Page:Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography volume 2.djvu/199

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VIRGINIA BIOGRAPHY

tc the house of delegates; he was later a member of the convention of 1788, of the Virginia senate, a presidential elector, judge of the general court, and, in brief, one of the leading men of Virginia until his death, which occurred July 11, 1832. He was father of Alexander H. H. Stuart, secretary of the interior in Fillmore's cabinet.

Cooper, Thomas, born in London, Eng- land, October 22, 1759; educated at Oxford, acquiring an extensive knowledge of medi- cine, the natural sciences and law; was ad- mitted to the bar, and for a time followed a circuit practice; becoming involved in the political troubles of the time, he was sent to France by the Democratic clubs as a delegate to the French Democratic organ- ization, and there he became an ardent sym- pathizer with the Girondists of the revolu- tion, and upon his return to England cre- ated extreme hostility by his advocacy of that party; he was denounced in the house of conimons by Edmund Burke, and in re- ply he brought out a violent pamphlet which was the cause of great sensation; soon after, he came to the new world with his friend, Dr. Joseph Priestley, and here his extreme views upon questions of gov- ernment were again the cause of misfor- tune; he settled in Northumberland, Penn- sylvania, where he soon built up a law prac- tice, later was appointed judge, but his arbi- trary conduct led to his deposition by his own supporters; he occupied the chair of chemistry in Dickinson College, Carlisle, Pennsylvania, from 181 1 to 1814, and in 1816 was appointed to the same position in the University of Pennsylvania; was called to the College of South Carolina in 1820, and remained there until 1834 as president of the institution and professor of chemistry

and political economy; when Mr. Jefferson was projecting his plans for the University of Virginia, he entered into correspondence with Dr. Cooper, seeking his opinion upon various questions, and the value of Dr. Cooper's suggestions is evident from the fact that Mr. Jefferson later brought about his election as the first professor of Central College, having the appointment confirmed by the university; he was not allowed to serve, however, because of his religious views ; he was renowned for his knowledge of law, medicine, chemistry, mineralogy, politics and political economy ; Jeflferson, in writing to Cabell, said of him : ''He is one of the ablest men in America, and that in several branches of science * * * The best pieces on political economy which have been written in this country were by Cooper;" ii« politics he was a Republican ; in religion a free thinker and allied with the Unitarian denomination: in philosophy a materialist; he died in Columbia, South Carolina, May II, 1840, and left an important bibliography of which notable works are: "Letters on the Slave Trade," London, 1787; "Tracts, Eth- ical, Theological, and Political," 1790; "In- formation Concerning America," 1790; "Ac- count of the Trial of Thomas Cooper, of Northumberland," Philadelphia, 1800; "The Bankrupt Law in America Compared with that of England," 1801 ; "An English Ver- sion of the Institutes of Justinian," 1812; "Tracts on Medical Jurisprudence," 1819; "Elements of Political Economy," Charles- ton, 1826. In his "Letters on Emigration" Cooper used the notable words : **The gov- ernment of the United States is a govern- ment of the people and for the people."

Turbcrvillc, George Lee, born September 7. 1760, son of George Turberville, of West-

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