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the state of his health and engagements. He was elected by the 

 Common Council a Director of the Girard College June 25, 1856, to 

 serve from the ensuing July 1. In organizing the board, he drew 

 the two years term; and " served faithfully and acceptably" until 

 the 1st of July, 1858, when his term of office expired. 



Discourses were delivered by him on various occasions. He was 

 attached to the Democratic party, and not unfrequently pronounced 

 an address to bodies of his associate politicians, and occasionally to 

 literary and other societies. Of these the following have been pre- 

 served : — 



1826, November 29. Annual Discourse before the Pennsylvania 

 Academy of the Fine Arts. 



1836, January 8. Speech at the Union and Harmony Celebra- 

 tion by Democratic citizens of Philadelphia. 



1836, July 4. Speech at the Democratic Celebration of the Second 

 Congressional District. 



1845, May 23. Address before the Philomathean Society, at the 

 University of Pennsylvania. 



1847, November 22. Eulogy on Silas Wright, before the Young 

 Men's Democratic Association. 



1851, November 13. Eulogy on Silas Wright, before the Society 

 of the Alumni, on the occasion of their annual celebration, at the 

 University. 



1851, June 2. Eulogy on Silas Wright, before the Academy of 

 the Fine Arts. 



1856, October 13. On the American Missions in Greece, at St. 

 Luke's Church. 



1856, December 4. Address on the Character of Franklin, before 

 the Franklin Institute. 



The controversy between the Executive of the Government and 

 the Bank of the United States took place when Mr. Gilpin was a 

 public director of that institution. It was carried on with zeal and 

 acrimony. He was the author of various documents issued by the 

 Government directors, and particularly of a memorial addressed to 

 Congress, in alleged vindication of his immediate colleagues and 

 himself, from an attack in the memorial of the majority of the board, 

 which claimed a restoration of the deposits withheld by orders of the 

 Government. This memorable dispute was kept in active agitation 

 for a considerable length of time. It left behind much bitterness of 

 feeling, which has probably not been altogether assuaged to the pre- 

 sent day. 



