▁who ▁undert akes ▁bare ly ▁to ▁rec ite ▁the ▁ex alt ed ▁virt ues ▁which ▁ad orn ed ▁the ▁life ▁of ▁this ▁great ▁and ▁good ▁man , ▁will ▁un av oid ably ▁pron ounce ▁a ▁pan egy ric ▁on ▁human ▁nature . ▁As ▁a ▁man , ▁a ▁citiz en , ▁a ▁legisl ator , ▁and ▁a ▁patri ot , ▁he ▁exhib ited ▁a ▁conduct ▁un t arn ished ▁and ▁und eb ased ▁by ▁s ord id ▁or ▁self ish ▁interest , ▁and ▁strongly ▁marked ▁with ▁the ▁genu ine ▁characteristics ▁of ▁true ▁religion , ▁sound ▁bene vol ence , ▁and ▁liberal ▁policy . ▁Entertain ing ▁the ▁most ▁ar dent ▁love ▁for ▁civil ▁and ▁religious ▁liberty , ▁he ▁was ▁among ▁the ▁first ▁of ▁that ▁gl orious ▁band ▁of ▁patri ots ▁whose ▁ex ert ions ▁dashed ▁and ▁defeated ▁the ▁mach in ations ▁of ▁British ▁ty ran ny , ▁and ▁gave ▁United ▁America ▁freedom ▁and ▁independent ▁emp ire . ▁At ▁a ▁most ▁important ▁crisis , ▁during ▁the ▁late ▁struggle ▁for ▁American ▁liberty , ▁when ▁this ▁state ▁appeared ▁to ▁be ▁designated ▁as ▁the ▁theatre ▁of ▁action ▁for ▁the ▁cont ending ▁arm ies , ▁he ▁was ▁selected ▁by ▁the ▁un anim ous ▁suff rage ▁of ▁the ▁legisl ature ▁to ▁command ▁the ▁virt uous ▁ye oman ry ▁of ▁his ▁country ; ▁in ▁this ▁hon ou rable ▁employ ment ▁he ▁remained ▁until ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁war ; ▁as ▁a ▁soldier , ▁he ▁was ▁in def at ig ably ▁active ▁and ▁cool ly ▁int rep id ; ▁resol ute ▁and ▁und