Thomas Harrison Montgomery

“ Publick Disputes warm the Imagination, whet the Industry, and strengthen the natural Abilities.
When Youth are told, that the Great Men whose Lives and Actions they read in History, spoke two of the best Languages that ever were, the most expressive, copious, beautiful; and that the finest Writings, the most correct Compositions, the most perfect Productions of human Wit and Wisdom, are in those Languages which have endured Ages, and will endure while there are Men ”

“ I am now plainly in the decline of life, both as to activity of body and vigor of mind, and must, therefore, consider myself as being an Emeritus, and unfit for any new situation in the world or to enter on any new business, especially at such a distance from my hitherto sphere of action and my present situation, where I have as much duty on my hands as I am capable of and where my removal would make too great a breach to be countervailed by any good I am capable of doing elsewhere, for which I have but a small chance left for much opportunity. ”

“ I firmly believe this; and I also believe, that, without his concurring aid, we shall succeed in this political building no better than the builders of Babel; we shall be divided by our little, partial, local interests, our projects will be unfounded, and we ourselves shall become a reproach and a by-word down to future ages. And, what is worse, mankind may hereafter, from this unfortunate instance, despair of establishing government by human wisdom, and leave it to chance, war, and conquest. ”

“ The character we have given of you to the other trustees, and the sight of your letters relating to the Academy, has made them very desirous of engaging you in that design, as a person whose experience and judgment would be of great use in forming rules and establishing good methods in the beginning, and whose name for learning would give it a reputation. We only lament that in the infant state of our funds we cannot make you an offer equal to your merit. ”

“ In the settling of new countries, the first care of the planters must be to provide and secure the necessaries of life; this engrosses their attention, and affords them little time to think of any thing farther. We may therefore excuse our ancestors, that they established no Academy or college in this province, wherein their youth might receive a polite and learned education. Agriculture and mechanic arts, were of the most immediate importance; the culture of minds by the finer arts and sciences, was necessarily postpon'd to times of more wealth and leisure. ”

“ The early settlers of Pennsylvania had brought with them the culture of their home training, but as Franklin expresses it, the demands of the urgent present forbade them laying preparations for a like training to their children. His own native city had as its immediate neighbor the town of Cambridge, where Harvard College had already existed for one hundred and twelve years. In its training and its influence he had no share; "his father, burdened with a numerous family, was unable without inconvenience to support the expense of a college education," he records in his autobiography. ”

“ From this quiet but influential centre grew in 1743 the institution of the first American Philosophical Society of which Thomas Hopkinson was the first President, which had not long existence, but was revived again by the greater organization of 1769, with Benjamin Franklin as its first President, though he was at the time absent in London representing his adopted province. Thus early did this young man display and exercise his rare leadership, and attract to his side men of thought and ideas ”

“ History will also give occasion to expatiate on the advantage of civil orders and constitutions; how men and their properties are protected by joining in societies and establishing government; their industry encouraged and rewarded, arts invented, and life made more comfortable; the advantages of liberty, mischiefs of licentiousness, benefits arising from good laws and a due execution of justice, &c. Thus may the first principles of sound politics be fixed in the minds of youth. ”

“ Not conscious of any Guilt or Neglect of any Social Duty, he beheld the slow Approaches of Death with an amazing cheerfulness, without any Mixture of Anxiety or Fear; and at last bid adieu to the world with all the Serenity of Mind that could flow from the Wisdom of a Philosopher joined to the Innocence of a Child. ”

“ The advent of the Friends brought back more energy and more learning into the province, and the diligence and thrift they displayed in all matters were equally felt in their care of the younger generation. Gabriel Thomas, in his Historical Description of the Province of Pennsylvania, including an account of the City of Philadelphia, written in 1697, records, "In the said city are several good schools of learning for youth, in order to the attainment of arts and sciences, as also reading, writing, &c." ”

“ And on 20 October
our most ingenious printer and postmaster, Benjamin Franklin, has the clearest understanding, with as extreme modesty as any man I know here. Thou hast seen several of his pieces on electricity, wherein he almost excels you all.
His practical interest in the new Academy was evidenced in his early offer to the Trustees of "the gift of a lot of ground on Sixth Street to erect an Academy upon, provided it should be built within the Term of Fourteen Years." ”

