and weighed every opinion offered. He compared
all, and, as an optimist, selected for himself. He
never seemed startled at any theory, however singular,
but took the pains to examine it calmly, and if bound
to refute it, did it mildly, but distinctly. In all his
exertions, he always measured the means in regard to
the ends, and was seldom deceived in his calculations;
yet, at times, he was considered as a bold financier,
full of expedients; but the results always justified his
calculations, and there can be no doubt, but that the
opinions which he offered on various subjects to the
corporations to which he belonged, which were not
adopted in the early part of his course, but which
proved in the end to be the correct ones, gave him a
greater influence afterwards, than if they had pre-
vailed at the time they were given.

His mind was quick, shrewd, and logical. He
caught a suggestion with great readiness, but was
slow in making up his judgment. He looked on all
sides of a question with immense care, for he was
early taught precaution, the first ingredient in good
sense. His combinations, comparisons, parallels, in-
ferences, and arguments, were all familiar to him
before his opinions were promulgated, but when his
judgments were formed, they were not readily given
up, upon any authority. If, in coming to a conclu-
sion, he was slow and wary, in action he was rapid
and indefatigable.

He never wrote until he had arranged his thoughts,
and chosen his language to clothe them; of course,
there is a neatness and fine connexion in his writ-
ing, which, if they do not exalt his style to classical
beauty, make it a much better business vehicle.
There are no extraordinary thoughts, no wonderfully
brilliant sentences, in his productions, that could be
quoted to show his strength of wing or boldness of
flight, but in every work of his there are exhibited
strong leatures, and as a whole, the production is
always effective. A forcible thinker, with only a