Excerpt from Memoirs, Speeches and Writings of Robert Rantoul, Jr. The design of this work being to present a just and true account of the personal character and public services of Robert Rantoul, Jr., I have given, in illustration of his principles and the objects at which he aimed, his own Speeches and Writings, and the circumstances which called them forth, as well as whatever information could be gathered from those who knew him most intimately from his birth to his death. I have, besides, enjoyed the benefit of a personal acquaintance with him from the commencement to the close of his public life; and if I have not succeeded in forming a just estimate of his character, I may have been misledoby the sentiments of respect and affection with which its noble traits and excellences never failed to inspire me. For I will not deny, that if a sincere admiration of Mr. Rantoul's private and public character be a disqualification for editing this work, its success must be particularly affected and hurt by it. To speak of him as he was, is to praise him. Let the reader, therefore, pardon me if he find sober narrative sometimes uttering the warm language of eulogy. It could not otherwise have been true. The biographical sketch of Mr. Rantoul in his earliest years, and up to the time of his graduation at Harvard College, is from the accomplished pen of his kinsman and friend, Rev. A. P. Peabody, D. D., of Portsmouth. This, with the extracts from the letters of Doctors Ray and Torrey, and the three short poems, which are thrown in, not so much to show his poetical talent, as the delicacy of his sentiments, and the tenderness of his personal character, constitutes the first Chapter. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.