Page:History of the University of Pennsylvania - Montgomery (1900).djvu/274

XXXVIII.

But the activities of the Provost in other matters than those of the College the claims of which might well be supposed to engage his entire time with only intervals for those pulpit calls which his eloquence made frequent, 1 brought him abreast of the politics of the day in which he stirred with a lively interest, and on behalf of which he often exercised his ready and trenchant pen. Controversy with him was a sure avenue to the display of his keenest abilities, and perhaps was more congenial to him at this time of his life, for he was not over thirty years of age, than the staid and regular duties of the College with its full day sessions and brief holidays in season. This much must be said before we narrate one of these controversies, the consideration of which found its way into the deliberations of the Trustees, and necessarily became part of the history of the College; the only advantage of which lies in the opportunity it affords us in passing to take some view of the political heats of the province and city at that time prevailing. Early in the year 1756 party feeling ran high; the popular sentiment being keenly at the time against the Proprietaries who continuously instructed their Governors not to approve of any bill taxing their estates, and the other side contending this cry was a pretence to undermine the Proprietaries' interest entirely and take the Government out of their hands. William Smith, who could not rest quiet in any civil strife any more than in a theological controversy, early sided with the latter party, and against the Assembly of which Franklin was a conspicuous and influential member. We have seen from his letter of July, 1754, how early in his Pennsylvania life he had formed views on local controversies. It was in the month of March, 1756, that being at the Coffee House and engaged in animated conversation with Mr. Daniel Roberdeau, afterwards General Roberdeau, the latter said to him " he was sorry a gentleman of his cloth had 1 Dr. George B. Wood in his History of the University of Pennsylvania, read before the Historical Society on 29 October, 1827, says: "The Rev'd Dr. William Smith was eminent for his various learning and general ability. Many living can bear witness to his eloquence as a preacher." p. 20.