
 
 The Missouri Compromise was never accepted as a 
 finality by the growing Abolition party at the North. 
 In the admission of Arkansas, in 1836, Mr. John Quincy 
 Adams moved an amendment to the bill, that "nothing 
 in this act shall be construed as an assent of Congress 
 to the article in the Constitution of the said State, 
 in relation to slavery, or the emancipation of slaves." 
 The same struggle was renewed in 1845, upon the admis 
 sion of Texas; although both States lay south of the line 
 of division. The South, in both cases, asked for nothing 
 more, even upon this conceded territory, than that "the 
 people of the new States might regulate their domestic 
 affairs in this particular, and all others, as they might in 
 sovereign conventions determine for themselves, without 
 any dictation or control from Congress, one way or the 
 other." This makes it apparent that the principle which 
 
474 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORNWELL. 
 
 lay in the heart of this whole controversy, was the con 
 stitutional incompetency of the general government to 
 interfere in what concerned the internal polity of the 
 State alone. 
 
 In 1846 the Mexican War occurred. In the anticipa 
 tion of the new territory likely to be acquired, the cele 
 brated Wilmot Proviso was introduced, for the exclusion 
 of slavery from all the public domain, and ignoring entirely 
 the compact of 1820. The issue was staved off for a time, 
 until, in 1848, it became necessary to organize a territorial 
 government for Oregon. Mr. Stephen A. Douglas made 
 a manly effort to apply the principle of the Missouri Com 
 promise, and succeeded in carrying the Senate. The 
 House of Representatives, however, proved obstinate; 
 until at length a bill passed both branches of the national 
 Legislature with an unconditional restriction upon slavery: 
 " that there shall be neither slavery nor involuntary serv 
 itude in any territory which shall hereafter be acquired, 
 or be annexed to the United States, otherwise than in 
 the punishment of crimes," etc. Thus, on the 12th of Au 
 gust, 1848, the Missouri Compromise, which had been 
 proposed and accepted as a final settlement of all these 
 issues, in the language of Mr. Stephens, "fell and was 
 buried in the Senate, where it had originated twenty- 
 eight years before." 
 
 We are upon the threshold now of the great crisis of 
 1850. The treaty of peace negotiated with Mexico had 
 secured to the United States an immense domain of 
 several hundred thousand square miles, in the acquisi 
 tion of which the South had poured out blood and trea 
 sure equally with the North. The new territory of Cali 
 fornia, Utah, and New Mexico, must be disposed of in 
 some way. The principle of a division of the public 
 estate between the two sections having been repudiated, 
 the alternative before the South was quiet submission to 
 a perpetual exclusion from the common territory, or re 
 sistance in some form more effective than in the past. 
 
THE LATE WAR. 475 
 
 The first was not to be entertained for a moment. It in 
 volved the abandonment of constitutional rights, and, 
 therefore, dishonour. They would cease to be equal in 
 the Union. Difference of opinion obtained as to the 
 remedy. Many believed the only solution to be found 
 in a separation between the States; others, more sanguine, 
 hoped the Union might still be preserved by "the re 
 organization of parties, to bring the administration of the 
 government back to its original principles." 
 
 The agitation was profound throughout the Southern 
 States; and the Thirty-first Congress met in December, 
 1849, under circumstances of the deepest responsibility. 
 The debate turned upon the admission of California as a 
 State, with an anti-slavery Constitution adopted by her 
 self. To this feature the Southern Representatives did 
 not object; but they steadfastly resisted her admission, 
 until the whole territorial question should be satisfactorily 
 adjusted. Their demand was simple : " that there should 
 be no Congressional exclusion of slavery from the public 
 domain ; but that, in organizing territorial governments, 
 the people under each should be distinctly empowered so 
 to legislate as to allow the introduction of slaves, and to 
 frame their Constitution, in respect to African slavery, as 
 they pleased ; and when admitted as States into the Union, 
 should be received without any Congressional restriction 
 upon the subject." After a long struggle in both Houses, 
 what is known as the Compromise of 1850 was adopted; 
 sweeping away all former restrictions, and providing that, 
 " when a territory, or any portion of the same, shall be 
 admitted as a State, it shall be received into the Union 
 with or without slavery, as their constitution may pre 
 scribe at the time of their admission."* 
 
 * The statement of political events, contained in this chapter, is sim 
 ply condensed from the Hon. A. H. Stephen s great work, "The War 
 between the States ; " and to ensure accuracy, it has been couched, as 
 far as possible, in his own language. Aside from the guarantees fur 
 nished in the reputation of the author, and the known moderation of his 
 political views, he has been careful to substantiate every statement by 
 
476 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THOKNWELL. 
 
 It was while these issues were yet pending, and with 
 the public mind excited almost to exasperation, that Dr.. 
 Thornwell opposed the idea of secession, to which South 
 Carolina was even then strongly inclined. He could not 
 yet despair of the Republic. Not until the last expedient 
 was exhausted to preserve the equality of the States, would 
 he abandon the hope of preserving the Union, which 
 he so sincerely loved. In a brief article from his pen, of 
 about eight pages, in the Southern Presbyterian Review^ 
 of January, 1851, and which is marked No. I, in the- 
 Appendix to this volume, he sets forth his views with 
 distinctness and power. He insists that the South de 
 manded only justice ; that it remained with the North 
 to determine whether the Union shall be preserved ; that 
 the plea of conscience, and "a higher law," cannot be- 
 allowed to override the plain provisions of the Constitu 
 tion ; that the alternative, in that case, would be to with 
 draw from a compact they can no longer fulfil; and 
 points out the fallacy upon which these conscientious 
 scruples are based. On the other hand, he pleads with 
 his own section to consider well the consequences flowing- 
 from a separation; and in glowing terms depicts the 
 glory of that mission which this country is called to 
 fulfil. The whole essay, brief as it is, is replete with 
 noble thoughts; and glows with an ardour all the more- 
 intense from the effort to restrain it within language as- 
 calm as Christian philosophy can suggest. We would 
 quote from it, but for the difficulty of separating any 
 portion from its connexion, without, in some degree, mis 
 representing his position upon the subject as a whole. It 
 would not be difficult to construct from it his whole po 
 litical creed, if this were not sufficiently revealed by sub 
 sequent events. 
 
 reference to the original authorities. Those, however, who distrust any- 
 book on this subject which is of Southern origin, are referred for similar 
 statements to a work entitled " The Origin of the War," by George Lunt, 
 of Boston, and identified, we believe, with its press. 
 
THE LATE WAR. 477 
 
 It is proper, however, to give the substance of two let 
 ters, written at this period, revealing the intensity of his 
 feelings in the matter. He writes in the following ner 
 vous strain to his friend, Dr. R. J. Breckinridge, under 
 date of March 28th, 1851: . 
 
 "Mr DEAR BROTHER : I received your kind and welcome letter night 
 before last. The approbation which you expressed of my short and 
 hasty notice of a few sermons upon the great subject of the day, was 
 very cheering to my heart. The state of feeling here is really appalling, 
 and such sentiments as those which I have ventured to express are any 
 thing but popular. I have been gloomy and depressed at the prospect 
 before us ; but I see nothing that can be done here but to commit the 
 matter to our sovereign God. When I trace the successive steps of our 
 national history, I behold at every point the finger of the Lord. I can 
 not persuade myself that we are now to be abandoned to our follies, and 
 permitted to make shipwreck of our glorious inheritance. I still hope 
 that the arm which has been so often stretched out in our behalf, will 
 be interposed again. South Carolina, however, seems bent upon seces 
 sion. The excitement is prodigious. Men, from whom one would have 
 expected better things, are fanning the flame, and urging the people on 
 to the most desperate measures. From the beginning I have opposed, 
 according as I had opportunity, all revolutionary measures. But I am 
 sorry to say that many of our clergy are as rash and violent as the rashest 
 of their hearers. Sometimes I seem to myself to perceive that the tide is 
 beginning to ebb ; and it is possible that time may bring with it discre 
 tion. But I can assure you that things look gloomy enough. You can 
 not imagine how the matter preys upon my spirits. It is the unceasing 
 burden of my prayers. 
 
 Did you receive a copy of my sermon on the death of Mr. Calhoun ? 
 
 I sent you one, but have never heard whether you received it or not. 
 
 *****. 
 
 As ever, 
 
 J. H. THORNWELL.* 
 
 The second letter is addressed, a year earlier, to the 
 Rev. Dr. Hooper, of North Carolina, a former colleague 
 of his in the College faculty. It bears date, March 8th, 
 1850; from which we extract the portion that relates to 
 the state of the country : 
 
 " I can well and heartily sympathize with you in your despondency in 
 regard to the condition of the country. T*he times are indeed portentous. 
 The prospect of disunion is one which I cannot contemplate without ab 
 solute horror. A peaceful dissolution is utterly impossible. There are 
 
478 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THOKNWELL. 
 
 BO many sources of discord and controversy : the division of the army, 
 the navy, the territories ; so that, however disposed we might be to an 
 amicable separation, the settlement of these points would inevitably, and 
 that very soon, engender a war. And a war between the States of this 
 confederacy would, in my opinion, be the bloodiest, most ferocious, and 
 cruel, in the annals of history. Then, again, the attempt to construct 
 other governments, the formation of new constitutions, in this age of 
 tumults, agitation, and excitement, when socialism, communism, and a 
 rabid mobocracy seem everywhere to be in the ascendant, will lead to the 
 most dangerous experiments, the most disastrous schemes. I have 
 hardly been able to sleep in consequence of the deep conviction with 
 which I am oppressed of the evils that threaten us ; and my unceasing 
 prayer is, that God would interfere for our relief. Yain, in this crisis, 
 is the help of man. I agree with you, that every believer in Jesus Christ 
 is most solemnly warned, by the signs of the times, to w r restle with the 
 Angel of the Covenant in behalf of our bleeding country. The interests 
 of the Saviour s kingdom are too intimately connected with the perma 
 nence and prosperity of this great confederacy, to allow any disciple to 
 be a calm spectator of passing scenes. In the destruction of our gov 
 ernment, the civil wars that shall follow, the agitation of socialist and 
 atheistic principles, the upheaving of society from its very foundations, 
 the anarchy and chaos that shall brood upon the land, where are to be 
 the schemes of the different churches for the conversion of the world ? 
 I cannot dwell upon the subject. May the Lord mercifully turn the tide, 
 and send peace and prosperity, at least in our days." 
 
 The following letter, addressed to Mr. A. H. Pegues, of 
 Oxford, Mississippi, discloses his predilection for what was 
 known as the American, or, more popularly still, as the 
 "Know-Nothing" party. His attachment to the Federal 
 Union was yet so strong that he gave his adhesion to 
 almost any organization that held out the least promise 
 of preserving it. At any rate, the letter is a record of 
 his opinion upon one phase of the politics of the day: 
 
 "SOUTH CAROLINA COLLEGE, July 26, 1855. 
 
 "DEAR SANDY: I received your welcome and long-looked-for letter 
 just on the eve of a short excursion into Georgia, and delayed answering 
 it until after my return. You certainly did promise to write to me upon 
 your arrival at home, and I have been seriously at a loss to account for 
 your silence. As y ">u were in some terror of the yellow fever when you 
 left me, I did not know but you might have quietly departed this life, 
 without letting any of your friends know what had become of you. The 
 papers did not record your death, and I heard nothing from your family. 
 So I still lived in hopes that you might yet come to light. 
 
THE LATE WAR. 
 
 "Well, I am glad that you are alive and kicking. I could wish, how 
 ever, that yo\i would kick against something more worthy to be kicked 
 against than the American party. You know that I always was perverse 
 in politics. I was not a JSulliner in South Carolina, and I could not 
 have been a Repudiator in Mississippi. My heresies in these respects 
 might have prepared you for finding me in the ranks of the only organi 
 zation which, in my judgment, can save the country from impending 
 ruin. There is not a principle of the American party, so far as its prin 
 ciples are known, which does not command my most cordial approba 
 tion. Tts appearance and success is the most remarkable phenomenon 
 of these remarkable times ; and if it fails, our last hope for the Union 
 is gone. But I shall not argue politics with you, though I cannot but 
 hope that we may yet see eye to eye on this subject. I am intensely 
 anxious that the whole South should come up as one man to the Ameri 
 can ranks. We shall soon hear from Tennessee ; then comes North 
 Carolina ; then your State ; and if they lead off properly, the rest of the 
 South will follow, and the Republic may be saved. * * * 
 
 " I set out to-morrow for the old Pee Dee. Do you not wish that you 
 could be with me ? How it would delight us to revisit our old haunts, 
 and talk of ancient days ! I do not think I could go to General Gil- 
 lespie s mill without tears ; I have not been there since you and I were 
 there together. 
 
 "As ever, most truly, 
 
 J. H. THORNWELL." 
 
 With these prepossessions in favour of the national 
 Union interwoven with every fibre of his being, and 
 strengthened by the very eifort to retain them against 
 a surrounding pressure, how are we to account for his 
 attitude in 1860, when, abandoning his old traditions, lie 
 flung himself into the struggle to establish a separate gov 
 ernment, with a zeal second to that of no other man in 
 the Southern Confederacv? The change is immensely 
 
 / t, 
 
 significant, as showing how the thousands of thoughtful, 
 conscientious, patriotic, and Christian men in the South 
 felt constrained at last to rise up together, and strike for 
 independence. A few sentences will fill the gap in the 
 political history of these times. The adjustment, effected 
 w T ith so much difficulty, and which placed the govern 
 ment back upon its original foundations, was not permit 
 ted to stand. The Compromise of 1850, if the term be 
 not a misnomer when applied to the mere assertion of a 
 
480 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THOKNWELL. 
 
 principle, was doomed to fall, like its predecessor of 1820. 
 This brought despair to hearts which before had glowed 
 with hope. The agitation was renewed in 1854, when it 
 became necessary to frame territorial governments for 
 Kansas and Nebraska. The doctrine of Federal inter 
 vention was again broached; and the fanatical party, 
 which had always trampled upon the Missouri Compro 
 mise, now proclaimed it a sacred and binding compact. 
 This was clearly but a parliamentary device, under cover 
 of which the prerogative of Congressional interference 
 might be again resumed. But the South had recovered 
 the principle which, in 1820, had been yielded; and, 
 taught by the experience of the past,, she refused to com 
 promise it a second time. The Kansas-Nebraska bill, 
 framed in conformity with the measures of 1850, was 
 passed, it is true ; but the whole subject had been re 
 opened, exposed to all the fluctuations of popular opinion. 
 Distrust and suspicion were sown throughout the South; a 
 great impulse had been given to fanaticism in the North ; 
 uneasiness, and a sense of insecurity, everywhere pre 
 vailed. The raid of John Brown at length occurred ; the 
 accomplices in his crime were sheltered, not only by 
 public approval, but by official protection; the rendition 
 of fugitive slaves continued to be refused, in the face of 
 constitutional provisions and Congressional enactments, 
 until the "irrepressible conflict " was openly declared; the 
 doctrine of "a higher law" was proclaimed subversive of 
 all compacts and pledges; and, as the climax, the canvass 
 of 1860 resulted in the election of a sectional candidate, 
 by a sectional vote, who, by the force of his position, was 
 only the president of a party, and was pledged to carry 
 out the political theories of the section which had ad 
 vanced him to power. In short, the precise issue upon 
 which the long legislative battle had been fought upon 
 the floor of Congress, was concluded against the rights of 
 the South, in the foregone and fore-announced interdic- 
 
THE LATE WAR. 481 
 
 -tion of slavery in the territories.* In this event, the 
 South, in all her utterances, stood committed to a separa 
 tion ; and nothing remained but the execution of her 
 purpose in actual secession. Under what forms this was 
 achieved in eleven States, how these were confederated 
 under a union and constitution of their own, and how 
 they were overthrown in a long and disastrous war these 
 #re facts of history, which need no recital here. 
 
 This altered attitude of the North wrought the change 
 in Dr. Thornwell s course which we shall have occasion 
 presently to exhibit. He had loved the Union with a 
 passion almost rising to idolatry ; but it was the Union 
 which the Constitution had created. When the necessity 
 came to elect between the two, it could not be doubtful 
 upon which the choice would rest. The same principles 
 which had led him to cling to the national ensign, so long 
 
 O f & 
 
 us, hope remained of preserving its symbolic significance, 
 carried him away from it when that hope had fled. The 
 same patriotism which gloried in the principles of Amer 
 ican constitutional liberty, transferred his affections to 
 that which gave some promise of their perpetuation. The 
 change was, not in him. He was the same man, with the 
 same principles, affections, and desires. But the object of 
 his hope was different : he turned slowly and sadly from 
 
 * That the South did not misinterpret the import of Mr. Lincoln s 
 election, is proved by the speech of Mr. Chase, afterwards Mr. Lincoln s 
 Secretary of Treasury, in the Peace Congress, on the 6th of February, 
 1861, after the secession of seven States had been accomplished. In 
 Ihis speech he frankly declares, "this election must be regarded as a 
 triumph of principles, cherished in the hearts of the people of the Free 
 States." "Chief among these principles is the restriction of slavery 
 within State limits : fixed opposition to its extension beyond them. Mr. 
 Lincoln was the candidate of the people opposed to the extension of 
 slavery. We have elected him. After many years of earnest advocacy 
 and of severe trial, we have achieved the triumph of that great principle. 
 Do you think we, who represent this majority, will throw it away?" He 
 declares, also, that the North never will consent to the reclamation of 
 fugitive slaves, and that the constitutional provision requiring it must 
 t>e a dead letter, (see it quoted in Mr. Stephen s "War between the 
 States," Vol. 2, pp, 46-49.) 
 
482 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORJSTWELL. 
 
 the old, which had disappointed him, to the new, in which 
 all that he hoped and wished were now enshrined. It 
 will not do to say, that lie was swept away by a current 
 he found himself incapable of resisting. He was a man 
 that had been stemming currents all his life ; and, in the 
 sphere of politics, had shown a tenacity of convictions 
 that was amazing. Not a solitary instance can be pro 
 duced from his entire record, in which he ever surrendered 
 his ow r n convictions of truth or duty. He often yielded 
 where opposition was useless, for he was not factious ; 
 but he never supported a measure which did not command 
 his own approval. Nor is it sufficient to allege that, in 
 recognizing the doctrine of State sovereignty, he simply 
 bowed to the decision of South Carolina, and accepted her 
 fortunes as his own. This would explain acquiescence, . 
 bat not the enthusiasm with which he laid her cause upon 
 his heart, nor the devotion with which he sacrificed all 
 that was dear to its success, nor the attrition of care and 
 grief w^hich helped to wear out his feeble life so much the 
 sooner. Far less than either from the truth is the stale 
 charge, that the tremendous hazard was incurred in the 
 interest and for the preservation of slavery. Indeed, this 
 never was more than the occasion of the war, either North 
 or South. It was the mere rallying cry on both sides, to 
 marshal the hosts into ranks, a concrete and tangible 
 issue upon which to concentrate the masses. The cause 
 lay deeper, in the irreconcilable theories maintained as 
 to the nature of the government; in comparison with 
 which all the interest and property vested in " the pecu 
 liar institution" were as dust in the balance. In relation 
 to this, however, it may be incumbent on the writer to 
 mention here a fact connected with the subject of these 
 Memoirs, which perhaps is known only to himself. Dr. 
 Thornwell said to him, in 1861, that whilst in Europe he 
 had made up his mind to move, immediately upon his re 
 turn, for the gradual emancipation of the negro, as the 
 only measure that would give peace to the country, by 
 
THE LATE WAR. 483 
 
 taking away, at least, the external cause of irritation. 
 " But," added he, ; < when I got home, I found it was top 
 late; the die was cast." So far was he willing to go in 
 the spirit of sacrifice, to preserve the integrity of that 
 Union which he so reluctantly abandoned. How useless 
 the sacrifice would have been, is apparent to those who 
 have studied this conflict as to the true theory of the gov 
 ernment, from the convention of 1787 to the present hour. 
 An incidental expression occurs in one of Dr. Thorn- 
 well s previous letters, which gives the key to his whole 
 course. In it he speaks of " an American spiri^" in this 
 country ; and, in antagonism to it, what he terms " a 
 Yankee spirit," which must be put down and controlled 
 by the former. Just so long as the government was ad 
 ministered in the American or national spirit nay, just 
 so long as there was hope of bringing it back to the same, 
 from temporary aberrations so long he clung to the Union 
 with almost religious devotion. When the sectional spirit 
 finally triumphed, and the entire Federal authority was to 
 be employed in enforcing its narrow and prescriptive 
 policy, any peril seemed a refuge from its ascendency. 
 In this, he undoubtedly represented the views and feelings 
 of all his people. And to-day, if the country will but 
 learn from the bitter experience it has encountered, the 
 South will forget her sufferings, and displace her resent 
 ments, and will rise as one man to meet the North in 
 placing the government upon its old tasis. Not hanker 
 ing after slavery, which she has abandoned for ever, she 
 will be content if the government only be administered 
 in " the American spirit." But if not, she will calmly 
 float upon the current of events, without any sense of 
 humiliation before men, in the quiet consciousness of her 
 integrity; perfectly assured that a nation which resiles 
 from its own principles, however great may be its mate 
 rial prosperity, only dances for a little while as a bubble 
 upon the wave, and dances but to burst for ever. 
 
CHAPTEK XXXIII. 
 HIS COURSE IN THE WAR. 
 
 ENDORSEMENT OF SECESSION. LETTERS. PREVALENCE OF ORDER IN THE 
 STATE. OBJECT OF ATTACK ON FORT SUMTER. ARTICLE ON THE STATE 
 OF THE COUNTRY. ANALYSIS OF IT. COMPROMISE IMPOSSIBLE. DE 
 SIRE FOB A PEACEFUL SEPARATION. IMPAIRED HEALTH. SUMMER 
 EXCURSION. LETTERS. His VIEW AS TO A CONVENTION OF THE PRESBY 
 TERIES. NECESSITY OF ECCLESIASTICAL SEPARATION FROM THE NORTH. 
 EPISTOLARY JEU D ESPRIT. RESUMES His PROFESSORSHIP. RESIGN A- 
 TION OF PASTORAL CHARGE. ANXIETY ABOUT THE COUNTRY. ITS IN 
 FLUENCE UPON His HEALTH. 
 
 WE drift now into the natural channel of Dr. Thorn- 
 well s life, taking up events in the order in which 
 they occur. The following letter, addressed to the Rev. 
 Mr. Douglas, with its playful introduction, is chiefly in 
 teresting as containing his first endorsement of the seces 
 sion movement. It was written, it will be perceived, just 
 eleven days after South Carolina had set the ball in mo 
 tion, by her famous Ordinance: 
 
 " THEOLOGICAL SKMINARY, December 31, 1860. 
 
 " DEARLY BELOVED BROTHER JOHN : I am astonished that a man so cele 
 brated for the milk of human kindness should be found making him 
 self merry over the sorrows and misfortunes of his brethren. Friend 
 Sanderson might change his opinion of the benevolence of your nature, 
 if he could see how you exult over my crazy back and my tottering un 
 derstanding. But let me tell you that it is all a libel about the tight 
 boots. That part of the story was made up, and I have never been 
 able to trace it to its author. * * * * * * * * j n re i a tj on ^ o 
 elders, I do not require the Session actually to impose hands, but I pre 
 fer that they should do it. The minister, acting in the name, and as 
 Moderator of the Session, is enough. But the members of the Session 
 ought to be present, and ought to give the right hand of fellowship. 
 
 "I have concluded my reply to Dr. Hodge.* To me it seems per- 
 
 * An article, entitled "Church Boards and Presbyterianism," growing 
 out of the debate in the Assembly at Rochester, which may be found 
 in the fourth volume of the " Collected Writings." 
 
 485 
 
486 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORN WELL. 
 
 fectly conclusive. I think I have cornered him on every point that he 
 has made ; and I have some curiosity to see how he will get out of the 
 scrape. * * * * 
 
 " Our affairs of State look threatening ; but I believe that we have done 
 right. I do not see any other course that was left to us. I am heart 
 and hand with the State in her move. But it is a time for the people 
 of God to abound in prayer. The Lord alone can guide us to a haven 
 of safety. He can bring light out of darkness, and good out of evil.. 
 * * * * 
 
 As ever, 
 
 J. H. THORN WELL." 
 
 The fragment which follows appears never to have 
 been finished, and does not bear upon its face for whom 
 it was intended. We are satisfied, however, from internal 
 evidence, that it was addressed to the Rev. Dr. J. Leigh- 
 ton Wilson, before his connexion as Secretary was sev 
 ered with the Assembly s Board of Foreign Missions, in 
 ISTew York. Its value is to be found in the testimony 
 given upon the prevalence of order throughout the State, 
 even in its troubled condition, and upon the motives 
 which led to the attack upon Fort Sumter: 
 
 "THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY, January 7, 1861. 
 
 " MY DEAR BROTHER : Your two letters Jhave both been received ; and 
 I was delighted to find what, of course, I wa s prepared to expect, that 
 your heart and your sympathies are fully with the people of your native 
 State. Every day convinces me more and more that we acted at the 
 right time and in the right way. Georgia will be out of the Union to 
 morrow, or the next day. Louisiana, Arkansas, and Texas will speedily 
 follow ; and we shall soon have a consolidated South. The rumours about 
 mob law in this State are totally and meanly false. The internal con 
 dition of our society never was sounder and healthier. The law never 
 was so perfectly supreme. Every right and interest of the citizen is 
 completely protected; and our people are bound together in ties of 
 mutual confidence, so strong that even private feuds are forgotten and 
 buried. The whole State is like a family, in which the members vie with 
 each other in their zeal to promote the common good. There is even 
 little appearance of excitement. All is calm and steady determination. 
 It is really a blessing to live here now, to see how thoroughly law and 
 order reign in the midst of an intense and radical revolution. You need 
 not fear that our people will do anything rash. They will simply stand 
 on the defensive. They will permit no reinforcements to be sent to 
 Charleston ; and if Fort Suniter is not soon delivered up to them, they 
 will take it. In a few daye we shall be able to storm it successfully. We 
 
HIS COURSE IN THE WAR. 487 
 
 shall take the Fort, not as an act of war, but in righteous self-defence, 
 We do not want war. We prefer peace. But we shall not decline the 
 appeal to arms, if the North forces it upon us. 
 
 "I have just concluded a defence of the secession of the Southern 
 States, which will soon be out in the Southern Presbyterian Review. It 
 is the last article, and is already advanced in printing. I shall have a 
 large edition in pamphlet form struck off. To me it appears to be con 
 clusive ; you can judge for yourself, when you see it. Dr. Hodge s article 
 has been received with universal indignation. * * * 
 
 "The contributions to Foreign Missions among us will certainly fall 
 off. We shall not be in a condition to contribute as we have done." 
 
 Here the fragment abrubtly terminates. Allusion is 
 made in this letter to what Dr. Thornwell styles " a de 
 fence of the secession of the Southern States." It was 
 an article published January, 1861, in the Southern Pres 
 byterian Jteview, under the heading " The State of the 
 Country," and will be found in the Appendix to this vol 
 ume, marked No. II. As to the ability with which the 
 subject is handled, it is sufficient to quote the testimony 
 of one of the Chancellors* upon the South Carolina bench, 
 distinguished amongst his compeers for the subtlety of 
 his mind and the sharpness of his discrimination, who 
 said to the writer of these pages : "I took up the article 
 of Dr. Thornwell with great trepidation, fearing that a 
 divine would. make a muddle of the question; but I found 
 it a model State paper." In this essay, the author first 
 repels the charge that secession originated in " vain 
 dreams of glory in a separate confederacy, or in a desire 
 to re-open the African slave-trade; but in the profound 
 conviction that the Constitution, in its relations to slavery, 
 had been virtually repealed." He undertakes to prove 
 that "the constitutional attitude of the government is 
 
 One Of ABSOLUTE INDIFFERENCE OR NEUTRALITY, with 1 C- 
 
 spect to all questions connected with the moral and 
 political aspect of the subject." He overthrows the only 
 two propositions upon which Federal jurisdiction over 
 the case can be justified ; to wit, that " the right of pro 
 perty in slaves is the creature of positive statute;" and 
 
 * Chancellor Job Johnston, of Newberry, South Carolina. 
 
488 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORNWELL. 
 
 that it is "a right not recognized by the Constitution of 
 the United States." Both assumptions are shown to be 
 false in fact, and the deductions drawn from them ut 
 terly untenable. He then proceeds to prove that, under 
 the change of public sentiment, the Government is made 
 to assume an attitude of hostility to the South; that "it 
 is made to take the type of Northern sentiment; it is 
 animated, in its relations to slavery, by the Northern 
 mind; and the South, henceforward, is no longer of the 
 Government, but only under the Government;" "the 
 North becomes the United States, and the South a sub 
 ject province." This, he contends, "makes a new gov 
 ernment; it proposes new and extraordinary terms of 
 union." "The old Government is as completely abol 
 ished, as if the people of the United States had met in 
 convention, and repealed the Constitution." "Mr. Lin 
 coln has been chosen, not to administer, but to revolu 
 tionize the Government." " The oath which makes him 
 President, makes a new Union." "The import of seces 
 sion is simply the refusal, on the part of the South, to be 
 parties to any such Union." "No people on earth, with 
 out judicial infatuation, can organize a government to 
 destroy themselves. It is too much to ask a man to sign 
 his own death warrant." 
 
 We give this analysis of a portion of this elaborate 
 essay; and, as the reader will perceive from the marks- 
 of quotation, in the very language of the instrument, in 
 order that Dr. Thornwell may define his own position, 
 and be judged by others upon his own statements. It 
 was the ground upon which the entire South stood, con 
 tending for the principle which gave vitality to the whole 
 American Constitution ; and her consolation is, in all her 
 present suffering, that it has been incurred in an honest 
 effort to preserve this in its integrity ; and that, if she be 
 slain, it is by the hand of another, and not her own. 
 An unerring Judge will fix the responsibility of this con 
 flict just where it belongs. 
 
HIS COURSE IN THE WAK. 489 
 
 It has been exceedingly interesting to us, in preparing 
 this biography, to find, among the loose papers of this 
 period, little scraps, often the backs of old letters, written 
 all over with fragmentary thoughts ; seized, apparently, 
 just as they arose in his mind, and thrown in this loose 
 way upon paper, doubtless with a view to their being 
 worked over at leisure. Perhaps they were all given, 
 at different times, to the public, in the fugitive articles 
 he was in the habit of contributing to the newspaper 
 press. But in the fragmentary form in which they are 
 preserved to us, they are precious as relics of the man, 
 and as memorials how constantly the subject was in his 
 thoughts. We transcribe one of these, evidently belong 
 ing to the early stage of the struggle, and before the 
 gage of battle was actually thrown down. It is of con 
 sequence as rebutting the charge that he was seditious- 
 and bitter in his feelings, and as showing how earnestly 
 the South deprecated the appeal to arms. It reads thus : 
 
 "How the duty of the Christian, to study the things that make for 
 peace can be best discharged, in the present condition of the country, is 
 a practical inquiry of the utmost moment. It is possible to embitter 
 strife by the very efforts to extinguish it. The measures proposed must 
 be judicious ; and to be judicious, they must be adapted to the diffi 
 culties which they are designed to heal. It is not enough that they 
 spring from a good motive. The motive does not determine the result. 
 They must be adjusted to the nature of the case. 
 
 " Tried by this standard, that whole class of expedients, which aim to 
 promote peace by a compromise of the dfficulties betwixt the North and 
 the South, and the perpetuation of the present Union, must be condemned 
 as fostering only strife. The nature of the differences is such that there 
 can be no compromise. There must be complete surrender, on one 
 side or the other. It is a case of excluded middle. The North have 
 said distinctly, that freedom is national, slavery sectional. In other 
 words, they, and they alone, represent the real spirit and tendencies of 
 the country ; and the government must be entrusted exclusively to their 
 hands. They must determine the social type of the territories ; they 
 must determine the complexion of all our laws ; the whole life of the 
 country is in them. The South is an appendage to the body, but no 
 organic part of it. In such a controversy, there is no room for com 
 promise. The positions are contradictory, and one or the other must 
 be abandoned. But suppose the North yields, will that promote peace ? 
 
4:90 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORNWELL. 
 
 It depends upon what is meant by yielding. If to yield is only to sus 
 pend hostilities, while the sentiment of the people remain unchanged, it 
 is evident that the causes of strife remain in all their power. The only 
 measure which can promote peace is, that the parties should separate. 
 The combatants must be parted. 
 
 "As it is clear that they must part, the next thing is to make the 
 separation a peaceable one. "To this point our Christian efforts should 
 now be unceasingly directed. We should endeavour to prevent violence, 
 and the acrimony and bitterness which must spring from an appeal to 
 arms. If force is resorted to, it must fail. The Union can hold no 
 States by conquest. A forced Union is an anomaly. Free consent, and 
 that alone, should hold us together. If it fails to conquer the seceding 
 States, much blood will have been shed in vain. It is idle, therefore, to 
 resort to it. If the Union can be dissolved by the same free consent 
 which created it, the most friendly relations might be instituted between 
 the two sections ; and the prosperity of both be almost as much pro 
 moted as by a Federal Union. Let Christian men, North and South, 
 labour to have us part in peace." 
 
 Dr. Thornwell s health was not by any means restored. 
 The temporary improvement resulting from his European 
 trip the preceding summer, disappeared 1 under the re 
 sumption of his labours, and the pressure of solicitude for 
 the country. About the middle of January, while his 
 pen was busy with the essays above presented, he was 
 prostrated upon a bed of sickness, from which he did not 
 recover until the spring. A relapse followed upon this, 
 and the entire summer was devoted to a vain chase after 
 health. Indeed, the short remainder of his life was spent 
 in a useless conflict with the disease, beneath which he 
 was destined to succumb. 
 
 In the month of June he resorted, with his third 
 daughter, as companion and nurse, to Glenn Springs, in 
 South Carolina, somewhat noted for the value of its 
 waters in certain types of disease. From this place he 
 writes : 
 
 " GLENN SPKINGS, June 17, 1861. 
 
 "My DEAREST WIPE : As I know that you will be anxious to hear how 
 we are getting along, I write to you again this morning. Yesterday was 
 a very warm day, but we had a good western breeze. I walked in the 
 morning to the spring, and back. We have a fine shade the whole way. 
 There was preaching at a little Episcopal Church, built by McCullough, 
 
HIS COURSE IN THE WAR. 491 
 
 but none of ns went. The Church is a very neat little building, just over 
 the branch from the spring. The rector is a Mr. Jones ; I know noth 
 ing of him. Late in the afternoon yesterday, I took another stroll, and 
 found it delightful. The shades are so fine about here, that one is per 
 fectly protected from the rays of the sun. I was very cautious in the 
 use of the water. Last night I slept well. This morning I rose a little 
 after seven o clock, ate breakfast at eight, took a long walk, have drunk 
 two glassfuls of water, and feel very comfortable. The air to-day is fine ; 
 it is cool in the temperature, and made more so by a constant breeze. 
 My strength seems to increase, and I am encouraged to believe that the 
 place will agree with me. * * * * 
 
 "You cannot imagine how I enjoy these up-country forests. They 
 are more interesting than they ever were before. I can gaze on the 
 fine trees from morning till night ; and at night, now that the moon is 
 shining, it is most delightful to look out upon the starry heavens above, 
 and the thick groves below. I find myself almost entranced by the in 
 fluence of scenes around me and above me. You would enjoy the place 
 very much. 
 
 " I am trying to get water sent to you, but it is impossible to procure a 
 vessel of any kind, even a bottle. Strange to say, I am fond of it. Pat 
 drinks it freely, and says it has given her an enormous appetite. She 
 watches me closely, and will not let me eat what she thinks will not 
 agree with me. The other evening I was about to take a piece of lamb- 
 cutlet ; but Pat sung out at the table, that she thought I ought not to 
 eat meat at night ; so I obeyed her, and let it alone. I have now emp 
 tied my budget of gossip. Love to all. May the Lord keep us all in 
 health and safety. God bless you, dearest. 
 "Yours, most devotedly, 
 
 J. H. T. 
 
 Two days later he addresses the following to his eldest 
 son, which could scarcely have been more faithful in its 
 appeal, had he known how soon they would both be to 
 gether in eternity : 
 
 " GLENN SPRINGS, June 19, 18G1. 
 
 " MY DEAR GILLESPIE : It has been on my heart for some time back 
 to have a serious and solemn conversation with you, touching the great 
 interests of the soul. During all my sickness, nothing has pressed upon 
 my mind more than the condition and prospects of my boys, in relation 
 to the salvation of the gospel. I have dedicated you and your brothers 
 to God. I have prayed that He would call you all into His kingdom ; 
 and I once ventured to hope that I might see you all ministers of the 
 gospel. There is nothing worth living for but the glory of God ; and I 
 do most devoutly wish that your eyes may be opened to see the trans 
 cendent importance of eternal things. You have but one soul ; and if 
 you lose that, all is gone ; and once lost, it is lost for ever. 
 
 " You may say that you acknowledge the truth of all this, but you do 
 
4:92 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THOKNWELL. 
 
 not feel it. My son, you must strive to feel it. You must think uporu 
 the matter seriously and earnestly ; you must pray over it ; you must 
 confess and deplore your hardness of heart, and seek from the Lord a 
 clean heart and a right spirit. Resolve never to give over, until you 
 find that you are interested, and warmly interested, in the great salva 
 tion. You cannot imagine what a comfort it would be to me in my de 
 clining days to see you humbly and sincerely following the Lord Jesus- 
 Christ. And why not do it ? Can you gain anything by carelessness 
 and rernissness ? Are you happier when you do not know but that, at 
 any moment, you may be summoned before God altogether unprepared? 
 Is not the fear of the Lord the beginning of wisdom ? and do they not 
 exhibit the soundest understanding who keep God s commandments? 
 My sou, you know not how much I love you, and cannot know how 
 much I feel for your immortal interests. Do me, your father, the favour 
 to give your mind to the matter at once, and decidedly. Seek to be a 
 thorough-going, devoted Christian. Seek the Lord with your whole 
 heart. Kenounce all sin, and renounce it for ever ; and betake yourself 
 to the blood of Christ for pardon and acceptance. Do more ; have an 
 eye to the eternal good of your younger brothers. They look up to you ; 
 they respect you ; they try to do as you do. Set them a good example.. 
 Go before them in the way of eternal life. 
 
 "Religion cannot be maintained without regular prayer, and regular 
 reading of the Scriptures, and regular attendance upon the ordinances. 
 Never omit your morning and evening devotions, and try to be inter 
 ested in them ; think over what you pray for ; think before you pray. 
 When you read the Bible, read in order to get knowledge. Meditate 
 on what you read ; and beg God to seal it on your heart by the Holy 
 Ghost. At church, try to be profited. Apply to yourself what you 
 hear. Look upon preaching as God s appointment, and expect His 
 blessing in attending upon it. My dear boy, reflect upon what I have 
 said to you ; and gladden my heart, when I see you again, by your in 
 terest in all that concerns the glory of God, and the salvation of the 
 soul. Pray over this letter ; look upon it as your father s legacy ; and 
 for his sake, as well as your own, awake to the importance of these high 
 themes. 
 
 "As to my health, I cannot say that there is any marked change yet. 
 I think, upon the whole, I am improving. The atmosphere here at 
 present is very cool and delightful. Our nights are charming ; and I 
 enjoy the magnificent forests about here very much. I can never gaze 
 on these enough. And now, my boy, may God bless you. Be true to 
 Him, and He will be faithful to -you 
 
 " Your affectionate father, 
 
 J. H. THOKNWELL,." 
 
 The next letter shows a change of place, and is written 
 to his colleague in the pastoral charge of the Columbia 
 church, the Eev. F. P. MullaUy: 
 
HIS COURSE IN THE WAR. 4:93- 
 
 f 
 
 t 
 
 " SPARTANBURG, July 10, 1861. 
 
