1864.] 335 [James. 



of Friends, he became imbued with the spirit of a soldier and actu- 

 ally took up arms in defence of his country, and rose to the rank of 

 major of a regiment. Having acquired a military taste, he aided 

 in keeping it alive among his associates. A few years later he was 

 elected a lieutenant colonel of a battalion of volunteers, and after- 

 wards colonel of a regiment, and commanded the escort to General 

 Lafayette on his visit to Chester County and the battle-fields of 

 the Brandywine. During his military ardor his muse took a pa- 

 triotic flight, and his effusions were much in vogue in those stirring 

 times, and served greatly to elicit enthusiasm among the yeomanry of 

 Chester. Their gatherings were elivened with many of his songs. 



While serving in the field he received notice of his election to the 

 national legislature. Soon after taking his seat as a member of the 

 14th Congress, he composed and sung, at a dinner given on the 8th of 

 January, 1816, by the Pennsylvania delegation, to Commodores De- 

 catur and Stewart and Captain Biddle, of the Navy, the *' Yankee 

 Tars," — a song commemorative of our naval victories, and historic 

 of the deeds of the brave men of that day. This song was published 

 in the leading journals, and received merited encomiums. 



Dr. Darlington was re-elected a member of Congress in 1818, also 

 in 1820, and ever faithful to his trust, was rarely absent from his 

 seat. 



He made a memorable speech in favor of restricting slavery in the 

 State of Missouri, as preliminary to her admittance as a member of 

 the Union, which was published in the National Intelligencer, and 

 in Niles's Register, where he remarks, it is preserved "like a fly in 

 amber." This speech did infinite credit to his head and heart, and 

 was a subject on which he ever felt strong convictions of the truth 

 of his views. 



In recent exciting events he took a lively interest, and at the out- 

 break of the rebellion his loyalty to the Union was strongly manifested, 

 in bringing his entire influence -to bear in upholding the position of 

 the Government, and he remarked, that had he been younger, he 

 would again have unsheathed his sword in defence of his country. 



In the summer of 1817 he began in earnest to prepare his work, 

 and at the suggestion of his friend, Dr. Baldwin, to collect an her- 

 barium of the plants of Chester County, as an indispensable means of 

 determining the species; but his attention was much diverted from a 

 vigorous prosecution, by various trusts and public services. Still, his 

 duty to his first love would prevail, and lead him back to his agreea- 

 ble labor. 