“ Possessing a liberal and independent spirit, despising everything which he thought unbecoming a gentleman, attentive to business, frugal but yet elegant in his economy, he lived superior to the world, beloved and respected as an useful citizen, an agreeable companion, a sincere friend, and an excellent father of a family.
He married 16 October, 1736, Catherine, daughter of George M'Call, a native of Scotland then settled in Philadelphia, whose wife was a daughter of Jasper Yeates and a descendant of Joran Kyn the founder of the Swedish settlement at Upland. ”

“ Had Franklin known of George Sandy's translation of Ovid's Metamorphoses, in Virginia when Treasurer of that colony, more than a century before, he would not have claimed for Logan the honor of making the first American translation of a classic, but while that was "the first English literary production penned in America, at least which has any rank or name in the general history of literature," [9] it was printed in London in 1626, and it may be claimed for Logan that his was the first American print of such a translation. ”

“ The Pennsylvania Gazette of 24 August, 1758, records the following obituary to his memory:
On Wednesday, the 16th Instant, died here Tench Francis, Esq., Attorney at Law. He was no less remarkable for strict Fidelity than for his profound skill in his profession. He filled the Stations of Attorney General of this Province and Recorder of this city, for a Number of years, with the highest Reputation; and when declining Health had called him from the Bar, he continued his Usefulness to his Country, by carrying on a large and honourable Trade. ”

“ Since those times are come, and numbers of our inhabitants are both able and willing to give their sons a good education, if it might be had at home, free from the extraordinary expence and hazard in sending them abroad for that purpose; and since a proportion of men of learning is useful in every country, and those who of late years come to settle among us, are chiefly foreigners, unacquainted with our language, laws and customs ”

“ While they are reading Natural History, might not a little Gardening, Planting, Grafting, Inoculating, &c., be taught and practised, and now and then Excursions made to the neighboring Plantations of the best Farmers, their Methods observ'd and reason'd upon for the Information of Youth? The Improvement of Agriculture being useful to all, and Skill in it no Disparagement to any.
The History of Commerce, of the Invention of Arts, Rise of Manufactures, Progress of Trade, Change of its Seats, with the Reasons, Causes, &c., may also be made interesting to Youth, and will be useful to all. ”

“ Thomas Hopkinson, Philip Syng, and Thomas Cadwalader, became also his co-trustees eighteen years later in the Academy and College, and his faithful friend William Coleman was elected Treasurer. This Company attracted to itself in later years the testamentary gift to the public of the fine private library of James Logan whose knowledge and judgment had been consulted by Franklin in the first selection of books for their shelves. The oldest public library in the country owes its inception and planting to a young man but twenty-five years of age. ”

“ You can undertake nothing that will be more advantageous to your children, nor more acceptable to your country. They will, by this means, receive their education where they receive their birth, and be accustomed, from their infancy, to inhabit and affect their native soil. May you be able to procure professors of such distinguished abilities, that the neighboring towns shall be glad to draw their learning from hence; and as you now send your children to foreigners for education, may foreigners in their turn flock hither for their instruction. ”

“ Tuesday last, the Mayor and Commonalty of this City met, and voted a Sum of Two Hundred Pounds to be paid down, and One Hundred Pounds a year, for the Encouragement and Support of the Academy and of the Charity School which the Trustees of the Academy have likewise undertaken to open in this city, for instructing poor children in Reading, Writing and Arithmetic: The Corporation only reserving a liberty of nominating yearly one scholar out of those that shall be taught in the Charity School, to be received into the Academy, and educated there gratis. ”

“ I was put to the grammar school at eight years of age; my father intending to devote me, as the tithe of his sons, to the service of the church. My early readiness in learning to read [he continues] , (which must have been very early, as I do not remember when I could not read,) and the opinion of all his friends, that I should certainly make a good scholar, encouraged him in this purpose of his. ”