 "My DEAR MULLALLT: It has been on my mind to write to you for 
 some time ; but as I had nothing definite to say to my lord, I concluded 
 to put it off until I could get a few more ideas. I find, however, that 
 if I wait until I get something worth saying, I shall wait for ever. You 
 must, therefore, take things as they come ; and if my letter has no sense, 
 be satisfied to reflect that it is full of love, and of the sincerest wishes foi 
 your well-being and well-doing. It makes me sad at times to think of the 
 burden that has fallen on your shoulders through my infirmities ; but I 
 trust that the Lord will abundantly reward you for your generous and 
 disinterested labours. It would delight my heart to be able to join you 
 in your ministry. The people in Columbia are very dear to me ; and 
 their spiritual interests are the burden of many a prayer. I cannot tell 
 you how much I am attached to the congregation ; and if I could serve 
 them as in former days, it would be the joy and rejoicing of my heart. 
 
 "I was glad to hear that you had a little holiday, and killed two 
 birds with one stone by running up to Pendleton. I can well imagine 
 what sort of a time you had there. How I should have rejoiced to be 
 with you. 
 
 "You must not overwork yourself during the summer. A righteous 
 man is merciful to his beast ; and you must spare yours, or you may 
 bring yourself to the pass that I am at. As to my condition, I have to 
 speak with caution. Last week I considered myself nearly well. My 
 uncomfortable symptoms had largely disappeared. I was as strong as 
 usual ; could ride eight miles on horse-back without fatigue ; rode every 
 day sixteen miles in a carriage ; attended two night-parties ; had a fine 
 appetite, and was becoming quite cheerful. There came on a spell of 
 rainy weather. I took cold, which settled on my bowels; and for 
 thirty-six hours I suffered as much as I had ever suffered in that time 
 before. I became depressed. The thing was so sudden and so unex 
 pected ; and I could attribute it to no imprudence of mine. But I am 
 on the mend again. To-day I am nearly myself again, only a little 
 weaker than before. My lung has greatly improved ; the upper part is 
 performing finely ; the lower is still dull, though much better than when 
 I left home. The Cherokee water has been of great service to my sto 
 mach and kidneys. The Glenn Spring water I could not stand at all. 
 I am satisfied that it did me serious injury. 
 
 "I wish you would have a pro re nata meeting of our Presbytery 
 called, to appoint delegates to attend a convention at Greensborough r 
 on the lath of August. You may put my name to the circular request 
 ing the Moderator to call the meeting. It is very important to take 
 initiative steps, while the Presbyteries are all harmonious, and before 
 different schemes have got in agitation. If the Presbytery should appoint 
 me as a delegate, I shall endeavour to attend. I can work in private, 
 though I cannot make public speeches. Do have the matter attended 
 to ; let no time be lost. 
 
 " On the 16th instant, I leave Spartanburg for Wilson s Springs. I 
 
494: LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THOENWELL. 
 
 * 
 
 shall remain there about ten days, if the waters suit me ; then go tc 
 the mountains, holding myself in readiness to attend the convention, 
 when I see that it has been called. The climate here is very grateful. 
 I am delightfully situated, and enjoy every comfort and luxury. All 
 right outside; but inwardly, I am sorry to say, that I cannot make so 
 
 fair a report. Give my love to - - and , and all the long-faced 
 
 tribe. I love them rul. My wife is the only Presbyterian I have seen 
 for so long a time, that I have almost forgotten how that sour race looks. 
 But I hope soon to see you all again ; and to see you in the full enjoy 
 ment of the comforts and consolations of the gospel. 
 "As ever, 
 
 J. H. THORNWELL." 
 
 At this point comes in properly the draft of a letter, 
 without date, to the Rev. Dr. Abner A. Porter, then 
 editor of the Southern Presbyterian, at Columbia. It 
 indicates the policy he thought the Southern churches 
 and Presbyteries should pursue, after the passage of the 
 " Spring Resolutions," in the Assembly of 1861, at Phila 
 delphia. In the main, these measures were carried out 
 in reintegrating into the General Assembly of the Pres 
 byterian Church in the Confederate States, which was 
 afterwards done at Augusta, Georgia: 
 
 " DEAR POUTER : I am glad to see that a call has been made for a Con 
 vention of the churches in the Confederate States, to determine their 
 future relations. The Presbyterie^ should lose no time in calling pro 
 re nata meetings, and electing their delegates. The number of dele 
 gates which each Presbytery should send otight to be the same as the 
 number of commissioners to which it is entitled in the General Assem 
 bly. The Convention should, first of all, settle the question of separa 
 tion from the churches in the United States. And, in the next place, if 
 it determines to separate, it should prepare a constitution, to be sub 
 mitted to the autumn Presbyteries ; and, until the constitution is finally 
 adopted, make arrangements for a Provisional Government. I would 
 have preferred that the Convention had been called to meet in Greens- 
 borough, North Carolina. Kichmond, in July, will be very crowded, 
 and it will be hard for the members to find accommodations. I think 
 even yet the call should be changed from Eichmond to Greensborough, 
 or Ealeigh. I prefer Greensborough, because it is situated in a most 
 beautiful, healthful, and delightful region of country. Then, again, it 
 is more conveniently accessible than Eichmond. It is nearer to the 
 Southwestern brethren; and a few days spent in breathing its atmos 
 phere and drinking its water, will prepare the delegates from the 
 
HIS COURSE IN THE WAR. 495 
 
 swampy region of the Gulf for hard service, when they return to their 
 gnats and inusquitoes. 
 
 " There should be no time lost in the permanent organization of the 
 Confederate Church. She should be getting ready for embarking fully 
 in the work of her Master. She should have, as speedily as possible, 
 her Committees of Missons, Foreign and Domestic, of Education, and, 
 if need be, of Publication and Church Extension. A great work is be 
 fore her. Let her gird up her loins, and set resolutely about it. I hope, 
 therefore, that every Presbytery in the Confederate States will send 
 delegates to a convention, to be held at Greensborough, IT. C., entrusted 
 with full power to determine the future posture of the Church, subject 
 to the review of the Presbyteries in the autumn." 
 
 He writes, a little later, to one of his younger sons, 
 revealing his parental anxiety for their usefulness in this 
 world, and their salvation in the next. 
 
 " SPARTANBURG, July 23, 18G1. 
 
 "MY DEAR BOY: Your affectionate letter was duly received, and I 
 am glad to see that you are so mindful of your father in his absence. 
 Your father thinks and prays a great deal about you. He wants to see 
 you a useful man in the world, if the Lord should spare your life. He 
 would delight, above all things, to see you a faithful and able preacher of 
 the gospel. Your first concern, my dear child, should be to be a Chris 
 tian ; and then your next, to enquire how you can most glorify God, 
 You can never be useful without study and prayer. Master your books. 
 Give your mind to your lessons, and always determine that you will get 
 them ; that you will not be outdone. Now is the time to lay the founda 
 tion, and you must not fool it away with indolence. I hope you will 
 know your Latin grammar well, and be able to read when I see you. I 
 want you to be a good scholar, and I do hope that you win begin to love 
 .your books. But enough on this point. 
 
 "We are still in Spartanburg. The weather has been too bad for 
 us to leave. -There have been rains every day. We shall leave the first 
 good day, perhaps to-morrow. We shall spend a while in Shelby, and 
 then meet you all in Lincoln, at Mr. Anderson s. Charles must keep 
 my horses in splendid order, and things in fine trim on the lot when you 
 leave. He must try himself to see how well he can manage. My health 
 is something better. I would improve faster if the weather would allow 
 me to get out, bnt the rains confine me to the house. Dr. Shipp s 
 family is excessively kind. I do not know how I can ever repay them. 
 His children are all fond of their books. He has no trouble in getting 
 them to study. I have no news. I hope Gillespie was preserved in the 
 battle on Sunday.* We must all pray for him, and for our country. The 
 Lord alone can keep us in safety. 
 
 Very affectionately, your father, J. H. THORNWELL." 
 
 * The first battle of Manassas. 
 
496 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORN WELL. 
 
 The seriousness of these letters will be relieved by the 
 following playful effusion, so characteristic of him in his 
 bantering moods. It was in reply to a very serious 
 appeal against his favourite habit. 
 
 . 
 
 "THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY, September 24, 18G1. 
 
 " DEARLY BELOVED SISTER ADGER : My sympathies have been greatly 
 moved by the piteous accounts I have received of your keen and mani 
 fold sufferings, in that most important of all organs to a woman, the 
 human face divine. I know how to feel for the sufferer, especially for 
 such a sufferer as the wife of a friend who has no rival in my heart. My 
 own experience has led me to recognize the fact, that one effect of our 
 afflictions is to disarm us of capricious and idle prejudices, and to re 
 concile us to what we once abhorred. In my own case, this principle 
 has been most signally illustrated. At one time in my life, sheep, black 
 berries, and tea were my utter abominations ; and I marvelled how any 
 human being could reconcile himself to the use of such monstrous arti 
 cles of diet. But I was brought low. I had either to starve, or to feed 
 on sheep with the voracity of an ancient patriarch or Jew ; and I finally 
 came to believe that even a Christian man might make dainties of the 
 fruit of briers, the offspring of the fold, and the leaf from China. My 
 prejudices are all gone ; and I sit down to these abominations with as 
 much composure as I would encounter ham, plum pudding, or roast beef. 
 After giving up my prejudices, I began to mend. 
 
 " Now, it has occurred to me, that there is a proud place in your heart, 
 which requires to be humbled. You have some unaccountable preju 
 dices, from which it behooves you to be delivered ; and my interest in 
 jour carnal comfort prompts me to deal very freely with you on this 
 most delicate subject. I have no doubt that if you would open your 
 mind to liberal views of that most delectable of all weeds, the tobacco 
 plant, your sufferings might be greatly relieved, and greatly modified. 
 Just reflect upon it as a balm which nature has kindly provided for 
 aching teeth or agonized jaws. Let me advise you, as you prize your 
 comfort, to provide yourself with a clean pipe and a short stem, and set 
 to work upon the goodly process of inhaling the exquisite fragrance. 
 There is no sight more truly venerable than that of a mother in Israel, 
 in the chimney corner, with her children about her. refreshing their 
 senses with gales of incense as sweet and cheering as the tones which 
 proceed from her mouth. It is the very picture of dignified repose. The 
 very idea of neuralgia to such a matron would be a contradiction in 
 terms. Only try it. I never have tooth-ache, jaw-ache, or any other 
 face ache. The reason, perhaps, is that I have had no absurd prejudices 
 against kind nature s sweet restorer, a gemiine article of tobacco. How 
 delightful it would be, if you could overcome your antipathies, to visit 
 sister Adger, of a moonlight night, at her hospitable mansion, and join 
 with her in the calm, quiet, dignified composure which the blended 
 
HIS COURSE IN THE WAR. 4:9 T 
 
 f nines of the pipe and cigar would so freely and completely signalize ! 
 My dear, suffering sister, smoke, smoke, and again I say, smoke. It will 
 do you good. Once begin, and you will need no arguments to persevere. 
 The odour of a good conversation and the odour of tobacco sweetly har 
 monize, and form an exquisite incense. But enough. We all want to 
 see you very much. I think your Inisband needs looking after ; and the 
 worse feature in his case is, that he does not want you to come home. 
 Lizzie, I suspect, is doing pretty much what the boy shot at. The truth 
 is, your presence, provided your face is smooth, would work marvels. 
 But my paper is out. Be sure to smoke, and let us hear no more of neu 
 ralgia. As ever, 
 
 J. H. THOKNWELL." 
 
 Dr. Thornwell returned in the fall to his duties in the 
 Seminary, but his health was so shattered that he was called 
 to sever his connection with the church in Columbia, the 
 sole pastorship of which being devolved upon his young 
 and estimable colleague, the Rev , Mr. Mullally. One letter 
 more will close this chapter. It is addressed to General 
 James Gillespie, near Cheraw, and gives a connected view 
 of his sickness ; enabling us to see, what neither he nor 
 his friends apprehended fully at the time, that his disease 
 had fixed itself in his constitution, and must soon finish 
 its work: 
 
 "THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY, November 19, 1861. 
 
 " Mr DEAR GENERAL : I received your message from Mr. Pelham, and 
 lose no time in complying with your request. You have probably been 
 apprised of my general condition during the past ten months. On the 
 15th of January I took my bed, from which I hardly arose until about 
 the 1st of April. My system was utterly broken down ; and broken down, 
 as the doctor said, in consequence of excessive work. About the 1st of 
 April I began to amend ; and had the folly to go down to Charleston, 
 where I took an affection of the bowels, that kept me prostrate during 
 the whole summer. I had no energy for anything, except to pray for 
 my country and the Church. I went to Wilson s Springs in August, and 
 there I began to recover strength a second time. I spent the remainder 
 of the summer in Lincoln county, North Carolina, at the residence of 
 my son-in-law, and, by the blessing of God, still continued to improve. 
 At the opening of the Seminary, about the middle of September, I re 
 turned home, and have been able to discharge all my duties as a Pro 
 fessor. But I felt it my duty to give up the church. I am now free 
 from the cares and labours of a pastor. I am still improving, but my 
 right lung is still feeble, and my bowels in a great measure toneless. 
 In other respects I am myself again. During the summer I spent a 
 
498 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THOKNWELL. 
 
 month with Mary Jane and Dr. Shipp, and a pleasanter month I have 
 never spent anywhere. They are both noble people. Mary Jane is a 
 true Gillespie, and Shipp is exactly the man that she ought to have mar 
 ried. Their family is a model household. I love every one of them, 
 from the youngest to the oldest, as I love my own children. I was really 
 delighted to find that Mary Jane had married so well. 
 
 One thing that has helped to break me down, is the profound interest 
 which I have taken in public affairs. My heart has been distressed for 
 my country. While abroad, I saw that secession was inevitable ; and 
 when I returned, I did everything in my power to promote it. I gave 
 np the Union with great pain, but I saw no alternative. Black Repub 
 licanism had rendered it impossible to remain in it with honour. I 
 always thought that war would be the consequence ; but I preferred war 
 to ignominious submission. The war has come, but I am not dis 
 heartened. Under God, I believe that the final result is certain. The 
 hopes of liberty on this continent are centred in our success. We may 
 have to suffer much, and to suffer long ; but liberty is worth it all. You 
 have heard of the disaster at Port Royal. I suppose it could not be pre 
 vented. But the enemy, after all, has gained but little. Mr. Barnwell s 
 family is now at my house, all except himself. They fled from the in 
 vasion. Columbia is full of refugees from Beaufort and from Charleston. 
 I do not think, however, that the enemy can take Charleston, and I doubt 
 whether they will try it. As ever, 
 
 J. H. THOKNWELL." 
 
 "P. S. Gillespie has been in this war from the very commencement, 
 and is a true patriot. You have no reason to be ashamed of him ; he has 
 genuine pluck. There is no bacon in this part of the country ; we have 
 to live on sheep and cows. How fares the matter with you ? We have 
 been supplementing our small stock of coffee with rye, but we shall soon 
 have to come down to sassafras." 
 
CHAPTER XXXIY. 
 
 ORGANIZATION OFTHE SOUTHERN ASSEMBLY. 
 
 COMMISSIONERS YlSIT WASHINGTON ClTT IN THE INTEBEST OF PEACE. 
 DUPLICITY TOWARDS THESE. ATTEMPTED REINFORCEMENT OF FORT 
 SUMPTER. ITS BOMBARDMENT. THE NORTH INFLAMED. WAR EN 
 SUES. MEETING OF GENERAL ASSEMBLY AT PHILADELPHIA, IN 18G1. 
 THE " SPRING RESOLUTIONS." THEIR POLITICAL CHARACTER. ACTION 
 OF THE SOUTHERN PRESBYTERIES. CONVENTION OF THESE HELD. 
 ORGANIZATION OF SOUTHERN GENERAL ASSEMBLY. CHARACTER OF 
 THE BODY. ITS ADDRESS TO THE CHURCHES THROUGHOUT THE EARTH. 
 SCENE AT ITS SUBSCRIPTION. ALSO AT THE ADOPTION OF A CHARTER. 
 ITS LEADING FEATURE. EQUIPMENT OF THE CHURCH FOR HER WORK. 
 OVERTURE TO CONGRESS UPON THE RECOGNITION OF CHRISTIANITY, 
 PRESENTED AND WITHDRAWN. DEBATE ON SENDING A LETTER TO THE 
 NORTHERN ASSEMBLY. DRAFT OF SUCH A LETTER PREPARED, BUT NOT 
 PRESENTED. ACTION OF A CONVENTION IN SOUTH CAROLINA, DURING 
 THE SESSIONS OF THIER SYNODS. ITS CIVIL CHARACTER. EVIDENCE OF 
 CARE BY THE SOUTHERN CHURCH TO ABSTAIN FROM POLITICS. PROOF 
 OF THIS IN THE PUBLIC PRAYERS OF THE PERIOD. EXAMPLE OF THIS 
 IN A PRAYER OF DR. THORNWELL, IN THE SOUTH CAROLINA LEGISLA 
 TURE. 
 
 A LLUSION has been made to a rupture in tlie Church 
 J\_ as well as in the State, some account of which falls of 
 necessity within the scope of this narrative. Immediately 
 after his inauguration as President of the Confederate 
 States, and in pursuance of a resolution of the Confederate 
 Congress, Mr. Davis sent three commissioners to Washing 
 ton, for the purpose of negotiating friendly relations be 
 tween the two governments. As soon as possible after the 
 organization of Mr. Lincoln s cabinet, these commissioners 
 addressed a communication to the newly appointed Secre 
 tary of State, mentioning the object of their diplomatic mis 
 sion, and assuring him that the President, Congress, and 
 people whom they represented, earnestly desired a peace 
 ful solution of these great questions. An informal an- 
 
 499 
 
500 LIFE OF JAMES HEJSTLEY THOKNWELL. 
 
 swer was returned, to the effect that Mr. Seward s " strong 
 disposition was in favour of peace, but that he wished to 
 avoid making a reply to the commissioners at that time" 
 An intimation was further given that Fort Sumter would 
 be evacuated within ten days. At as late a date as the 7th 
 of April, Mr. Seward made reply to a note of inquiry, 
 " Faith as to Sumter fully kept ; wait and see." When 
 these words were penned, the relief squadron had already 
 left New York, and w r as approaching .the harbour of 
 Charleston, to "provision and reinforce Fort Sumter, 
 peacefully, if permitted otherwise, by force." The Con 
 federate Commissioners, after being held at bay for the 
 space of three and twenty days, and amused with the pros 
 pect of peace, found themselves deceived and betrayed ; 
 and, on the 9th of April, addressed a note to the Federal 
 authorities, to the effect that this act of aggression could 
 not be construed except " as a declaration of war against 
 the Confederate States." In the language of Mr. Stephens, 
 whom we continue to quote, " It was more than a mere 
 declaration of war ; it was an act of war itself." It was 
 under these circumstances of urgent necessity that the 
 bombardment of Fort Sumter was begun, on the 12th of 
 April. It is not our business to explain the duplicity of 
 this proceeding. But whether it was a fraud from the 
 beginning, or whether the policy of the Federal adminis 
 tration was suddenly changed, under the influence of the 
 seven Northern governors who rushed to Washington at 
 the pinch of the crisis, history will be obliged to hold as 
 the aggressor, the party which made the first movement 
 to battle, and not those who first struck the defensive 
 blow. The fall of Sumter was used with consummate 
 skill, to arouse the passion of the Northern masses, and to 
 inflame their resentment against the insult represented 
 as being given to the national flag. The whole country 
 was in a blaze, and the four years dismal and bloody 
 strife was begun. 
 
 It was during the outburst of this storm that the Gen- 
 
ORGANIZATION OF THE SOUTHERN ASSEMBLY. 501 
 
 -eral Assembly of the Presbyterian Church met, in the 
 month of May, in the city of Philadelphia. The ecclesi 
 astical bonds between North and South were not yet 
 broken. A partial representation from the Southern 
 Presbyteries sat in this council, as in former years ; deter 
 mined that, in the severing of churchly ties, the aggression 
 .should come from the same quarter which had wrought 
 the rupture in the State. Perhaps many indulged the 
 vain hope of the writer, that the splendid opportunity 
 would be embraced of demonstrating the purely spiritual 
 .character of the Church, as the " kingdom which is not of 
 this world." It would have been a superb triumph of 
 Christianity, if the Church could have stretched her arms 
 .across the chasm of a great war, preserving the integrity 
 -of her ranks unbroken. The golden vision was not to be 
 realized. In defiance of the express statute in our code, 
 which inhibits " Synods and councils from handling or 
 concluding anything but that which is ecclesiastical, and 
 from intermeddling with civil affairs, which concern the 
 Commonwealth," the famous " Spring Resolutions" so 
 named from their venerable author, the Rev. Dr. Gardiner 
 Spring, of New York were adopted, by a vote of one 
 hundred and fifty-four to sixty-six. It reads thus : 
 
 " Resolved, That this General Assembly, in the spirit of that Chris 
 tian patriotism which the Scriptures enjoin, and which has always char 
 acterized this Church, do hereby acknowledge and declare our obligation 
 to promote and perpetuate, so far as in us lies, the integrity of these 
 United States, and to strengthen, uphold, and encourage the Federal 
 government in the exercise of all its functions, under our noble Consti 
 tution ; and to this Constitution, in all its provisions, requirements, and 
 principles, we profess our unabated loyalty. And to avoid all miscon 
 ception, the Assembly declares that, by the term Federal government, 
 as here used, is not meant any particular administration, or the peculiar 
 opinions of any particular party, but that central administration which, 
 being at any time appointed and inaugurated according to the forms 
 prescribed in the Constitution of the United States, is the visible repre 
 sentative of our national existence. " 
 
 This paper, from its very terms, was simply a writ of 
 ejectment of all that portion of the Church within the 
 
502 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THOKNWELL. 
 
 bounds of eleven States, which had already withdrawn 
 from the Federal Union, and established a government of 
 their own. A pledge was made on their behalf by the 
 Assembly, which it was not possible for them to redeem ; 
 so that, in the language of Dr. Hodge s own protest,, 
 they were driven "to choose between allegiance to their 
 State and allegiance to the Church." This was not all. 
 The utterance was exclusively and intensely political. 
 It touched, as with the point of a needle, the precise issue 
 upon which the war turned. The problem, -in relation to 
 which the most eminent statesmen, JSTorth and South, had 
 been divided for seventy-five years, was to determine 
 where sovereignty the jus summi imperil resided;, 
 whether in the people, as they are merged into the mass, 
 one undivided whole ; or in the people, as they were origi 
 nally formed into colonies, and afterwards into States, 
 combining together for purposes set forth in declarative 
 instruments of union. This question, lying wholly within 
 the domain of politics, the General Assembly assumed 
 the right to determine; so that, even if not ejected by 
 what was equivalent to an act of expulsion, the Southern 
 Presbyteries were compelled to separate themselves, in 
 order to preserve the crown rights of the Redeemer, and 
 the spiritual independence of His kingdom, the Church. 
 During the summer and autumn of 1861, forty-seven 
 Presbyteries, each for itself, dissolved their connection 
 with the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church 
 in the United States of America; the ten Synods, to 
 which they belonged, sealing the decison by a corres 
 ponding vote of their own. This separation was based, 
 in every case, upon the unconstitutional character of the 
 Assembly s legislation. We give the language employed 
 by a single Presbytery, as showing the common ground 
 upon which they all stood : " Resolved^ That in view of 
 the unconstitutional, Erastian, tyrannical, and virtually 
 exscinding act, of the late General Assembly, sitting at 
 Philadelphia, in May last, we do hereby, with a solemn 
 
ORGANIZATION OF THE SOUTHERN ASSEMBLY. 503 
 
 protest against this act, declare, in the fear of God, our 
 connection with the General Assembly of the Presbyte 
 rian Church in the United States to be dissolved." It 
 was to secure unanimity in this important measure, as well 
 as to prevent the evils which might arise from a temporary 
 disorganization, that Dr. Thornwell and others thought a 
 convention of the Presbyteries to be so important. In 
 reality, there was little danger of confusion, except from 
 diversity of opinion as to the time, and place, and mode 
 of coming together. The Presbyteries were of one mind 
 as to the necessity of separating from the Northern branch 
 of the Church, and not less so as to the importance of com 
 bining again in an Assembly of their own. During the 
 interval, the Presbyteries and Synods were completely 
 organized under a common constitution and polity; and 
 the only feature of the system that was lacking, was the 
 highest court, which should give expression to their visible 
 unity and fellowship. The proposed convention was held 
 in the month of August, at Atlanta, Georgia; and was 
 useful in directing various matters of detail, which were 
 indispensable to concert of action. 
 
 As the result of these deliberations, the General As 
 sembly of the Presbyterian Church in the Confederate 
 States was organized on the 4th of December, 1861, in 
 the city of Augusta, Georgia ; and its first act, after fixing 
 upon its name and title, was the formal and explicit adop 
 tion of the Westminster Standards as its constitution : 
 " Resolved, That this Assembly declare, in conformity 
 with the unanimous decision of our Presbyteries, that the 
 Confession of Faith, the Larger and Shorter Catechisms, 
 the Form of Government, the Book of Discipline, and 
 the Directory of Worship, which together make up the 
 constitution of the Presbyterian Church in the United 
 States of America, .are the Constitution of the Presbyte 
 rian Church in the Confederate States of America, only 
 substituting the term " Confederate States" for " United 
 States." It was a body not large in size a little less 
 
504 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THOKNWELL. 
 
 than one hundred members but august in character. It 
 was composed of men who fitly represented the ability ,- 
 the learning, and the piety of the whole Church, not only 
 as to the ministers, but the reding elders, who contribute*} 
 so largely to shape the conclusions which were reached.- 
 Dr. Thornwell was, of course, one of its guiding spirits ; 
 and the papers which gave the largest character to tins- 
 Assembly emanated from his pen, and were marked with 
 the ability of his very best productions. We may be al 
 lowed to instance " The Address to all the Churches of 
 Jesus Christ throughout the Earth," containing the clearest 
 statement of the principles which had brought about the- 
 separation from the Northern Church ; involving, as this- 
 did, a beautiful exposition of the nature and functions of 
 the Church of God. It will stand as one of those docu 
 ments to which the Church will ever appeal, as a testi 
 mony for the truth, in times of darkness and trial, when 
 the witnesses for it were thought worthy only of being, 
 slain. It was not only expressed with that precision of 
 thought and of language which was characteristic of the 
 illustrious author, but it was pervadad with a sacramental 
 fervour, which stamped upon it the impression of a sacred 
 and binding covenant. The scene which was enacted at 
 the moment of its subscription will be forgotten by none 1 
 who witnessed it. Read, and read again, amid the solemn, 
 stillness of an audience whose emotions are hushed with 
 awe, it was finally adopted and laid upon the Moderator s 
 table ; when, one by one, the members came silently for 
 ward and signed the instrument with their names. We 
 
 O 
 
 were carried back to those stirring times in Scottish story,. 
 when the Solemn League and Covenant was spread upon 
 the grave stone in the Grey Friar s church-yard, and 
 Christian heroes pricked their veins, that with the red 
 blood they might sign their allegiance to the kingdom 
 and crown of Jesus Christ, their Lord and Head. 
 
 There were other scenes in that venerable court of only 
 less interest than the foregoing. On the seventh day of 
 
ORGANIZATION OF THE SOUTHERN ASSEMBLY. 505 
 
 the session, the Committee on a Charter made their report, 
 submitting the draft of a bill to incorporate the Trustees 
 of the General Assembly. The peculiar feature of this 
 instrument was, that it made " all the committees, agencies, 
 or boards, which the Assembly might establish for carry 
 ing on the general work of the Church, branches of this 
 incorporation ;" " any gift, conveyance, or transfer of 
 estate in any wise, any devise or bequest made to the 
 Trustees for either of these agencies, to be transferred to 
 them in as full and as perfect a manner as if they had been 
 especially incorporated to take and to hold the same." 
 The object of this measure was to secure the complete 
 subordination of all these agencies to the Assembly itself, 
 so that they should never have the power to assert an in 
 dependent authority, and " being kept together in one 
 family, and under one family name, to exhibit the appear 
 ance of uniformity, sympathy, harmony, and a delightful 
 Christian brotherhood." The Assembly listened to the 
 reading of the report with undivided attention, when the 
 accomplished chairman, Judge Shepherd, was subjected 
 to a sharp and critical interrogation from all parts of ihe 
 house, which he sustained with admirable dignity, compo 
 sure and courtesy. It was terminated at length by an 
 observation of Chancellor Johnston, of South Carolina : 
 " I think the Judge has passed a good examination, and 
 I hope he will be allowed to retire." To this, Dr. Thorn- 
 well added, with a glow of animation suffusing his pallid 
 face, " To me this is a most delightful paper ; 4 I can find 
 nothing in it to be objected to, and I move, therefore, 
 that it be received, so that the lawyers may have a chance 
 at it." Altogether, it was a scene of dramatic interest, 
 the exact parallel with which we never before had wit 
 nessed in any Church court. 
 
 The great business of the body, however, was to equip 
 the Church for the great work to which she is ordained 
 by her Divine Head. Executive agencies were appointed 
 to superintend both Foreign and Domestic Missionary 
 
506 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THOKNWELL. 
 
 operations, as well as those of Education and Publication, 
 with definite principles and rules laid down for their guid 
 ance. The cumbrous and useless machinery of Boards, 
 interposed as a screen between the Assembly and its dif 
 ferent agencies, was discarded without a dissenting voice. 
 Simple committees were substituted in their place, com 
 posed of members residing in one locality, with merely 
 executive functions, and immediately responsible to the 
 Assembly, by whom they are annually appointed. The 
 cordial unanimity with which all this was done, showed a 
 remarkable advance in the recognition of a sound and 
 pure Presbyterianism. Every one breathed freely, in a 
 free Church, which could at length work out its own great 
 principles, without the incubus of foreign influences and 
 institutions. The time-honoured standards of the Pres 
 byterian Church had been explicitly adopted, without any 
 equivocation or reservation as to their interpretation ; the 
 watchmen in Zion seeing eye to eye, and all being of one 
 mind, to rise and build up her broken walls. It was a 
 sublime spectacle of faith : this Church, hedged in by a 
 cordon of armies, looking out upon the whole world as its 
 field, and quietly preparing herself for labours in the fu 
 ture y while stone was laid upon stone in the solid masonry 
 of her organization, without the sound of hammer or chisel 
 being heard in all her courts. It was when " the King 
 of Babylon s army beseiged Jerusalem, and Jeremiah, 
 the prophet, was shut up in the court of the prison which 
 was in the king of Judah s house," that the word of the 
 Lord came unto him, saying, " buy the field that is in 
 Anathoth, for the right of redemption is thine to buy it." 
 God s way, in calling His people to the exercise of faith, 
 has been in all ages to load that faith down with all that 
 it can bear; and here stood a Church doing a work in 
 gloom and darkness, which was simply prophetic of the 
 future, and a pledge of faithfulness to the principles which 
 she had received grace to see and to glorify. 
 
 Two measures were proposed in this Assembly which 
 
ORGANIZATION OF THE SOUTHERN ASSEMBLY. 507 
 
 did not pass. Oiie of these was brought up in the form 
 of an overture, and thus an incidental mention of it is 
 made upon the Minutes. The other came up in the form 
 of simple resolution, and was withdrawn, and finds no 
 record. They are both of interest, as illustrating the 
 spirit and temper of the body, and form a part of its un 
 written history. They are introduced here from their 
 connection with the subject of these Memoirs, and. reflect 
 his views and his feelings. The first was a memorial 
 which, it was overtured, should be sent to the Confederate 
 Congress, for the incorporation of an article in the con 
 stitution distinctly -recognizing the Christian religion. 
 This proposition originated with Dr. Thorriwell ; but the 
 overture not being reached on the calendar until the 
 eighth day of the session, and being vigorously opposed 
 by some who doubted the wisdom and propriety of the 
 measure, it was withdrawn by the author, on the ground 
 that there was not time for its discussion. He further felt 
 that it should not be pressed, unless it could be adopted, 
 with cordiality and unanimity. The fact of its presenta 
 tion, however, discloses his view upon a public question 
 of no little importance, and merits a record in a detailed 
 account of his own life. 
 
 The other question related to the sending of a letter to 
 the Northern Assembly, announcing the organization of a 
 co-ordinate body with itself, and setting forth the reasons 
 for this action. Dr. Thorriwell was not the mover of the 
 resolution, but he favoured its passage. The dicussion 
 developed some feeling, which disinclined many against 
 any act of courtesy towards a body whose course had 
 been so unjust, and who were probably in no temper 
 to appreciate it. As an evidence of Dr. Thornwell s 
 mellowness of spirit, and the entire absence of anything 
 approaching to bitterness, we quote his language- in this 
 debate : " Mr. Moderator, let us grant that the brethren 
 of the Old Assembly have injured us, I can say honestly 
 and conscientiously before God, that I forgive them for 
 
508 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORNWELL. 
 
 everything they have ever done to me or my Church. I 
 have no resentment against them ; and my only regret is 
 that they have allowed themselves to commit this act of 
 infatuation ; and I do earnestly want to be able to have 
 it said of this Church, that it was not influenced by pas 
 sion or resentment ; that they have not left in a pet, or 
 through revenge ; but that we have come calmly and dis 
 passionately, in a spirit of peace and charity, to our 
 present position. I do not desire that we should go be 
 fore that Assembly to make representations of innocence,, 
 but to stand up before them as their equals, and, at the 
 same time, as fellow Christians. They have erred, but 
 they are men ^humanum est err are and does it be 
 come us to scorn one another ? But it is a matter of self- 
 respect to this body, that the world may know that it ha& 
 not been influenced by low passions or undue anger." 
 
 The strength of the opposition induced the mover to 
 withdraw his resolution, so that the sense of the Assem 
 bly was never taken. But if the reader is curious to know 
 what would have been the tone of such a communication 
 as Dr. Thornwell would have sanctioned, he will be grati 
 fied in perusing the following draft of a paper, which he 
 had evidently prepared with a view to some such action 
 being taken as would authorize its use. It is styled, 
 
 "Farewell Letter to the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in. 
 the United States. 
 
 The General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the Confede 
 rate States of America, to the Geneneral Assembly of the Presbyterian- 
 Church in the United States of America, greeting : 
 
 "Be it known to you, brethren, that the Presbyteries and Synods in 
 these Confederate States, which were formerly in connection with you, 
 have withdrawn from your jurisdiction, and organized a General As 
 sembly for themselves. They are now a separate and independent 
 Church. We think it due to you in comity, that we should set forth a 
 brief statement of the reasons which have impelled us to take this step, 
 in order that you may see that we have not been influenced by the spirit 
 of auger, resentment, or schism. We have no grudge to gratify ; and 
 whatever wrong may have been done us in your recent legislation, we. 
 freely and cheerfully forgive.. 
 
ORGANIZATION OF THE SOUTHERN ASSEMBLY. 509 
 
 "We have -withdrawn, first, because we are persuaded that, if we re 
 main together, our harmony is likely to be disturbed by the introduction 
 of our political differences into our Church courts. We have taken 
 warning from the example of your late meeting at Philadelphia. Your 
 proceedings there have been sanctioned by the general sentiment of 
 your Presbyteries, and leave us no alternative but a choice betwixt use 
 less strife, or a quiet and peaceable separation. 
 
 "In the next place, we are convinced that, as a general rule, Church 
 organizations should be bounded by national lines. A division of this- 
 sort is P division for convenience and efficiency. It argues no breach 
 of charity, and therefore implies no schism. In the circumstances of the 
 Confederate and United States, it seems to be peculiarly desirable that 
 the Churches should be as independent as the Government. 
 
 "To this may be added, in the third place, that the efficiency of the 
 Southern Church, in its efforts to evangelize the slave population, would 
 be greatly impeded,, in the present condition of affairs, by a Northern 
 alliance. We deem it unnecessary to expand these reasons. They have 
 appeared to us decisive of our duty; and in the fear of God, for the 
 glory of Kis name, and for the honour and prosperity of His Church, 
 we have, with perfect unanimity, dissolved our old ties, and assumed a 
 position of equality with yourselves. Your faith and order are ours. 
 Your noble testimony for the truth, in by-gone days, is still ours. All 
 that is precious in the past is still ours. And we sincerely pray that the 
 two Churches may hereafter have no other rivalry but that of love to 
 the Master, and of holy zeal in His cause. We bid you farewell." 
 
 It must be distinctly remembered that this is strictly a 
 private paper, though moulded into the form of a public 
 document. It was never presented to the consideration 
 of the Assembly ; and is engrossed in this volume only 
 as an illustration of the charity and Christian spirit of a 
 man whose memory is precious. 
 
 Somewhat earlier than the events recorded, during the 
 month of November, 1861, the Synod of South Carolina 
 held its annual session, in the town of Abbeville. Ad 
 vantage was taken of the presence of gentlemen from 
 different parts of the State to make a declaration upon 
 public affairs. Dr. Thornwell offered the following reso 
 lutions, which were adopted unanimously by the meeting: 
 
 " Reaolved, 1. By the ministers and elders composing this Synod, not 
 in their ecclesiastical capacity as a court of Jesus Christ, but in their 
 private capacity, as a convention of Christian gentlemen, that our alle- 
 
510 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORNWELL. 
 
 glance is due, through the sovereign State to which we belong, and 
 shall be rendered, to the Government of the Confederate States, as long 
 as South Carolina remains in the number. 
 
 "Resolved, 2. That the war which the United States are now waging 
 against us, is unjust, cruel, and tyrannical, and in contravention of every 
 principle of freedom, which their fathers and ours bled to establish. 
 
 "Resolved, 3. That we are firmly persuaded, that the only hope of 
 constitutional liberty, on this continent, is in the success of the Con 
 federate cause ; and that we pledge ourselves, and we think we can safely 
 say, the Presbyterian people of these States, to uphold and support the 
 Government, in every lawful measure, to maintain our rights and our 
 honour. 
 
 "Resolved, 4. That we heartily approve of the appointment, by our 
 President, of next Friday, as a day of fasting, humiliation and prayer." 
 
 By a singular clerical error, in the shifting of hands 
 through which the minute was passed, these resolutions 
 were engrossed upon the Records of the Synod. Excep 
 tion was entered against the entry by the Assembly of 
 1862, in their review of the Records; and immediately 
 under the exception, by leave of the court, an explanatory 
 note was appended, showing how this mistake occurred. 
 The incident is of no great importance, except as proving 
 the care with which the Southern Church kept herself 
 clear of all political complications. In the first place, 
 these gentlemen, though brought together as members 
 of the Synod, are careful to say that they organize, not 
 as a Church court, but as private citizens, in a voluntary 
 convention. Their action was not ecclesiastical, but 
 purely civil in its character. In the second place, when., 
 by accident, their proceedings were entered upon the 
 Records of a Church judicatory, it w r as disallowed, and 
 censured by the superior court, and the error was both 
 acknowledged and explained. The memoirs of these 
 times are destined, by and by, to a sifting examination; 
 every action will be subjected to rigorous cross-examina 
 tion, and the facts will be all the clearer by the light of 
 contrast in which they will be made to stand. 
 
