Page:Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography volume 2.djvu/314

 PROMINENT PERSONS

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veracity is brought against all of Weems' writings, but there is no improbability ap- parent in any of them, and indeed, there is too much tendency to hypercritism with many modern writers. Several of the most widely circulated anecdotes of the youth of Washington, especially the famous one of the hatchet, rest on his authority. An entertaining sketch of W'eems' early pas- torate is given in the "Travels in America" of John Davis, London, 1802. In this narra- tive he figures as a pious and devout preach- er, devoted to good works. One of his pam- phlets, "The Philanthropist,'" was com- mended by Washington in an autograph letter to the author, who prefixed it to subsequent editions of the tract. His prin- cipal works are: "Life of George Wash- ington," which is still largely sold in the rural districts of many parts of the country, and is the most popular biography of that general in existence, Philadelphia, Pennsyl- vania, 1800; eleventh edition, with additions, ir iSti: "Life of General Francis Marion/' 1805: "Life of Benjamin Franklin, with Es- sr.ys," 1817; and "Life of William Penn,'* 1S19. Mr. Weems died in Beaufort, South Carolina. 18 19.

Harper, Robert Goodloe, born near Fred- ericksburg, Virginia, in 1765, a son of Jesse Harper and Diana Goodloe. his wife, who in his childhood removed to Granville, North Carolina. At the age of fifteen he served under Gen. Greene, in a troop of horse com- posed of the youth of the neighborhood, dur- ing the closing scenes of the southern cam- paign of the revolution. He graduated from Princeton in 1785, studied law in Charleston. South Carolina, and was admit- ted to the bar in 1786. Shortly afterward

he removed to the interior of the state, where he became well known through a series of articles on a proposed change in the constitution. He was elected to the legislature, and later to congress, serving from February 9, 1795, ^"^^^ March 3, 1801, warmly supporting the administrations of Washington and Adams. During his active service in the war of 18 12, he was promoted from the rank of colonel to that of major- general. Soon after the defeat of the Fed- eralists, he married the daughter of Charles Carroll, of Carrollton, removed to Balti- more, Maryland, where he attained emi- nence at the bar. In association with Joseph Hopkinson he was employed as counsel for Judge Samuel Chase, of the United States supreme court, in his impeachment trial. At a dinner given at Georgetown. D. C, June 5, 1813, in honor of the Russian vic- tories, he gave as a toast "Alexander, the Deliverer.*' following it with a speech eulo- gizing the Russians. Upon the publication of the speech. Robert Walsh addressed the author a letter in which he expressed the opinion that the orator underrated the mili- tary character of Napoleon, and failed to point out the danger of Russian ascendency. To this letter Harper made an elaborate re- ply. Walsh responded, and the correspond- ence was then published in a volume (1814). Harper was elected to the United States senate from Maryland to serve from Janu- ary 29, 1816, to March 3, 1821, but resigned h" the first mentioned year to become one of the Federalist candidates for vice-president. In 1819-20 he visited Europe with his fam- ily, and upon his return employed himself chiefly in the promotion of schemes for in- ternal improvements. He was an active member of the American Colonization Soci-

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