eminently-successful practical farmer. He ex- 

 emplified his precepts in a career of great suc- 

 cess in the field. 



Gentlemen : I may be excused, I hope, for 

 ofiFeriug of my o^^•n accord, to address you ou 

 the recent loss of our I'rusidont. As the second 

 officer iu the Society, it becomes, in some mea- 

 sure, my duty, to notice the melancholy event. 

 That eminent and worthy man — so well known 

 to us — so much beloved by us ; who, for forty 

 years has so usefully and atlectionately associa- 

 ted with us, has, at a good old age, paid the debt 

 of Nature. 



Deatli, perhaps, at no time strikes a victim, 

 Jwwever obscure, who does not leave some sor- 

 rowing survivor: none so destitute of friends, as 

 to descend to the grave wholly uulamented. 

 How deepl}-, then, should we mourn the loss of 

 a man so remarkably distinguished as the late 

 President of this Society. 



Upon an occasion so solemn, and to us so af- 

 flictive, we ought not to be satisfied with an or- 

 dinarj- notice : it is fit that w^e should dwell, 

 somewhat at length, on the prominent passages 

 of such a man's life: that we should recall to our 

 minds the deeds of patriotism, of public spirit, 

 and general usefulness, which have marked his 

 lengthened career. This I shall attempt ; and, 

 howsoever imperfectly, I beg you to indulge me 

 with a hearing. 



Richard Peters, who died ou the i22d of Au- 

 gust, at his residence in Blockley, was born in 

 the momli of June, 1744, in the same house in 

 which he expired ; and had, consequently, pass- 

 ed, by a few months, the great age of eighty -tour. 

 He received his education in the city of Phila- 

 delphia; and, ou entermg the active scenes of 

 life, was a good Latin and Greek scholar, and 

 possessed a knowledge of the French and Ger- 

 man languages. 



Having adopted the law as a profession, his 

 acquaintance with the German greatly facilitated 

 fais countiy practice ; while his intuitive smart- 

 ness, and stead}- industry, placed him in the 

 /rout rank of the j'oung practitioners of the daj-. 

 He liad an micle who was Secretary of the Co- 

 lonial Government, and whose office was, as I 

 think, connected with the land department. 

 This uncle was fond of young Peters, and occa- 

 sionally charged him with a part of the duties of 

 his office. It was here, no doubt, that he be- 

 came familiar with the land-titles of the pro- 

 vince, and laid the f«undation of the reputation 

 he acquired in after times, of possessmg an inti- 

 mate knowledge of the land-laws of the com- 

 monwealth. These avocations, however, were 

 transient, and did not cau.se any relaxation in 

 bis professional pursuits ; on the contrary, they 

 were made the means of extending his acquauit 

 ancc with influential men in the interior of the 

 colony, and enabled him to follov/, very profita- 

 bly, the Courts of Justice, into all the surround- 

 ing counties, whore his fluent conversation in 

 GciTnan, extensive knowledge of the provincial 

 grants and kindred laws, brought him into prac- 

 tice, and in due time competently rewarded his 

 Libors. 



On those circuits, he was accustomed to dis- 

 play liis unrivaled wit. The playfulness of his 

 conversation, always enlivened by flashes of the 

 gayest pleasantry, was forever quick and unre- 

 fstrained, and vaiiod bj- casts of titie humor : 

 Bonictimes as broad and well enacted astliemost 

 <;xaggeratcd farce, and at others convolved iu 

 double meaning, fitted onlj' for the ready per- 



ception of the most practiced ear and polished 

 taste. Thus disiiugui.-^hed, our young friend be- 

 came a favorite wit!) all clas.«es.' 



It was about the time when this brilliant talent 

 was already conspicuous; a talent that never 

 after ibrsook him, even whilst age was wasting 

 his tottering frame : it was at this period of youth- 

 ful buoyancy, that a conference n\ as held with 

 the Indians of the Six Nations, at Fort Stanwix, 

 in the province of New- York. Our lamented 

 friend accompanied the delegation Irom Penn- 

 sylvania. During the negotiation of the treaty, 

 he insinuated himself so much into the pood 

 graces of the Indian chiefs, and became so en- 

 tirely acceptable to them, by hi.s light-hearted 

 jests, and sportive behavior, that even these se- 

 date red men relaxed their rigid carriage, and 

 unbending for a moment the usual severity of 

 their characters, proposed to adopt him into 

 their tribes. The offer was accepted, and Mr. 

 Peters was fonnally introduced to his new rela- 

 tions, receiving from them, in allusion to his 

 amusing talkativeness, the appropriate name of 

 Tefcohtiaa, v^diich means Paroquet. 



He u.sed to say. that these Indians called the 

 great William Penn Onus, the name of quill, or 

 pen, in their language ; whereas, added he. on 

 my adoption, tliey have been more complimen- 

 tal, for they have given me the name of the bird 

 and all his quills into the bargain. 



Political difficulties with the mother country, 

 now compelled everj' man to choose his side. 

 Mr. Peters, although rather intimately as.sociated 

 with the proprietary government, which was 

 chiefly royal in its feelings, did not hesitate to 

 separate himself from it, and join the cause of 

 his native country. While many influential 

 members of the bar went over to the kine:, he 

 stepped forward with zeal in defence of Ameri- 

 can rights. 



Pennsylvania was, in that early day, without 

 a militia. The peaceful descendants of Penn, 

 and of his non-resistant companions, to whose 

 excellent rule and exemplarj- conduct, this 

 State is so much indebted for its rapid growth 

 and present prosperity, had managed its affairs, 

 even with the fierce aborigines, for nearly a cen- 

 tury, without militaiy aid, or any restraint what- 

 ever, other than the authority of mild and pru- 

 dent laws, upheld as much by the probity, phi- 

 lanthropj', and unblemished demeiinor of the 

 law-givers, as by any penal provisions contained 

 in the statutes themselves. 



But those quiet times ^vere about to be dis- 

 turbed. Impolitic and unjust notions respecting 

 this country, had got possession of the minds of 

 the British ministry, whicluled them to adopt a 

 system destructive of our rights and liberties. 

 The cabinet — the parliament — the press of Great 

 Britain, at that time, misunderstood the mutual 

 interests of the two countries, pretty much as 

 they have ever continued to do from that day to 

 this. " Having their ears full of pride and airy 

 fame," they treated us with " scurril je.sts, and 

 matched us in comparisons with dirt, to weaken 

 and discredit our expostulations." The colonial 

 disputes were pushed to extremity. It became 

 necessary to arm. Mr. Peters volunteered v% itli 

 his neiglibors, and when they assembled for the 

 purpose of organization, he was cliosen their 

 captain. His military career, however, was 

 .short. A mind so gifted, studies .so essentially 

 fitted for the civil departnienls of government, 

 as those of Mr. Peters, soon removed him from 

 the camp to the cabinet. Congress placed him 

 at the Board of War, where his services for 