 In further illustration of the caution with which, during 
 these troubled times, politics were excluded from religious 
 
ORGANIZATION OF THE SOUTHERN ASSEMBLY. 511 
 
 services, we append a prayer offered by Dr. Thornwell at 
 the opening of the South Carolina Legislature. To those 
 who are sometimes called to officiate in this delicate service, 
 it may be acceptable as a model, showing a proper reserve 
 in alluding to the public exigencies, and maintaining the 
 attitude and spirit of real prayer, when the temptation is 
 so strong to obtrude our advice upon the Almighty, as to 
 the administration of His providence. The fact that it 
 is found amongst his manuscripts proves that it was care 
 fully premeditated. But though, in consequence, more 
 measured in its language than the public prayers usually 
 offered at this period, it is still an exemplification of the 
 restraint which ministers at the South imposed upon 
 themselves in the devotions of the sanctuary : 
 
 "PBAYEB. 
 
 "Almighty and everlasting God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy 
 Ghost, the Creator of the heavens and the earth, we adore Thee as the 
 only living and true God. Thou only art the Lord. Thou rulest over 
 all, doing Thy pleasure among the armies of heaven and the inhabitants 
 of earth ; and none can stay Thy hand, or say unto Thee, what doest 
 Thou. Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and Thy dominion 
 endureth throughout all generations. Thou deservest to reign ; for Thou 
 only art wise, and good, and holy. Thou also art merciful and gracious. 
 Especially do we thank Thee for Thine unspeakable love in the redemp 
 tion of sinners by our Lord Jesus Christ. In His name we present our 
 selves before Thee now, and for His sake we humbly implore Thy favour 
 and blessing. We confess ourselves unworthy to receive the least of 
 Thy mercies ; for we have sinned, and sinned grievously, against Thee. 
 O God, enter not into judgment with us, but grant us true repentance. 
 Give us grace to seek Thee with our whole hearts, and keep us in the 
 way of Thy commandments. 
 
 "We adore Thee as the King of nations. We acknowledge the su 
 preme authority of Thy law ; and we beseech Thee to be our God, and 
 the God of our children, throughout all generations. Especially, O God, 
 do we supplicate the guidance of Thy wisdom in all the deliberations of 
 of this legislative Assembly. Vain is the help of man. We would entrust 
 ourselves, and the interest of our country, into Thy hands ; and we be 
 seech Thee to impart to this Assembly the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, 
 giving to each member a sound understanding, pure motives, and a clear 
 perception of what is right and fit to be done. Save us from error, from 
 pride, from unholy passions. Clothe us with true humility. Teach us 
 Thy will, and give us strength to perform it. 
 
512 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORNWELL. 
 
 "O God, if consistent with Thy will, rebuke the troubled elements; 
 epeak peace to the tumults of the people; restore truth, justice, and 
 brotherly love. Bind the States of this Confederacy together in the ties 
 of righteousness and peace. But whatever may be the issue, grant peace 
 .and prosperity to this Commonwealth, and to all the States which have 
 a common interest with us. Unite them together in harmony and love, 
 and give them a name and an honourable place among the nations of the 
 earth. Oh! grant that we may own Thee as our God, and protect us 
 from the power of every adversary. Into Thy hands we commend our 
 ,cause ; and all we ask is Thy fatherly guidance and blessing." 
 
CHAPTER XXXY. 
 HIS DEATH. 
 
 CONTINUED INTEREST IN THE WAR. WRITES FOR THE SECULAR PRESS. 
 His SON WOUNDED. VISITS RICHMOND. RETURN. VACATION. TRA 
 VEL FOR HEALTH. LETTERS HOME. SON S RETURN TO ACTIVE SERVICE. 
 MEETING IN CHARLOTTE. SKETCH OF SON S CAREER. LAST SICK 
 NESS. His MALADY. LETHARGY. LAST SAYINGS. DEATH. FUNERAL 
 SERVICES. His TOMB. 
 
 DURING the winter of 1861-% Dr. Thornwell, in fre 
 quent communications to the daily press, sought to 
 animate the people to maintain the struggle in which 
 they were embarked. These were far from being inflam 
 matory appeals to their prejudices and passions, but well 
 considered, though energetic, addresses to the reason and 
 to the conscience. He published, also, a tract of twelve 
 pages, which was extensively circulated in the army, and 
 amongst the people at home. It was entitled, "Our 
 Danger and Our Duty." Under the first head, he de 
 picted with fearful distinctness the results of our defeat, 
 both as to the South and the North; under the second, 
 he presented the spirit which should prompt every citizen 
 of the Commonwealth, and without which the victory 
 <x>uld never be won. The reader will find in the Ap 
 pendix, marked No. Ill, this elegant brochure, replete 
 with classical references and allusions, which are intro 
 duced, not simply for their rhetorical effect, but as en 
 forcing the argument, or exhortation, which they elucidate. 
 We cite a paragraph, showing the revolution which would 
 be accomplished in the character of the government, by 
 the triumph of the Federal arms. The reader can judge 
 for himself how far the prediction has been pushed for 
 ward to its fulfilment, in the events that have happened 
 
 513 
 
514: LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THOKNWELL. 
 
 since the close of the war. Its repnblication may prove 
 one of those notes of warning which may yet waken the 
 nation from its fatal apathy : 
 
 "But the consequences of success on our part will be very different 
 from the consequences of success on the part of the North. If they pre 
 vail, the whole character of the Government will be changed, and, instead 
 of a federal republic, the common agent of sovereign and independent 
 States, we shall have a central despotism, with the notion of States for 
 ever abolished, deriving its powers from the will, and shaping its policy 
 according to the wishes, of a numerical majority of the people ; we shall 
 have, in other words, a supreme, irresponsible democracy. The will of 
 the North will stand for law. The Government does not now recognize 
 itself as an ordinance of God; and, when all the checks and balances of 
 the Constitution are gone, we may easily figure to ourselves the career 
 and the destiny of this godless monster of democratic absolutism. The 
 progress of regulated liberty on this continent will be arrested, anarchy 
 will soon succeed, and the end will be a military despotism, which pre 
 serves order by the sacrifice of the last vestige of liberty. We are fnlly 
 persuaded that the triumph of the North in the present conflict will be 
 as disastrous to the hopes of mankind as to our own fortunes. They are 
 now fighting the battle of despotism. They have put their Constitution 
 under their feet ; they have annulled its most sacred provisions ; and, in 
 defiance of its solemn guaranties, they are now engaged, in the halls of 
 Congress, in discussing and maturing bills which make Northern notions 
 of necessity the paramount laws of the land. The avowed end of the 
 present war is, to make the Government a government of force." 
 
 In urging the question of duty, he eloquently dissuades 
 from apathy and insensibility to the magnitude of the 
 issue; from the spirit of avarice and speculation, which 
 would fatten upon the public distress; from the spirit of 
 faction, which is equally selfish, and still more divisive 
 and distracting; from indolence and love of ease; from 
 fastidious notions of etiquette, especially in military cir 
 cles ; from presumptuous self-confidence and pride ; from 
 despondency under reverses of fortune; and concludes 
 with an appeal which rung out upon the land with the 
 sharp tone of the clarion : " We occupy a sublime position. 
 The eyes of the world are upon us ; we are a spectacle to 
 God, to angels, and to men. Can our hearts grow faint, 
 or our hands feeble, in a cause like this ? The spirits of 
 
HIS DEATH. 515 
 
 our fathers call to us from their graves. The heroes of 
 other ages and other countries are beckoning us on to 
 glory. Let us seize the opportunity, and make to our 
 selves an immortal name, while we redeem a land from 
 bondage, and a continent from ruin." 
 
 The sorrows of the war were destined to touch him in 
 his home. This will be best introduced in the letter which 
 follows, addressed to General Gillespie: 
 
 "COLUMBIA, May 8, 18G2. 
 
 " MY DEAR GENERAL : I have just received a telegram from Richmond, 
 that my dear boy was wounded at the battle of Williamsburg, on Monday. 
 I received the dispatch late this afternoon ; his mother and myself set 
 out in the morning to go to him. The wound was a sabre thrust. It is 
 represented as slight, but he is to be removed to Richmond. Of course, 
 I feel very uneasy. He is represented as having acted very bravely. 
 That I knew he would do; he is all pluck. His heart is in the cause;, 
 and he is, I assure you, a noble boy. Though under age, he has enlisted 
 for the war, with rny full consent. I knew you would like to hear about 
 him, and have seized a moment to drop you this hasty line. 
 
 " The times are dark, but the Lord reigns. I feel an abiding confi 
 dence that we shall yet win the day. Our people are beginning at last 
 to wake up ; they are rising in the right spirit all over the land. What 
 we have now to fear is the spirit of faction. That must be rebuked ; 
 we must silence the fault-finders and croakers. The President is merci 
 lessly abused .by some of the papers ; and if we are not ruined, it will 
 not be because these spirits have not tried to destroy our confidence 
 in our leaders. We must stand by Davis through thick and thin. We 
 are all in the same ship ; and I am sure, moreover, that he deserves our 
 confidence. Time will prove that he was the man for the crisis. The 
 Lord be with you all, and bless you ; my heart is full. 
 
 As ever, 
 
 J. H. THORNWELL. 
 
 Upon arriving at Richmond on this melancholy errand, 
 Dr. and Mrs. Thorn well found their son, Gillespie, kindly 
 sheltered in the house of the Rev. Dr. T. V. Moore. His 
 wound was within a hair s breadth of being fatal, but not 
 so severe as to prevent his return, on furlough, with 
 his parents. We find Dr. Thornwell at home, in Co 
 lumbia, on the 26th of May, 1862 ; at which date he thus 
 writes to the Rev. Joseph M. Atkinson, of Raleigh, N. C. : 
 
516 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORN WELL. 
 
 "Mr DEAE BKOTHEE : It will be many a day before I forget the 
 delightful episode which I experienced at your house, in a dreary history. 
 I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed it. My wife and myself con 
 stantly speak of it, and I am afraid that its effect will be, that hereafter 
 I cannot pass Raleigh without remaining for a night to bore the good 
 friends at the parsonage. Walpole described gratitude as the expecta 
 tion of future favours. Have a care lest I seek, in your case, to realize 
 the definition. 
 
 " I was sorry to hear that poor Law. could not be moved. It was 
 a kind Providence that put him in such good hands ; but I cannot 
 help feeling some degree of concern, that I was the occasion of taxing 
 your family with a good deal of care and trouble. I know that you feel 
 it to be anything but irksome to relieve the distressed ; but still, more or 
 less anxiety will be connected with such a charge. 
 
 " My own son continues to improve. He stood the journey remark 
 ably well, better even than I did. For I had to go to bed upon reaching 
 home, and have not been worth a chew of tobacco since my arrival. If 
 I had not felt so good for nothing, I would have written to you before. 
 
 "You see that the gun-boat expedition failed against Richmond. 
 I am now quite confident that the Lord means to defend the city. 
 McClellan has fairly confessed that Johnson has outwitted him. He was 
 vrily persuaded that Johnson s retreat from Yorktown and Williams- 
 burg was an honest flight, and that he would soon be able to drive him 
 to the wall. He suddenly discovers that our numbers are too great to be 
 pressed on, and that he must fall back on his old plan of ditching and 
 trenching. I hope a period will soon be put to his operations. The 
 sooner the better for the Confederate cause. 
 
 " Did you ever see anything more atrocious than the general order of 
 Butler, in relation to the ladies at New Orleans? Can the civilized 
 world stand that ? Has the North lost all moral sensibility ? It really 
 seems to me to be on the verge of judicial abandonment. Upon the 
 battle of Richmond, and that at Corinth, great interests are suspended. 
 It is important for us that they be speedy, and that they be decisive. 
 "We should be earnest in prayer that God would interpose for us. 
 
 " When will you be in these parts? You cannot imagine how much 
 pleasure it would give us to see you. We have a little hog and hominy 
 left, and we can give you greens on the same dish with the ham, a la 
 Virginie. Grace be with you. 
 
 Most truly, 
 
 J. H. THOENWELL." 
 
 The Seminary vacation invited to repose and to travel ; 
 for it was only by incessant patching, his feeble constitution 
 eonld resist the inroads of that disease by which it was 
 secretly undermined. In the month of June he left for 
 Wilson s Springs, in North Carolina; and after a short 
 
HIS DEATH. 517 
 
 stay, found his way to the home of his son-in-law, the 
 Rev. Robert B. Anderson, in Lincoln county, of the same 
 State. From this place his next letter is addressed : 
 
 "ELDERSLIS, Jun6 20, 18G2. 
 
 "My DARLING WIFE: I sent Gillespie to Charlotte yesterday with a 
 letter, to be mailed from there to you. His wound was not well enough 
 to authorize him to return to service ; so I directed him to go home, 
 and when he returned, to bring you with him as far as Charlotte. I 
 want you to have some recreation from care and anxiety. But, more 
 than that, I want to see you very much indeed. I think about you 
 night and day ; and every time I see the little grand-son, I think how 
 much pleasure it would give you to see his monkey motions. 
 
 " I did not go with Gillespie to Charlotte, as I was reluctant to expose 
 myself in the sun. I have begun to improve, and I was afraid of losing 
 all that I had gained. I rub every night with the liniment of spirits of 
 turpentine. I have also been taking some pilJs of turpentine. My ap 
 petite is good, and my strength is now nearly as great as ever. But my 
 bowels are not exactly in tone. The diarrhoea has pretty well ceased, 
 and all symptoms of dysentery have disappeared. I am as well now as 
 before I went to Richmond. I drink the mineral water here all the 
 time, and think it is as good for me as Wilson s. But next week I think 
 of going to Wilson s, and seeing how the land lies. ****** 
 I am very particular about my diet. I eat no vegetables at all, but po 
 tatoes. The only meat I use is ham or dried beef. We have no fresh 
 meats at all, not even chickens. I have not been out any where. The 
 sun has been so hot, that I have been afraid to expose myself in it. 
 The wheat in this neighbourhood is a great failure. The prospect of 
 the corn crop is very promising, but the trying time is to come. Our 
 interests are in the hands of God. He knows what is best for us. He 
 may sorely chastise, and afterwards bind up and heal. Oh! that we 
 could all but put our trust only in Him ! Kiss the children. Love to 
 all. The choicest blessings of heaven upon your own head. Grant that 
 we may soon meet again. I long to be at home with my loved ones. 
 "As ever, your devoted husband, 
 
 J. H. THORN WELL." 
 
 Two days later he writes thus : 
 
 "ELDERSLIE, June 28, 18G2. 
 
 " MY DARLING WIFE: I suppose that Gillespie has reached home by 
 this time. He wrote to me a very satisfactory letter from Charlotte. I 
 want him to see Dr. Fair, and have his wound properly dressed. From 
 the slowness with which it has been healing, I am afraid that the mode 
 of treatment with the court-plaster was not tho best. He must not 
 think of returning to Richmond until he is entirely well. I will arrange 
 the matter with the Government so as to save him from all trouble. 
 
518 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THOBNWELL. 
 
 "I think I am improving. The climate here is so refreshing, and 
 the water of the mineral spring so grateful, that I cannot but hope, in a 
 few days more, to be something like myself again. I have been able 
 to keep down diarrhosa, but it is by the use of opiates. I am now trying 
 to leave it off, and hope soon to be able to dispense with everything. 
 * * * * * j have tried to keep my mind free from all care ; but I 
 cannot help thinking about you and your life of labour and anxiety. I 
 reflect upon myself , that I am here, free from the bustle of the family, 
 and you at home, working like a slave to keep up the family. My heart 
 and my sympathies are with you. I share your burdens, though you 
 know it not ; and I pray for you night and day, that the Lord may give 
 you strength suited to your day. Try and be cheerful. I wish that you 
 could so arrange matters as to come up with Gillespie on his way to Kich- 
 mond. I would meet you at Charlotte. If you can come, you can bring 
 little Charlie with you. If you cannot come, I must be thinking about 
 getting home. I cannot consent that you should have all the trouble on 
 your shoulders. 
 
 "I suppose the great battle at Richmond has been joined, and is now 
 going on. God grant that the victory may be ours. But it makes one 
 sad to think of the fearful cost at which victory must be purchased. 
 Thousands must fall ; thousands more maimed for life ; and scores of 
 families must be hung in mourning. How earnest should we be in 
 prayer that God would temper judgment with mercy I If we fail, the 
 consequences to us will be the most gloomy. I dread to think of them. 
 But we must not dream of giving up the fight. We must keep the field 
 as long as there is a man who can bear arms. 
 
 " The family here are all well. Pattie reads and amuses herself with 
 the baby. The boy is very interesting. He cannot yet talk, but he is 
 beginning to try. He feels the want of language, and labours hard to 
 express himself. All send much love to you and the children. Tell 
 Gillespie I shall write to him on Monday. The Lord be with you all, 
 and bless you, and keep you. 
 
 "As ever, your devoted husband, 
 
 J. H. THOENWELL." 
 
 Onr hand trembles Tinder the sorrow of a great be 
 reavement, which, though twelve years have rolled away, 
 is as fresh and keen to-day as when it was first encoun 
 tered. It pauses over the subjoined letter with a linger 
 ing reluctance to transcribe the last relic of a dear a/id 
 cherished friend. Within three weeks after it was penned, 
 he had entered into the Rest to which he so touchingly 
 alludes: 
 
 "ELDERSLIE, July 6, 18G2. 
 
 " MY DARLING WIFE : I wish you would write to me, and Jet me know 
 precisely what day Gillespie will be in Charlotte. I shall try to meet 
 
HIS DEATH. 519 
 
 him there, if I should not be at Wilson s. I have written to Dr. Miller 
 about having me good quarters there. If I cannot get them, I shall re 
 turn home pretty soon. If I can get a good room, I shall spend two 
 weeks there, and then return. I am desperately home-sick. I want to 
 see you all very much indeed. Nothing but a sense of duty could re 
 concile me to the idle, worthless life I am leading here. I do nothing 
 but lounge, eat, drink mineral water, and sleep. My thoughts are all 
 the time with the dear ones in Columbia, particularly with my wife. I 
 have long known that I have the best wife in the world ; and it is a great 
 grief to me that I cannot do more to free her from care, -anxiety, and 
 sorrow. I want to see you happy. Particularly I am anxious to have 
 servants that you can depend on ; and that will, of themselves, take 
 trouble off your hands. But our true rest must be sought in another 
 Voiid. May the Lord prepare us for it. * * * * 
 
 "I preached for Dr. Morrison yesterday. McDonald is now here. 
 He came up to help Anderson at his communion, at Dallas. I would 
 have gone, but it is too far ; and I am now very careful about exposing 
 myself in the sun. 
 
 "We have not yet heard the finale of the battle at Eichmond ; but we 
 have reason to hope that the Lord has given us a complete victory. 
 Glory to His name! Oh! that we may have grace to use it wisely! 
 * * * The Lord bless you, dearest. 
 "As ever, 
 
 J. H. T." 
 
 The arrangement indicated in these letters was carried 
 out. Gillespie Thornwell, in company with his mother, 
 came to Charlotte about the middle of July, where he 
 was met by his father. After spending one day together, 
 the young soldier, with his wound a"s yet imperfectly healed, 
 returned to active service in Virginia. In parting here 
 with this gallant youth, the reader will more than pardon 
 a digression, which tracks him through a brief career, to 
 the hour of his death. 
 
 GILLESPIE HOBBINS THORNWELL was but sixteen years 
 and a few months old, when the bugle was first heard in 
 Carolina, summoning her sons to the field. He was one 
 of the earliest to obey the signal, and was in the ranks on 
 the coast when Fort Sumpter was reduced. As soon as 
 troops began to be massed in Virginia, he enlisted for the 
 war in the cavalry service, and was, at the time of his 
 death, in the Fifth South Carolina Regiment, belonirinir 
 
 7 O " O c5 
 
 to General AVade Hampton s legion. Born, like most 
 
520 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THOKNWELL. 
 
 Southern boys, on horseback, he rode like a Comanche- 
 Indian. Mounted on a fine steed, with that recklessness 
 of bravery which characterizes youth, he did not hesitate 
 to charge against heavy odds. It was thus he received the 
 sabre wound, of which mention lias been made. Gene 
 rosity is always a twin virtue with courage. We will give 
 two illustrations of it. On his journey from the battle 
 field to Richmond, a kind lady had provided him a mat- 
 trass; but seeing on the train a brother soldier worse 
 wounded than himself, he surrendered its use ; and as he 
 sat upright in his seat, displayed such power of will in the* 
 endurance of pain, as to attract the attention of others, 
 and elicit their praise. The other instance was of a still 
 nobler type. He was offered the lieutenancy of his com 
 pany, but another was anxious to obtain it, in whose favour 
 he declined, saying, " He is an only son, and his mother 
 is a widow, who will be comforted by his promotion." 
 Truly, this exhibition of a noble nature entitled him to 
 his father s praise, that "he was a noble boy," and showed 
 that his father s blood flowed in his veins. 
 
 Exactly one year after receiving his first wound, he 
 encountered a second, on the 3d of May, 1863, which was- 
 fatal. The account will be best given in the words of 
 General Hampton, in communicating the sad intelligence 
 of his death: "His wound was received in an attack on a 
 regiment of Yankee cavalry, in which thirty of my men, 
 together with seventy of Major Moseby s, routed and 
 captured the whole regiment. But whilst they were 
 bringing off the prisoners, another regiment charged 
 them, and succeeded in rescuing the captured Yankees." 
 This occurred in a skirmish near Warrenton, Va., and 
 the wound was made by a rifle ball, in the abdomen, 
 a little above the hip. He fell, of course, into the hands 
 of the enemy, by whom he was kindly cared for, and sent 
 to their hospital at Alexandria. Here he arrived at 
 eleven o clock at night, and died at six o clock the next 
 morning. His body was obtained by friends in the place. 
 
HIS DEATH. 521 
 
 deposited in a private vault, and after the close of the 
 war, in 1866, was brought home and interred in his 
 native soil. In his whole career he was distinguished for 
 his courage. His commanding officer, General Hampton, 
 in a message of sympathy to his widowed mother, bears 
 this ample testimony : " Her son was a noble and gallant 
 soldier; and whilst she cannot but mourn, as only a parent 
 can mourn for a child, she can well draw consolation 
 from the knowledge, that he has fallen whilst sustaining 
 nobly the sacred cause for which his father plead, and to 
 which he had dedicated himself." Thus, when but eigh 
 teen and a half years old, did this brave youth seal with 
 his life the cause he had two years before espoused ; and 
 thus, within the space of nine months, did the father above 
 the stars greet the son who had been the burden of his 
 prayers. He met death, not only with firmness, but with 
 perfect resignation and composure. Although under cir 
 cumstances which cut him off from the friends to whom 
 he might have unbosomed himself, the hospital nurse says 
 that "he talked beautifully" to him, saying he "did not 
 fear to die, and was perfectly willing to go, only that he 
 could have wished to see his mother and the dear ones at 
 home once more." They rest in the sweet assurance that, 
 through faith in his RedeemerVblood, he was ready for 
 the change. 
 
 But we must return to a more peaceful scene, one of 
 surpassing solemnity, but one the sadness of which is 
 chased away by the light of Christian triumph and joy. 
 On the very day when father and son parted in Charlotte, 
 Dr. Thorn well took his bed, from which he was lifted only 
 to be borne to his burial. From the beginning of the at 
 tack, he was impressed with the conviction that it was 
 his last. The Rev. John Douglas, a tried friend of his 
 from early College life, came to him at the first stage. As 
 he entered the room, he said: "You have just come in 
 time to see me die." As we have narrated, by what seemed 
 an accidental circumstance, his beloved wife was at his 
 
522 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THOKNWELL. 
 
 side. To her lie mentioned the pleasing fact that, at 
 Wilson s Springs, from which he had just come in order 
 to meet his son, though in some respects uncomfortable, he 
 had had a time of great spiritual enjoyment. He seemed 
 to have been taken there, away from all whom he loved, 
 that in solitude and prayer he might be prepared for the 
 coming of his Lord. For nearly two weeks he lingered, 
 being tenderly nursed at the house of Mr. William E. 
 "White, of Charlotte, by loving friends, who \vould cheer 
 fully have saved his life by the surrender of their own; 
 until, on the first day of August, 1862, he gently fell 
 asleep. It was only this; there was not a struggle, nor a 
 groan. He threw himself back upon his pillow; lifted his 
 right arm and hand ; it quivered spasmodically for a few 
 seconds, and then dropped; his eye became fixed; and 
 with a few short breaths his spirit passed away. 
 
 The nature of his malady prevented him from speaking 
 much. He had been threatened all his life with con 
 sumption, which perhaps settled upon a different organ 
 from the lungs. A chronic dysentery had slowly under 
 mined his strength, and the toneless system had not power 
 to resist the final assault. The lethargy to which this 
 form of disease predisposes, made him quiet for the most 
 part; though he was easily aroused, and always with the 
 full recognition of those around his bed. Being asked if 
 lie had any word to leave to his boys, he replied: "Oh ! 
 they are the burden of my soul; if they \vere only children 
 of God, I would ask no more." Being further pressed to 
 know if he had any directions to give concerning them, 
 he added: "The same Jesus who has watched over me, 
 can take care of them." On being asked again, if there 
 was anything he wished done, when he was gone, the 
 triumphant word of faith came back, " The Judge of all 
 the earth will do right." 
 
 He lay much with his hands folded across his breast, 
 with lips moving as if in prayer. Then, at other times, 
 there would fall upon the ear troubled and incoherent 
 
HIS DEATH. 523 
 
 utterances, which, when caught, would reveal his mental 
 habits. Lifting his finger, as if addressing an imaginary 
 class, he would say, "Well, you have stated your position, 
 now prove it." Again, as if musing upon some meta 
 physical theme, he would articulate: "The attributes 
 iirst the moral, then the intellectual, and thirdly, the reli 
 gious or spiritual;" reminding one of the good Meander, 
 who, in a like condition, would lift himself on his dying 
 couch, and say, "To-morrow, young gentleman, we will 
 resume our exercitations upon the sixth chapter of John." 
 It is our loss that there are not more last sayings to record 
 of such a master ; for 
 
 " The tongues of dying men 
 Enforce attention, like deep harmony : 
 The setting sun, and music at the close, 
 As the last taste of sweets, is sweetest last, 
 Writ in remembrance more than things long past. " 
 
 Yet they are not needed. Our brother s whole life was 
 a continued chant ; and memory will preserve its music, 
 returning upon us with ceaseless echoes, till we, too, sleep. 
 The last time but one it was the writer s privilege to hear 
 him in the pulpit, in one of those outbursts of emotion so 
 characteristic of his eloquence, he exclaimed : " I am often 
 very weary. Weary^with work, as the feeble body reels 
 beneath its accumulated toils; weary in struggling with 
 my own distrustful and unbelieving heart ; weary with the 
 wickedness of men, and with the effort to put a bridle 
 upon human passions; and I often sigh to be at rest." 
 Brother, thou hast entered into rest ; and we are the more 
 weary for loss of thee ! 
 
 The Holy Spirit placed his seal upon that pallid brow. 
 The partition is very thin between the two worlds, when 
 we come to stand upon the borders of both ; and the beau 
 tiful light streams through the curtain which separates 
 them, and throws a strange radiance upon the dying be 
 liever, the prophecy of a glorious transfiguration. Says 
 Dr. Adger, who came in at the last hour, just in time to 
 
524: LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORNWELL. 
 
 catch the last look of recognition and love : " Delightful 
 smiles played over his countenance, as, on a summer eve 
 ning, the harmless lightning plays, with incessant flashes, 
 upon the bosom of a cloud." The last work of the Holy 
 Ghost was being done, in completing the saint s likeness 
 to his Lord; and that Lord was speaking with His servant 
 face to face, as He did with Moses out of the cloud. The 
 last broken words, upon which the departing soul was 
 borne into the bosom of God, were ejaculations of wonder 
 and praise : " Wonderful ! beautiful ! Nothing but Space ! 
 Expanse ! Expanse ! Expanse !" And so he passed up 
 ward, and stood before the Throne. 
 
 " How glorious now, with vision purified 
 At the Essential Truth, entirely free 
 From error, he, investigating still, 
 From world to world at pleasure roves, on wing 
 Of golden ray upborne ; or, at the feet 
 Of Heaven s most ancient sages sitting, hears 
 New wonders of the wondrous works of God." 
 
 His remains were conveyed to Columbia, in a car spe 
 cially set apart by the kindness of the President of the 
 of the railroad. The funeral services were conducted, on, 
 a Sabbath afternoon, in the Presbyterian church where he 
 had so long proclaimed the gospel of his Lord, in the 
 presence of an immense multitude, who had assembled to- 
 pay the last homage to greatness and to goodness. The 
 Rev. Dr. John B. Adger, with difficult utterance, took, 
 as the text of his discourse, the watchword of his departed 
 friend, " Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right ? " 
 The Rev. Dr. George Howe, his colleague in the Semi 
 nary, and the Rev. F. P. Mullally, who had been co- 
 pastor with him in the church, assisted in the impressive 
 service. As the long procession moved through the 
 streets of that beautiful town, to the resting-place of the- 
 dead, the city bell tolled its solemn and plaintive notes, 
 expressive of the public and the common grief. In the 
 family enclosure in Elmwood cemetery, the precious dust 
 
HIS DEATH. 525 
 
 was committed to the earth, by the side of the loved 
 uaughter, who, but three years before, was laid to rest. 
 There, in a quiet and beautiful spot, by the banks of a 
 soft murmuring stream, the stranger will find a solid 
 block of pure white Italian marble, upon whose face he 
 will read only this inscription, in bold relief, 
 
CHAPTER XXXVI. 
 GENERAL REVIEW. 
 
 His DEATH LAMENTED. REVIEW OF His PUBLIC RELATIONS. As AN 
 EDUCATOR : His QUALIFICATIONS ; His METHODS ; MASTERY OVER 
 His KNOWLEDGE ; COMMAND OF LANGUAGE ; PROFESSOR OF THEOLOGY ; 
 TEXT BOOKS ; LECTURES ; EXAMINATIONS. As A PHILOSOPHER 
 AND THEOLOGIAN : EXTENT AND ACCURACY OF His LEARNING , 
 CAUTION AND INDEPENDENCE IN SPECULATION ; His PLACE IN PHILOS 
 OPHY ; VALUABLE PAPER ON THIS POINT ; His THEOLOGY CALVINISTIC ; 
 SCRIPTURAL; SYMMETRY OF His VIEWS. As A PREACHER: His 
 POWER IN ARGUMENT AND APPEAL ; EXPOSITION ; LOGIC AND EMOTION 
 COMBINED ; His DICTION ; PREACHING ON SPECIAL OCCASIONS ; EX 
 TEMPORANEOUS ; VIEWS ON THE WHOLE SUBJECT IN A CONVERSATION ; 
 His CRITICISM OF His OWN PERFORMANCES. As A PRESBYTER : 
 PRACTICAL WISDOM ; INFLUENCE IN CHURCH COURTS ; REASONS FOR 
 IT ; PRINCIPLES FIXED ; His CAUTION ; His PENETRATION ; His Posi- 
 TIVENESS ; His HONESTY ; KNOWLEDGE OF CHURCH PRINCIPLES AND 
 HISTORY. As A CHRISTIAN AND A MAN : TYPE OF His RELIGIOUS 
 EXPERIENCE ; GROW T TH IN PIETY ; TESTIMONY TO His CHARACTER ; 
 His PERSONAL APPEARANCE ; His SOCIAL AND MORAL QUALITIES ; 
 His GENERAL BEARING ; His PLAYFULNESS AND LOVE OF BADINAGE ; 
 WARMTH OF His AFFECTIONS ; ATTACHMENT OF His FRIENDS. 
 
 DK TIIORNWELI/S sun went down at noon. He 
 lacked but four months and eight days of completing 
 his fiftieth year. His mental faculties were in the fulness 
 of their vigour. The stores of knowledge, accumulated 
 through a life of severe study, were ready to be poured 
 forth in systematic form, already auspiciously begun in 
 a series of lectures, intended to cover the whole range of 
 theology. His Christian character, too, had become so 
 mellow under the discipline of grace, as to impart singu 
 lar unction to his writings. They were not cold and ab 
 stract discussions of truth, but discussions animated with 
 the life of a most fervent piety. The influence, which 
 can only be acquired through long years of trial and of 
 
 527 
 
528 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THOKNWELL. 
 
 trust, was his to wield without resistance or dispute. He 
 was at the climax of his usefulness, and could ill be 
 spared at a period of almost pure construction in Church 
 and State. Upon the circle of admiring friends, which, 
 indeed, embraced the country, the intelligence of his 
 death fell with overwhelming suddenness. The thought 
 of his removal had, no doubt, often recurred to those who 
 loved him; but they put it aside with that cold shudder 
 ing which one feels when the shadow of anticipated be 
 reavement falls upon the soul. As he lived on from year 
 to year, and his frail body manifested a recuperative 
 power that was unusual, they had come to feel that, by 
 constant patching and repairing, it might yet survive to 
 a good old age. He seemed, also, so necessary to his 
 times; and his work, as others had mapped it out, was 
 apparently so unfinished, that perhaps the presumptuous 
 thought was hid away in the heart, that he must not, 
 could not, die. And when he fell, they drew the mantle 
 over the head, and mourned with a grief which had no 
 words. 
 
 "Their size of sorrow, 
 
 Proportioned to its cause, must be as great 9 
 As that which makes it." 
 
 The thread is broken which has conducted us from the 
 cradle to the grave. How it was gathered up by unseen 
 hands, and woven into a broader and brighter web above 
 the skies, it is not for us yet to know. It has been a 
 privilege full of sweetness to trace a life which, to us, 
 seems as beautiful as a dream. But the task is not fin 
 ished until we place the moving form again in all the 
 offices and relations which he sustained, and point out 
 the combination of qualities whick made him, like Aga 
 memnon, a king amongst men. 
 
 THE TEACHEK. 
 
 We present him first as an EDUCATOR, in which relation 
 he stood so prominently before the public. His unrivalled 
 
GENERAL KEYIEW. 529 
 
 excellence in this sphere depended mainly upon two 
 tilings : the perfect command over his own knowledge, 
 and a definite conception of the end to be accomplished. 
 The latter determined his method, which was the Socratic; 
 the former enabled him to conduct it with success. The 
 object of education, in his view, was the development of 
 the intellectual faculties, and the discipline of these to 
 habits of thought. His first care was to study the mind 
 of tlfe pupil, to take its guage, and to note its character 
 istics. Thus he was guided in the process of develop 
 ment; checking those faculties which were more obtru 
 sive, stimulating such as were more dormant, and bring 
 ing them all up together in due proportion. He advo 
 cated strongly the use of a text-book; which, however, 
 in his hands was little more than the connecting rod be 
 tween his own mind, as a charged battery, arid the mind 
 of the pupil, to be aroused by the electric shock. His 
 method was that of a critical examination upon the 
 author s text, so shaping his interrogations as to evolve 
 the truth from the mind of the student itself. Recita 
 tion by rote was an impossibility; the repetition of the 
 text did not meet the requisitions of the class-room. In 
 terrogation was poured upon the student s head like a 
 shower of hail, until he was driven back through all the 
 steps of a rigorous analysis. Then he must frame a pre 
 cise statement of the truth in hand ; w r hilst a critical logic 
 stood by, to cut and pare, until it stood before the eye 
 with the utmost sharpness of profile. Finally, the student 
 was put upon his defence against every form of assault to 
 which the champion of truth might be exposed. If the 
 line of defence was unskilful, the pupil found himself in 
 the toils of an adversary, who wound tightly about him the 
 meshes in which he was involved. Not till then came 
 the hour of extrication. But at last there would follow 
 lucid exposition, searching analysis, resistless logic, disen 
 tangling the web, and probing every difficulty to the core. 
 The class-room was thus a gymnasium, where the living 
 
530 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THOKNWELL. 
 
 mind was taught to unfold itself according to its own law 
 of development, and work itself out in the consciousness- 
 of knowledge, which is yet a part of its own texture. He 
 is a benefactor who communicates to me one new and 
 grand thought ; but he is twice a benefactor, who helps 
 me to think that thought myself. Dr. Thornwell was not 
 satisfied with simply communicating knowledge, to be 
 passively received by the pupil, as a mere impression. In 
 the language of another, lie trained his students to "Think 
 in the light of other men s thoughts ; " to take the sug 
 gestions, and work them over in the laboratory of their 
 own minds, to reproduce them again with the stamp of 
 their own coinage, and to systematize them into form by 
 i logic of their own. By question and answer, he led 
 them down beneath the surface of words, and even of 
 facts, searching for the principles which lay beneath the 
 whole; and stimulated and aided in the work of recon 
 structing these again into harmonious systems of philoso 
 phy and science. He experienced the most intense de 
 light in witnessing these early efforts of halt-fledged minds, 
 and was patient with their embarrassments and failures; 
 just as the eagle watches the eaglets when thrust out from 
 the eyrie, and stoops beneath them, and bears them on 
 her wing, as they first try their weak powers in the ele 
 ment in which they will at length so proudly soar. 
 
 But this method demands complete mastery of one s 
 knowledge. In this Dr. Thornwell could not be excelled. 
 The accuracy of his knowledge was even more remarkable 
 than its extent. His learning was indeed immense, for 
 his reading was discursive and large; and such w T as his 
 power of concentration, that he seemed to take up know 
 ledge by absorption. His mind was under such control 
 that, when closeted with an author, the door was locked 
 against all intrusive thoughts, and he digested all that he 
 devoured. His retentive memory held every acquisition 
 firmly in its grasp. It was by this assimilation that his 
 knowledge became so peculiarly his own; it entered into 
 
GENERAL REVIEW. 531 
 
 the flesh and blood and bone of his own thinking, part 
 and parcel of his own mental substance. It could there 
 fore be reproduced at will, fresh and flowing from a living 
 fountain. This enabled him to present truth under any 
 form level to the student s apprehension. It was not 
 locked up in stereotyped plates, which must always give 
 one unvarying impression ; but his thoughts were free to 
 be cast into a hundred different moulds, suited to a hun- 
 dred*ditferent minds. Hence his great facility of expla 
 nation. If one statement of truth failed to strike, it was 
 instantly cast aside for another more dear and incisive. 
 He studied subjects, moreover, as subjects, and knew them 
 as such. It was of little consequence, so far as he was 
 concerned, what text-book he employed, whether the mas 
 terly Analogy of Bishop Butler, or the defective Philo 
 sophy of Archdeacon Paley : his own acquaintance with 
 the entire subject could string upon either what the com 
 pass of its literature would supply. A College student, 
 who himself stood at the head of his class, once said to 
 the writer : " Dr. Thornwell is the only teacher for whose 
 recitation I can never say I am fully prepared. I study 
 Butler until I can repeat every word, and fancy that I can 
 answer every possible question, and in three minutes I 
 stand before him a perfect fool, and feel that I know no 
 thing at all. He has the happiest knack of bringing out 
 of Butler what was never there, except as he put it in." 
 The teacher knew, the pupil did not, how deep those 
 simple and suggestive sentences of the author actually 
 drew. Only an equal mind could take the soundings of 
 such a book. The constant necessity upon him, as a 
 teacher, to reproduce his knowledge, to think his own 
 thoughts aloud, gave him increasing command over both, 
 and of course greater facility and precision in the state 
 ment of truth. For true it is, in the words of the poet, 
 
 "No man is the lord of anything, 
 Though in and of him there be much consisting, 
 Till he communicate his part to others ; 
 
532 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THOKNWELL. 
 
 Nor doth he of himself know them for aught, 
 
 Till he behold them formed in the applause 
 
 Where they re extended ; which, like an arch, reverberates 
 
 The voice again ; or, like a gate of steel, 
 
 Fronting the sun, receives and renders back 
 
 His figure and his heat." 
 