“ Franklin's accounts of all these matters is as engaging as it is frank; and it is this same frankness which also gives us that other and more human side of his early life in which occur those youthful follies and misdoings which seemed to have furnished his enemies with their most pointed weapons. ”

“ Kinnersley's correspondence with Franklin was continued over many years, his last letter to Franklin which we have being written him to London 13 October, 1770; extracts from it have been given in the sketch of Franklin's life on a previous page, and all display the ardor of a learned enthusiast who in communicating his observations and experiments to an older friend appears to seek his concurrence if not approval in their results, who in turn responds with like eagerness to his friend whether from the quiet of his home or amid his public duties while abroad. ”

“ It appears that some talk of a college for New York had been had in 1749, and Johnson had been consulted in regard to it. The knowledge of this, and the present lack of certainty in the New York movement, must have led Franklin to the belief that the good Stratford Rector would prefer engaging in the new institution in the metropolis of the British colonies than await the developments of one in New York. ”

“ An Academy for teaching the Latin and Greek Languages, the English Tongue grammatically, and as a Language, the most useful living foreign Languages, French, German, and Spanish: As matters of Erudition naturally flowing from the Languages, History, Geography, Chronology, Logick and Rhetorick; Writing, Arithmetick; the several Branches of the Mathematicks; Natural and Mechanic Philosophy; Drawing in Perspective; and every other Part of Useful Learning and Knowledge, shall be set up, maintained and have Continuance within the City of Philadelphia, in manner following. ”

“ We flatter ourselves, that this frugal and laudable Example of burying our Dead, so seasonably set by People of Family and Fortune, will be imitated by all, both in City and Country; the good Effects of which must soon be felt, especially by those in low Circumstances.
Mr. Plumsted was more regular in his attendance at the Trustees meetings in the earlier years of his service, but to the last he evinced his interest by as frequent attendance as he could give. ”

“ With respect to defense, Spain having been several years at war against Great Britain, and being at length join'd by France, which brought us into great danger; and laboured and long continued endeavour of our governor, Thomas, to prevail with our Quaker Assembly to pass a militia law, and make other provisions for the security of the province, having proved abortive, I determined to try what might be done by a voluntary association of the people. ”

“ As you have made a pretty considerable progress in the mysteries of electricity, I would now humbly recommend to your diligent unprejudiced pursuit and study the mystery of the new birth. It is a most important, interesting study, and when mastered, will richly answer and repay you for all your pains. ”

“ Isaac Norris, son of Isaac Norris, the Councillor, was born in Philadelphia, 3 October, 1701. His father brought him up to a mercantile life, after fitting him by a trained education to take his proper place among his fellows
He was endowed with good natural abilities, had received an excellent education, and might indeed be called learned; for, in addition to a knowledge of Hebrew, he wrote in Latin and French with ease, and his reading was extensive. He possessed a fine library containing many of the best editions of the classics, and was a liberal patron of literature. ”

“ The testimonies of two of his pupils show him to have been a remarkable man in natural powers and trained gifts, and his influence in the College and Academy was greatly felt in its development, and in the faculty he was second only to William Smith in learning and force. The University owes very much in its early nurture to its second Rector, the faithful and diligent Presbyterian divine, Francis Alison. ”

“ The Latin and English Masters give entire Satisfaction; indeed the Progress made by the Boys in both schools is truly surprising; each has now the Assistance of an Usher, made necessary by the Number of Boys, who, notwithstanding the prevalence of the Small Pox in Town, amount to above one Hundred. Masters are provided for teaching Writing and French. The Mathematical School is daily increasing. A Charity School is established. ”

“ A graceful reminder of this exists in a Library chair of Franklin's, the legacy of Mrs. Catharine Wistar Bache to Dr. Hosack and by him given to the Literary and Philosophical Society of New York in 1822, which is maintained in a place of honor in the Library of Columbia College. May the bond of friendship continued in their contemporary years of youth not be forgotten in the present day when both institutions are rising more fully into the recognition of University needs. ”

“ For a young man who had not yet attained his majority, this was an education which not alone developed his self reliance but also added knowledge as well as experience to his stock of weapons wherewith to continue his battle with life. ”