1828.] 
scarcely greater regard. He (O’Meara) 
seems tohave been somewhat imprudent ; 
and there ave several matters requiring 
explanation in his communications to the 
governor,—an explanation which he 
would probably have given in the most 
authentic form, by an affidavit, in an- 
swer to Sir H. Lowe’s rule for acriminal 
information, had not that proceeding 
been quashed by reason of the extra- 
ordinary jength of time during which 
Sir Hudson had suffered the -state- 
ments against him to pass unnoticed.” 
Now we consider this as a very eatra- 
ordinary sort of review,.and a very 
improper interference with a question 
that remains to be settled in a court of 
Memoirs of the Life of Robert Morris. . 
233 
justice. When Mr. O’Meara’s work 
appeared, we were among the first to 
speak in its praise. ‘lhe author’s po- 
litical principles were  professedly  li- 
beral, and we have a deep+rooted 
prejudice against despotism: but, 
liberales though we be, we are not 
partizans. Mr. O’Meara has been 
accused of political tergiversation of the 
worst kind; and his letters, which have 
been published, are appealed to as 
prima-facie evidence. A true bill has 
been found before the tribunal of the 
public: he has promised to prove his 
innocence, and we wait for that 
proof before we reiterate our praise. 
BIOGRAPHY OF EMINENT PERSONS.” 
—_>— 
SKETCH Of the LIFE of ROBERT MORRIS,* 
one of the FOUNDERS of the NORTH 
AMERICAN REPUBLIC ; by JAMES 
MEASE, M.D. of PHILADELPHIA. 
Rowe Morris was the son of a 
respectable merchant of Liver- 
pool, who had for some gears been exten- 
sively concerned in the American trade ; 
and, while a boy, he was brought by his 
father.to this.country, in which it ap- 
pearshe intended to settle. Buring the 
time that he was pursuing his education 
in Philadelphia, he unfortunately lost 
his father, in consequence of a wound re- 
ecived from the wad of agun, which was 
discharged as a compliment by the cap- 
tain of a ship consigned to him, that had 
just arrived at Oxford, the place of bis 
residence, on the eastern shore of the 
Chesapeake Bay; and he was thus left 
an orphan at the age of fifteen years. 
In conformity with the intentions of bis 
parent, he was bred to commerce, and 
served a regular apprenticeship in the 
counting-house ef the late Mr. Charles 
Willing, at that time one of the first 
merchants.of Philadelphia. A year or 
two after the expiration of the term for 
which he had engaged himself, he en- 
tered into partuership with Mr. Thomas 
Willing. This connection, which: was 
formed in 1754, continued for the long 
alae of thirty-nine years, not having 
»een dissolyed until 1793. Previously 
to the commencenent of the American 
war, it was, without doubt, more exten- 
sively engaged in commerce ‘than any 
other house in Philadelphia. 
ORR, ee fes ot EN RTOS Te 8 
* Written for the Philadelphia edit, of 
the Edinburgh Encyclopedia, and trans- 
wiitted to us by the author. 
Monvsity Mac. No, 387. 
Of the events of his youth we know 
little. The fact just mentioned proves, 
that, although early deprived of the be- 
nefit of parental counsel, he acted with 
fidelity, and gained the good-will of a 
discerning and wealthy young. friend, 
the son of his master. ‘The following 
anecdote will shew his early activity in 
business, and anxiety to promote the in- 
terests of his friend. During the ab- 
sence of Mr. Willing at his country 
seat near Frankford, a vessel arrived at 
Philadelphia, either consigned to him, or 
that brought letters, giving intelligence 
of the sudden rise in the price of flour at 
the port she had left. Mr. Morris in- 
stantly engaged all that he could con- 
tract for, on account of Mr. Willing, 
who, on his return to the city next day, 
had to defend his young friend from the 
complaints of some merchants, that he 
had raised the price of flour. An ap- 
peal, however, from Mr. Willing to 
their own probable line of conduct, in 
case of their having first received the 
news, silenced their complaints, 
Few men in the American .colonies 
were more alive to the gradual encroach- 
ment ofthe British government upon the 
liberties of the people, and none more 
ready to remonstrate against them, than 
Mr. Morris. His signature on the part 
of his mercantile house to the non-im- 
portation agreement, as respected Eng- 
land, which was entered into by the 
merchants of Philadelphia in the year 
1765, while it evinced the consistency of 
his principles and conduct, at the same 
time was expressive of a willingness to 
unite with them in showing their deter- 
mination to prefer a sacrifice of private 
interest to the continuance of an inter- 
2H course, 