 As Professor of Theology in the Divinity School at 
 Columbia, his methods of instruction were naturally 
 somewhat modified. His pupils here were at a more ad 
 vanced age, and had generally passed through the pre 
 paratory drill of a College course. The object with them 
 was not simply mental discipline, but intellectual fur 
 niture, fitting them for a professional career. His effort, 
 however, was still to compel the student to master what 
 he acquired, and to systematize it as knowledge, by fusing 
 it all over again in the mould of his own thought. His 
 selection of a text-book was typical of the man : it was the 
 " Institutes " of John Calvin. Wonderful association of 
 names ! drawn together by an affinity so close, that, with 
 the men transposed, the Calvin three centuries back might 
 have been the Thornwell of to-day, and the Thornwell of 
 yesterday might equally have been the Calvin of the Re 
 formation. The same profound learning, free from the 
 pedantry of display; the same logical acumen, resolving 
 the most intricate problems ; the same massive intellect, 
 striking out thoughts capable of endless exposition; the 
 same "honesty of reason" in. the investigation of truth, 
 and the same passionate love, which made both wor 
 shippers at her shrine; the same Herculean industry, 
 which sported with labour, and found refreshment in toils 
 by which others were exhausted ; the same practical judg 
 ment, whose foresight was almost akin to prophecy; the 
 same simplicity of character, which preserved the fresh 
 ness of youth in the maturity of age ; the same fearlessness 
 of soul, which shrank neither from reproach nor peril in 
 the pursuit of right; the same guileless sincerity, which 
 never understood finesse, nor worked by indirection : all 
 
GENERAL REVIEW. 533 
 
 these, and other traits, run the parallel so close between 
 the two, that, standing three centuries apart, they seem 
 born twins. Nay, the resemblance is preserved in things 
 we would call accidental. The same early maturity of 
 mind, which enabled the one, at the age of twenty-five, to 
 dedicate his "Institutes" to the French King, and placed 
 the other, at the same age, in the Chair of Philosophy; 
 the possession by both of a frail body, which scarcely con 
 tained the indwelling spirit, beating against its sides with 
 every movement of its own activity, and threatening to 
 batter down the walls of its feeble prison ; and finally, the 
 coincidence of their death at nearly the same age, closing 
 a long lile while it was yet high noon with both : these 
 are points of resemblance which, however casual, one is 
 prompted to observe. 
 
 Nor is it strange that the theologian of the nineteenth 
 
 O O 
 
 century should go back to the the.ologian of the sixteenth, 
 to find a master for his pupils. He who had dug the 
 truth for himself from the quarry of the Scriptures, and 
 from the symbols of the Church, w r ould naturally carry his 
 pupils up the stream of theological tradition, to the very 
 spot where it broke out afresh from the earth. Like the 
 fabled river of Africa, systematic theology had, for ages, 
 buried its channel beneath the superstitions and errors of 
 Popery ; and, as at the foot of a great mountain, it 
 emerged anew at the period of the Reformation. Pre 
 cisely here the waters would be found the purest, except 
 as he might carry them higher still, to the original foun 
 tain, and cause them to drink from the oracles of God; 
 but as a human aid in constructing an articulate system 
 of doctrine, he found no master equal to the great 
 theologian of the Reformation. John Calvin stands 
 in the same relation to Protestant theology, as Francis 
 Bacon to modern philosophy. Each was a constructor 
 in his own sphere, and each put the stamp of his own 
 thought upon the science of after times. Dr. Thorn 
 well admired Calvin for his clearness and precision, for 
 
534: LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THOKNWELL. 
 
 the compactness and order of his arrangement, and, above 
 all, for his superior wisdom in founding his opinions upon 
 the express declarations of Scripture, rather than upon 
 the shifting speculations of human philosophy. He 
 al ways kindled with enthusiasm, whilst dwelling upon the 
 merits of this great thinker of the past. One of his 
 pupils speaks thus of his introductory lecture to the In 
 stitutes, when the class was entering upon its study : " I 
 remember well the account he gave of his visit to Calvin s 
 grave, and of his musings upon the moulding influence 
 of the mighty Reformer upon theological thought ; and 
 the statement of his conviction, that the emergencies of 
 the conflict with nationalistic infidelity were now forcing 
 the whole Church more and more to occupy Calvin s 
 ground. His pale face alternated with flushes of red 
 and white, as he was speaking, an d his eye dilated until 
 it seemed almost supernaturally large and luminous. 
 Deeply moved myself, and fired with an enthusiasm for 
 Calvin, which I hope never to lose, I turned a moment s 
 glance to find the class spell-bound by the burst of elo 
 quence and feeling." 
 
 The description is appropriate just here of his course 
 of proceeding, furnished by another pupil : " When a 
 class was about to begin a new study, he would introduce 
 it with a general lecture, clearing away the ground, dis 
 tinctly indicating the end to be attained, and directing to 
 all available sources of information ; after which, all must 
 go to work, under the guidance and supervision of the 
 great master. Each student had to descend into the 
 quarry, and select, dig out, hew, cut, carve, and polish 
 his own stones ; and then each had to lay his own foun 
 dations, and build his own edifice. Over the work of 
 all, Dr. Thorn well presided as the chief architect, trying 
 every man s work w r ith the plummet and square of his 
 own logic, approving the materials which were good and 
 true, and condemning the faulty and imperfect. Then 
 he would erect his own structure, rising in the symmetry 
 
GENERAL REVIEW. 535 
 
 of its proportions, and in the strength of its logical com 
 pactness, like a magnificent Gothic temple, full of order 
 and beauty." After the text of the author was mastered, 
 he gave out " a series of written questions, which were 
 made the basis of a subsequent examination. Each reci 
 tation opened with a resume* of the last; every step was 
 taken in the way of development, from facts and princi 
 ples already settled; and thus the. whole grew into the 
 beauty, and was consolidated into the strength of a logical 
 system." Such was his mode, whether the text-book was 
 the Institutes of Calvin or the Confession of Faith, 
 which was critically studied chapter by chapter, or his 
 own lectures, elaborately prepared and carefully pro 
 nounced. In all these severe interrogations he was yet 
 genial and winning to the last degree. Tolerant of the 
 opinions of others, he encouraged the freest and freshest 
 utterances of his pupils, " drawing them out, until, detect 
 ing the tangle in their thoughts, he would put in his finger 
 and extricate the thread." Such is the language in which 
 he is uniformly described by his students in the class 
 room. In private, he was singularly accessible; laying 
 down his own studies to listen to their perplexities ; dis 
 robing himself of all magisterial authority, and addressing 
 them as his brethren, he won them, by his grace and con 
 descension, as much as he impressed them with his wisdom 
 and genius. No instructor was ever more highly rever 
 enced, or more truly beloved; and that, too, exactly in 
 proportion to the student s own ability to appreciate his 
 merit, and to profit by his methods. 
 
 THE PHILOSOPHER AND THEOLOGIAN. 
 . We shall be pardoned for combining next the PHILOS 
 OPHER and the THEOLOGIAN; not only because of the 
 natural affinity between the two, but because of their ac 
 tual conjunction in the history and labours of Dr. Thorn- 
 well. In them we have the ripest fruits of his genius; 
 .and upon these two pillars the whole of his future fame 
 
536 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THOKNWELL. 
 
 must rest. As we have seen, Ins mind was early biased 
 towards philosophy. It probably would have been de 
 termined in this direction by its inherent proclivity. 
 "His passion/ says another, "was for speculation. He 
 revelled in abstract thought, and soared with delight 
 even to the utmost verge of the knowable and thinkable 
 in the world of mind. His spirit craved communion 
 with the Infinite, and 
 
 " Kode sublime 
 
 Upon the seraph s wings of ecstasy, 
 The secrets of the abyss to spy. " 
 
 One was, first of all, amazed at the extent of his philo 
 sophical learning. His references to the Greek philoso 
 phers, both in his writings and in familiar conversation, 
 indicated a minute acquaintance with them in their ori 
 ginal sources; not only in the critics and historians whom 
 he diligently consulted, but in their own productions in 
 their own language. Particularly was this the case with 
 Plato and Aristotle, whom, after Sir William Hamilton, 
 lie was accustomed to describe as "the opposite poles of 
 human thought, between which speculation has continued 
 ever since to oscillate." The best editions of their works, 
 handsomely bound, were among the most prized treasures 
 of his library; and the group of scholars who sometimes 
 pored with him over the pages of the Phsedo, knew not 
 which most to admire, the exquisite finish of his trans 
 lation, or his philosophic commentary upon the text. As 
 an illustration of the accuracy of his knowledge in this- 
 department, and of the readiness with which he employed 
 it, we mention an incident too pleasant to be omitted. 
 At a dinner-party given him in New York, at which 
 were present Mr. Bancroft, the historian, and other gen 
 tlemen of literary distinction, the conversation turned 
 upon some principle maintained by Aristotle. Dr. 
 Thornwell contended that all the commentators had mis 
 understood his meaning. Issue was taken on this point, 
 and an animated discussion ensued, which resulted in his 
 
GENERAL REVIEW. 537 
 
 bringing the entire party over to his construction of the 
 case. The interview was signalized by his receiving, 
 BOOH after his return home, from the hands of Mr. Ban 
 croft, a splendid copy of Aristotle, with a Latin inscrip 
 tion on the fly-leaf, in the handwriting of the giver, indi 
 cating it as "a testimonial of regard to the Rev. Dr. 
 J. II. Thornwell, the most learned of the learned." 
 
 With the mediaeval scholastics his familiarity was 
 equally great. Thomas Aquinas was frequently quoted, 
 and even the ponderous tomes of Suarez had been keenly 
 scrutinized. Says one of his pupils, " I remember com 
 ing upon him once, when the floor of his study was cov 
 ered with the volumes of Saurez, as he was following the 
 Jesuit s subtle reasoning upon some point in morals." 
 The modern philosophy had, of course, passed under re 
 view in its original sources. The chief masters, Bacon, 
 DCS Cartes, Locke, Leibnitz, the Scottish School at home 
 and in France, Kant and his disciples, Fichte, Schelling, 
 and Hegal, were his daily companions. With the de 
 partment of Logic he was particularly at home. Indeed, 
 his familiarity with its formulas tempted him, perhaps, 
 too often to employ them, for the sake of precision, in 
 his popular writings, and rendered them sometimes a 
 trifle too technical for the ordinary reader. His collec 
 tion of treatises on Logic certainly justified his playful 
 allusions, in the discussion with Dr. Hodge, on the floor 
 of the Assembly at Rochester, to the treasures which his 
 library contained in the literature of this topic. 
 
 In confirmation of these statements, as to his thorough 
 mastery of philosophy, in its literature as well as in its 
 principles, we may narrate an incident. The writer hap 
 pened one day to be in his study; and taking up casually 
 a volume of Cousin, lying upon the table, read from it a 
 passage, which opened the way to a discussion upon some 
 point in philosophy. Dr. Thornwell had just come in 
 from a recitation with his class, and his mind was finely 
 strung. Commencing with the rise of philosophy in the 
 
538 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THOKNWELL. 
 
 seven sages of Greece, lie traced its history through to 
 the present hour; distinguishing betwixt the different 
 Greek schools, and showing the principle by which each 
 was characterized, he passed regularly on through the 
 middle ages. Beginning again with modern philosophy, 
 he took up all the schools into which it is divided, and 
 pointed out every shade of opinion which had been ad 
 vanced in each. The discourse moved on with an equable 
 flow for two hours, interrupted only by the whiffs of a fra 
 grant Havanna, abounding in the sharpest discrimination, 
 illuminated often with beautiful illustrations, sometimes 
 rising into eloquence, and couched, from beginning to end, 
 in diction the most eloquent and sustained. His solitary 
 hearer sat listening to this extemporaneous harangue, 
 wondering all the while whether, if it had been an elabo 
 rate essay prepared for a congress of savans, it could be 
 exceeded in the fulness of its detail, the precision and 
 .subtlety of its distinctions, or in the beauty and force of 
 its delivery. It was a wonderful proof, not only of his 
 complete possession of the subject, but also of the extent 
 to which his inspiration was derived from the theme it 
 self, and not from the occasion which might draw him 
 out. For, however he might be stimulated by the pre 
 sence of a fit audience and, like a true orator, no man 
 ever felt this influence more he soon fell back upon the 
 topic of his discourse, and drew his enthusiasm thence. 
 
 The traits which specially characterized his own spec 
 ulations were modesty and independence. His first effort 
 was to mark the boundaries of reason, within whose limits 
 he thought with all the vigour and self-reliance of a mind 
 conscious of its OW T II powers, but beyond which he never 
 permitted himself to pass. He was thus protected from 
 that presumptuous rationalism which so much disfigures 
 the thinking of modern Germany ; and uttered his frequent 
 protest against " the rampant ontologists who attempt to 
 unfold the grounds of universal being from the principles 
 . of pure reason. His mind was too positive in. its tone 
 
GENERAL REVIEW. 539 
 
 to rest on theories, however splendid, without a solid 
 basis on which to build them. It was not content with 
 beating the air with its wings, however high it might 
 soar; nor did lie ever mistake the fantastic scenery of the 
 clouds for the mountain landscape of which he was in 
 search. Taking his departure from the English and Scotch 
 schools, that all our knowledge begins in experience, he 
 concurred with them in the doctrine of fundamental be 
 liefs as necessary to it, and by which alone it is made 
 available. He thus struck a middle course between the 
 doctrine which makes the mind simply a passive recipient 
 of impressions, and the antagonistic view, which finds in 
 the mind itself the data of all knowledge, "of which uni 
 versal and all-comprehensive principles the reason is held 
 to be the complement.". He was able thus to steer betwixt 
 the Scylla and Charybdis of philosophy ; between the Athe 
 istic Materialism of the French Encyclopaedists on the one 
 hand, and the Pantheistic audacity of the German Ration 
 alists on the other. His consistent and intelligible doc 
 trine was that, while knowledge begins in experience, yet 
 " experience must include conditions in the subject which 
 make it capable of intelligence." " There must be," he 
 says, "a constitution of mind adapted to that specific 
 activity by which it believes and judges." The mind is 
 therefore "subjected to laws of belief under which it 
 must necessarily act" "certain primary truths involved 
 in its very structure." As, "undeveloped in experience, 
 these do not exist in the form of propositions or general 
 conceptions, but irresistible tendencies to certain manners 
 of belief, when the proper occasions shall be afforded." 
 But when " developed in experience, and generalized into 
 abstract statements, they are original and elementary cog 
 nitions, the foundation and criterion of all knowledge." 
 While, however, " the laws of belief qualify the subject to 
 know, they cannot give the things to be known. These 
 are furnished in experience; which thus not only affords 
 the occasions on which onr primitive cognitions are de- 
 
54:0 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THOKNWELL. 
 
 veloped, but also the objects about which our faculties- 
 are conversant." Starting from these principles, which 
 we have given in his own language, it is easy to see that 
 the same reform is carried into mental philosophy, which 
 long since has been achieved in the natural or physical. 
 The knowledge acquired is real knowledge, because it is 
 confined to attributes and properties level to our appre 
 hension, capable of being gathered by observation, and of 
 being generalized by induction. The mind, instead of 
 being lost in speculations which transcend its limits, set 
 tles with confidence upon truths which it is able con 
 stantly to verify. Feeling the ground beneath his feet 
 at every step, Dr. Thornw T ell speculated safely. With 
 fixed principles for his guidance, he wrought within this 
 broad field of observation and induction, in the language 
 of one who has described him, with "an acuteness of 
 mind that was marvellous, with a quickness of appre 
 hension and rapidity of thought never surpassed, and 
 with a power of analysis which, as if by the touch of the 
 magician, resolved the most complex objects into its 
 simple elements." 
 
 As a thinker he was as independent as he was cautious. 
 He bound himself to no school, and became the partisan 
 of no master. Nor was he simply an eclectic, ranging 
 through all schools, gathering up shreds of doctrine, and* 
 piecing them together as a parti-coloured robe. He ex 
 ercised his own judgment upon the greatest questions; 
 availing himself freely of other men s thoughts, but only 
 to stimulate and direct his own, and pushing forward 
 himself nearer to the ultimate goal. As expressed by a 
 friend, who writes of him : " The furnace heat of his own; 
 mind subjected everything, without fear or favour, to its 
 own crucible." "Alas!" writes another, "that death 
 should have taken him away just at the productive pe 
 riod ! The Aqua Eegia had dissolved the golden trea 
 sures of speculative theology and philosophy; but the 
 crystals seemed to separate painfully and slowly from the 
 
GENERAL REVIEW. 
 
 powerful reactions that kept the mass in constant agi 
 tation. The world will never know what he was by what 
 survives from the grave ! " 
 
 We append here a valuable paper, prepared, at the 
 writer s request, by the Rev. Dr. John L. Girardeau, of 
 Charleston, South Carolina, which indicates, with great 
 clearness and ability, the place which Dr. Thornwell oc 
 cupied in philosophy : 
 
 "You insist that I shall give you my conception of the place which 
 Dr. Thornwell occupied in philosophy. 
 
 " 1. It is not difficult to fix his general position. He emphatically 
 belonged to that class of thinkers who advocate what is known as the 
 Philosophy of Common Sense, in contradistinction from the class whom 
 he designates as Sensationalists. As both these classes hold that the 
 materials of knowledge are in part derived from contact with the external 
 world through sensation, they are distinguished from each other by the 
 affirmation or denial of the existence of certain primary intuitions, of 
 fundamental laws of belief, implicitly contained in the constitution of the 
 mind, which, brought into contact with the materials derived from the 
 external world, enable us to know. These the Sensationalists denied, 
 the other class affirm. As Dr. Thornwell steadily contended for them, 
 he must, of course, be assigned a place- among the advocates of the 
 Philosophy of Common Sense, as discriminated from either the pure, 
 or the moderate, Sensationalists. So far as the origin of knowledge is 
 concerned, he was no more a disciple of Locke, moderate as he was, than 
 of Coudillac and the French Encyclopaedists, who pushed the principles 
 of Locke to an extreme which he would have disavowed. He had a pro 
 found respect for the great English philosopher, and followed him up to 
 the point at which the principles of the Common Sense Philosophy com 
 pelled a departure from him. At that point he ceased to be a disciple, 
 and became an antagonist. 
 
 "2. In so far as Dr. Thornwell maintained the principles of the Common 
 Sense Philosophy, in opposition to the Sensationalists, he is in alliance 
 with the Absolute Ontologists of Germany and France. How is he to be 
 distinguished from them ? He himself answers the question. He divides 
 the class of Common Sense Philosophers into two schools : that of the 
 Rationalists, who not only make the fundamental laws of belief inde 
 pendent of experience for existence, but also for development; and 
 that of those philosophers who, admitting that these primary princi 
 ples are independent of experience for their existence, ground their 
 development in experience alone. This latter school he designates as 
 the School of Experience. He definitely claimed to belong to this 
 school. He utterly repudiates the view of the Rationalists, who 
 evolved from these fundamental laws of belief a Philosophy of the 
 
542 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORNWELL. 
 
 Absolute and Unconditioned. He maintained that these laws would lio 
 dormant and inoperative, were they not developed by the occasions 
 which are furnished in experience. But Kant, who, in his advocacy 
 of the ideas of pure reason, so far made common cause with the Ra 
 tionalists in their opposition to Sensationalism, utterly opposed their 
 ontological speculations. Dr. Thornwell, however, was not a disciple 
 of Kant in reference to the office discharged by the fundamental laws 
 of belief. Kant was a pure subjectivist. The certainty of existence for 
 which he contended was altogether subjective. The Scottish school, 
 on the other hand, found in the fundamental laws of belief vouchers 
 and guarantees for the real existence of the external world; they 
 grounded the objective certainty of knowledge in the subjective neces 
 sity of believing. This was Dr. ThornwelPs position. You are correct, 
 therefore, in assigning him, in the main, to the Scotch School of Phi 
 losophy. He must be regarded as belonging to that section 01 the 
 great School of Experience, which was represented by the Scotch meta 
 physicians, especially as it was expounded and corrected by the profound 
 analysis of -Sir William Hamilton. There are several considerations 
 which will vindicate this assignment of Dr. Thornw ell s place : 
 
 " 1. That he thoroughly agreed with the Scotch School, in their doc 
 trine as to the office of the fundamental beliefs and original concepts 
 which lie imbedded in our mental constitution, is evident from, tho 
 whole analogy of his expressed opinions, and from the special appro 
 bation which he pronounces upon Dugald Stewart s account of the re 
 lation of our primary beliefs to human knowledge. 
 
 "2. He definitely accepted the doctrine of the immediacy of our per 
 ception of the external world, the enouncement of which, it is con 
 ceded, was first clearly made by Eeid, and imparted to him and tho 
 philosophers who followed him their undisputed title to be considered 
 an original and distinctive school of philosophical thought. He not 
 only sympathized with this school in the explicit rejection of both tho 
 extremes pure materialism and pure idealism, but also in the aban 
 donment of the hypothesis which had so long been held by the great 
 majority of philosophers, that in external perception, a representative 
 image a vicarious mental modification mediates between the external 
 object and the percipient mind. He was, therefore, not even a hypo 
 thetical realist or (as that class of thinkers is sometimes termed) cosmo- 
 thetic idealist. But 
 
 "3. He was, like the great masters of the Scottish School, very clearly a 
 natural realist. Whatever may be thought as to the question, whether Eeid 
 was one or not and those who best knew his system decide that ho 
 was it is certain that Sir W. Hamilton, who was a pronounced ad 
 vocate of natural realism, assigned the maintenance of it to the school 
 of Eeid. And Dr. Thornwell was at one with it and Sir W. Hamilton, 
 in holding that, in the same concrete act of consciousness, there is an 
 affirmation alike of the real existence of the Ego, and the real existence 
 of the external world different, and yet inseparably related. 
 
GENERAL REVIEW. 543 
 
 "-{. He was thoroughly in sympathy with Hamilton in vindicating 
 the great distinction between presentative and representative knowledge. 
 He seems to agree with Hamilton in rejecting the doctrine of Reid, that 
 while we are immediately percipient of the external world, we are not, 
 in external perception, conscious of it. He held, with Hamilton, that, 
 in cases of immediate knowledge, we ore conscious of the object known, 
 as well as of the act of knowing. And so he appears to agree with the 
 same philosopher in maintaining that, in cases of mediate knowledge , 
 we are conscious only of the mediating image which is immediately 
 givea, and not of the distant object, or past event, which is mediately 
 given. To these special views he was probably led by his sympathy 
 with Hamilton, and his opposition to Reid, touching the nature of con 
 sciousness. Reid held that it is a special faculty, co-ordinate with the 
 other particular faculties. With Hamilton, Dr. Thornwell regarded con 
 sciousness as the generic condition of the exercise of all the faculties, 
 the fundamental form of all knowledge. In this agreement with Hamil 
 ton, he differed from Reid, Dugald Stewart, and Royer-Collard. 
 
 " 5. He was very strenuous in maintaining, with Hamilton, the doc 
 trine that all human knowledge is phenomenal and relative. He held, 
 with him, that substance is, in itself, unknowable ; that what we know 
 is the phenomenal manifestation the attribute or properties of sub 
 stance ; but that, at the same time, knowing these, we are impelled by a 
 necessary law of our mental constitution to affirm the existence of the 
 substance in which they inhere, and of which they are the manifestation. 
 It must be confessed that sometimes, in his lectures on theology, Dr. 
 Thornwell appears to deviate from this position. He rejects the absolute 
 incognoscibility of the Infinite, which he attributes to Hamilton. What 
 Hamilton held was, that we cannot conceive the Infinite by an act of the 
 thinking faculty we cannot cognize it ; but we are impelled to believe it, 
 by an act of immediate inference. We do not know it because we conceive 
 it ; we know it because we believe it. At times Dr. Thornwell seems to 
 affirm the Infinite as a positive datum of thought. But when his lan 
 guage is sifted, he appears to hold at bottom that a fundamental belief 
 is the guarantee of our knowledge of the Infinite. Dr. Thornwell does 
 not deny .Hamilton s faith as the ground of our knowledge of the In 
 finite ; Hamilton does not deny Dr. Thornwell s immediate inference by 
 intelligence from that primary belief that the Infinite exists. That in 
 which they seemed most to differ was the mode in which this inference 
 is necessitated. Hamilton found it in the impotence of the mind to 
 think an absolute commencement ; Thornwell, in a positive necessity of 
 the mind to think a First Cause, self-existent and necessary. [I am dis 
 posed to think that in the last analysis their difference is more apparent 
 than real.] 
 
 " 6. Dr. Thornwell held with the Scotch School, in their great postulate 
 that metaphysical inquiry be limited to the facts of consciousness, and 
 that these should be rigidly investigated according to the demands of 
 the Inductive Philosophy. So far he was in accord with them ; he re- 
 
544 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THOKNWELL. 
 
 jected utterly the methods of the transcendental Rationalists. But given 
 the facts of consciousness, he was prepared to evolve from them all that 
 could be legitimately inferred. He was therefore a moderate Ontologist, 
 with Hamilton and Mansell ; and intimated his dislike of the restrictive 
 psychological method by which some of the earlier Scotch metaphysicians 
 excluded the consideration of all ontological questions. While closely 
 adhering to the maxims of the School of Experience, he allowed himself 
 liberty, when the fundamental laws of belief are elicited into formal cog 
 nitions, to assume them as data upon which to ground legitimate specu 
 lation in regard to our relation to the universe of God ; always, however, 
 checking the progress of speculation by the admitted principle of the 
 phenonieuality and relativity of human knowledge. 
 
 " 7. With Hamilton, he rejected the distribution of the Kantians, who 
 distinguished between the understanding and the pure reason, and 
 make the latter the seat of transcendental ideas. The primary truths, 
 fundamental beliefs, for which the school to which he belonged con 
 tended, he assigned, with Hamilton, to the understanding. Reason and 
 the understanding they regarded as the same faculty, while they may 
 have admitted that the terms may sometimes be employed to emphasize 
 distinctive special operations of the same general faculty. At the same 
 time, with Hamilton, he admits the Kantian doctrine that space and 
 time are native conceptions of the mind, and, as such, conditions of all 
 .thinking, as to the space and time properties of matter, and not gene 
 ralization from experience. 
 
 " The point in which Dr. Thornwell seemed most seriously to differ 
 with Hamilton, was that at which philosophy and theology sit together to 
 investigate the question of Divine providence. Hamilton affirmed that 
 there is no conceivable medium between fatalism and chance ; Dr. 
 Thornwell denied. The latter enumerates, three hypotheses: That of 
 the Casualist, who asserts an absolute commencement ; that of the Fatal 
 ist, who asserts an infinite series of relative commencements ; that of the 
 Theist, who asserts a finite series of relative commencements, carried up 
 in the ascending scale to a necessary Being, at once Creator and Pre 
 server. He held that the extremes of casualisrn and fatalism are not 
 only inconceivable, but that they are self-contradictatory, and, there 
 fore, false. The hypothesis of theism he conceded to be also inconceiv 
 able, but he maintained that it is not self -contradictory, and that, upon 
 the principle of excluded middle, it must be true. 
 
 "It is obvious, from what has been adduced of his views, that Dr. 
 Thornwell affiliated more closely with Sir William Hamilton than with 
 .any other representative philosopher. At the same time, he was not a 
 partisan, who felt bound to fight for Hamilton s views, as he was not 
 altogether a debtor, who felt bound to acknowledge to his teachings his 
 .obligations for his philosophical doctrines. There were certain great dis 
 tinctions which were signalized by Hamilton, which Dr. Thornwell ex 
 pressly, though modestly, claims to have thought out for himself, before 
 he ever saw the speculations ^n ;re,gard to them of the illustrious Scots- 
 
GENERAL REVIEW. 545 
 
 man. So, in reference to conscience, he mentions that the Divine gov 
 ernment of Dr. McCosh had brought out views which he had before 
 held, and had it in mind to publish. Perhaps, to Dr. Thornwell is due 
 the first explicit euouncement of the great formula : the fundamental 
 laws of rectitude, implicitly contained in the conscience, sustain to it 
 the same relation which the fundamental laws of belief, implicitly con 
 tained in the understanding, sustain to it. 
 
 " He belonged to the same school with Hamilton. Along with him he 
 differed, in some points, from that school ; and in the exercise of the 
 same spirit of independent thought, he differed, in other points, with 
 the greatest of the Scottish philosophers himself : a man whom he had 
 likened to Aristotle in depth and acuteness, to Leibnitz in amplitude of 
 learning, and to Bacon in comprehensiveness of thought." 
 
 Dr. Thornwell s studies in philosophy were not lost 
 upon him as a THEOLOGIAN. If he sought to ascertain 
 the bounds of reason in the one, he was not likely to 
 transcend them in the other. Penetrated with the con 
 viction that God can be known only so far as He has been 
 pleased to reveal Himself, he bowed with perfect docility 
 before the dogmatic authority of the Scriptures. The writer 
 has heard him say a dozen times, " I have been cogitating 
 upon such and such a subject, and can see no flaw in my 
 reasoning, but I am gravelled with one verse in the 
 Bible;" and then he would add, with inexpressible sim 
 plicity, "You know, P., that if there is but one passage 
 of Scripture against us, our speculations must go to the 
 winds." In this were signalized at once the modesty of 
 the philosopher and the humility of the Christian. He 
 brought all his conclusions to this touch-stone; and 
 wherever he found a " thus saith the Lord," he ceased to 
 reason, and began to worship. He first sought, by care 
 ful exegesis, to ascertain *the meaning of God s word; 
 then to collate and classify, until he built up a systematic 
 theology. As the inductive philosopher ranges through 
 nature, collects his facts, and builds up his science, so the 
 theologian ranges up and down the inspired record, col 
 lects its doctrines as they are strewn in magnificent pro 
 fusion through the histories, poems, epistles and pro 
 phecies of the Bible; and in the same spirit of caution, 
 
546 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORNWELL. 
 
 constructs his .scheme of divinity. The system deduced 
 by our brother from this authoritative testimony was pre 
 cisely that articulately set forth in the Westminster stan 
 dards. It was, in his view, the only complete system which 
 a thorough and candid exposition could extract from the 
 Bible. By many, doubtless, he was regarded as extreme 
 in some of his theological views; a prejudice resulting, 
 perhaps, from the positive tone with which his convic 
 tions, like those of all earnest men, were announced, and 
 the fervid zeal with, which they were cherished and de 
 fended. Never was a prejudice more unfounded. His 
 examination was too cautious, and his knowledge w r as too 
 exact, to allow extravagance in any direction. His the 
 ology was uncommonly symmetrical in its proportions. 
 He knew the limitations upon any single doctrine, and 
 the relations of all in a common system, by which they 
 are checked and qualified. There could be no over 
 lapping; for every part was so sharply cut and defined, 
 and the articulations were so close, that, to a mind se 
 verely logical, they must all stand or fall together. We 
 think it doubtful if a single instance can be produced in 
 all his writings, or even his extemporaneous addresses, 
 of that extravagance in language which shocks a,pionf 
 ear, and by which the forcible-feeble so often attempt 
 to make the truth intense. Always earnest, indeed, he 
 was remarkably exact in his statements of doctrine ; cau 
 tious not to go beyond the clear testimony of the written 
 Word, and careful never to disturb the harmony between 
 the truths themselves, as constituent members of one sys 
 tem; and relying upon the simple majesty of the truth 
 to carry conviction to a loyal understanding. His discus 
 sions were exhaustive, bringing all the light of philosophy 
 to elucidate the principles of religion, which, as to their 
 substance, could only be derived by direct revelation 
 from Jehovah Himself. 
 
GENERAL REVIEW. 54-7 
 
 THE PREACHER. 
 
 We next turn to view Dr. Thornwell in THE PULPIT: 
 the ambassador of God to sinful men. From all that has 
 been said of his logical proclivity and scholastic training, 
 it may be rightly inferred that his preaching was ad 
 dressed predominantly, though not exclusively, to the 
 understanding. Looking upon man as a being of intelli 
 gence, and upon the truth as the instrument of sancti- 
 fication, he caused that truth to knock at the door of the 
 understanding until she was admitted and entertained. 
 He had a sublime faith in God s ordained method of 
 reaching the affections through the reclamation of His 
 Word. Eschewing all effort to work upon the superficial 
 emotions, or to play upon natural sympathies, he ad 
 dressed himself in earnest to present the whole truth of 
 God, and to discuss its fundamental principles before men. 
 His analytic power was fully displayed in the pulpit. 
 The clear statement of a case is often one-half of the 
 argument. Stripping his subject of all that was adven 
 titious, he laid bare to the eye the single principle upon 
 which it turned; so single and so bare, that the most un 
 trained were compelled to see precisely what was to be 
 elucidated. Then followed a course of argument, close, 
 logical, clear, profound, bending forward to one conclu 
 sion, towards which the hearer was carried, with his will 
 or against it, led captive in chains of logic that could no 
 where be broken. When the truth had won its way, and 
 the mind was brought into a state of complete submission, 
 the argument was gathered up in its weighty and practical 
 conclusions, and hurled upon the conscience, compelling 
 either the confession of guilt upon the one hand, or a 
 complete stultification of reason upon the other. These 
 appeals to the heart were often fearful in their solemnity; 
 all the more because based upon the previous assent of 
 the understanding. They were not mere exhortation, but 
 a judicial finding in the court of the hearer s own con 
 science. The preacher stood there as an attorney from 
 
54:8 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORNWELL. 
 
 heaven, to indict and prosecute the sinner. The pleading 
 has been heard ; the argument for his conviction has been 
 concluded; and the sinner only hears the sentence of con 
 demnation from its throne of judgment, echoing through 
 all the chambers of the soul. It was upon this plan most 
 of the discourses of this matchless preacher were formed. 
 It mattered little whether the exposition was of law or 
 grace ; there was the same enforcement of eternal and 
 immutable principles, and the same judicial finding of 
 guilt and shame, whether the offence was against the one 
 or the other. But though argumentative, he was not 
 polemic. Indeed, the current of his thought was too 
 rapid and vehement to pause and deal with impugners 
 and their, objections. It was like the Nile, swollen with 
 its mountain tributaries, and bursting through the sedge 
 which impedes its flow. He rightly judged, that to build 
 up truth in its positive form was the better way to re 
 move difficulties, which, in its light, soon appear as mere 
 impertinences. 
 
 But he was not thus exclusively argumentative. He 
 excelled in the exposition of Scripture ; and had he not 
 been the first of logicians, he might have been the first of 
 commentators. His analytical talent had room here for 
 all its play. It dealt little in dry, verbal criticism ; but 
 after a sufficient elucidation of the text, it seized the 
 great truths involved, and marshalled them in their due 
 subordination: a form of exposition particularly useful, 
 as presenting the Scriptures in their logical connexion 
 before the mind. His relations, too, as preacher to young 
 men, led him into much practical discourse upon the com 
 mon duties of life ; with the same exhibition of final prin 
 ciples, which, either as determining the nature of mo 
 rality, or as affording specific rules for the conduct, re 
 vealed the strong thinker and the practical moralist. 
 
 The feature most remarkable in this prince of pulpit 
 orators, was the rare union of rigorous logic with strong 
 emotion. He reasoned always, but never coldly. He 
 
GENERAL REVIEW. 549 
 
 did not present truth in what Bacon calls " the dry light 
 of the understanding;" clear, indeed, but without the 
 heat which warms and fructifies. Dr. Thornwell wove 
 his argument in fire. His mind warmed with the fric 
 tion of its own thoughts, and glowed witli the rapidity of 
 its own motion; and the speaker was borne along in what 
 seemed to others a chariot of flame. One must have lis 
 tened to him to form an adequate conception of what we 
 mean. Filled with the sublimity of his theme, and feel 
 ing in the depths of his soul its transcendent importance, 
 he could not preach the gospel of the grace of God with 
 the coldness of a philosopher. As the flood of his dis 
 course set in, one could perceive the ground swell from 
 beneath, the heaving tide of passionate emotion which 
 rolled it on. Kindling with a secret inspiration, his man 
 ner lost its slight constraint ; all angularity of gesture 
 and awkwardness of posture suddenly disappeared; the 
 spasmodic shaking of the head entirely ceased ; his slen 
 der form dilated; his deep black eye lost its drooping 
 expression ; the soul came and looked forth, lighting it 
 up with a strange brilliancy ; his frail body rocked and 
 trembled as under a divine afflatus, as though the impa 
 tient spirit would rend its tabernacle, and fly forth to God 
 and heaven upon the wings of his impassioned words ; 
 until his fiery eloquence, rising with the greatness of his 
 conceptions, burst upon the hearer in some grand climax, 
 overwhelming in its majesty, and resistless in its effect. 
 In all this there was no declamation, no "histrionic mum 
 mery," no straining for effect, nothing approaching to 
 rant. All was natural, the simple product of thought 
 and feeling wonderfully combined. One saw the whirl 
 wind, as it rose and gathered np the waters of the sea ; 
 saw it in its headlong course, and in the bursting of its 
 power. However vehement his passion, it was justified by 
 the thoughts which engendered it ; and in all the storm 
 of his eloquence, the genius of logic could be seen presid 
 ing over its elements, and guiding its course*. The hearer 
 
550 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THOKNWELL. 
 
 had just that sense o$!_ power, which power gives when 
 seen under a measure of restraint. The speaker s ful 
 ness was not exhausted; language only failed to convey 
 what was left behind. Xi 
 
 But this picture will be incomplete, if we fail to notice 
 the magnificent diction which formed the vesture of his 
 noble thoughts. "It is," says one, "the plumage of the 
 royal bird that bears him upward to the sun ; " and Dr. 
 Thornwell was far from being insensible to the power of 
 language. In his early life it had been an affectionate 
 study ; and in later years, it was his habit, before any 
 great public effort, to tone his style by reading a few 
 pages from some master in composition. Sometimes it 
 was a passage from Robert Hall, sometimes from Edward 
 Gibbon, sometimes of Edmund Burke, sometimes of glo 
 rious old Milton ; but oftener yet, he drank from that 
 old well of eloquence, Demosthenes for the Crown. His 
 spoken style was, however, unquestionably the result of 
 his life s study. His habits of close thinking exacted a 
 choice of words. We think in language, however un 
 conscious of the process. It is the only embodiment of 
 thought, without which we cannot represent it to our 
 selves. Style, therefore, is not so much cut and fitted to 
 the thought by artificial and secondary labour, as it is wo 
 ven by the thought in the course of its own development. 
 Hence the precision which uniformly characterized Dr. 
 Thornwell s style. He was, above other men, a close 
 thinker ; a thinker, who had daily to think his thoughts 
 aloud in the hearing of his pupils. The utmost exact 
 ness in language was required, moreover, in the studies 
 of his department. The subtle spirit of philosophy could 
 only be held as it was caught and imprisoned in the pre 
 cise word which fitted it ; and thus his whole career as a 
 teacher was a training for himself as a master in style. 
 In addition to all, his copious reading opened to him the 
 entire vocabulary of his native tongue. " Heading," says 
 Lord Bacon, " makes a full man ; writing, an exact man ; 
 
GENERAL REVIEW. 551 
 
 and speaking, a ready man." Dr. Thornwell was all three, 
 habitually and through a long life. .1 He read abundantly, 
 and in all directions; and acquired insensibly that copi 
 ousness which formed one of the attributes of his style. 
 But it was the union of precision with fulness which dis 
 tinguished his utterances. In the most rapid flow of his 
 speech, his diction was beyond impeachment. It was 
 always the right word for the thought, and the whole 
 vocabulary would not have furnished a substitute ; while 
 in the amplification of his thought, }iis mind, like a kalei- 
 descope, presented an endless variety of images, and the 
 same combination never palled by repetition. To this 
 precision and copiousness was addexLa certain richness of 
 expression, a courtliness of style, ^which can only be ex 
 plained by the majesty of the thought, that disdained to 
 appear in the dress of a clown. 
 
 To understand Dr. Thornwell s power, these several 
 elements must be combined :* his powerful logic, his pas 
 sionate emotion, his majestic style, of which it may be 
 said, as of Lord Brougham, that "he^wielded the club of 
 Hercules entwined with roses." This generation will 
 never look upon his like again; a single century cannot 
 -afford to produce his equal. It may lis.ten to much lucid 
 exposition, much close and powerful, reasoning, much 
 tender and earnest appeal, much beautiful and varied 
 imagery; but never from the lips of one man can it be 
 stirred by vigour of argument fused by a seraph s glow, 
 and pouring itself forth in strains which linger in the 
 memory like the chant of angels. The regret has been 
 expressed that his unwritten sermons had not been pre 
 served through the labours of a reporter. It is well the 
 
 *Kev. Nathaniel Hewitt, D. D., of Bridgeport, Connecticut, thus 
 speaks of him, founding his eulogium upon a sermon, published as 
 early as 1843: " Howe, Owen, and Kobert Hall, r.e-appear in him. The 
 philosophical acumen of Howe, the gospel unction of Owen, and the 
 rhetoric of Hall, unite in this discourse ; and, in my humble opinion, no 
 sermon has been produced in our country, in my day, in any pulpit, 
 equal to it/ 
 
552 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORN WELL. 
 
 attempt was never made. What invented symbols could 
 convey that kindling eye, those trembling and varied 
 tones, the expressive attitude, the foreshadowing and 
 typical gesture, the whole quivering frame, which made 
 up in him the complement of the finished orator ! The 
 lightning s flash, the fleecy clouds embroidered on the 
 sky, and the white crest of the ocean wave, surpass the 
 painter s skill. The orator must live through tradition;, 
 and to make this tradition, w r e have described one, of 
 whom it may be said, as once of Ebenezer Erskine, " He 
 that never heard him, never heard the gospel in its ma 
 jesty." 
 
 On special occasions, Dr. Thornwell sometimes com 
 mitted the mistake of projecting his discourse on too 
 large a scale. The consequent necessity of slurring over 
 some parts, and of omitting others, gave an air of incom 
 pleteness, and diminished the effect. His anxiety to seize 
 these opportunities for impressing broad views of trutli 
 led him to dwell upon generic principles, which involved 
 discussion more or less abstract; and this, with his ago 
 nistic fervour, imparted 1 an appearance of labour, in the 
 judgment of those who were unable to discriminate. We 
 remember a criticism of this sort, from an eminent lawyer, 
 after listening to one of his Commencement sermons :: 
 "He is, no doubt, a great man; but he seems to me to 
 labour in his thinking, as though the effort was oppres 
 sive." We ventured the foregoing explanation ; and sug 
 gested, as delicately as possible, that the labour might be- 
 in the hearer s effort to follow the course of thought,, 
 which was insensibly transferred to the speaker. The 
 suggestion was accepted, with a smile, as the true so 
 lution of the case. But, doubtless, the habits of his- 
 mind tended to this error. One of his fondest admirers- 
 writes: " My own opinion has ever been, that the great 
 preacher s only blemish, for a popular audience, was that 
 his somewhat long chains of reasoning, couched in phrase 
 ology somewhat too condensed and technical though 
 
GENERAL REVIEW. 553 
 
 natural to him from long- habit overshot very often the 
 weaker ones." Still it is astonishing how, even in these 
 cases, the impassioned fervour of his address bore the 
 audience along in sympathy with his emotions, if not 
 with his thoughts. To us Dr. Thornwell was always 
 greatest in his ordinary ministrations; when, under a 
 purely spiritual influence, he would often rise with his 
 theme, and pour forth utterances that seemed only less 
 than inspired. 
 
 As Dr. Thornwell never appeared in the pulpit with a 
 manuscript, nor with the smallest brief, it may be inte 
 resting to some to know by what discipline he trained 
 himself to such consummate excellence. This will be fur 
 nished in the sketch of a conversation with one of his 
 
 
 
 Seminary pupils. He writes : " It was my privilege once 
 to have Dr. Thornwell as a travelling companion from 
 Columbia to Charlotte, and we had a talk of some two or 
 three hours; some points of which I jotted down that 
 night on paper. We first talked of extemporaneous 
 preaching. The Doctor said that, as for the effect on the 
 audience, the manuscript bears no comparison; the very 
 presence of the paper is a barrier between the speaker 
 and the audience, which prevents full sympathy between 
 the two. It would be ridiculous for a man to rise with a 
 manuscript in the British House of Commons, or before 
 any audience where the object was to move. The style 
 ought to be earnest and natural. Figures introduced for 
 their beauty, and not for the assistance they render, are 
 contemptible. But whilst a man speaks thus, he ought to 
 write, as a general rule. Some few men may be excepted. 
 It was by writing, by re-writing, and by polishing many 
 of the finest passages, that Sheridan, Burke, Lord Chat 
 ham, and others, made themselves. It is astonishing 
 what labour they bestowed upon their productions. An 
 anecdote is told of Lord Brougham, that, when passing 
 through the country, a dinner was suddenly gotten up, 
 at which he delivered a powerful speech. When asked 
 
554: LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORNWELL. 
 
 how lie could produce such a speech on so short a notice, 
 he replied: C I had it all prepared some time ago, not 
 knowing when just such an occasion would demand it. 
 So it was with Mr. Calhoun, who bestowed intense study, 
 vast labour, upon his productions. 
 
 " Dr. Thornwell did not think, with some, that a man 
 ought to keep a blank book, which he is regularly filling 
 with compositions. It is a species of writing not suited 
 to improve one. It is better to elaborate the finer pas 
 sages of a particular address, which will tell upon the 
 writer with much greater effect. There is something re 
 markable n the facility with which one man will catch 
 another s man s mode of thinking. If, for example, we 
 undertake to imitate any one in his awkwardness, to 
 mimic his tones of voice and peculiar manner, we will 
 soon find that we are moulding our thoughts into a like 
 ness with his. So, a man brought up in good society 
 will catch the ease and bearing of a gentleman, without 
 trying to do it. The best thing, therefore, for a speaker, 
 is to take a few of the best authors and master them to 
 read, think, criticize, analyze them ; and he cannot help 
 pitching his thoughts upon an elevation with theirs. If 
 he were the teacher of sacred rhetoric, he would first 
 cause his pupils to master the principles of rhetoric in 
 Campbell, for instance; and then he would spend the 
 time in analyzing such works as those of Milton, Shakes 
 peare, Lord Bacon, and Hobert Hall. The man who does 
 this*is obliged to rise in the pitch of his thoughts. Some 
 men, by reading thus, and then by walking the floor, turn 
 ing their sentences over and over again, eliminating, revers 
 ing the order, and polishing, can at last have them entirely 
 accurate and finished, according to the maris ability / 
 and they will be so fixed in the memory that they can be 
 produced whenever the occasion demands. These men 
 can get along without writing, because, when the sentence 
 is ready for the paper, it is at the fingers ends, and there 
 is no necessity for writing it out. Such a man I believe 
 
GENERAL REVIEW. 555 
 
 9 
 
 myself to be. But my experience teaches me, that care 
 must be taken not to hammer out all the life of a pro 
 duction, so that, when you come to speak it, you will 
 have no animation. This can be avoided by not allowing 
 yourself too much time to do this thinking. Take, for 
 example, two days for a sermon, knowing that it must go 
 up in that time ; and you w r ill concentrate your powerv- of 
 thought, so as to complete the address before it is worn 
 out. Or it may be avoided thus: Make a sermon, then 
 lay it by for a month or two, and take it up with a few 
 hours study. The man who makes himself the slave of 
 the manuscript has to spend his spare time in the manual 
 labour of writing, and has no leisure to spend with these 
 authors. He compares himself only with himself, and 
 never improves. 
 
 " Dr. Thornwell said, he himself scarcely ever writes, 
 for two reasons : first, when he has a thing ready for the 
 paper, he is master of it. In his Lectures on Theology 
 written out because he may some day publish them no 
 corrections are made on the paper. And, secondly, be 
 cause, when anything goes down on paper, it so disgusts 
 him that he cannot endure it ; on the other hand, if it be 
 extempore, when spoken it is gone. He never goes into 
 the pulpit without knowing every point. The intro 
 ductory sentences and the exposition are prepared to a 
 word; after that, he only prepares thoroughly the divi 
 sions, sub-divisions, illustrations, and points. The exact 
 language is- not premeditated, unless it be on a point 
 where great accuracy is required, or in the finer passages 
 of the sermon. He does not now pay less attention to 
 minutise, because of his experience. The above was his 
 plan from the beginning. 
 
 "As to the increased facility in making sermons gained 
 by practice, it is only this : that, if you are a thinker, you 
 will have materials cut and dried. Dr. Thornwell fre 
 quently does what some folks call making a sermon in an 
 hour, or in fifteen minutes; but it is only selecting and 
 
556 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORNWELL. 
 
 9 
 
 arranging, for present use, materials long since thought 
 out and laid aside. So that, when he is asked how long 
 it takes him to make a sermon, he replies that he lias 
 been making every sermon which he preaches all his life. 
 In regard to making an apology for a sermon, he never 
 did it in his life ; though he has often felt that one was 
 
 - O 
 
 needed. Some one has said that an apology always 
 stinks ; it does savour very strongly of human pride. He 
 frequently feels miserable after a sermon, considering it 
 a failure, even when the congregation does not agree with 
 him in the estimate. Several years ago, he was travelling 
 near Yorkville; came to a sacramental meeting, and 
 preached a sermon, than which he never preached a 
 meaner in his life; got on his horse, and sneaked away, 
 that he might see nobody. Two years afterward, he was 
 passing over the same ground ; came to the same place at 
 another sacramental meeting; when two persons came 
 forward to unite with the church, who traced their con 
 victions to that abominable sermon, which, he still 
 thought, was the poorest of his life. 
 
 " Upon the question, whether a town or country charge 
 was the best for study, he remarked that, if a man had 
 the love for study which would lead him to redeem the 
 time, the country church was best. But there are few 
 men who w r ill study except under pressure. Rubbing 
 against people keeps one alive; less time is required for 
 pastoral visiting in town, and when a visitor calls, you can 
 excuse yourself; whereas, in the country, you have to sit 
 with him and eat your thumbs a whole day, even if boredi 
 to death. Hence the town church is best." 
 
 However true these remarks may be, as applied to- 
 preaching generally, the Church has reason to mourn the 
 loss of much that she would have prized, from the ability 
 which Dr. Thornwell possessed of carrying his thoughts- 
 locked up in his own mind; and still more from that 
 hyper-criticism which censured, with such morbid sever 
 ity, what he did write. As an illustration, we recite what 
 
GENERAL REVIEW. 557 
 
 is told by one of his most distinguished pupils: "I re 
 member calling upon him for the manuscript of a lecture 
 on the Evidences; which, as a summary of the argument 
 for Christianity, based upon man s necessities on the one 
 hand, and upon God s personality and character, sug 
 gested by the analogue of human parentage, on the other, 
 surpassed all that I have ever met with outside of Butler. 
 It was a masterly discussion of the anti-supernatural po 
 sition of the Oxford Essays, upon the model of c Pascal s- 
 Thoughts, as he told us. When I asked for the manuscript, 
 he playfully replied : Why, B., I am astonished at you; 
 you really do not wish to have anymore of that stuff! I 
 put it into the grate as soon as I got home, and was; 
 ashamed to have kept the class listening for an hour and 
 a half to it. In the perfect freedom which his gentleness 
 inspired, I responded earnestly : Then, Dr. Thornwell, 
 you have done very wrong; for you will die one of these 
 days, and deprive us of help which we know by experience 
 does us great service. I then glanced uneasily at his 
 face, fearing that perhaps I had spoken too pertly. But 
 the quizzical smile had faded away, the spirit of banter 
 had given place to serious reflection. He remained silent; 
 and I have since thought that the impulsive words of a 
 mere stripling had revealed, for a moment, more clearly 
 than usual, the most developed weakness of his mind." 
 To the same morbid sensitiveness we owe the loss of 
 several of his written discourses, destroyed by his own 
 hand. One, for example, upon the Flood, and another 
 vipon the Final Judgment, executed with such fearful 
 power of description, that they were never delivered 
 without moving the audience to the depths of the souL 
 
 THE PRESBYTER. 
 
 We transfer Dr. Thornwell next to the CHURCH COURTS, 
 and view him as the ECCLESIASTICAL STATESMAN. It may 
 seem paradoxical to present this man of the closet as the 
 wisest of practical counsellors. Yet the combination is- 
 
558 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORNWELL. 
 
 not unexampled. Paul, the writer and logician among 
 the apostles, was, above them all, the man of action. He 
 had upon him the care of all the churches, and was not 
 inferior to the practical James in executive direction. 
 Calvin, the great theologian and expositor of the Refor 
 mation, bore upon his shoulders the whole weight of the 
 Genevan State. So solid was his judgment, that all por 
 tions of the Reformed Church turned to him for advice ; 
 and the burden of his correspondence alone would have 
 overwhelmed any ordinary man. Thus it was with him 
 to whose memory these pages are consecrated. In every 
 sphere in which he moved, whether as Professor in the 
 College Faculty, or as Trustee in its Board of Administra 
 tion, or in the broader area of an ecclesiastical council, he 
 was remarked for his practical good sense, and became a 
 leader among equals. 
 
 One secret of this is found in the fact, that his princi 
 ples of action were all settled. They were not left to be 
 gathered up in the hurry of an emergency, amid the dust 
 and strife of debate. They were antecedently determined, 
 and no temptation could induce him to swerve from their 
 maintenance. ISTo man was ever less under the guidance 
 of n.ere expediency than he, whether the question related 
 to the private intercourse of man with man, or ranged 
 upon a higher scale in matters in public policy. None 
 saw more clearly that so shifting a rule as that of expe 
 diency could never prescribe an even or consistent course. 
 He fixed therefore for himself, finally and for ever, the 
 great principles of private and public morality, and these 
 were his guides through every labyrinth of doubt. In 
 this is found the capital distinction between the states 
 man and the politician : the one starts out with catholic 
 and fundamental principles, which determine his entire 
 course; the other floats upon the current of events, is 
 borne off into every eddy, and reflects little else but 
 the changef ulness of popular opinion. The former may 
 sometimes err in the application of his canons to partic- 
 
GENERAL REVIEW. 559 
 
 ular cases ; but he has the means of correcting his own 
 aberrations, and will preserve a manly consistency through 
 all the changes of a public career. 
 
 Another element of Dr. Thorn well s influence in coun 
 cil lay in the caution with which all his particular judg 
 ments were formed; waiting for a full rendering of all 
 the facts, and suspending his opinion until the case had 
 been considered on every side. Even in the intimacy of 
 private life, this cautiousness was preserved. An innate 
 sense of justice, and rare integrity of heart, served to 
 check a premature expression. Thus, he was seldom 
 obliged to retract his judgments. He was kept both 
 from the weakness of vacillation, and from the criminal 
 obstinacy of adhering to opinions which ought to be 
 yielded. Public confidence was challenged by this pru 
 dence, which had its spring alike in the dictates of wis 
 dom and propriety. He found an advantage, too, in the 
 rapidity of his mental operations, sweeping him on to 
 his conclusions in advance of others. His wonderful 
 power of analysis resolved complexities in which others 
 were entangled; and whilst they were searching for the 
 clue by which to extricate themselves, he had already 
 seized the ultimate principle which unravelled all diffi 
 culties, and settled every doubt. ISTor should we omit, 
 in this enumeration, a certain positiveness of mind, which 
 lifted him above the danger of indecision, and, by a sort 
 of internal necessity, compelled a judgment upon every 
 issue. It is the infirmity of some minds to be always tremb 
 ling upon the balance, incapable of deciding whether to 
 descend upon this side or upon that, of every question. 
 These are the unfortunate incapables who swell the list 
 of non-liquets on the records of our Church courts; or 
 who, in their desperation, leap blindly upon a vote, as a 
 man leaps from a railway train, not knowing whether he 
 will land upon a bed of sand, or upon a brake of thorns. 
 On the contrary, every deliberative body reVeals exam 
 ples of men who, by their greater positiveness of mind 
 
;560 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THOENWELL. 
 
 .and character, lead those superior to them in ability and 
 general attainments: men in whom strength of will 
 stands in the stead of intellectual power. In a body of 
 counsellors, the ready always lead the unready. From 
 this imbecility Dr. Thornwell was perfectly free. In 
 every situation he could but think ; if difficulties embar 
 rassed the case, he thought with the more intensity; but 
 he always thought to a conclusion. If he was cautious 
 in framing his judgment, his convictions were neverthe 
 less matured; and so he always led. 
 
 A notable illustration of this penetrative quality of 
 mind, and of the command it gave him at times over a 
 deliberative body, is mentioned by one who sat with him 
 in the- Assembly of 1856. A judicial case came up, 
 wrapped in technicalities. The Assembly got into a 
 perfect tangle over it. No ten members agreed in any 
 one view. Motions, amendments, and substitutes were 
 piled upon each other in beautiful disorder. The rulings 
 ,of the chair were objected to and appealed from, and 
 .chaos reigned supreme. After consuming three daily 
 sessions, the house must dispose of it. "What is the 
 question?" was asked by a dozen voices. It was stated 
 by the Chair. Then a dozen voices inquired as to the 
 effect of this motion, and of that. All was at sea again. 
 Through the whole of this, Dr. Thornwell sat half-hidden 
 under the gallery of the church, with his feet drawn up 
 on the seat, apparently unconcerned and unconscious of* 
 the hubbub around him. At length, in the moment of 
 .extremity, he stepped forth into the aisle, and in ten min 
 utes went through the case, unravelling the whole, tangle ; 
 and concluded by offering an amendment covering his 
 views, which was instantly accepted, and unanimously 
 .carried. The vexed question was disposed of to the sat 
 isfaction of the house, and there was a great calm. It 
 was but one of many instances of the clearness of his logi- 
 ,cal processes applied to practical life. 
 
 But the moral quality which jnore than all contributed 
 
GENERAL REVIEW. 561 
 
 to his vast influence, was the transparent honesty of his 
 heart. He was no intriguer; had no by-ends to accom 
 plish; never worked by indirection. His heart was in his 
 hand, and every man could read it. When he rose in 
 -debate, his very tone seemed to say, " I believed, there 
 fore I have spoken." None doubted his sincerity, or 
 suspected a trap to catch the unwary. Straightforward 
 himself, he dealt honestly with his colleagues ; and if he 
 could not cary his point by fair argument, he was content 
 to fail. Winning confidence thus by his manly and truth 
 ful bearing, his reasoning met with little resistance, either 
 of resentment or prejudice, and seldom succumbed under 
 defeat. 
 
 For all the duties of a churchman, Dr. Thornwell was 
 perfectly equipped. He had sifted the controversies 
 which, through eighteen centuries, have been waged, 
 touching the organization of the Church, and understood 
 the principles which are fundamental to her existence. 
 He had studied with care the constitution of his own 
 Church, from those great truths which underlie her whole 
 polity, down to the rules of order for her internal man 
 agement; and no man ever surpassed him as an expounder 
 of her laws. Believing firmly in tlicjus divinum of Pres- 
 byterianism, he was yet no bigot in no sense of the word 
 a sectary. The last sermon he was permitted to preach 
 was delivered in a Methodist church ; and the last prayer- 
 meeting in which he took a part, was a united prayer- 
 meeting on behalf of the country. He was also versed 
 in those Parliamentary rules by which deliberative assem 
 blies are usually governed; and was thus fitted, on every 
 hand, to be a guide in ecclesiastical councils. Over the en- 
 tire Church he wielded the influence, though not clothed 
 with the authority, of an acknowledged primate. The 
 Church signalized her appreciation of his abilities, not 
 only by conferring upon him her highest honour, that of 
 presiding over her supreme court, but still more by call 
 ing him to the most responsible and difficult duties in all 
 
562 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORNWELL. 
 
 her Assemblies. Before the rupture of our ecclesiastical 
 bonds, the delicate task of revising her Code of Disci 
 pline was placed chiefly in his hands. And in his death, 
 the Church was called, not only to mourn the loss of her 
 greatest theologian and preacher, but the removal from 
 her councils of her wisest statesman. 
 
 THE CHRISTIAN AND THE MAN. 
 
 Our survey will be complete when we shall have viewed 
 him as a CHRISTIAN and a MAN. As to the former, it will 
 suffice to say, that the type of his theology was the type 
 of his experience. He was not the man to divorce the 
 understanding from the heart. He concurred with the 
 Reformers in their definition of true faith, which, as 
 Calvin says, "is not formed by the addition of pious af 
 fection as an accessory to assent, but the assent itself 
 consists in pious affection." Those, therefore, miscon 
 ceived him, who construed his religion as one of stern 
 principle, separate from the affections. His life illus 
 trated the union of both, in " the faith which worketh by 
 love." The same strong views which the theologian held 
 upon the nature of sin, bowed the Christian in penitential 
 grief before the Redeemer s cross; the same clear expo 
 sition given by the one of man s helplessness and ruin, 
 cast the other upon the infinite power and riches of Divine 
 grace ; the same discovery of the sufficiency of the atone 
 ment, that made this the centre from which the preacher s 
 discourses all radiate, led the believer to throw the arms 
 of his affection around the Saviour with rapturous de 
 light; the same conviction of the necessity of a Divine 
 revelation, which led the apologist to defend its inspi 
 ration, bowed also his reason into the docility of a child 
 before its teachings ; the same recognition of God s right 
 ful supremacy, which, in the class-room, placed the crown 
 of dominion upon "the King of kings," sustained the 
 afflicted saint in the hour of bereavement, and filled him 
 with awe as he passed beneath the rod ; the same intelli- 
 
GENERAL REVIEW. 563 
 
 gence which owned the majesty of the divine law, brought 
 the will into subjection to its commands; the same view 
 of the resistless operations of the Holy Spirit, invoked 
 His aid in the work of personal sanctification ; and the 
 same sense of the nature and functions of the Church of 
 God, engaged him with his whole heart in her sublime 
 efforts to evangelize the world. In short, an exquisite 
 harmony obtained between his secret exercises and his pub 
 lic utterances. There was no conflict between his preach 
 ing and his prayers. It was not one man in the class-room 
 with his pupils, and another man in the closet with his 
 God; but a beautiful consistency ran through his char 
 acter, both as a teacher and a Christian. 
 
 We only state the great law of the Christian life, when 
 we speak of growth : first the blade, and then the full 
 corn in the ear. Dr. Thornwell ripened in holiness to 
 the hour of his translation. His humility became more 
 profound, his faith more abiding, his love more glowing, 
 his will chastened into deeper submission. He did not 
 escape the discipline of sorrow, by which the Lord 
 refines His people. The cup of bereavement, witli its 
 bitterest ingredients, was once and again put to his 
 lips. A delightful softness was diffused over his Christian 
 character. The sharper and sterner features were worn 
 down into more perfect symmetry and grace. He became 
 more gentle in his censures, more catholic in his love. 
 His views of the Divine holiness, and of the Redeemer s 
 glory, were always grand ; they now became more adoring. 
 He rose above the speculations of reason, into the region of 
 pure and spiritual worship. But we suspend here our 
 own description, and give place to a touching tribute to 
 his memory, from one who had the privilege of being 
 associated with him, first as a student, and then for a 
 short time as a co-pastor, the Rev. Francis P. Mullally. 
 He writes: 
 
 My first impression of Dr. Thornwell was not pleasant. Even in the 
 pulpit, his voice, gesticulation, and whole bearing, were at first repulsive 
 
564: LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORNWELL. 
 
 to me. But as I learned to follow his glowing logic, and to appreciate 
 Ms mighty thoughts, I came so to admire him, in every respect, that, 
 when I began to preach, I found it hard to guard against an unconscious 
 imitation of his manner. 
 
 "Although no other man ever so impressed me with the sense of his 
 greatness, yet I never felt cowed or depressed by his presence. On the 
 contrary, his instruction, and preaching, and conversation, were wont to 
 inspire me with a courage, and energy, and vigour not my own. This 
 is the more remarkable, because the effect of the great superiority of 
 other men has ever been the opposite in my case. But even when 
 preaching before him, so sure was I of his sympathy, that his eye con 
 veyed strength into my soul. 
 
 "Dr. Thornwell s influence over me exceeds what I would have be 
 lieved to be possible on the part of any merely human being, had I not 
 actually come under it. I have never made a mental effort since I en 
 tered the ministry, without being consciously indebted to him ; never 
 analyzed a chapter, without recalling his instruction ; never made an 
 important judgment, without applying some principle taught by him. 
 He seems to live as vividly, distinctly, and potently, in my soul, at every 
 moment, as if we had parted but an hour before. My memory s photo 
 graph of the home of my childhood is not more minute in detail than are 
 its pictures of the scenes and events of my life connected with Dr. 
 Thornwell. 
 
 "As a philosopher, he was greater in conversation than on paper. I 
 believe it was impossible to surprise him on any subject of thought con 
 nected with man s political, social, and spiritual interests. Within this 
 wide domain, he seemed not only to have read, but digested and sifted, 
 everything ever written, from the origin of literature to his own day. 
 Yet, though indebted to all philosophers, he followed none. His intuitive 
 convictions, moral and logical, were strong. He made speculative opinion 
 a matter of conscience. He was pre-eminently single-minded. He loved 
 the truth, as no miser ever loved gold loved it for its own sake. Hence 
 the result of his reading was not a mere acquaintance with what men 
 had thought and said, but increased power in his own conscience, and in 
 all the faculties of his soul ; also the formation of opinions for himself, 
 the completion of distinct and settled judgments by his own mind, in 
 view of all that had been said on the particular subject. His utterances 
 often indicated the range of his reading, but not by any slavish adoption 
 of other men s thoughts. His use of books, whether he expressly quoted 
 from them or not, showed that, while he read in the spirit of humble 
 inquiry, he read also as a master of the art of thinking, and as an expert 
 in the exchequer of truth. But the spring of his greatness as a philo 
 sopher was the strength of the intuitive convictions of his soul. To this, 
 more than to genius or study, he owed his power as a teacher of philo 
 sophy and religion. My knowledge of him would suffice to convince me 
 that a true heart is necessary to the development and growth of mental 
 greatness. 
 
GENERAL REVIEW. 565 
 
 "Among the things by which Dr. Thornwell was distinguished, to me, 
 his respect for his fellow men was not the least remarkable. He hon 
 oured all men ; respected man as man ; reverenced mind, in whatever 
 form or stage of progress it appeared. I never knew him to interrupt 
 a student while endeavouring, or even pretending, to answer a question. 
 The response might be no matter how far from the point, or blunder 
 ing; might evidently invite interruption as a means of escape from 
 painful exposure ; yet would it have his unrippled attention till it came 
 to a close. Once, in giving an analysis of Calvin s chapters on the Me 
 diatorial Person, I made a mistake in a point at the very outset. An 
 other would have stopped me right there ; but he, giving no indication 
 of my mishap, heard me throxigh, with a charming expression of inter 
 est in his face ; and then, kindly showing his gratification at my success, 
 took me back to the one misapprehended point. This way of dealing 
 with young men was of manifold benefit in its effects. It encouraged 
 independent thinking, gave opportunity for the play of generous emu 
 lation and love of praise, rebuked pretense, and exposed idleness. 
 
 "In our co-pastorate he manifested the same trait very fully. He 
 always made me feel that he gave any views presented by me as much 
 attention as if they had been urged in person by the most distinguished 
 and experienced Presbyter in the land. Probably the best exemplification 
 of this was his yielding to me, in reference to a form for the admission of 
 converts into the Church which he had prepared, to the extent of erasing 
 more than half the questions -it originally contained. What made this the 
 more remarkable was, that he had undertaken to defend the propriety 
 of asking such questions, and that he gave way after we. had debated 
 the matter. Though he had the strength of a giant, he did not use it 
 as a giant. 
 
 "Dr. Thornwell did not despise the verdict of public opinion. He 
 felt that the decisions of the human mind, formed apart from selfish 
 ness and prejudice, were apt to be in accordance with the views of God. 
 He even held that, generally, the students were the best judges of the 
 ability of the professor, and the congregation of the qualifications of 
 the preacher. Hence he was far from being indifferent to the judgment 
 upon himself. On the contrary, he desired to know what impression he 
 had made, and derived pleasure from the approbation and gratitude of 
 his hearers. Indeed, he was too humble to disregard what others said 
 of him. On the other hand, no man yielded less to the fear of opinions 
 growing out of enmity to God, love of sin, prejudice, or self-seeking. 
 If he ever manifested any harshness, it was when brought in contact with 
 states of mind thus originated. 
 
 "Probably the controlling element of his religious character was rev 
 erence for God. It was under the influence of this sentiment that he 
 uttered the most thrilling denunciations of sin ; that the cross inspired 
 his noblest strains of eloquence ; that his soul was wrapt in wonder at 
 the love, humiliation, and condescension of the Trinity, in the purpose, 
 execution, and application of redemption ; and it was this that gave the 
 
566 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THORN WELL. 
 
 promises of the gospel their highest preciousness to his heart. He was 
 emphatically a worshipper ; not an admirer merely, but a worshipper of 
 God in the fullest sense of the word. To him happiness lay in com 
 munion with God, and in working for God. Of the two great departments 
 of human work, the receptive and the distributive, it is hard to say in 
 which he took the most delight, or was the most successful. He received 
 eagerly, that he might give largely ; and in giving, he seemed to open 
 inestimable treasures of truth in the fathomless depths of his soul. 
 Unwearied as he was in investigating, faithful and judicious in appro 
 priating, original and vigorous in creating, he was as disinterested and 
 cordial in distributing the results of his individual efforts, made precious 
 by the impress of his own nature, and by being set off with gems taken 
 from the abyss of his own mighty mind. Dr. Thornwell was great as a 
 receiver, great, as a giver, and great in his profound humility before 
 God. 
 
 "The only discovery he made in the pulpit of his wonderful attain 
 ments in metaphysics and logic, was by the superior force and clear 
 ness with which he expounded the Scriptures, and presented gospel 
 truth. His subjects, and his treatment of them, were always evangeli 
 cal and Pauline. No man ever more fully placed the cross between 
 himself and the audience than he. In my intercourse with him, as 
 a student and a co-pastor, his treatment of me was always that of a 
 most affectionate father, with one exception : this was a continued 
 protest against my consideration of his greatness, in the division of 
 labour and responsibility. Only by a stubborn refusal on my part 
 to have it otherwise, was he compelled to occupy the pulpit every 
 Sabbath morning. It was a sad, sad day to me, when, with words 
 of kind commendation, he left me alone in charge of a church which 
 had been most highly privileged. Scarcely could I feel the burden of 
 grief to be heavier in the day I heard that Dr. Thornwell was dead." 
 
 In personal appearance, Dr. Thornwell was of medium 
 stature, of spare habit, with a forehead well developed, 
 but not ample; the features of his face small, and with a 
 carriage of the body rather marked by negligence than 
 grace. His presence could not be described as com- 
 maiiding; yet he would have been singled out from a 
 convention of men, even by a careless observer. His 
 soft black hair, falling smoothly over his brow; his re 
 deeming eye, deep-set and black, and capable of the ut 
 most intensity of expression; and a certain air of ab 
 straction upon his countenance; all denoted a man who 
 was to be separated from others. When in repose, there 
 
GENERAL REVIEW. 567 
 
 was a drooping of the eye-lids that lent a dreamy aspect 
 to his face ; but even then the eye would peer forth from 
 the overhanging eaves with a witchery that strangely 
 fascinated. But when in full mental action, rising to a 
 climax in his discourse, his lithe form expanded and 
 quivered, the eye sparkled with a gleam such as the soul 
 alone cart give, which riveted the gaze, until, through its 
 liquid depths, you seemed to go down into the cavern of 
 his spirit, from which the unearthly fire came that lit it 
 up as an orb before you. In manner, he was quiet and 
 unassuming, with none of that artificial dignity which 
 needs a page behind it to hold up its trail, but artless 
 and free as childhood itself in his intercourse with men. 
 
 The retirement of scholastic life, and the boundless re 
 sources he had within himself, withdrew him, in large 
 measure, from general intercourse with society. His 
 official relations sometimes forced him from this seclu 
 sion, and his valuable counsels were sought by many; 
 yet he did not ordinarily put himself forth to seek com 
 munion with the bustlino- world around him. Thou<rh 
 
 O D 
 
 by no means an ascetic, and with warm sympathies, tak 
 ing hold upon life on every side, he was singularly un 
 obtrusive, and waited for the occasion which should draw 
 him out. Whoever desired, might freely approach him, 
 sure of never being repelled from his presence. To 
 strangers he was always reserved, unless known to him 
 by reputation, or endorsed by the commendation of mu 
 tual friends. This, however, was only to allow the 
 opportunity of taking their measure, and ascertaining 
 whether they would be congenial or otherwise. If the 
 impression was favourable, the coldness of mere polite 
 ness kindled into the warmth of friendship, and his heart 
 went out with his hand. He was never influenced by the 
 artificial distinctions of society. A man was a man to 
 him, whatever his station in life might be. He looked 
 beneath the stamp of the guinea, to the metal of which 
 it was made. Modesty, humility, sincerity, were quali- 
 
568 LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THOKNWELL. 
 
 ties that always attracted, whilst pretension and self- 
 conceit instantly repelled. He enjoyed the encomiums 
 of his friends, in whose sincerity he confided; but the 
 slightest approach to flattery or sycophancy filled him 
 with disgust. He was, therefore, tolerant of other men s 
 opinions. His own independence of thought, and sincere 
 love of truth, caused him to respect the rights of others in 
 this regard ; and though exceedingly pronounced in the 
 statement of his own convictions, no man was freer from 
 dogmatism, in the offensive sense of that term. Of course, 
 one so intense as he could not be wholly independent of 
 his prejudices; and some allowance had to be made, on 
 this account, as to his judgments of men. Upon abstract 
 questions of truth and duty, he could be safely relied on ; 
 but he was so far swayed by his affections, that he was 
 prone to overestimate those whom he loved; and per 
 haps, in a corresponding degree, to depreciate those 
 whom he did not fancy. But he was incapable of any 
 intentional injustice, even in his thought. 
 
 In general society, for which he had a confessed aver 
 sion, he was thoughtful and silent, rather than commu 
 nicative. But in the circle of his friends, and in the 
 bosom of his family, he revealed his whole nature. En 
 dowed with rare conversational powers, he emptied his 
 stores of learning, and discussed his favourite topics in 
 philosophy; or dived into the mysteries of religion, and 
 uttered the experiences of his own heart ; or else, de 
 scending from these graver themes, he sported in banter 
 and jest, abounded in repartee, and diffused the glow of 
 his genial humour. Full of anecdote, and fond of badi 
 nage, his lighter conversation sparkled with wit, pushed, 
 sometimes, to excess, unless it were recognized as the 
 recreation of a mind that needed to unbend itself, and 
 which found refreshment only in the easier play of its own 
 powers. He was an inveterate tease, but only of those 
 whom he loved. It was with him an unfailing mark of 
 confiding friendship. Those whom he disliked, he treated 
 
GENERAL REVIEW. 569 
 
 with distant politeness, but those honoured with his es 
 teem were bound to enter the lists with him in many a 
 fencing match. Sometimes he was not understood: some- 
 
 O s 
 
 times the jest was carried too far. But if feelings were 
 ever wounded, the amende honourable was always so cor 
 dial as to restore good fellowship at once. A little inci 
 dent will serve to illustrate both traits. Having referred 
 in a lecture to " Kant s Critique of Pure Reason," a mem 
 ber of the class immediately purchased a translation of 
 the book. After puzzling over it for a night, and finding 
 that it spake nothing to him, he sold it at a discount to 
 another student; and thus it passed in quick succession 
 to several owners, finally at less than half the cost. Dr. 
 Thornwell enjoyed the story hugely. Meeting the first 
 
 purchaser he accosted him : " Well, Brother , it 
 
 took me weeks of hard study to master Kant, but 1 un 
 derstand you got through with him in a single night." 
 Stumbling then upon the last purchaser, he exclaimed, 
 
 "Well, Brother , I suppose the next thing we 
 
 shall hear of Kant, will be that you have sold him to old 
 man Jack," (the bell-ringer.) This was a little too hard. 
 He did not pause to think that the raillery had now put 
 on the biting edge of satire. But as soon as informed of 
 the pain he had inflicted, he went instantly and plucked 
 out the sting by the assurance that it was only meant as 
 a piece of good-humoured pleasantry. 
 
 Dr. Thornwell s affections were warm and endearing. 
 Lifted by his own greatness above the temptation to jeal 
 ousy, he rejoiced in the promotion of others. Generous 
 in all his instincts, there was no sacrifice he would not 
 make for his friends. Indulgent to his own household, 
 he sought to make life s path less rugged to their feet by 
 smoothing over every disappointment, not permitting 
 them to be corroded by the anxieties of earth. Cherish 
 ing in his own soul the utmost loyalty to truth, and cer 
 tain of her ultimate triumph, he was not soured when 
 thwarted in his plans. In this way, the dew of his youth 
 
5 TO LIFE OF JAMES HENLEY THOENWELL. 
 
 was never exhaled. He remained elastic and fresh to 
 the last, no generous sentiment or instinct of his nature 
 being withered by age. With such attributes, he had 
 the power of all truly gieat men, of magnetizing those 
 brought under his influence; and it must have been a 
 very strong, or a very feeble nature, that did not yield to 
 his attraction. He bound his friends to him by cords of 
 love, which death itself has been unequal to break. 
 
 "He was one, 
 
 The truest mannered ; such a holy witch, 
 That he enchants societies unto him j 
 Half all men s hearts were his." 
 
 Such w r as the man whom the Church of God has not 
 yet ceased to mourn; such a man as Mr. Carlyle de 
 scribes, "a great thinker, who taught other men his way 
 of thought, and spread the shadow of his own likeness 
 over sections of the world s history." One so brave, so 
 generous, so true, that admiration for his genius was lost 
 in affection for the man. Alas ! that death should have 
 power to crush out such a life ! Should an epitaph be 
 needed for his tomb, it might be inscribed in the lines 
 of .^Eschylus : 
 
 0[) yap doxetv aptaroz, cU/ ^elvat OeAsc. 
 iv aXoxa dtcf. 
 
 TCI 
 
APPENDIX. 
 
APPENDIX. 
 
 No. I. 
 CEITICAL NOTICE. 
 
 EVILS or DISUNION : A Discourse, delivered on Thanksgiving Day, De 
 cember 12, 1850. By EGBERT DAVIDSON, D. D., Pastor of the First 
 Presbyterian Church, New Brunswick, N. J. J. Terhune & Son ; 
 1850 ; pp. 15. 
 
 THE AMEKICAN UNION : A Discourse, delivered on Thursday, December 
 12, 1850, the Day of the Annual Thanksgiving in Pennsylvania : and 
 repeated on Sunday, December 15, in the Tenth Presbyterian Church, 
 Philadelphia. By HENRY A. BOARDMAN, D. D. Third thousand. Phila 
 delphia : Lippincott, Grambo & Co. , successors to Grigg, Elliott & Co. ; 
 1851 ; pp. 56. 
 
 THE AMERICAN CITIZEN : A Discourse on the Nature and Extent of our 
 Religious Subjection to the Government under which we live ; includ 
 ing an Inquiry into the Scriptural Authority of that Provision of the 
 Constitution of the United States which requires the Surrender of 
 Fugitive Slaves. Delivered in the Rutgers Street Presbyterian Church, 
 in the city of New York, on Thanksgiving Day, December 12, 1850; 
 and afterwards, at their request, as a Lecture before the Young Men s 
 Associations of Albany and Waterford, N. Y., on January 14 and 15, 
 1851. By JOHN M. KREBS, D. D. New York: Charles Scribner, 145 
 Nassau Street, and 36 Park Row ; 1851 ; pp. 40. 
 
 "THE HIGHER LAW," IN ITS APPLICATION TO THE FUGITIVE SLAVE BILL : 
 A Sermon on the Duties Men owe to God and to Governments. De 
 livered at the Central Presbyterian Church, on Thanksgiving Day. 
 By JOHN C. LORD, D. D., (Pastor of said Church,) author of Lectures 
 on Government and Civilization. Buffalo : George H. Derby & Co. ; 
 185 L; pp.32. 
 
 A SEBMON ON THE DUTY OF CITIZENS, WITH RESPECT TO THE FUGITIVE 
 SLAVE LAW. By G. F. KITTELL, of the Methodist Episcopal Society, 
 Poughkeepsie. White Plains, N. Y. : Eastern State Journal print; 
 1851 ; pp. 20. 
 IT is not our design to criticise the sermons enumerated above. They 
 
 are all able, bold, and manly; and 1 hough some of them contain senti- 
 
 573 
 
574: APPENDIX. 
 
 * 
 
 ments to winch we cannot subscribe, yet the general spirit of all of them 
 meets our most cordial approbation. We sympathize with our brethren 
 at the North in their laudable and Christian efforts to arrest an agitation 
 which aims alike at the destruction of the Government and the sub 
 version of religion. At the present crisis, a perilous responsibility rests 
 upon the non-slaveholding States of this Union. It is for them to say 
 whether the conditions of our Federal compact shall be faithfully ob 
 served, and the Union preserved in its integrity, or whether the Southern 
 States shall be driven, in vindication of their rights, their honour, and 
 their safety, to organize a distinct Government for themselves. We be 
 lieve it to be in the power of the North to save the country. The South 
 demands nothing but justice. She simply insists that the Federal Gov 
 ernment shall not take sides on the question of slavery. It must not 
 attempt either to repress or to spread it. The Constitution is a solemn 
 compact between the States, and the powers delegated in it to the gen 
 eral Government cannot, without the grossest ill faith, be prostituted to 
 the injury or destruction of the peculiar institutions of any of the par 
 ties. The Constitution knows no difference betwixt slaveholding and 
 non-slaveholding States ; and neither Congress nor the Executive pos 
 sesses a shadow of right to take any steps that shall have the effect of 
 determining whether new territories, the common property of all the 
 States, shall or shall not exclude slavery, when they are prepared to be 
 admitted into the Union. What their relation to this subject shall be, 
 is a question that must be left to the providence of God. The soil should 
 be kept open to any emigrants from any section of the Confederacy. 
 The constitutional provisions in reference to the admission of new States 
 should be carefully observed ; and when they are complied with, it must 
 be left to the people of the territories to frame their constitution for 
 themselves. If these principles had been adhered to in the past legis 
 lation of Congress, there would have been no agitation now in the 
 Southern States of the Union. What they complain of is, that the in 
 fluence of the Government is turned against them ; that, instead of pre 
 serving the absolute neutrality which it is bound in good faith to main 
 tain, it takes sides \yth one section of the Union to the injury of the 
 other, and perverts its trust to cripple and circumscribe the institution 
 of slavery. The North pleads its conscientious convictions that slavery 
 is wrong, and ought to be curtailed and abolished. Free-soilism falls 
 back upon conscience, and protests that it cannot, without sinning 
 against God, leave it an open question, whether this prodigious evil shall 
 be extended or not. We cheerfully concede that there is a higher law 
 than the law of man, and that, when human legislation contravenes the 
 authority of God, it should not be permitted to bind the conscience. If 
 slavery is necessarily a sin, no statutes or ordinances of earth can make 
 it right, and no human enactments can make it obligatory to sanction or 
 sustain it. But then it would be the duty of the Northern States, enter 
 taining this opinion, to dissolve the Union themselves. They are crim 
 inal in remaining parties to a contract which, in their judgment, is a 
 
CRITICAL NOTICE. 575 
 
 snare to their consciences. If they cannot, consistently with their con 
 victions of duty, maintain the neutrality which the Federal Constitution 
 requires ; if they cannot, in other words, observe the conditions which 
 they have voluntarily agreed to observe ; they ought, in all frankness 
 and candour, to withdraw from the contract, and openly proclaim that 
 it is at an end with them. They are certainly entitled to their opinions 
 npon this or any other subject. But they are not at liberty to make a 
 treaty which they believe to be sinful, and to enjoy its advantages 
 without complying with the stipulated terms. We are glad that a move 
 ment has been made at the North to exhibit, in its true light, the rela 
 tion of the general Government to slavery. Fanaticism may be relent 
 less, but the body of the people, we trust, will be brought to see and 
 feel that good faith requires them, either to withdraw from the Union 
 themselves, or to observe the provisions of the Constitution. Sober re- 
 flection must convince them that, whether slavery be right or wrong, 
 they are not responsible for its diffusion through the territories. These 
 territories accrue to us under the Union and the Constitution. The 
 North possesses no power over them as the North, as uon-slaveholding 
 States, but only as members of the Confederacy ; and if the terms of 
 the Confederacy are such as to deny to them the power of interfering 
 with this subject, their consciences should not be pressed for not doing 
 what they have no right to do. They must also see that there is really 
 no guilt in making a contract, which, at the utmost, only leaves them 
 stripped of a power, of which it found them destitute. If they had surren 
 dered the right to exclude slavery from these regions, their minds might 
 be troubled. But they never had it ; and the Constitution simply leaves 
 them as they were. The North, therefore, should not feel itself bur 
 dened in the slightest degree with the guilt of this sin. Much less 
 should it undertake to wield an influence which it has acquired under, 
 and by virtue of, the Constitution to subvert the purposes of the Con 
 stitution itself. We would affectionately urge, therefore, npon our 
 Northern brethren, the necessity and duty of allaying this agitation. If 
 they love the Union, let them cherish the Constitution of our fathers. 
 They deplore the dangers which threaten it ; let them see to it, that, so 
 far as they are concerned, these dangers are averted. Let the aboli 
 tionists and. free-soilers be rebuked, and peape and harmony will be re 
 stored to the country. 
 
 For ourselves, we confess that we cannot calmly contemplate the pro 
 bability of such an event as the dissolution of this great confederacy. 
 That it can be broken up without strong convulsions, without dangers and 
 disasters on. all sides, we do not believe to be possible. The contentions 
 of brothers are like the bars of a castle : when once the elements begin 
 to dissolve, no human calculation can determine where the process shall 
 stop. There is no natural reason why there should be only two con 
 federations, a Northern and Soxithern, any more than three or a dozen. 
 Let the South draw off ; why not the West, also ? Why not the States in 
 the valley of the Mississippi form a separate confederacy, and California 
 
576 APPENDIX. 
 
 still another ? It may be easy in our closets to speculate upon the policy 
 which the interests involved would dictate ; but when masses are set in 
 motion, and innovations are begun, all experience shows that passion, 
 not reason, rules the day. The destruction of a settled order, of old 
 and tried institiitions, is like the upheaving of an earthquake. The 
 forces at work are tremendous ; but no one can predict their course or 
 results until their fury has subsided. We have always associated the 
 idea of a high and glorious vocation with the planting of this Republic. 
 We have thought that we could trace the finger of God in every stage 
 of its history. We have looked upon it as destined to be a blessing to 
 mankind. Placed between Europe and Asia, in the very centre of the 
 earth, with the two great oceans of the globe acknowledging its domin 
 ion ; entering upon its career at the very period of the history of the 
 world, most eminently adapted to accelerate its progress, and to diffuse 
 its influence, it seems to us to be commissioned from the skies as the 
 apostle of civilization, liberty, and Christianity to all the race of man. 
 We cannot relinquish the idea of this lofty mission; we HAVE BEEN 
 called to it ; and if, in our folly and wickedness, we refuse to walk 
 worthily of it, we may righteously expect, in addition to the ordinary 
 disasters of revolution, the extraordinary retributions of God. Ours 
 will be no common punishment, as it will be no common sin, if, instead 
 of obeying the command which requires us to be a blessing to the world, 
 we exhaust our resources, and waste our advantages, in biting and de 
 vouring each other. We cannot sympathize with the light and flippant 
 tone in which the question of the value of the Union is too often ap 
 proached, as if it were a mere question of ordinary politics. To our 
 minds it is the most serious, solemn, and momentous that can be asked 
 in connection with the earthly interests of man. To dissolve this Union 
 is to jeopard all that our fathers gained, and to cover in midnight dark 
 ness the prospects and destiny of our own posterity. We tremble at the 
 thought, and if it must perish, we freely confess that our tears shall be 
 dew its grave ; and our hopes for liberty and man be buried with it. 
 
 But the Union is the creature of the Constitution. The destruction 
 of one is, and must be, sooner or later, the destruction of the other. 
 The guilt of dissolving it must rest upon those who trample the Consti 
 tution in the dust. . 
 
 There are two quarters from which the Confederacy is at present 
 threatened, but threatened on very different grounds. The first is from 
 those who are opposed to slavery, and would prostitute the powers of the 
 general Government to their own fanatical ends. They repudiate the 
 Constitution as conniving at sin ; and their exasperation has risen to the 
 height of actual rebellion, in consequence of the law passed at the last 
 session of Congress, for the recovery of fugitive slaves. These men are 
 confessed conspirators against the Government ; they strike at that which 
 gives it its very life, the Constitution of the land. The other party con 
 sists of those who believe that the Constitution has been systematically 
 -violated by the non-slaveholding States ; that the contract which made the 
 
CRITICAL NOTICE. 577 
 
 Union has been broken ; and that there is not only no obligation any 
 longer to adhere to it, but that the danger of further aggressions is so 
 great, that it is a duty to withdraw from it. 
 
 In reference to the opposition from these quarters, we have a few re 
 marks to make. "We would say first to the North, that she owes it to 
 mankind to see that all just ground of complaint, as far as she is con 
 cerned, is removed. If she has thrown obstructions in the way of faith 
 fully carrying out the provisions of the Constitution ; if she has, in any 
 degree, broken her faith, posterity will not acquit her of undervaluing 
 the Union, however loudly she may vociferate its praise. To love the 
 Union is to love the Constitution. Let her see to it, that no stipulations 
 of the charter are disregarded by her ; or if they have been heretofore, 
 let her be prompt to retrace her steps. This would be manly, noble, 
 heroic. It would be a patriotism for which she would never suffer. 
 Let her not poise herself upon her power ; good faith is a surer safe 
 guard. 
 
 We would say to the South, that her first movement should be to 
 restore the Constitution to its supremacy. We do not think that it is 
 wisdom suddenly to destroy a government, because it has been per 
 verted. If good in itself, if the evils are abuses and essential elements 
 of the system, the effort to rectify and cure is worthy of an experiment. 
 What surgeon would amputate a limb until he was convinced that it was 
 the last resort ? To our minds the dissolution of the Union is the last 
 desperate remedy for the disorders of the government. Until all other 
 probable expedients have failed, we cannot be justified in the eyes of 
 God or of the race, in demolishing a fabric which Providence contribu 
 ted so conspicuously to rear, which is hallowed by a thousand associa 
 tions, cemented by illustrious blood, a temple of liberty in which our 
 fathers worshipped, and which all nations have honoured. Let us never 
 pull it down, until it has become utterly unclean, and freedom is driven 
 from its sanctuary. The pollutions of the money-changers and traders 
 can be cleansed; we may be able to upset their tables and to drive 
 them out ; and may still make the edifice what it was originally designed 
 to be. Patience and effort in restoring the Government to what it should 
 be, is not submission to wrong ; it is resistance, the resistance which 
 wisdom justifies and conscience will approve. The attempt to heal a 
 disease is not acquiescence in its progress. If the Union of the Consti 
 tution is, indeed, glorious as all confess that it is it is not slavish 
 timidity, it is the real love of liberty, which prompts us to labour for its 
 preservation, until our labours shall be found to be hopeless. When we 
 are driven to despair of the Republic, and not till then, shall we be justi 
 fied in withdrawing. As to the charge of pusillanimous tameness to 
 which such a policy may subject us, we can only reply, in the words 
 -cf Thucydides: 
 
 "As for that slowness and dilatoriness with which you have heard 
 /ourselves upbraided, they flow from those institutions of our ancestors, 
 
578 APPENDIX. 
 
 which teach us, in public as in private life, to be modest, prudent, and 
 just. r 
 
 From this same noble speech, which this prince of historians puts in 
 the mouth of Archidamus, we would commend to the young and im 
 petuous, who are naturally much more inclined to follow the counsel of 
 Sthenelaidus, the following salutary caution : 
 
 " If any spur us on by panegyric to perilous adventures, disapproved 
 by our judgment, we are little moved with their flattery ; nor if any one 
 were to stimulate us by reproach, would indignation be at all more likely 
 to make us alter our determination. By this orderly sedateness we are 
 both brave in combat, and prudent in counsel." 
 
 But while we would make every effort which wisdom and partiotism 
 would demand to save the Constitution and the Union, we are free to 
 confess that, when the issue is forced upon us, of submitting to a govern 
 ment hopelessly perverted from its ends, and aiming at the destruction 
 of our own interests, it will be our duty, as it is our right, to provide 
 for ourselves. The Continual agitation of the slavery question must, 
 sooner or later, bring matters to this issue. The Southern States will 
 not abandon their institutions. This is certain as fate. Their patience 
 is now almost exhausted, and unless their constitutional rights are 
 respected, they will set up for themselves. This Union must fall, and 
 they will lift up their hands to heaven, and declare that they are clear of 
 its blood. The guilt of the long train of untold evils that must follow 
 the catastrophe, they will honestly believe rests not upon them. God 
 grant that our country may be saved; that the North and the South 
 may be brought to meet in harmony and peace, upon the common 
 ground of our glorious Constitution ; that a common ancestry, a common 
 history, a common language, a common religion, may do their office in 
 cementing them together, and binding them in the indissoluble bonds 
 of truth, justice, and fraternal love. 
 
 "We have but a single word further to add, and that is a protest 
 against the policy which our own beloved State seems intent upon pur 
 suing. Single-handed secession, which is understood to be the aim of 
 the measures now in progress, however it might be justified in a crisis 
 in which the Federal Government had become openly pledged to the 
 extinction of slavery, under the present circumstances of our country, is 
 recommended by not a single consideration that we are able to* discover, 
 of wisdom, patriotism, or honour. No master mind among those who < 
 are driving us to this issue has yet arisen, to throw a particle of light 
 upon the thick darkness which shrouds the future, and covers the conse 
 quences of this tremendous step. They all -tell us how we may secede, 
 but not one has told us, not one can tell us, where we shall next find our 
 selves. No one has yet explained to us how the institution of slavery 
 will be more efficiently protected, by making us and our children aliens 
 upon this broad continent, than it is by the flag of the Republic. Shall 
 we be more exempt from Northern fanaticism, when every check is 
 
CRITICAL NOTICE. 
 
 579 
 
 removed from its machinations and contrivances ; from British inter 
 ference, when we have nothing to lean on but our own arms? Will 
 slavery be safer when South Carolina can throw no shield but her own 
 around the institution, than when the Constitution protects us? We 
 confess that we cannot see How we shall gain in security from the pros 
 tration of the Union. A single State, like South Carolina, standing out 
 alone in the midst of a mighty nation, can only exist by sufferance. 
 
 But it is said she will not be alone. The other States, identified with 
 her in interests, will join with her in action. But what if the other 
 Southern States shoiild happen to believe that their interests are better 
 promoted by the old Union, than by a new alliance with South Carolina? 
 They must judge for themselves, and if they should happen to have a 
 judgment of this sort, where shall we then be ? Would it not be wise, at 
 least, to have some better proof than our own conjectures that they will 
 sustain us ? They might leave us alone ; and in that contingency, who 
 can say that our condition would be enviable. We should then have a 
 national government to maintain, an extensive post-office establishment 
 to organize, an army, a navy, foreign ambassadors, and all the append 
 ages of independent States, to keep up. Has nny one calculated our 
 resources for these things ; and does any man believe that our popula 
 tion would stick to us for ten years, after their passions had subsided, 
 under the grinding system of taxation which it would be necessary to 
 institute ? Then, again, we must be fully prepared for war, which is a 
 business less of arms than expense. Touching the United States in so 
 many points as we must necessarily do, however pacific the disposition 
 of the Federal Government might be towards us, hostilities would inevi 
 tably arise from our diplomatic relations to the other States, and that 
 speedily and suddenly. These are matters which ought to be well con 
 sidered before we resolve upon so important a step as single-handed 
 secession. The truth is, we can see nothing in the measure but defeat 
 and disaster, insecurity to slavery, oppression to ourselves, ruin to the 
 State. There are other aspects in which the question might be treated ; 
 but in every aspect of it we feel bound to express our solemn conviction 
 that, neither before God nor man, can we justify ourselves for the fear 
 ful hazard of forfeiting all our blessings, and all our influence for good, 
 by a hasty leap in the dark. We speak -earnestly on the subject, because 
 we feel strongly. There may be great boldness in the enterprise, but 
 it should be remembered, as Lord Bacon has well expressed it, that bold 
 ness is blind ; wherefore it is ill in counsel, but good in execution. For 
 in counsel, it is good to see dangers ; in execution, not to see them ex 
 cept they be very great. Certainly, when we cannot see our way, we 
 should go softly. From present appearances, we think it likely that 
 South Carolina will secede alone. We expect to bear our full pro 
 portion of the consequent evils. We are not only in the State, but 
 of the State, and we have no thought but that of sharing her for 
 tunes. If we were disposed, we are rather too heavily encumbered 
 to flee from the storm. Others may be noisy for revolution, whose 
 
580 APPENDIX. 
 
 armour is light enough to admit of an easy transportation ; who have 
 come to us from abroad, and who can as easily depart. But for our 
 selves, we are linked to South Carolina, for weal or for woe. As long 
 as our voice can be heard, we shall endeavour to avert calamity ; but if 
 what we regard as rash counsels finally prevail, we have made up our 
 mind, as God shall give us grace, to take what comes. 
 
No. II. 
 OUR DAMPER AND OUR DUTY. 
 
 The intense feelings under which Dr. Thornwell composed this appeal to his 
 Southern countrymen are evinced in the headings of almost all the pages of 
 the first draft : " The Crisis ! the Crisis ! ! the Crisis ! ! ! " 
 
 THE ravages of Louis XIV in the beautiful valleys of the Rhine, about 
 the close of the seventeenth century, may be taken as a specimen of the 
 appalling desolation which is likely to overspread the Confederate States 
 if the Northern army should succeed in its schemes of subjugation and of 
 plunder. Europe was then outraged by atrocities inflicted by Christians 
 upon Christians, more fierce and cruel than even Mahometans could 
 have had the heart to perpetrate. Private dwellings were razed to the 
 ground, fields laid waste, cities burnt, churches demolished, and the 
 fruits of industry wantonly and ruthlessly destroyed. But three days of 
 grace were allowed to the wretched inhabitants to flee their country ; 
 and in a short time, the historian tells us, "the roads and fields, which 
 then lay deep in snow, were blackened by innumerable multitudes of 
 men,, women, and children, flying from their homes. Many died of cold 
 and hunger; but enough survived to fill the streets of all the cities of 
 Europe with lean and squalid beggars, who had once been thriving 
 farmers and shopkeepers." And what have we to expect if our enemies 
 prevail ? Our homes, too, are to be pillaged ; our cities sacked and de 
 molished ; our property confiscated ; our true men hanged, and those 
 who escape the gibbet, to be driven as vagabonds and wanderers in for 
 eign climes. This beautiful country is to pass out of our hands. The 
 boundaries which mark our States are, in some instances, to be effaced ; 
 and the States that remain are to be converted into subject provinces, 
 governed by Northern rulers and by Northern laws. Our property is to 
 be ruthlessly seized, and turned over to mercenary strangers, in order to 
 pay the enormous debt which our subjugation has cost. Our wives and 
 daughters are to become the prey of brutal lust. The slave, too, will 
 slowly pass away, as the red man did before himj under the protection 
 of Northern philanthropy ; and the w r hole country, now like the garden 
 of Eden in beauty and fertility, will first be a blackened and smoking 
 desert, and then the minister of Northern cupidity and avarice. Our 
 
 581 
 
582 APPENDIX. 
 
 history will be worse than that of Poland and Hungary. There is not a 
 single redeeming feature in the picture of ruin which stares us in the 
 face, if we permit ourselves to be conquered. It is a night of thick 
 darkness that will settle upon us. Even sympathy, the last solace of the 
 afflicted, will be denied to us. The civilized world will look coldly upon 
 us, or even jeer us with the taunt that we have deservedly lost our own 
 freedom in seeking to perpetuate the slavery of others. We shall perish 
 under a cloud of reproach and of unjust suspicions, sedulously propa 
 gated by our enemies, which will be harder to bear than the loss of home 
 and of goods. Such a fate never overtook any people before. 
 
 The case is as desperate with our enemies as with ourselves. They 
 must succeed, or perish ; they must conquer us, or be destroyed them 
 selves. If they fail, national bankruptcy stares them in the face ; divi 
 sions in their own ranks are inevitable, and their Government will fall 
 to pieces under the weight of its own corruption. They know that they 
 are a doomed people if they are defeated. Hence their madness. They 
 must have our property to save them from insolvency. They must show 
 that the Union cannot be dissolved, to save them from future secessions. 
 The parties, therefore, in this conflict, can make no compromises. It is 
 a matter of life and death with both ; a struggle in which their all is in 
 volved. 
 
 But the consequences of success on our part will be very different 
 from the consequences of success on the part of the North. If they pre 
 vail, the whole character of the Government will be changed, and, instead 
 of a federal republic, the common agent of sovereign and independent 
 States, we shall have a central despotism, with the notion of States for 
 ever abolished, deriving its powers from the will, and shaping its policy 
 according to the wishes, of a numerical majority of the people ; we shall 
 have, in other words, a supreme, irresponsible democracy. The will of 
 the North will stand for law. The Government does not now recognize 
 itself as an ordinance of God ; and, when all the checks and balances of 
 the Constitution are gone, we may easily figure to ourselves the career 
 and the destiny of this godless monster of democratic absolutism. The 
 progress of regulated liberty on this continent will be arrested, anarchy 
 will soon succeed, and the end will be a military despotism, which pre 
 serves order by the sacrifice of the last vestige of liberty. We are fully 
 persuaded that the triumph of the North in the present conflict will be 
 as disastrous to the hopes of mankind as to our own fortunes. They are 
 now fighting the battle of despotism. They have put their Constitution 
 under their feet ; they have annulled its most sacred provisions ; and, in 
 defiance of its solemn guaranties, they are now engaged, in the halls of 
 Congress, in discussing and maturing bills which make Northern notions 
 of necessity the paramount laws of the land. The avowed end of the 
 present war is, to make the Government a government of force. It is 
 to settle the principle that, whatever may be its corruptions and abuses, 
 however unjust and tyrannical its legislation, there is no redress, except 
 in vain petition or empty remonstrance. It was as a protest against this 
 
OUR DANGER AND OUR DUTY. 583 
 
 principle, which sweeps away the last security for liberty, that Virginia, 
 North Carolina, Tennessee, and Missouri seceded ; and if the Government 
 should be re-established, it must be re-established with this feature of 
 remorseless despotism firmly and indelibly fixed. The future fortunes 
 of our children, and of this continent, would then be determined by a 
 tyranny which has no parallel in history. 
 
 On the other hand, we are struggling for constitutional freedom. We 
 are upholding the great principles which our fathers bequeathed us ; and 
 if we should succeed, and become, as we shall, the dominant nation of 
 this continent, we shall perpetuate and diffuse the very liberty for which 
 V\"ashington bled, and which the heroes of the Kevolution achieved. "We 
 are not revolutionists ; we are resisting revolution. We are upholding 
 the true doctrines of the Federal Constitution. We are conservative. 
 Our success is the triumph of all that has been considered established 
 in the past. We can never become aggressive ; we may absorb, but we 
 can never invade for conquest any neighbouring State. The peace of 
 the world is secured if our arms prevail. We shall have a Government 
 that acknowledges God, that reverences right, and that makes law supreme. 
 Wi- are therefore fighting, not for ourselves alone, but, when the strug 
 gle is rightly understood, for the salvation of this whole continent. It 
 is a noble cause in which we are engaged. There is everything in it to 
 rouse the heart and to nerve the arm of the freeman and the patriot ; 
 and though it may now seem to be under a cloud, it is too big with the 
 future of our race to be suffered to fail. It cannot fail ; it must not 
 fail. Our people must not.brook the infamy of betraying their sublime 
 trust. This beautiful land we must never suffer to pass into the hands 
 of strangers. Our fields, our homes, our firesides and sepulchres, our 
 cities and temples, our wives and daughters, we must protect at every 
 hazard. The glorious inheritance which our fathers left us we must 
 never betray. The hopes with which they died, and which buoyed their 
 spirits in the last conflict, of making their country a blessing to the 
 world, we must not permit to be unrealized. We must seize the torch 
 from their hands, and transmit it with increasing brightness to distant 
 generations. The word failure must not be pronounced among us. It 
 is not a thing to be dreamed of. We must settle it that we must suc 
 ceed. We must not sit down to count chances. There is too much at 
 stake to think of discussing probabilities. We. must make success a 
 certainty ; and that, by the blessing of God, we can do. If we are pre 
 pared to do our duty, and our whole duty, we have nothing to fear. 
 But what is our duty ? This is a question which we must gravely con 
 sider. We shall briefly attempt to answer it. 
 
 In the first place, we must shake off all apathy, and become fully alive 
 to the magnitude of the crisis. We must look the danger in the face, 
 and comprehend the real grandeur of the issue. We shall not exert 
 ourselves until we are sensible of the need of effort. As long , 
 cherish a vague hope that help may come from abroad, or that there is 
 something in our past historj*, or the genius of our institutions, to pro- 
 
584: APPENDIX. 
 
 tect us from overthrow, we are hugging a fatal delusion to our bosoms.. 
 This apathy was the ruin of Greece at the time of the Macedonian inva 
 sion. This was the spell which Demosthenes laboured so earnestly to 
 break. The Athenian was as devoted as ever to his native city, and the 
 free institutions he inherited from his fathers ; but somehow or other he 
 could not believe that his country could be conquered. He read its 
 safety in its ancient glory. He felt that it had a prescriptive right to 
 live. The great orator saw and lamented the error ; he poured forth his 
 eloquence to dissolve the charm ; but the fatal hour had come, and the 
 spirit of Greece could not be roused. There was no more real patriotism! 
 at the time of the secoiid Persian invasion than in the age of Philip ; 
 but, then, there was no apathy. Every man appreciated the danger ; he saw 
 the crash that was coming, and prepared himself to resist the blow. He 
 knew that there was no safety except in courage and in desperate effort. 
 Every man, too, felt identified with the State ; a part of its weight rested 
 on his shoulders. It was this sense of personal interest and personal 
 responsibility ; the profound conviction that every one had something to 
 do,, and that Greece expected him to do it. This was the public spirit 
 which turned back the countless hordes of Xerxes, and saved Greece to 
 liberty and man. This is the spirit which we rrmst have, if we, too, 
 would succeed. We must be brought to see that all, under God, depends 
 on ourselves; and, looking away from ah 1 foreign alliances, we must 
 make up our minds to fight desperately and fight long, if we would save- 
 the country from ruin, and ourselves from bondage. Every man should 
 feel that he has an interest in the State, and that the State in a measure 
 leans upon him ; and he should rouse himself to efforts as bold and heroic- 
 as if all depended on his single right arm. Our courage should rise higher 
 than the danger ; and, whatever may be the odds against us, we must sol 
 emnly resolve, by God s blessing, that we will not be conquered. When, 
 with a full knowledge of the danger, we are brought to this point, we- 
 are in the way of deliverance ; but until this point is reached, it is idle 
 to count on success. 
 
 It is implied in the spirit which the times demand, that all private in 
 terests are sacrificed to the public good. The State becomes everything, 
 and the individual nothing. It is no time to be casting about for expe 
 dients to enrich ourselves. The man who is now intent upon money r 
 who turns public necessity and danger into means of speculation, would, 
 if very shame did not rebuke him, and he were allowed to follow the 
 natural bent of his heart, go upon the field of battle, after an engage 
 ment, and strip the lifeless bodies of his brave countrymen of the few 
 spoils they carried into the fight. Such men, unfit for anything gene 
 rous or noble themselves, like the hyena, can only suck the blood of the 
 lion. It ought to be a reproach to any man, that he is growing rich 
 while his country is bleeding at every pore. If we had a Themistocles 
 among us, he would not scruple to charge the miser and extortioner 
 with stealing the Gorgon s head ; he would search their stuff, and if 
 he could not find that, he would find what would answer his country s- 
 
OUR DANGER AND OUR DUTY. 585 
 
 needs much more effectually. This spirit must be rebuked ; every man 
 must forget himself, and think only of the public good. 
 
 The spirit of faction is even more to be dreaded than the spirit of 
 avarice and plunder. It is equally selfish, and is, besides, distracting 
 and divisive. The man who now labours to weaken the hands of the 
 Government, that he may seize the reins of authority, or cavils at public 
 measures and policy, that he may rise to distinction and office, has all 
 the selfishness of a miser, and all the baseness of a traitor. Our rulers 
 are not infallible ; but their errors are to be reviewed with candour, and 
 their authority sustained with unanimity. Whatever has a tendency to 
 destroy public confidence in their prudence, their wisdom, their energy, 
 and their patriotism, undermines the security of our cause. We must 
 not be divided and distracted among ourselves. Our rulers have great 
 responsibilities. They need the support of the wliole coxmtry ; and no 
 thing short of a patriotism which buries all private differences, which is 
 ready for compromises and concessions, which can make charitable al 
 lowances for differences of opinion, and even for errors of judgment, 
 can save us from the consequences of party and faction. We must be 
 \mited. If our views are not carried out, let us sacrifice private opinion 
 to public safety. In the great conflict with Persia, Athens yielded to 
 Sparta, and acquiesced in plans she could not approve, for the sake of 
 the public good. Nothing could be more dangerous now than scrambles 
 for office and power, and collisions among the different departments of 
 the Government. We must present a united front. 
 
 It is further important that every man should be ready to work. It 
 is no time to play the gentleman ; no time for dignified leisure. All 
 cannot serve in the field ; but all can do something to help forward the 
 common cause. The young and active, the stout and vigorous, should 
 be prepared at a moment s warning for the ranks. The disposition 
 should be one of eagerness to be employed ; there should be no holding 
 back, no counting the -cost. The man who stands back from the ivmks 
 in these perilous times, because he is unwilling to serve his country as 
 a private soldier, who loves his ease more than liberty, his luxuries more 
 than his honour, that man is a dead fly in our precious ointment. In 
 seasons of great calamity, the ancient pagans were accustomed to ap 
 pease the anger of their gods by human sacrifices ; and if they had .gone 
 upon the principle of selecting those whose moral insignificance ren 
 dered them alike offensive to heaven and useless to earth, they would 
 always have selected these drones, and loafers, and exquisites. A 
 Christian nation cannot offer them in sacrifice; but public contempt 
 shoxild whip them from their lurking holes, and compel them to share 
 the common danger. The community that will cherish such men with 
 out rebuke, brings down wrath upon it. They must be forced to be 
 useful, to avert the judgments of God from the patrons of cowardice 
 and meanness. 
 
 Public spirit will not have reached the height which the exigency de 
 mands, until we shall have relinquished all fastidious notions <f military 
 
586 APPENDIX. 
 
 etiquette, and have come to the point of expelling the enemy by any and 
 every means that God has put in our power. We are not fighting for 
 military glory ; we are fighting for a home, and for a national existence. 
 We are not aiming to display our skill in tactics and generalship ; we are 
 aiming to show ourselves a free people, worthy to possess and able to 
 defend the institutions of our fathers. What signifies it to us how the 
 foe is vanquished, provided it is done ? Because we have not weapons 
 of the most improved workmanship, are we to sit still and see our soil 
 overrun, and our wives and children driven from their homes, while we 
 have in our hands other weapons that can equally do the work of death ? 
 Are we to perish if we cannot conquer by the technical rules of scien 
 tific warfare ? Are we to sacrifice our country to military punctilio ? 
 The thought is monstrous. We must be prepared to extemporize expe 
 dients. We must cea.se to be chary, either about our weapons or the 
 means of using them. The end is to drive back our foes. If we cannot pro 
 cure the best rifles, let us put up with the common guns of the country ; 
 if they cannot be had, with pikes, and axes, and tomahawks ; anything 
 that will do the work of death, is an effective instrument in a brave 
 man s hand. We should be ready for the regular battle or the partisan 
 skirmish. If we are too weak to stand an engagement in the open field, 
 we can waylay the foe, and harass and annoy him. We must prepare 
 ourselves for a guerilla war. The enemey must be conquered ; and any 
 method by which we can honourably do it must be resorted to. This is 
 the kind of spirit which we want to. see aroused among our people. 
 With this spirit, they will ne.ver be subdued. If driven from the plains, 
 they will retreat to the mountains ; if beaten in the field, they will hide 
 in swamps and marshes ; and when their enemies are least expecting it, 
 they will pounce down upon them in the dashing exploits of a Sumter, 
 a Marion, and a Davie. It is only when we have reached this point that 
 public spirit is commensurate with the danger. 
 
 In the second place, we must guard sacredly against cherishing a tem 
 per of presumptuous confidence. The cause is not ours, but God s ; anl 
 if we measure its importance only by its accidental relation to ourselves, 
 we may be suffered to perish for our pride. No nation ever yet achieved 
 anything great, that did not regard itself as the instrument of Provi 
 dence. The only lasting inspiration of lofty patriotism and exalted 
 courage, is the inspiration of religion. The Greeks and Komans never 
 ventured- upon any important enterprise without consulting their gods. 
 They felt that they were safe only as they were persuaded that they were 
 in alliance with heaven. Man, though limited in space, limited in time, 
 and limited in knowledge, is truly great, when he is linked to the Infi 
 nite as the means of accomplishing lasting ends. To be God s servant, 
 that is his highest destiny, his sublimest calling. Nations are under the 
 pupilage of Providence ; they are in training themselves, that they may 
 be the instruments of furthering the progress of the human race. 
 
 Polybius, the historian, traces the secret of Roman greatness to the 
 profound sense of religion which constituted a striking feature of the 
 
OUR DANGER AND OUR DUTY. 587 
 
 national character. He calls it, expressly, the firmest pillar of the 
 .Roman State; and he does not hesitate to denounce, as enemies to 
 public order and prosperity, those of his own contemporaries who sought 
 to undermine the sacredness of these convictions. Even Napoleon sus 
 tained his vaulting ambition by a mysterious connection with the invisi 
 ble world. He was a man of destiny. It is the relation to God, and 
 His providential training of the race, that imparts true dignity to our 
 struggle; and we must recognize ourselves as God s servants, working 
 out His glorious ends, or we shall infallibly be left to stumble upon the 
 dark mountains of error. Our trust in Him must be the real spring of our 
 heroic resolution, to conquer or to die. A sentiment of honour, a mo 
 mentary enthusiasm, may prompt and sustain spasmodic exertions of an 
 extraordinary character ; but a steady valour, a self-denying patriotism, 
 protracted patience, a readiness to do, and dare, and suffer, through a 
 generation or an age, this comes only from a sublime faith in God. The 
 worst symptom that any people can manifest, is that of pride. "With 
 nations, as with individuals, it goes before a fall. Let us guard against 
 it. Let us rise to the true grandeur of our calling, and go forth as ser 
 vants of the Most High, to execute His purposes. In this spirit we are 
 safe. By this spirit our principles are ennobled, and our cause trans 
 lated from earth to heaven. An overweening confidence in the righte 
 ousness of our cause, rs if that alone were sufficient to insure our suc 
 cess, betrays gross inattention to the Divine dealings with communities 
 and States. In the issue betwixt ourselves and our enemies, we may be 
 free from blame ; but there may be other respects in which we have, 
 provoked the judgments of Heaven, and there may be other grounds on 
 which God has a controversy with us, and the swords of our enemies 
 may be His chosen instruments to execute His wrath. He may first use 
 them as a rod, and then punish them in other forms for their own 
 iniquities. Hence, it behooves us not only to have a righeous cause, 
 but to be a righteous people. We must abandon all our sins, and put 
 ourselves heartily and in earnest on the side of Providence. 
 
 Hence, this dependence upon Providence carries with it the necessity 
 of removing from the midst of us whatever is offensive to a holy God. 
 If the Government is His ordinance, and the people His instruments, 
 they must see to it that they serve Him with no unwashed or defiled 
 hands. We must cultivate a high standard of public virtue. We must 
 renounce all personal and selfish aims, and we must rebuke every custom 
 or institution that tends to deprave the public morals. Virtue is powi-r, 
 and vice is weakness. The same Polybius, to whom we have already 
 referred, traces the influence of the religious sentiment at Rome in pro 
 ducing faithful and incorruptible magistrates, who were strangers alike 
 to bribery and favour in executing the laws and dispensing the trusts of 
 the State, and that high tone of public faith which made an oath an ab 
 solute security for faithfulness. This st^rn simplicity of manners we 
 must cherish, if we hope to succeed. Bribery, corruption, favouritism, 
 electioneering, flattery, and every species of double-dealing ; drunken- 
 
588 APPENDIX. 
 
 ness, profaneness, debauchery, selfishness, avarice, and extortion ; all 
 base material ends must be banished by a stern integrity, if we would 
 become the fit instruments of a holy Providence in a holy cause. Sin is 
 a reproach to any people. It is weakness ; it is sure, though it may be 
 slow, decay. Faith in God: that is the watchword of martyrs, whether 
 in the cause of truth or of liberty. That alone ennobles and sanctifies. 
 * "All other nations," except the French, as Burke has significantly re 
 marked, in relation to the memorable revolution which was doomed to 
 failure in consequence of this capital omission, "have begun the fabric 
 of a new Government, or the reformation of an old, by establishing ori 
 ginally, or by enforcing with greater exactness, some rites or other of 
 religion. All other people have laid the foundations of civil freedom in 
 severer manners, and a system of more austere and masculine morality." 
 To absolve the State, which is the society of rights, from a strict respon 
 sibility to the Author and Source of justice and of law, is to destroy the 
 firmest security of public order, to convert liberty into license, and to 
 impregnate the very being of the commonwealth with the seeds of dis 
 solution and decay. France failed, because France forgot God ; and if 
 we tread in the footsteps of that infatuated people, and treat with equal 
 contempt the holiest instincts of our nature, we, too, may be abandoned 
 to our folly, and become the hissing and the scorn of all the nations of 
 the earth. Be wise, now, therefore, O ye kings ! be instructed, ye 
 judges of the earth. Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and ye perish from 
 the way, when His wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they 
 that put their trust in Him." 
 
 In the third place, let us endeavour rightly to interpret the reverses 
 which have recently attended our arms. It is idle to make light of them. 
 They are serious ; they are disastrous. The whole end .of Providence, in 
 any dispensation, it were presumptuous for any one, independently of a 
 special revelation, to venture to decipher. But there are tendencies 
 which lie upon the surface, and these obvious tendencies are designed 
 foi- our guidance and instruction. In the present case, we may humbly 
 believe that one purpose aimed at has been to rebuke our confidence and 
 our pride. We had begun to despise our enemy, and to prophesy safety 
 without much hazard. We had laughed at his cowardice, and boasted 
 of our superior prowess and skill. Is- it strange that, while indulging 
 such a temper, we ourselves should be made to turn our backs, and to 
 become a jest to those whom we had jeered ? We had grown licentious, 
 intemperate, and profane : is it strange that, in the midst of our security, 
 God should teach us that sin is a reproach to any people ? Is it strange 
 that He should remind us of the moral conditions upon which alone we 
 are authorized to hope for success ? The first lesson, therefore, is one 
 of rebuke and repentance. It is a call to break off our sins by right 
 eousness, and to turn our eyes to the real secret of national security and 
 strength. ; 
 
 The second end may be one of trial. God has placed us in circum 
 stances in which, if we show that we are equal to the emergency, all will 
 
<H"R DANGER AND OUR DUTY. 58$ 
 
 acknowledge our right to the freedom which we have so signally vindi 
 cated. We have now the opportunity for great exploits. We can now 
 demonstrate to the world what manner of spirit we are of. If our 
 courage and faith rise superior to the danger, we shall not only succeed, 
 but we shall succeed with a moral influence and character that shall 
 render our success doiibly valuable. Providence seems to be against us : 
 disaster upon disaster has attended our arms ; the enemy is in possession 
 of three States, and beleaguers us in all our coasts. His resources ancT 
 armaments are immense, and his energy and resolution desperate. His 
 numbers are so much superior, that we are like a flock of kids before 
 him. We have nothing to stand on but the eternal principles of truth 
 and right, and the protection and alliance of a just God. Can we look 
 the danger unflinchingly in the face, and calmly resolve to meet it and 
 subdue it? Can we say, in reliance upon Providence, that, were his 
 numbers and resources a thousand-fold greater, the interests at stake are 
 so momentous, that we will not be conquered ? Do we feel the moral 
 power of courage, of resolution, of heroic will, rising and swelling within 
 us, until it towers above all the smoke and dust of the invasion ? Then 
 we are in a condition to do great deeds. We are in the condition of 
 Greece when Xerxes hung upon the borders of Attica, with an army of 
 five millions that had never been conquered, and to which State after 
 State of northern Greece had yielded in its progress. Little Athens was 
 the object of his vengeance. Leonidas had fallen ; four days more would 
 bring the destroyer to the walls of the devoted city. There the people 
 were a mere handful. Their first step had been to consult the gods, 
 and the astounding reply which they received from Delphi would have 
 driven any other people to despair. " Wretched men ! " said the oracle, 
 which they believed to be infallible, " why sit ye there ? Quit your land 
 and city, and flee afar ! Head, body, feet, and hands, are alike rotten ; 
 fire and sword, in the train of the Syrian chariot, shall overwhelm you ; 
 not only your city, but other cities also, as well as many even of the 
 temples of the gods, which are now sweating and trembling with fear, 
 and foreshadow, by drops of blood on their roofs, the hard calamities 
 impending. Get ye away from the sanctuary, with your souls steeped 
 in sorrow." We have had reverses, but no such oracle as this. It was 
 afterwards modified so as to give a ray of hope, in an ambiguous allusion 
 to wooden walls. But the soul of the Greek rose with the danger ; and 
 we have a succession of events, from the desertion of Athens to the final 
 expulsion of the invader, which make that little spot of earth immortal. 
 Let us imitate, in Christian faith, this sublime example. Let ov,r spirit 
 be loftier than that of the pagan Greek, and we can succeed in making 
 every pass a Thermopylae every strait a Salamis, and every plain a 
 Marathon. We can conquer, and we must. We must not suffer any 
 other thought to enter our minds. If we are overrun, we can ai least 
 die ; and if our enemies get possession of our land, we can leave it f. 
 howling desert. But, under God, we snail not fail. If we are true to 
 Him, and true to ourselves, a glorious futuro is before us. We occupy 
 
590 APPENDIX. 
 
 a sublime position. The eyes of the world are upon us ; we are a spec 
 tacle to God, to angels, and to men. Can our hearts grow faint, or our 
 hands feeble, in a cause like this ? The spirits of our fathers call to us 
 from their graves. The heroes of other ages and other countries are 
 beckoning us on to glory. Let us seize the opportunity, and make to 
 ourselves an immortal name, while we redeem a land from bondage and 
 a continent from ruin. 
 
No. III. 
 THE STATE OF THE COUNTKY. 
 
 DECLARATION OF THE IMMEDIATE CAUSES WHICH INDUCE AND JUSTIFY 
 THE SECESSION OF SOUTH CAKOLINA FBOM THE FEDERAL UNION ; AND 
 THE ORDINANCE OF SECESSION. Printed by order of the Convention. 
 Charleston: Evans & Cogswell, Printers to the Convention, pp. 13. 
 18GO. 
 
 THE ADDRESS OF THE PEOPLE OF SOUTH CAROLINA, ASSEMBLED IN CON 
 VENTION, TO THE PEOPLE OF THE SLAVEHOLDING STATES OF THE 
 UNITED STATES. Printed by order of the Convention. Charleston : 
 Evans & Cogswell, Printers to the Convention, pp. 1C. I860. 
 REPORT ON THE ADDRESS OF A PORTION OF THE MEMBERS OF THE GENERAL 
 ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA. Printed by order of the Convention. Charles 
 ton : Evans & Cogswell, Printers to the Convention, pp. G. 1800. 
 IT is now universally known that, on the 20th day of last December, 
 the people of South Carolina, in Convention assembled, solemnly an 
 nulled the ordinance by which they became members of the Federal 
 Union, entitled the United States of America, and resumed to them 
 selves the exercise of all the powers which they had delegated to the 
 Federal Congress. Soiith Carolina has now become a separate and in 
 dependent State. She takes her place as an equal among the other 
 nations of the earth. This is certainly one of the most J;IH\V and im 
 portant events of modern times. It involves the destiny of a continent ; 
 and through that continent, the fortunes of the human race. As it is a 
 matter of the utmost moment that the rest of the world, and especially 
 that the people of the United States, should understand the causes which 
 have brought about this astounding result, we propose, in a short article, 
 and in a candid and dispassionate spirit, to explain them ; and to make an 
 appeal, both to the slaveholding and non-slaveholding States, touching 
 their duty in the new and extraordinary aspect which affairs have as 
 sumed. 
 
 That there was a cause, and an adequate cause, might be pn 
 from the character of the Convention which passed the Ordinance of 
 Secession, and the perfect unanimity -with which it was done. That 
 Convention was not a collection of demagogues and politicians. It was 
 not a conclave of defeated place-hunters, who sought to avenge their 
 
 591 
 
592 APPENDIX. 
 
 disappointment by the ruin of their country. It was a body of sober, 
 grave, and venerable men, selected from every pursuit inlife, and dis 
 tinguished, most Of them, in their respective spheres, by every quality 
 which can command confidence and respect. It embraced the wisdom, 
 moderation, and integrity of the bench, the learning and prudence of 
 the bar, and the eloquence and piety of the pulpit. It contained retired 
 planters, scholars, and gentlemen, who had stood aloof from the turmoil 
 and ambition of public life, and were devoting an elegant leisure, otium 
 cum dignitate, to the culture of their minds, and to quiet and unobtru 
 sive schemes of Christian philanthropy.- There were men in that Con 
 vention who were utterly incapable of low and selfish schemes ; who, in 
 the calm serenity of their judgments, were as unmoved by the waves of 
 popular passion and excitement as the everlasting granite by the billows 
 that roll against it. There were men there who would have listened to 
 no voice but what they believed to be the voice of reason ; and would 
 have bowed to no authority but what they believed to be the authority 
 of God. There were men there who would not have been controlled 
 by "uncertain opinion," nor betrayed into "sudden counsels;" men 
 who could act from nothing, in the noble language of Milton, "but 
 from mature wisdom, deliberate virtue, and dear affection* to the public 
 good." That Convention, in the character of its members, deserves 
 every syllable of the glowing panegyric which Milton has pronounced 
 upon the immortal Parliament of England, which taught the nations of 
 the earth that resistance to tyrants is obedience to God. Were it not 
 invidious, we might single out names, which, wherever they are known, 
 are regarded as synonymous with purity, probity, magiianirnity, and 
 honour. It was a noble body, and all their proceedings were in harmony 
 with their high character. In the midst of intense agitation and. excite 
 ment, they were calm, cool, collected, and self-possessed. They deliberated 
 without passion, and concluded without rashness.. I hey sat with closed 
 doors, that the tumult of the populace might not invade the sobriety of 
 their minds. If a stranger could have passed from the stirring scenes 
 with which the streets of Charleston were alive, into the calm and quiet 
 sanctuary of this venerable council, he would have been impressed with 
 the awe and veneration which subdued the rude Gaul, when he first be 
 held in senatorial dignity the Conscript Fathers of Home. That, in 
 such a body, there was not a single voice against the Ordinance of Se 
 cession, that there was not only no dissent, but that the assent was cordial 
 and thorough-going, is a strong presumption that the measure was jus 
 tified by the clearest and sternest necessities of justice and of right. 
 That such an assembly should have inaugurated and completed a radi 
 cal revolution in all the external relations of the State, in the face of 
 acknowledged dangers, and at the risk of enormous sacrifices, and 
 should have done it gravely, soberly, dispassionately, deliberately, and 
 yet have done \t without caue, transcends all the measiires of proba 
 bility. Whatever else may be said of it, it certainly must be admitted 
 that this solemn act of South Carolina was well considered. 
 
THE STATE OF THE COUNTRY. 593 
 
 In her estimate of the magnituderof the danger, she has been seconded 
 by every other slaveholding State. While we are writing, the telegraphic 
 wires announce whiA the previous elections had prepared us to expect 
 that Florida, Alabama, and Mississippi have followed her example. They 
 also have become separate and independent States. Three other St. i a 
 have taken the incipient steps for the consummation of the same result. 
 And the rest of the slaveholding States are hanging by a single thread 
 to the Union, the slender thread of hope, that guarantees may be divised 
 which shall yet secure to them their rights. But even they proclaim, 
 that without such guarantees, their wrongs are intolerable, and they 
 will not longer endure them. Can any man believe that the secession 
 of four sovereign States, under the most solemn circumstances, the de 
 termination of others to follow as soon as the constituted authorities can 
 be called together, and the universal sentiment of all, that the Consti 
 tution of the United States has been virtually repealed, and that every 
 slaveholding State has just ground for secession ; can any man believe 
 that this is a factitious condition of the public mind of the South, pro 
 duced by brawling politicians and disappointed demagogues, and not the 
 calm, deliberate, profound utterance of a people who feel, in their in 
 most fiouls, that they have been deeply and flagrantly wronged? The 
 presumption clearly is, that there is something in the attitude of the 
 Government which portends danger,, and demands resistance. There 
 must be a cause for this intense and pervading sense of injustice and of 
 injury. 
 
 It has been suggested, by those who know as little of the people of 
 the South as they do of the Constitution of their country, that all this 
 ferment is nothing but the result of a mercenary spirit on the part of 
 the cotton-growing States, fed by Utopian dreams of aggrandizement 
 and wealth, to be realized under the auspices of free trade, in a separate 
 confederacy of their own. It has been gravely insinuated that they 
 are willing to sell their faith for gold; that they have only made a 
 pretext of recent events to accomplish a foregone scheme of deliberate 
 treachery and fraud. That there is not the slightest ground in anything 
 these States have ever said or done for this extraordinary slander, it is, 
 of course, superfluous to add. The South has, indeed, complained of 
 tiiu unequal administration of the Government. Her best and purest 
 statesmen have openly avowed the opinion that, in consequence of the 
 partial legislation of Congress, she has borne burdens and experienced 
 inconveniences which have retarded her own prosperity, while they 
 have largely contributed to develope the resources of the North. But 
 grievances of this kind, unless greatly exaggerated, never would have 
 led to the dissolution of the Union. They would have been resisted 
 within it, or patiently borne until they could be lawfully redressed. So 
 fur from contending for an arbitrary right to dissolve the Union, or the 
 right to dissolve it on merely technical grounds, the South sets so high 
 a value on good faith, that she would never have dissolved it for slight 
 and temporary wrongs, even though they might involve such a violation, 
 
594: APPENDIX. 
 
 on the part of her confederates, of the terms of the compact, as released 
 her from any further obligation of honour. It is, therefore, prepostei- 
 ous to say, that any dreams, however dazzling, of ambition and avarice, 
 could have induced her to disregard her solemn engagements to her sis 
 ter States, while they were faithfully fulfilling the conditions of the 
 contract. We know the people of the South ; and we can confidently 
 affirm that, if they had been assuretl that all these golden visions could 
 have been completely realized by setting up for themselves, as long as 
 the Constitution of the United States continued to be sincerely observed, 
 they would have spurned the temptation to purchase national greatness 
 by perfidy. They would have preferred poverty, with honour, to the 
 gain of the whole world by the loss of their integrity. 
 
 When it was perceived that the tendency of events was inevitably 
 driving the South to disunion, a condition from which she at first re 
 coiled with horror, then she began to cast about her for considerations 
 to reconcile her to her destiny. Then, for the first time, was it main 
 tained, that, instead of being a loser, she might be a gainer by the 
 measure which the course of the Government was forcing upon her. It 
 was alleged that good would spring from evil ; that the prospect of inde 
 pendence was brighter and more cheering than her present condition ; 
 that she had much to anticipate, and little to dread, from the contem 
 plated change. But these considerations were not invented to justify 
 secession ; they were only adduced as motives to reconcile the mind to 
 its necessity. Apart from that necessity, they would have had as little 
 weight in determining public opinion, as the small dust of the balance. 
 We do not believe, when the present controversy began, that the advo 
 cates of what is called disunion per se, men who preferred a Southern 
 Confederacy upon the grounds of its intrinsic superiority to the Consti 
 tutional Union of the United States, could have mustered a corpornl u 
 guard. The people of the South were loyal to the country, and if the 
 country had been true to them, they would have been as ready to-day to 
 defend its honour with their fortunes and their blood, as when they 
 raised its triumphant flag upon the walls of Mexico. 
 
 It has also been asserted, as a ground of dissatisfaction with the pres 
 ent Government, and of desire to organize a separate government of 
 their own, that the cotton-growing States are intent upon re-opening, as 
 a means of fulfilling their magnificent visons of wealth, the African slave 
 trade. The agitation of this subject at the South has been grievously 
 misunderstood. One extreme generates another. The violence of 
 Northern abolitionists gave rise to a small party among ourselves, who 
 were determined not to be outdone in extravagance. They wished to 
 show that they could give a Rowland for an Oliver. Had abolitionists 
 never denounced the domestic trade as plunder and robbery, not a whis 
 per would ever have been breathed about disturbing the peace of Africa. 
 The men who were loudest in -their denunciations of the Government 
 had, with very few exceptions, no more desire to have the trade re 
 opened, than the rest of their countrymen ; but they delighted in 
 
THE STATE OF THE COUNTRY. 595 
 
 teasing their enemies. They took special satisfaction in providing hard 
 nuts for abolitionists to crack. There were others, not at all in favour of 
 the trade, who looked upon the law as unconstitutional which declared 
 it to be piracy. But the great mass of the Southern people were con 
 tent with the law as it stood. They were and arc opposed to the trade, 
 not because the traffic in slaves is immoral that not a man among us 
 believes but because the traffic with Africa is not a traffic in slaves. 
 It is a system of kidnapping and man-stealing, which is as abhorrent to 
 the South as it is to the North ; and we venture confidently to predict, 
 that should a Southern Confederacy be formed, the African slave-trade 
 is much more likely to be re-opened by the old Government than the 
 new. The conscience of the North will be less tender when it has no 
 Southern sins to bewail, and idle ships will naturally look to the Govern 
 ment to help them in finding employment. 
 
 The real chuse of the intense excitement of the South, is not vain 
 dreams of national glory in a separate confederacy, nor the love of the 
 filthy lucre of the African slave-trade ; it is the profound conviction that 
 the Constitution, in its relations to slavery, has been virtually repealed ; 
 that the Government has assumed a new and dangerous attitude upon 
 this subject ; that we have, in short, new terms of union submitted to 1 
 our acceptance or rejection. Here lies the evil. The election of Lin 
 coln, when properly interpreted, is nothing more nor less than a propo 
 sition to the South to consent to a Government, fundamentally different 
 upon the question of slavery, from that which our fathers established. 
 If this point can be made out, secession becomes not only a right, but a 
 bounden duty. Morally, it is only the abrogation of the forms of a con 
 tract, when its essential conditions have been abolished. Politically, 
 it is a measure indispensable to the safety, if not to the very existence, 
 of the South. It is needless to say that, in this issue, the personal 
 character of Mr. Lincoln is not at all involved. There are no objections 
 to him as a man, or as a citizen of the North. He is probably entitled, 
 in the private relations of life, to all the commendations which his 
 friends have bestowed upon him. "We, at least, would be the last to 
 detract from his personal worth. The issue has respect, not to the man, 
 but to the principles upon which he is pledged to administer the Govern 
 ment, and which, we are significantly informed, are to be impressed upon 
 it in all time to come. His election seals the triumph of those princi 
 ples, and that triumph seals the subversion of the Constitution, in rela 
 tion to a matter of paramount interest to the South. 
 
 This we shall proceed to show, by showing, first, the Constitutional 
 attitude of the Government towards slavery, and then the attitude 
 which, after the inauguration of Mr. Lincoln, it is to assume and main 
 tain for ever : 
 
 I, What, now, is its Constitutional attitude ? We affirm it to be one 
 
 Of ABSOLUTE INDIFFERENCE OR NEUTRALITY, With respect to all questions 
 
 connected with the moral and political aspects of the subject. In the 
 eye of the Constitution, slaveholding and non-slaveholding stand upon 
 
596 APPENDIX. 
 
 a footing of perfect equality. The- slaveholding State and the slave- 
 holding citizen are the same to it as the non-slaveholding. It protects 
 both ; it espouses the peculiarities of neither. It does not allow the 
 North to say the to South, Your institutions are inferior to ours, and 
 should be changed ; " neither does it allow the South to say to the North, 
 " You must accommodate yourselves to us." It says to both, " Enjoy your 
 own opinions upon your own soil, so that you do not interfere with the 
 rights of each other. To me there is no difference betwixt you." Formed 
 by parties whose divisive principle was this very subject of slavery, it 
 stands to reason, that the Constitution, without self-condemnation on the 
 part of one or the other, could not have been made the patron of either. 
 From the very nature of the case, its position must be one of complete 
 impartiality. This is what the South means by equality in the Union, 
 that the general Government shah 1 make no difference betwixt its insti- 
 tutions and those of the North ; that slaveholding shall be as good to it 
 as non-slaveholding. In other words, the Government is the organ of 
 neither party, but the common agent of both ; and, as their common 
 agent, has no right to pronounce an opinion as to the merits of their 
 respective peculiarities. This, we contend, is the attitude fixed by the 
 Constitution. The Government is neither pro nor anti slavery. It is 
 simply neutral. Had it assumed any other attitude upon this subject, it 
 never would have been accepted by the slaveholding States. When Mr. 
 Pinckney could rise up in the Convention and declare, that "if slavery 
 be wrong, it is justified by the example of all the world ; " when he could 
 boldly appeal to the unanimous testimony of ancient and modern times ; 
 to Greece and Eome, to France, Holland, and England, in vindication of 
 its righteousness, it is not to be presumed that he ever would have joined 
 in the construction of a Government which was authorized to pro 
 nounce and treat it as an evil } It is not to be presumed that the slave- 
 holding States, unless they seriously aimed at the ultimate extinction of 
 slavery, would have entered into an alliance which was confessedly to be 
 turned against them. That they did not aim at the extinction of slavery, 
 is clear from the pertinacity with which some of them clung to the con 
 tinuance of the African slave-trade, until foreign supplies should be no 
 longer demanded. When Georgia and South Carolina made it a sine 
 qua nan for entering the Union, that this traffic should be kept open for 
 a season, to say that these States meditated the abolition of slavery, is 
 grossly paradoxical. It is remarkable, too, that the time fixed for the 
 prohibition of this traffic, was a time within which the representatives 
 of those States were persuaded that the States themselves, if the question 
 were left to them, would prohibit it. These States conceded to the 
 Government the right to do, as their agent, only what they themselves 
 would do, as sovereign communities, under the same circumstances. 
 No presumption, therefore, of an attitude, on the part of the Constitu 
 tion, hostile to slavery, can be dediiced from the clause touching the 
 African slave-trade. On the contrary, the presumption is, that, as the 
 trade was kept open for a while kept open, in fact, as long as the 
 
THE STATE OF THE COUNTRY. 597 
 
 African supply was needed the slaveholding States never meant to 
 abolish (he institution, and never could have consented to set the face of 
 the Government against it. No doubt, the fathers of the Republic were, 
 many of them, not all, opposed to slavery. But they had to frame 
 a government which should represent, not their personal and private 
 opinions, but the interests of sovereign States. They had to adjust it 
 to the institutions of South Carolina and Georgia, as well as those of 
 Now England. And they had the grace given them to impress upon it 
 the only attitude which* could conciliate and harmonize all parties, the 
 attitude of perfect indifference. 
 
 This, at the same time, is the attitude of justice. We of the South 
 have the same right to our opinions as the people of the North. They 
 appear as true to us as theirs appear to them. We are as honest and 
 sincere in forming and maintaining them. We unite to form a govern 
 ment. Upon what principle shall it be formed ? Is it to be asked of us 
 to renounce doctrines which we believe have come down to us from the 
 earliest ages, and have the sanction of the oracles of God ? Must we 
 give up what we conscientiously believe to be the truth ? The thing is 
 absurd. The Government, in justice, can only say to both parties : I 
 will protect you both, I will be the advocate of neither. 
 
 In order to exempt slavery from the operation of this plain principle 
 of justice, it has been contended that the right of property in slaves is 
 the creature of positive statute, and, consequently, of force only within 
 the limits of the jurisdiction of the law ; that it is a right not recognized 
 by the Constitution of the United States, and, therefore, not to be pro 
 tected where Congress is the local legislature. These two propositions 
 contain everything that has any show of reason for the extraordinary 
 revolution which the recent election has consummated in the Govern 
 ment of the United States. 
 
 They are both gratuitous : 
 
 (1.) In the first place, slavery has never, in any country, so far as we 
 know, arisen under the operation of statute law. It is not a municipal 
 institution ; it is not the arbitrary creature of the State : it has not sprung 
 from the mere force of legislation. Law defines, modifies, and regulates 
 it, as it does every other species of property ; but law never created it. 
 The law found it in existence, and being in existence, the law subjects it 
 to fixed rules. On the contrary, what is local and municipal is the abo 
 lition of slavery. The States that are now non-slaveholding, have been 
 mnde so by positive statute. Slavery exists, of course, in every nation 
 in which it is not prohibited. It arose, in the progress of human events, 
 from the operation of moral causes ; it has been grounded by philo 
 sophers in moral maxims ; it has always been held to be moral by the 
 vast majority of the race. No age has been without it. From the first 
 dawn of a\ithentic history, until the present period, it has come down to 
 us through all the course of ages. We find it among nomadic tribes, 
 barbarian hordes, and civilized States. Wherever communities have 
 been organized, and any rights of property have been recognized at all, 
 
598 APPENDIX. 
 
 there slavery is seen. If, therefore, there can be any property which 
 can be said to be founded in the common consent of the human race, it 
 is the property in slaves. If there be any property that can be called 
 natural, in the sense that it spontaneously springs up in the history of 
 the species, it is the property in slaves. If there be any property which 
 is founded in principles of universal operation, it is the property in 
 slaves. To say of an institution, whose history is thus the history of 
 man, which has always and everywhere existed, that it is a local and 
 municipal relation, is of " all absurdities the motliest, the merest word 
 that ever fooled the ear from out the schoolman s jargon." .Mankind 
 may have been wrong ; that is not the question. The point is, whether 
 the law made slavery ; whether it is the police regulation of limited lo 
 calities, or whether it is a property founded in natural causes, and causes, 
 of universal operation. "We say nothing as to the moral character of the 
 causes. We insist only upon the fact that slavery is rooted in a common 
 law, wider and more pervading than the common law of England : THE 
 
 UNIVERSAL CUSTOM OF MANKIND. 
 
 If, therefore, slavery is not municipal, but natural ; if it is abolition 
 which is municipal and local ; then, upon the avowed doctrines of our op 
 ponents, two things follow .: first, that slavery goes of right, and as a matter 
 of course, into every territory from which it is not excluded by positive 
 statui!^ ; and, second, that Congress is competent to forbid the Northern 
 States from impressing their local peculiarity of non-slaveholding upon 
 the common soil of the Union. If the Kepublican argument is good for 
 anything, it goes the whole length of excluding for ever any additional 
 non-slaveholding States from the Union. "What would they think if the 
 South had taken any such extravagant ground as this? What would 
 they have done, if the South had taken advantage of a numerical ma 
 jority, to legislate them and tlfeir institutions for ever out of the common 
 territory ? Would they have submitted ? Would they have glorified the 
 Union, and yielded to the triumph of slavery ? We know that they 
 would not. They would have scorned the crotchet about municipal and 
 local laws which divested them of their dearest rights. Let them give 
 the same measure to others which they expect from others. It is a noble 
 maxim, commended by high authority, Do as you would be done by. 
 
 The South has neither asked for, nor does she desire, any exclusive 
 benefits. All she demands is, that as South, as slaveholding, she shall be 
 put upon the same footing with the North, as non-slaveholding ; that the 
 Government shall not undertake to say, one kind of States is better than 
 the other ; that it shall have no preference as to the character, in this 
 respect, of any future States to be added to the Union. Non-slaveholding 
 may be superior to slaveholding, but it is not the place of the Govern 
 ment to say so, much less to assume the right of saying so upon a prin 
 ciple which, properly applied, requires it to say the very reverse. 
 
 There is another sense in which municipal is opposed to international, 
 and, in this sense, slavery is said to be municipal, because there is no 
 obligation, by the law of nations, on the part of States in which 
 
THE STATE OF THE COUNTRY. 599 
 
 slavery is prohibited, to respect, within the limits of their own terri 
 tory, the rights of the foreign slaveholder. This is the doctrine laid 
 down by Judge Story. No nation is bound to accord to a stranger a 
 right of property which it refuses to its own subjects. We cannot, 
 therefore, demand from the governments of France or England, or any 
 other foreign power, whose policy and interests are opposed to slavery, 
 the restoration of our fugitives from bondage. We are willing to con 
 cede, for the sake of argument, that the principle in question is an ad 
 mitted principle of international law, though we are quite persuaded 
 that it is contrary to the whole current of Continental authorities, and is 
 intensely English. We doubt whether, even in England, it can be traced 
 beyond the famous decision of Lord Mansfield, in the case of Somerset. 
 But let us admit the principle. What then ? The Constitution of the 
 United States has expressly provided that this principle shall not apply 
 within the limits of Federal jurisdiction. With reference to this country, 
 it has abrogated the law ; every State is bound to respect the right of the 
 Southern master to his slave. The Constitution covers the whole terri 
 tory of the Union, and throughout that territory has taken slavery under 
 the protection of law. However foreign nations may treat our fugitive 
 slaves, the States of this confederacy are bound to treat them as pro 
 perty, and to give them back to their lawful owners. How idle, there 
 fore, tc plead a principle of international law, which, in reference to the 
 relations of the States of this Union, is formally abolished ! Slavery is 
 clearly a part of the municipal law of the United States ; and the whole 
 argument, from the local character of the institution, falls to the ground. 
 Slaveholding and non-slaveholding are both equally sectional, and both 
 equally national. 
 
 (2. ) As to the allegation that the Constitution nowhere recognizes the 
 right of property in slaves, that is equally unfounded. We shall say no 
 thing here of the decision of the Supreme Court, though that, one would 
 think, is entitled to some consideration. We shall appeal to the Consti 
 tution itself, and, if there is force in logic, we shall be able to make it 
 appear that the right is not only recognized, but recognized with a phi 
 losophical accuracy and precision that seize only on the essential, and 
 omit the variable and accidental. The subject, in the language of the 
 Constitution, is transferred from the technicalities of law, to the higher 
 sphere of abstract and speculative morality. Morally considered, to 
 what class does the slave belong ? To the class of persons held to ser 
 vice. The two ideas that he is a person, and as a person, held to service, 
 constitute the generic conception of slavery. How is this obligation to 
 service fundamentally differenced from that of other labourers? By 
 this, as one essential circumstance, that it is independent of the for 
 malities of contract. Add the circumstance that it is for life, and you 
 have a complete conception of the thing. You have the very definition, 
 almost in his own words, which a celebrated English philosopher gives 
 of slavery: "I define slavery," says Dr. Paley, "to be an obligation to 
 
600 APPENDIX. 
 
 labour for the benefit of the master, without the contract or consent of 
 the servant."* 
 
 Now, is such an obligation recognized in the Constitution of the 
 United States? Are there persons spoken of in it who are held to ser 
 vice by a claim so sacred that the Government allows them, however 
 anxious they may be to do so, to dissolve it neither by stratagem nor 
 force ? If they run away, they must be remanded to those who are en 
 titled to their labour, even if they escape to a territory whose local laws 
 would otherwise protect them. If they appeal to force, the whole power 
 of the Union may be brought to crush them. Can any man say that the 
 Constitution does not here recognize a right to the labour and service 
 of men, of persons, which springs from no stipulations of their own, is 
 entirely independent of their own consent, and which can never be an- 1 
 nulled by any efforts, whether clandestine or open, on their part ? This 
 is slavery; it is the very essence and core of the institution. That upon 
 which the right of property terminates in the slave, is his service or la 
 bour. It is not his soul, not his person, not his moral and intellectual 
 nature ; it is his labour. This is the thing which is bought and sold in 
 the market ; and it is, in consequence, of the right to regulate, control,, 
 and direct this, that the person comes under an obligation to obey. 
 The ideas of a right on one side, and duty on the other, show that the 
 slave, in this relation, is as truly a person as his master. The Consti 
 tution, therefore, does recognize and protect slavery, in every moral 
 and ethical feature of it. The thing which, under that name, has com 
 manded the approbation of mankind, is the very thing, among others 
 analogous to it, included in the third clause of the second section of the 
 fourth chapter of the Constitution. We see no way of getting round 1 
 this argument. It is idle to say that slaves are not referred to ; it is 
 equally idle to say that the right of their labour is not respected and 
 guarded. Let this right be acknowledged in the territories, and we are 
 not disposed to wring changes upon words. Let the Government per 
 mit the South to carry her persons held to service, without their con 
 sent, into the territories, and let the right to their labour be protected, 
 and there would be no quarrel about slavery. It is unworthy of states 
 men, in a matter of this sort, to quibble about legal technicalities. That 
 the law of slaveholding States classes slaves among chattels, and speaks- 
 of them as marketable commodities, does not imply that, morally and 
 ethically, they are not persons ; nor that the property is in them, rather 
 than in their toil. These same laws treat them, in other respects, as 
 persons ; and speak of their service as obedience or duty. The mean 
 ing of chattel is relative, and is to be restricted to the relation which it 
 implies. 
 
 We are happy to find that the Supreme Court of the United States 
 has fully confirmed the interpretation which we have given to this 
 clause of the Constitution. In the case of Priggs vs. the Cornmon- 
 
 *MoralPhilos.III.,c.3. 
 
THE STATE OF THE COUNTRY. 601 
 
 wealth of Pennsylvania,* it was asserted by every judge upon the bench 
 that the design of the provision was "to secure to the citizens of the 
 slaveholding States the complete right and title of ownership in their 
 slaves, as properly, in < \x-ry State in the Union into which they might 
 escape from the State where tin y were held in servitude." These are 
 the very words of Mr. Justice Story, in delivering the opinion of the 
 Court. He went on to add: "The full recognition of this right and 
 title was indispensable to the security of this species of property in all 
 the slaveholdiug States ; and, indeed, was so vital to the preservation of 
 the domestic interests and institutions, that it cannot be doubted that it 
 constituted a fundamental article, without the adoption of which the 
 Union could not have been formed."! Again : " We have said that the 
 clause contains a positive and unqualified recognition of the right of the 
 owner in the slave. "J Chief Justice Taney held that, "by the national 
 compact, this right of property is recognized as an existing right in 
 every State of the Union. " Judge Thompson said, the Constitution 
 "affirms, in the most unequivocal manner, the right of the master to 
 the service of his slave, according to the laws of the State under which 
 he is so held. "|| Judge Wayne affirmed that all the judges concurred 
 "in the declaration that the provision in the Constitution was a compro 
 mise between the slaveholding and the iioii-slaveholding States, to secure 
 to the former fugitive slaves as property."^ " The paramount authority 
 of this clause in the Constitution," says Judge Daniel, "to guarantee 
 to the owner the right of property in his slave, and the absolute nullity 
 of any State power, directly or indirectly, openly or covertly, aimed to 
 impair that right, or to obstruct its enjoyment, I admit nay, insist 
 upon to the fullest extent."** 
 
 If, now, the Constitution recognizes slaves as property that is, as 
 persons to whose labour and service the master has a right then, upon 
 what principle shall Congress undertake to abolish this right upon a 
 territory of which it is the local legislature ? It will not permit the 
 slave to cancel it, because the service is due. Upon what ground can it 
 interpose between a man and his dues ? Congress is as much the agent 
 of the slaveholding as it is of the non-slaveholding States ; aiid, as. 
 equally bound to protect both, and to hold the scales of justice even 
 between them, it must guard the property of the one with the same 
 care with which it guards the property of the other. 
 
 We have now refuted the postulates upon which the recent revolution, 
 in the Government is attempted to be justified. We have shown that 
 slavery is not the creature of local and municipal law, and that the Con 
 stitution distinctly recognizes the right of the master to the labour or 
 service of the slave ; that is, the right of property in slaves. There is 
 no conceivable pretext, then, for saying that the Government should 
 resist the circulation of this kind of property more than any other. 
 
 I 
 
 * 16 Peters, p. 539, et seq. III., p. 611. lib., 613. 76., p. 628. 
 
 H Ib., p. 634. f/6.,p. 637. ** 76., p 165. 
 
602 APPENDIX. 
 
 That question it must leave to the providence of God, and to the na 
 tural and moral laws by which its solution is conditioned. All that the 
 Government can do is to give fair play to both parties, the slaveholding 
 and non-slaveholding States ; protect the rights of both on their com 
 mon soil, and as soon as a sovereign State emerges, to which the soil is 
 henceforward to belong, remit the matter to its absolute discretion. 
 This is justice ; this is the impartiality which becomes the agent of a 
 great people, divided by two such great interests. 
 
 That the rights of the South, as slavefiolding, for it is in that relation 
 only that she is politically a different section from the North, and the 
 rights of the North, as non-slaveholding, are absolutely equal, is so plain 
 a proposition, that one wonders at the pertinacity with which it has 
 been denied. Here let us expose a sophism whose only force consists 
 in a play upon words. It is alleged that the equality of the sections is 
 not disturbed by the exclusion of slavery from the territories, because the 
 Southern man may take with him all that the Northern man can take. 
 The plain English of which is this : if the Southern man will consent to 
 become as a Northern man, and renounce what distinguishes him as a 
 Southern man, he may go into the territories. But if he insists upon 
 remaining "a Soutliern man, he must stay at home. The geography is 
 only an accident in this matter. The Southern man, politically, is the 
 slaveholder ; the Northern man, politically, is the non-slaveholder. 
 The rights of the South are the rights of the South as slaveholding ; 
 the rights of the North are the rights of the North as non-slaveholding. 
 This is what makes the real difference betwixt the two sections. To 
 exclude slaveholding is, therefore, to exclude the South. By the free- 
 soil doctrine, therefore, she, as South, is utterly debarred from every 
 foot of the soil which belongs of right as much to her as to her Northern 
 confederates. The Constitution is made to treat her institutions as if 
 they were a scandal and reproach. It becomes the patron of the North, 
 and an enemy, instead of a protector, to her. 
 
 That this is the attitude which the Government is henceforward to 
 assume, we shall now proceed to show : 
 
 (1.) In the first place, let it be distinctly understood that we do not 
 charge the great body of the Northern people, who have accomplished 
 the recent revolution, with being abolitionists, in the strict and techni 
 cal sense. We are willing to concede that they have no design, for the 
 present, to interfere directly with slavery in the slaveholding States. 
 "We shall give them credit for an honest purpose, under Mr. Lincoln s 
 administration, to execute, as far as the hostility of the States will let 
 them, the provisions of the fugitive slave law. All this may be ad 
 mitted ; but it does not affect the real issue, nor mitigate the real dan 
 ger. We know that there are various types of opinion at the North, 
 with reference to the moral aspects of slavery ; and we have never ap 
 prehended that, under the Constitution as it stands, there was any like 
 lihood of an attempt to interfere, by legislation, with our property on 
 our own soil. 
 
STATE OF THE COUNTRY. G03 
 
 (2.) But, in the second place, it must likewise be conceded that the 
 general, almost the universal, attitude of, the Northern mind is one of 
 hostility to slavery. Those who are not prepared to condemn it as a 
 sin, nor to meddle with it where it is legally maintained, are yet op 
 posed to it, as a natural and political evil, which every good man should 
 desire to see extinguished. They all regard it as a calamity, an afflic 
 tion, a misfortune. They regard it as an element of weakness, and as 
 a draw-back upon the prosperity and glory of the country. They pity 
 the South, as caught in the folds of a serpent, which is gradually squeez 
 ing out her life. And, even when they defend us from the reproach of 
 sin in sustaining the relation, they make so many distinctions between 
 the abstract notion of slavery and the system of our own laws, that 
 their defence would hardly avail to save us, if there were any power 
 competent to hang and quarter us. We are sure that we do not mis 
 represent the general tone of Northern sentiment. It is one of hostility 
 to slavery ; it is one which, while it might not be willing to break faith, 
 under the present administration, with respect to the express injunctions 
 of the Constitution, is utterly and absolutely opposed to any further ex 
 tension of the system. 
 
 (3.) In the third place, let it be distinctly understood that we have no 
 complaint to make of the opinions of the North, considered simply as 
 their opinions. They have a right, so far as human authority is con 
 cerned, to think as they please. The South has never asked them to 
 approve of slavery, or to change their own institutions, and to introduce 
 it among themselves. The South has been willing to accord to them 
 the most perfect and unrestricted right of private judgment. 
 
 (4.) But in the fourth place, what we do complain of, and what we 
 have a right to complain of, is that they should not be content with 
 thinking their own thoughts themselves, but should undertake to make 
 the Government think them likewise. We of the South have, also, cer 
 tain thoughts concerning slavery ; and we cannot understand upon 
 what principle the thinking of the South is totally excluded, and the 
 thinking of the North made supreme. The Government is as much 
 ours as theirs ; and we cannot see why, in a matter that vitally con 
 cerns ourselves, we shall be allowed to do no effective thinking at all. 
 This is the grievance. The Government is made to take the type of 
 Northern sentiment ; it is animated, in its relations to slavery, by the 
 Northern mind ; and the South, henceforward, is no longer of the Go 
 vernment, but only under the Government. The extension of slavery, 
 in obedience to Northern prejudice, is to be for ever arrested. Con 
 gress is to treat it as an evil, an element of political weakness, and to 
 restrain its influence within the limits which now circumscribe it. All 
 this because the North thinks so; while the South, an equal party to 
 the Government, has quite other thoughts. And when we indignantly 
 complain of this absolute suppression of all right to think in and through 
 our own Government, upon a subject that involves our homes and our 
 firesides, we are coolly reminded that, as long as Congress does not 
 
604: APPENDIX. 
 
 usurp the rights of our own Legislatures, and abolish slavery on our 
 own soil, nor harbour our fugitives when they attempt to escape from 
 us, we have reason to be grateful for the indulgence accorded to us. 
 The right to breathe is as much as \ve should venture to claim. You 
 may exist, says free-soilism, as States, and manage your slaves at home ; 
 we will not abrogate your sovereignty. Your runaways we do not want, 
 and we may occasionally send them back to you. But if you think you 
 have a right to be heard at "Washington upon this great subject, it is 
 time that your presumption should be rebuked. The North is the 
 thinking power, the soul of the Government. The life of the Govern 
 ment is Northern, not Southern ; the type to be impressed upon all 
 future States is Northern, not Southern. The North becomes the United 
 States, and the South a subject province. 
 
 Now, we say that this is a state of things not to be bor ne. A freo 
 people can never consent to their own degradation. "We say boldly, 
 that the Government has no more right to adopt Northern thoughts on 
 the subject of slavery than those of the South. It has no more right 
 to presume that they are true. It has no right to arbitrate between 
 them. It must treat them both with equal respect, and give them an 
 equal chance. Upon no other footing can the South, with honour, remain 
 in the Union. It is not to be endured for a moment, that fifteen sovereign 
 States, embodying, in proportion to their population, as nmch intelli 
 gence, virtue, public spirit and patriotism, as any other people upon the 
 globe, should be quietly reduced to zero, in^a Government which they 
 framed for their own protection. "We put the question again to the 
 North : "If the tables were turned, and it was your thoughts, your life, 
 your institutions, that the Government was henceforward to discounte 
 nance ; if non-slaveholding was hereafter to be prohibited in every ter 
 ritory, and the whole policy of the Government shaped by the principle 
 that slavery is a blessing, would you endure it ? Would not your blood 
 boil, and would you not call upon your hungry millions to come to the 
 rescue ? " And yet, this is precisely what you have done to us, and. 
 think we ought not to resist. You have made us ciphers, and are utterly 
 amazed that we should claim to be anything. 
 
 But, apart from the degradation which it inflicts upon the South, it 
 may be asked, what real injury will result from putting the Government 
 in an attitude of hostility to slavery ? 
 
 The answer is, in the first place, that it will certainly lead to the 
 extinction of the system. You may destroy the oak as effectually by 
 girdling it as by cutting it down. The North are well assured that, if 
 they can circumscribe the area of slavery, if they can surround it with 
 a circle of non-slaveholding States, and prevent it from expanding, 
 nothing more is required to secure its ultimate abolition. "Like the 
 scorpion girt by fire,* it will plunge its fangs into its own body, and- 
 perish. If, therefore, the South is not prepared to see her institutions 
 surrounded by enemies, and wither and decay under these hostile influ 
 ences, if she means to cherish and protect them, it is her bounden duty 
 
STATE OF THE COUNTRY. 605 
 
 to resist the revolution which threatens tin m with ruin. The triumph of 
 the principles which Mr. Lincoln is pledged to carry out, is the dejith- 
 kuell of slavery. 
 
 In the next place, the state of the Northern mind which lias produced 
 this revolution, cannot be expected to remain content with its present 
 victory. It will hasten to other triumphs. The same spirit which Ins 
 prevaricated with the express provisions of the Constitution, and iv- 
 sorted to expedients to evade the most sacred obligations, will not hesi 
 tate for a moment to change the Constitution when it finds itself in 
 possession of the power. It will only be consistency to harmonize the 
 fundamental law of the Government with its chosen policy, the real 
 workings of its life. The same hostility to slavery which a numerical 
 majority has impressed upon the Federal legislature, it will not scruple 
 to impress "upon the Federal Constitution. If the South could be in 
 duced to submit to Lincoln, the time, we confidently predict, will come 
 jvhen all grounds of controversy will be removed in relation to fugitive 
 slaves, by expunging the provision under which they are claimed. The 
 principle is at work, and enthroned in power, whose inevitable tendency 
 is to secure this result. Let us crush the serpent in the egg. 
 
 From these considerations, it is obvious that nothing more nor less is 
 at stake in this controversy than the very life of the South. The real 
 question is, whether she shall be politically annihilated. We are not 
 struggling for fleeting and temporary interests. "We are struggling for 
 our very being. And none know better than the Republican party itself 
 that, if we submit to their new type of government, our fate as slave- 
 holding States is for ever sealed. They have already exulted in the pros 
 pect of this glorious consummation. They boast that they have laid a 
 mine which nmst ultimately explode in our utter ruin. They are singing 
 songs of victory in advance, and are confidently anticipating the auspi 
 cious hour when they shall have nothing to do but to return to the field 
 and bury the dead. 
 
 The sum of what we have said is briefly this : We have shown that the 
 constitutional attitude of the Government toward slavery is one of abso 
 lute neutrality or indifference in relation to the moral and political as 
 pects of the subject. We have shown, in the next place, that it is here 
 after to take an attitude of hostility ; that it is to represent the opinions 
 and feelings exclusively of the North ; that it is to become the Govern 
 ment of one section over another ; and that the South, as South, is to 
 sustain no other relation to it but the duty of obedience. 
 
 This is a thorough and radical revolution. It makes a new Govern 
 ment ; it proposes new and extraordinary terms of union. The old 
 Government is as completely abolished as if the people of the United 
 States had met in convention and repealed the Constitution. It is friv 
 olous to tell us that the change has been made through the forms of the 
 Constitution. This is to add insult to injury. What signify forms, 
 when the substance is gone ? Of what value is the shell, when the kernel 
 is extracted ? Rights are things, and not words ; and when the things 
 
606 APPENDIX. 
 
 are taken from us, it is no time to be nibbling at phrases. If a witness 
 nnder oath designedly gives testimony, which, though literally true, 
 conveys a false impression, is he not guilty of perjury ? Is not his truth 
 a lie ? Temures kept the letter of his promise to the garrison of Sebastia, 
 that, if they would surrender, no blood should be shed ; but did that 
 save him from the scandal of treachery in burying them alive ? No man 
 objects to the legality of the process of Mr. Lincoln s election. The ob 
 jection is to the legality of that to which he is elected. He has been 
 chosen, not to administer, but to revolutionize the Government. The 
 very moment he goes into office, the Constitution of the United States, is 
 touching the great question between North and South, is dead. The 
 oath which makes him President, makes a new Union. The import of 
 secession is simply the refusal, on the part of the South, to be parties to 
 any such Union. She has not renounced, and, if it had been permitted 
 to stand, she never would have renounced, the Constitution which our 
 fathers framed. She would have stood by it for ever. But, as the North 
 have substantially abolished it, and, taking advantage of their numbers, 
 have substituted another in i^/s place, which dooms the South to per 
 dition, surely she has a right to say she will enter into no such conspi 
 racy. The Government to which she consented was a Government under 
 which she might hope to live. The new one presented in its place is 
 one under which she can only die. Under these circumstances, we do 
 not see how any man can question either the righteousness or the neces 
 sity of secession. The South is shut up to the duty of rejecting these 
 new terms of union. No people on earth, without judicial infatuation, 
 can organize a government to destroy them. It is too much to ask a 
 man to sign his own death-warrant. 
 
 II. We wish to say a few words as to the policy of the slaveholding 
 States in the present emergency. 
 
 We know it to be the fixed determination of them all not to acquiesce 
 in the principles which have brought Mr. Lincoln into power. Several 
 of them, however, have hesitated and it is a sign of the scmpulous in 
 tegrity of the South in maintaining her faith whether the mere fact of 
 his election, apart from any overt act of the Government, is itself a casus 
 belli, and a sufficient reason for extreme measures of resistance. These 
 States have also clung to the hope that there would yet be a returning 
 sense of justice at the North, which shall give them satisfactory guaran 
 tees for the preservation of their rights, and restore peace without the 
 necessity of schism. We respect the motives which have produced this 
 hesitation. We have no sympathy with any taunting reflections upon 
 the courage, magnanimity, public spirit, or patriotism of such a Com 
 monwealth as Virginia. The mother of Washington is not to be insulted 
 if, like her great hero, she takes counsel of moderation and prudence. 
 We honour, too, the sentiment which makes it hard to give up the 
 Union. It was a painful struggle to ourselves ; the most painful struggle 
 of our lives. There were precious memories and hallowed associations, 
 connected with a glorious history, to which the heart cannot bid farewell 
 
STATE OF THE COUNTRY. 607 
 
 without a pang. Few men, in all the South, brought themselves to pro 
 nounce the word DISUNION, without sadness of heart. Some States have 
 not yet been able to pronounce it. But the tendency of events is irre 
 sistible. It is becoming every day clearer that the people of the North 
 hate slavery more than they love the Union, and they are developing 
 this spirit in a form which must soon bring every slaveholding State 
 within the ranks of secession. The evil day may be put off, but it must 
 come. The country must be divided into two people, and the point 
 which we wish now to press upon the whole South is, the importance of 
 preparing, at once, for this consummation. 
 
 The slaveholding interest is one, and it seems to us clear that the 
 slaveholding States ought speedily to be organized under one general 
 Government. United, they are strong enough to maintain themselves 
 against the world. They have the territory, the resources, the popu 
 lation, the public spirit, the institutions, which, under a genial and fos 
 tering Constitution, would soon enable them to become one of the first 
 people upon the globe. And if the North shah 1 have wisdom to see her 
 true policy, two Governments upon this continent may work out the 
 problem of human liberty more successfully than one. Let the two 
 people maintain the closest alliance for defence against a foreign foe ; or, 
 at least, let them be agreed that no European power shall ever set foot 
 on American soil, and that no type of government but the republican 
 shall ever be tolerated here ; and what is to hinder the fullest and freest 
 development of our noble institutions ? The separation changes nothing 
 but the external relations of the two sections. Such a dismemberment 
 of the Union is not like the revolution of a State, where the internal 
 system of government is subverted, where laws are suspended, and 
 where anarchy reigns. The country might divide into two great nations 
 to-morrow, without a jostle or a jar ; the Government of each State might 
 go on as regularly as before, the law be as supreme, and order as perfect, 
 if the passions of the people could be kept from getting the better of 
 their judgments. It is a great advantage, in the form of our Con 
 federacy, that a radical revolution can take place without confusion and 
 without anarchy. Every State has a perfect internal system at work 
 already, and that undergoes no change, except in adjusting it to its 
 altered external relations. Now, given this system of States, with every 
 element of a perfect government in f ull and undisturbed operation, what 
 is there in the circumstance of one Confederacy of divided interests, that 
 shall sectfre a freer and safer development than two Confederacies, each 
 representing an undivided interest ? Are not two homogeneous Unions 
 stronger than one that is heterogeneous ? Should not the life of a Gov 
 ernment be one ? We do not see, therefore, that anything will be lost 
 to freedom by the union of the South under a separate Government. She 
 will carry into it every institution that she had before her State consti 
 tutions, her legislatures, her courts of justice, her halls of learning 
 everything that she now possesses. She will put these precious interests 
 under a Government embodying every principle which gave value to the 
 
608 APPENDIX. 
 
 old one, and amply adequate to protect. What will she lose of real free 
 dom ? We confess that we cannot understand the declamation that, with 
 the American Union, American institutions are gone. Each section of 
 the Union will preserve them and cherish them. Every principle that 
 has ever made us glorious, and made our Government a wonder, will 
 abide with us. The sections, separately, will no t be as formidable to 
 foreign powers as before. That is all. But each section will be strong 
 enough to protect itself, and both together can save this continent for 
 republicanism for ever. 
 
 Indeed, it is likely that both Governments will be purer, in consequence 
 of their mutual rivalry, and the diminution of the extent of their patron 
 age. They will both cherish intensely the American feeling, both main 
 tain the pride of American character, and both tvy to make their Gov 
 ernments at home what they would desire to have them appear to be 
 abroad. Once take away all pretext for meddling with one another s 
 peculiar interests, and we do not see but that the magnificent visions of 
 glory, which .our imaginations have delighted to picture as the destiny 
 of the Anglo-Saxon race on this North American continent, may yet be 
 fully realized. They never can be, if we continue together, to bite and 
 devour one another. 
 
 But, whether it be for weal for woe, the South has no election. She 
 is driven to the wall, and the only question is, will she take care of her 
 self in time ? The sooner she can organize a general Government the 
 better. That will be a centre of unity, and, once combined, we are 
 safe. 
 
 We cannot close without saying a few words to the people of the 
 North as to the policy which it becomes them to pursue. The whole 
 question of peace or war is in their hands. The South is simply stand 
 ing on the defensive, and has no notion of abandoning that attitude. 
 Let the Northern people, then, seriously consider, and consider in the 
 fear of God, how, under present circumstances, they can best conserve 
 those great interests of freedom, of religion, and of order, which are 
 equally dear to us both, and which they can fearfully jeopard. If their 
 counsels incline to peace, the most friendly relations can speedily be 
 restored, and the most favourable treaties entered into. We should feel 
 ourselves the joint possessors of the continent, and should be drawn 
 together by ties which unite no other people. We could, indeed, realize 
 all the advantages of the Union, without any of its inconveniences. The 
 cause of human liberty would not even be retarded, if the North can 
 rise to a level with the exigencies of the occasion. If, on the other 
 hand, their thoughts incline to war, we solemnly ask them what they 
 expect to gain ? What interest will be promoted ? What end, worthy 
 of a great people, will they be able to secure ? They may gratify their 
 bad passions, they may try to wreak their resentment upon the seceding 
 States, and they may inflict a large amount of injury, disaster, and suffer 
 ing. But what have they gained ? Shall a free people be governed by 
 their passions ? Suppose they should conquer us, what will they do with 
 
STATE OF THE COUNTRY. 609 
 
 us ? How will they hold us in subjection ? How many gnrrisons, and 
 how many men, and how much treasure, will it take to keep the South 
 in order as a conquered province ? and where are these resources to 
 come from ? After they have subdued us, the hardest part of their task 
 will remain. They will have the wolf by the ears. 
 
 But upon what grounds do they hope to conquer us ? They know us 
 well ; they know our numbers, they know our spirit, and they know the 
 value which we set upon our homes and firesides. We have fought for 
 the glory of the Union, and the world admired us ; but it was not such 
 fighting as we shall do for our wives, our children, and our sacred hon 
 our. The very women of the South, like the Spartan matrons, will take 
 hold of shield and buckler, and our boys at school will go to the field in 
 all the determination of disciplined valour. Conquered we can never 
 be. It would be madness to attempt it. And after years of blood and 
 slaughter, the parties would be just where they began, except that they 
 would have learned to hate one another with an intensity of hatred 
 equalled only in hell. Freedom would suffer, religion would suffer, 
 learning would suffer, every human interest would suffer, from such a 
 war. But upon whose head would fall the responsibility ? There can 
 be but one answer. We solemnly believe that the South will be guilt 
 less before the eyes of the Judge of all the earth. She has stood in her 
 lot, and resisted aggression. 
 
 If the North could rise to the dignity of their present calling, this 
 country would present to the world a spectacle of unparalleled grandeur. 
 It would show how deeply the love of liberty and the influence of reli 
 gion are rooted in our people, when a great empire can be divided with 
 out confusion, war, or disorder. Two great people united under one 
 Government differ upon a question of vital importance to one. Neither 
 can conscientiously give way. In the magnanimity of their souls, they 
 say, let there be no strife between us, for we are brethren. The land 
 is broad enough for us both. Let us part in peace ; let us divide our 
 common inheritance, adjust our common obligations ; and, preserving 
 as a sacred treasure our common principles, let each set up for himself, 
 and let the Lord bless us both. A course like this heroic, sublime, 
 glorious would be something altogether unexampled in the history of 
 the world. It would be the wonder and astonishment of the nations. 
 It would do more to command for American institutions the homage 
 and respect of mankind than all the armies and fleets of the Republic. 
 It would be a victory more august and imposing than any which can be 
 achieved by the thunder of cannon and the shock of battle. 
 
 Peace is the policy of both North and South. Let peace prevail, and 
 nothing really valuable is lost. To- save the Union is impossible. The 
 thing for Christian men and patriots to aim at now, is to save the coun 
 try from war. That will be a scourge and a curse. But the South will 
 emerge from it free as she was before. She is the invaded party, and 
 her institutions are likely to gain strength from the conflict. Can the 
 North, as the invading party, be assured that she will not fall into the 
 
610 APPENDIX. 
 
 hands of a military despot ? The whole question is with her ; and we 
 calmly await her decision. "We prefer peace ; but if war must come, 
 we are prepared to meet it with unshaken confidence in the God of bat 
 tles. We lament the wide-spread mischief it will do, the arrest it will 
 put upon every holy enterprise of the Church, and upon all the interests 
 of life ; but the South can boldly say to the bleeding, distracted country, 
 
 " Shake not thy gory locks at me ; 
 Thou canst not say I did it. . 
 
INDEX. 
 
 ABSTRACTION, early power of, 44. 
 
 A< MM: MIC LIFE, occasional dissatisfac 
 tion with, 339; reasons for the same, 
 339-342. 
 
 ACT AND TESTIMONY, 206. 207. 
 
 Ai>i>i:i:ss to the Churches of Jesus 
 Christ, 504. 
 
 ^KVIIIKTIC ELEMENT, not wanting in, 
 147-150. 
 
 AFFLICTION, unsanctified, 240; how to 
 lit- improved, 241 ; fidelity to one sink- 
 ins in, 419-422. 
 
 AMBITION, early, 20; anecdotes of, 42, 43. 
 
 AMKKICA AND EUROPE, compared, 4. r >7. 
 
 ANDOVER SEMINARY, goes to and leaves, 
 113, 115. 
 
 ANTKSTRY, pride of, 1, 2; on the pater- 
 u-il side, 3. 
 
 APOCRYPHA, essay on the, 226; discus 
 sion with Dr. Lynch on the, 245-247; 
 book on the, 261. 
 
 AFRICAN SLAVE TRADE, opposition to 
 revival of, 422, 423; Secession not 
 caused by a purpose to re-open, 594. 
 
 ARKANSAS, admission of, 473. 
 
 ASPIRATIONS after fame, 94. 
 
 A--KMBLY OF 1837, reform measures of, 
 207, 208 ; a member of, 212. 
 
 ASSEMBLY OF 1845, a member of, 245 ; its 
 action on slavery, 285-287. 
 
 ASSEMBLY OF 1847, Moderator of, 297; 
 his salutatory address, 297, 300. 
 
 ASSEMBLY OF 1848, his opening sermon 
 before, 301 ; curious scene in, 304, 305. 
 
 ASSEMBLY OF 1852, criticism of its action 
 on the Quorum question, &c., 369-371. 
 
 ASSEMBLY OF 1855, a member of, 389; 
 discussion on subject of Boards, 389, 
 390. 
 
 ASSEMBLY OF 1856, a member of, 417 ; 
 his sermon on Foreign Missions, 417. 
 
 ASSEMBLY OF 1857, a member of, 423. 
 
 A--KMKLY OF 1859, a member of. 435; 
 remarkable speech in, 436, 437; effect 
 of sermon preached, 438, 439. 
 
 A W -KMHLY OF 1860, a member of, 445; 
 debate on Boards, 446. 
 
 AS<K.MLY OF 1861, the Spring resolu 
 tions, 501. 
 
 B. 
 
 BALTIMORE, his call to, 267; this call 
 accepted. 2S ; arrested for a year, 270 ; 
 strictures on this, 271, 272; vindication 
 of his course, 272-279; finally defeated 
 by Presbytery, 2S-_ - >-. 
 
 BAPTISMAL COVENANT, his views of, 
 416. 
 
 BARNWELL, Hon. R. W., notice of, 147. 
 BARNES, REV. A., trial of, 205. . 
 BASLE, description of, 456. 
 BENEVOLENCE, disinterested, his views 
 
 of, 124. 
 
 BKNKFACTIONS, to young men, 319. 
 BKTHKL PRESBYTERY, unites with, 128. 
 BEXTHAM, criticism on, 87, 
 BIRTH, his, 2. 
 
 BOOKS, early fondness for, 20, 22. 
 BI-HOI-, REV. P. E., friendship with, 
 
 139 ; death of, 433 ; letter to widow of, 
 
 434. 
 BISHOP, MR. ROBERT, his relation to, 
 
 and early death of, 320 
 BIBLE SOCIETY, whether secular or re- 
 . ligious, 344. 
 .BOARDS, question of, 2?1 ; discussion on 
 
 in Synod, 222 ; his views of, in letters, 
 
 223, 227 2-2S; his first article on, 224; 
 
 his second article on, 229, 389, 390, 446, 
 
 447. 
 
 BRECKINRIDGE, REV. DR. R. J., sympa 
 thy with on death of his wife, 264, 265. 
 BROWXSOX S review of his work on the 
 
 Apocrypha, 330, 331 
 HIM SSKLS, visit to, 462. 
 UCNNKN S HIPPOLYTUS, criticism on, 
 
 373. 
 BUTLER S ANALOGY, analysis of, 224. 
 
 C. 
 
 CALHOUN, MR., first interview with, 305, 
 
 306. 
 
 CALVIN, compared with, 532, 533. 
 CALIFORNIA, admission of, 475. 
 CAMBRIDGE PLATFORM, 189. 
 CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY, goes to, 116; 
 
 visits later, 361-365. 
 CHAPLAIN in South Carolina College, 
 
 elected, 156. 
 
 CHARACTER, his, when matured, 138. 
 CHANGE of political views, explained, 
 
 481-483. 
 CHERAW, removal to, 39; enters Cheraw 
 
 Academy, 43: teaches in, 103 
 CHESTER, description of, 170-172. 
 CHILD, death of his first, 138. 
 CHILDREN, letters to his young, 294, 295, 
 
 350, Ml. 
 CHRISTIAN EXPERIENCE, form of his, 
 
 562, 563. 
 Cm K< ii, union with the, 95; his views 
 
 of tlie, as a spiritual agency, 225; de 
 mission of membership in, 30.2, 3U3; 
 
 relation to voluntary societies. 303; 
 
 secularization of the courts of the, 
 
 230, 2!)1. 
 
 , fondness for the, 44. 
 
 611 
 
612 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 COLLEGE, South Carolina, goes to, 53; 
 rejected at first, 54; his own account 
 of this, 54, 55; admitted on second ap 
 plication, 56, 57; high position in his 
 class from the first, 59; elected Pro 
 fessor in, 144 ; dissatisfaction with po 
 sition in, 264, 267; views of his useful 
 ness in, 300, 301; chosen President of, 
 353; influence over the students in, 
 31 ; causes of the same, 391-393 ; illus 
 trations of it, 394-396. 
 
 COLUMBIA THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY, en 
 dowment of, 295 ; elected Professor in, 
 381, 382; correspondence thereto, 383- 
 386. 
 
 COLUMBIA CHURCH, fills pulpit of, 418. 
 
 CONVERSION, his, 95; his account of, 95- 
 97; necessity of, 317-319. 
 
 CONFESSION AND PRAYER, 142-144. 
 
 CONFESSION OF FAITH, devotional use 
 of, 165, 165. 
 
 CONGREGATIONALISM, early tendency to 
 alliance with, 188-191 
 
 COOPER, DR. THOMAS, notice of, 60, 61. 
 
 CONSCIENCE, scruples of, as College Pro 
 fessor, 153. 
 
 COUNTRY, his view of expansion of the, 
 
 CRISIS OF 1850, 480. 
 
 D, 
 
 DAUGHTER, death of his eldest, 439-442. 
 
 DANCING, his view of, 124 
 
 DEATH, his, unexpected, 527, 528. 
 
 DEBATER, first appearance as, 40, 41; 
 College reputation as, 65, 66. 
 
 DISCIPLINE, BOOK or, Chairman of Com 
 mittee to revise, 428, 429 ; report on, 
 435 ; changes proposed, 435, 436. 
 
 DOMESTIC MISSIONS, early sketch of, 198 
 199. 
 
 DOCTOR OF DIVINITY, title conferred, 
 26S, ;69. 
 
 DOCTRINE, substance of, defined, 197 ; 
 aberrations of, 195, 186. 
 
 DOCTRINAL TRACTS, scheme for pub 
 lishing, 215, 216. 
 
 DUELLING, early views of, 50. 
 
 E. 
 
 EDUCATION, end and method of, 119, 120, 
 356, 357 ; benefits of the higher to the 
 masses, 358 ; duty of the State in, 325- 
 327, 329 ; relation of the Church to, 332, 
 . 334-338. 
 
 EDUCATION, American Society of, form 
 ed, 199; its conflict with the Church, 
 200. 
 
 ELDER QUESTION, 251; his views on, 
 2.0:5, 255, 256, 259, 260-^62; articles on, 
 iT>7, 259, 261. 
 
 ELLIOTT, REV. BISHOP, notice of, 148. 
 
 ELECTIVE-AFFINITY PRINCIPLE, 205, 
 206. 
 
 ELMORE, HON. F.H., reflections on death 
 of, 346 
 
 EVERETT, MR., eulogized,121 ; interview 
 with, 123. 
 
 EUROPE, first visit to, 157 ; return from, 
 179 ; second visit to, 449-465. 
 
 F. 
 
 FAMILY, his father s, 3. 
 FARM, his, 342, 343. 
 
 FAREWELL LETTER to the old Assem 
 bly, draft of, 508, 509. 
 
 FATHER, character and position of, 3; 
 death of, 4. 
 
 FlTFCLNESS OF CHARACTER, at one 
 time, explained, 10a-112 
 
 FORM OF GOVERNMENT, early lax sub 
 scription of, 185, 186. 
 
 FOREIGN MISSIONS, American Board of, 
 200 ; it absorbs all the Assembly s mis 
 sions, 201. 
 
 FREIBOURG, description of, 456, 457 
 
 FRENCH CHARACTER, view of, 233, 234. 
 
 FRIENDSHIP, renewal of early, 308. 
 
 G. 
 
 GENEROSITY OF His PATRONS, curious 
 correspondence, 71-73. 
 
 GENESEE, Synod of, formed, 193. 
 
 GENEVA, Sj-nod of, formed, 193. 
 
 GENEVA, visit to, 458, 459 , his emotions, 
 462, 463. 
 
 GILLESPIE, GENERALS, account of, 28-30; 
 his son, wounded, 515 ; on furlough, 
 516-518; returns to the army, 519; is 
 killed, 520; testimony to him, 520, 521. 
 
 GLEBE STREET CHURCH, call to, 347 ; 
 enters on his labours, 348 ; his brief 
 connection, 349-352; his release from, 
 354. 
 
 GOVERNMENT, our, representative, 310. 
 
 GRADUATION, from College, 82; resi 
 dent graduate, S3, 84. 
 
 GRATITUDE, expressions of, 67, 70, 71. 
 
 GRAVES, DR., impressed with his early 
 genius, 20, 21. 
 
 H, 
 
 HARVARD COMMENCEMENT, 120. 
 
 HEALTH, permanent failure of, 490, 491, 
 497, 517. 
 
 HEIDELBERG, description of, 456. 
 
 HENRY, DR. ROBERT, notice of, 61, 62. 
 
 HOLMES, PROF. G. F., literary corre 
 spondence with, 398-411. 
 
 HOLY SPIRIT, work on the, needed, 234. 
 
 HOME MISSION BOARD, American, 202; 
 conflict with Assembly Board, 203, 204. 
 
 HOME-SICKNESS, letter on, 116, 117. 
 
 HOTELS, English, 168. 
 
 HUME, criticism upon, 66, 125. 
 
 HUMOUR, letters of, 371, 372, 374, 376, 377, 
 378. 
 
 I. 
 
 IGNORANCE, when a disgrace, 87. 
 
 ILL HEALTH, 157. 
 
 ILLNESS, last, 521-523 ; death and burial, 
 623-628. 
 
 IMAGINATION, its power to deceive, 85. 
 
 INAUGURATION, as Professor of Theol 
 ogy, 429, 430. 
 
 INSPIRATION, of the Bible, 344. 
 
 J. 
 
 JEFFERSON, MR., on the Missouri Com 
 promise, 473. 
 
 JOURNAL, religious, extracts from his, 
 139-142. 
 
 JOURNAL, at sea, 160-166. 
 
 K. 
 
 KANSAS AND NEBRASKA AGITATION, 
 
 480 
 KNOW-NOTHING PARTY, his viewy of, 
 
 478, 479. 
 
]\!>vv. 
 
 L,. 
 
 I. \ \< ASTEK, his first pastoral charge at, 
 
 127 : doses, 144. 
 J.H I-.N^TKI: his, 127. 
 I.ii i:. di>:> mpered views of, 87-90, 92. 
 
 ,I:Y PROJECTS, early, 93. 
 l.i\ i EtPOOL, description of , 168. 
 
 , 537. 
 J,OMM>N, lirsi visit to, 172-174; second 
 
 vi-it to, 450-456. 
 LOUISIANA, ceded ty France, 471, 472. 
 
 M. 
 MACKINTOSH, SIR JAMES, criticism 
 
 u, on, 92. 
 
 la characteristics as a, 567, 568. 
 ]NlAKi:iA(.i:. his, 137. 
 MAHUIAGE QUESTION, the, 286, 298-300. 
 MASS, Sermon on the, 299, aOO. 
 MATHEMATICS, early disinclination to, 
 
 44. 
 MKI.ANCHOLY, expressions of, 104, 107; 
 
 causes ui , 104, 107. 
 MEMORY, discipline of, 63. 
 
 .. VACUITY, devices to relieve, 86. 
 MEMORIAL, to Confederate Congress, 
 
 807. 
 METAPHYSICS, early predilection for, 
 
 44. 45 ; transferred Lo the chair of, 148 ; 
 
 IM in n-aching, 150-152. 
 MEXICAN WAR, the, 474. 
 M< INTYKE, Mu., account of, 17, 18. 
 i: Y. purpose to enter the, 100. 
 
 liurch-membership of, 254, 
 7 : right to sit in Presbytery, 316. 
 MILLE \\ir.M CU KSTtox, the, 244, 145. 
 MIRACLES, article on, 399-i02; their re 
 lation to the laws of nature, 399-402. 
 MISSISSIPPI UNIVERSITY, overtures 
 
 from, declined, 308. 
 
 in, admission of, and compro- 
 
 mise, 472. 
 Mor NT BLANC, enthusiasm on seeing, 
 
 4.19-463. 
 MORAL TRAITS, early, 23 ; in College, 76, 
 
 77, 81, 82 ; speculations, early tendency 
 
 to. 51. 
 
 MOKSI:, REV. A. A , letters to, 320-323. 
 MOTHER, his, of Welsh extraction, 9; 
 
 her character, 9-11 ; death of, 415. 
 MULLALLY S, REV. MR., estimate of his 
 
 character, 564-566. 
 
 N, 
 NATURE, equivocal use of the word, 401- 
 
 4(4. 
 
 Ni.v,- ENGLAND, early Presbyterianism 
 
 -. l!i. 
 
 ; NULAND FOG, description of, 
 
 164. 
 
 Xi:\v ORLEANS, visit to, 431-433. 
 NOTT, PROF HENRY JUNIUS, notice of, 
 
 tii). 
 NULLIFICATION, opposition to, 93, 469, 
 
 470. 
 
 o. 
 
 Or KAN, reflections on the, 161-165. 
 
 OIMHNATIOV, his, 128. 
 
 OKI-II \NAC;K. his, 13. 
 
 OLD FIELD SCHOOL, description of , 16. 
 
 P. 
 
 PARIS, first visit to, 177, 178. 
 
 PAS-PM; \r, CHARGE, his first, 134, 13. r >; 
 i-ond, 154; first impression made 
 in, 135, 136; town and country com 
 pared, 556. 
 
 PATIKNCK. in ministers, 314. 
 PATRONS, his, -ji. 
 
 l i i;i B8, .Mi:., resides in family of, 19. 
 PECK. REV. DR. T. E., his relations to, 
 
 .SIS, 314. 
 
 .1. Ari EAKANc i\ as a I 
 
 40 ; in College, 53 ; when matured, ,v;ti, 
 
 Piui.osoi-iiY, his learning in, /)3t; 
 jilace in, . >:;:-, r )t. ) ; views of Sir William 
 lianiilion s, 374, M75, 410-41:?. 
 
 PLAY, indill ereiu e to, as a boy, 19. 
 
 PMI. ITICS, English, 169. 
 
 POVBBTT, his early, 14, 15. 
 
 PI:I:A< niNG, his first, 130; illustrations 
 of its power, 131, 132; illuminating 
 character of his, 132-134; the writer s 
 first impressions of his, 154, 155; gen 
 eral excellence of his, 647-552; argu 
 mentative, 547; expository, 548; log 
 ical fervour, 549 ; diction, 550; some 
 times too elaborate, 652, 553. 
 
 PREACHING, extempore, views of, 553 , 
 how to excel in, 554 ; listlessness in 
 hearing, condemned, 159. 
 
 PRAYER, reflections on formality in, 159. 
 
 PRESHYTEK, his qualities as a. 
 his practical judgment, 558; his set 
 tled principles, 558, 559; his positive- 
 ness of mind, 559, 5GD ; his penetration, 
 560 ; hones iy and frankness, 561 ; know 
 ledge of Church law, 561. 
 
 PHKSIIYTERY, taken under care of, 112, 
 113. 
 
 PRKSBYTERIAL CRITIC, the, 3s 
 
 PRKSHYTERIES, Convention of South 
 ern, 494, 495. 
 
 PRESTON, HON. W. C., notice of, t.8 ); 
 (\mpathy with, 292-294; declining 
 health of, 374, 375, 410-413. 
 
 PRIDE INTELLECTUAL, rebuked. ::, 7.1. 
 
 PROFESSOR, in South Carolina 
 lir>t chosen, 145; his resignation of 
 chair, 153. 
 
 PKOVIDKVTIAL TRAINING, his, 146. 
 
 PROVIDENCES, how to be interpreted, 
 218, 265, 266. 
 
 R. 
 
 RATIONALISM, his opposition to, 344, 37:?. 
 
 RELIGION, his, analysis of, 99, 100; his 
 lirst impressions of, 24, 1 5; strong con 
 victions ot . m e;irly life, -I l-. O; inves 
 tigations of, in College, 78-81 ; traced 
 till his conversion. 
 
 / In n , 295, 2% ; 
 
 Xoittlii i n Qunrtt rly, the, bCCOr 
 tor of. 397 ; eflbrts : 
 ure of. 411 
 
 3, MB., account of his patron, 80- 
 :;;; bis ward s indebtedness to 
 instance of tender friend-hij) b 
 the two, 40 ; wise counsels, on entering 
 
 < r.lleir". . .7, ^. death of. t-17 
 RoMISH JiAI TISM, speech 
 
 discussion on, with the Princeton He- 
 view, 289-291. 
 
 S. 
 SALVATION, uncertain of deceased 
 
 friend*, submission in, 239. 
 SARCASM, his jiower of, C4. 
 SAYI-KOOK II.\TI >i:>r. 189. 
 S( ni-.M, Old and New School, 208, 209. 
 
 ->cotch, intercourse with, 
 176. 
 S- OTLAND, lirst visit to, 175-177. 
 
614 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 SECESSION, 467 ; his opposition to, in 
 ] 850, 476-478 ; approved of, in 1861 , 485- 
 486; defence of, 487, 488, 498; policy of 
 the seceded States, 606-608. 
 
 SELF-ASSERTION, when to be approved, 
 69 ; vindicates himself from charge of, 
 70. 
 
 SENSIBILITY, early proof of, 4, 50. 
 
 SERMOXS, what they should be, 315. 
 
 SLEEP, his habits of, 307. 
 
 SLAVES, religious instruction of his, 343. 
 
 SLAVERY, his article on, 344, 345 ; early 
 agitation of abolition of, 470, 471; 
 constitutional attitude of Government 
 towards, 595-606. 
 
 SHAFTESBURY, LORD, criticism on, 68. 
 
 SOUTH CAROLINA COLLEGE, elected 
 President of, 353 ; his fitness, 385, 386 ; 
 resignation of, 381, 382; compared with 
 Cambridge, li.6. 
 
 SOIL, love for his native, amusing proof 
 of, 180. 
 
 Sox, letters to his oldest, 442, 443, 491, 
 492. 
 
 SORROW, the discipline of, 238, 239; joy 
 in, 444, 445. 
 
 SOUTHERN GENERAL ASSEMBLY, or 
 ganization of, 502, 503; interesting 
 scenes in, 504, 505 ; non-political, 509- 
 512. 
 
 SOUTH CAROLINA, early settlement of, 
 5-7. 
 
 SOUTHWEST, visit to, 444. 
 
 SPIRITUAL CONFICT, his, 128-130. 
 
 STANDARDS, doctrinal, eany strict sub 
 scription of, 182-187. 
 
 STATE OF THE COUNTRY, the, review 
 article, 591-610. 
 
 SYNOD OF SOUTH CAROLINA, doctrinal 
 paper in, 214, 215. 
 
 STYLE, fastidiousness as to his, 657. 
 
 T. 
 
 TEACHERS, his first, 17. 
 
 TEACHER, his early enthusiasm as a, 105, 
 106; his merits as n, 528-531 ; his me 
 thod as a theological, 534, 535. 
 
 TEMPERANCE SOCIETIES, his view of. 
 225, 226; his views of legislative re 
 striction, 376, 377. 
 
 TEXAS, admission of, 473 
 
 THEOLOGIAN, as a, 545-546. 
 
 TIME, importance of, 162. 
 
 TOBACCO, amusing defence of, 496, 497. 
 
 TOUR, from England to Scotland, 176; 
 
 of inspection of Northern Colleges, 359 - 
 
 368. 
 TRUTH, his discourse on, 878, 379. 
 
 U. 
 
 UNITARIANISM, at Cambridge, 118. 
 
 UNION, the plan of, formed, 191, 192 ; its 
 anomalies, 192, 193. 
 
 UNION, the National, his love of, 468, 
 469, 572 ; its mission, 574 ; duty of the 
 North to preserve, 672, 573; of the 
 South, 575, 576; the creature of the 
 Constitution, 572-574. 
 
 UTICA, Synod of, formed, 194. 
 
 V. 
 
 VOLUNTARY SOCIETIES, his view of, 225. 
 
 W. 
 
 WALLACE, PROF. JAMES, notice of, 60. 
 
 WASHINGTON CITY, visit to, 305 
 
 WAR, the late, his course in, 485-490; 
 duty of Christians, 489 ; failure of ef 
 forts to avert, 499, 500 ; his appeals to 
 the Southern people, 513, 514; pam 
 phlet " Our Danger and Our Duty," 
 679-588 ; consequences of failure to the 
 South, 579, 580 ; duties to be performed, 
 581, 582; dangers to be avoided, 583- 
 688 ; interpretation of reverses, 588-590. 
 
 WELSH COLONY, immigration of, 7, 8 ; 
 its character, 8. 
 
 WEST, the, first visit and impressions, 
 287 ; second visit, 423. 
 
 WESTERN MEMORIAL, 206. 
 
 WESTERN RESERVE, Synod of, 194. 
 
 WHATELY S HISTORIC DOUBTS, com 
 mended, 125. 
 
 WILLIAMS, PROF. M. J , friendship with, 
 309. 
 
 WITHERSPOON, COLONEL, notice of, 137. 
 
 WILMOT PROVISO, the, 474. 
 
 WIGHT, ISLE OF, visit to the, 450. 
 
 WRITERS AND WORKERS, compared, 
 236, 237. 
 
 Y. 
 
 YALE COLLEGE, visit to, 365 ; speech at, 
 366-368. 
 
 Z. 
 
 ZUINGLE, his estimate of, 463. 
 
 ZURICH, visit to, 463, 464. 
 
 7 
 
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