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Rutherford, Robert
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Aler's History of Martinsburg and Berkeley County, West Virginia
by F. Vernon Aler, 1888
Printed for the Author by 
The Mail Publishing Company, Hagerstown, MD.

CHAPTER VIII.
Historical Pen Sketches of the Early Residents of Berkeley County
by the late Hon. Chas. James Faulkner.

Pages 179-180, HON. ROBERT RUTHERFORD 

Of Berkeley was elected to the 3rd Congress in 1793, from the
District composed of the counties of Berkeley and Frederick. He was
re-elected to the 4th Congress in 1795, thus serving four years as
a representative in Congress from this District. He was a candidate
for re-election to the 5th Congress but was defeated by General
Daniel Morgan. He contested Morgan's election before the House, but
the decision was in favor of the right of Morgan to the seat.

Mr. Rutherford does not seem to have participated very actively in
the general debates of the House, and yet, in January, 1794, he
delivered quite an elaborate speech on "The Commerce of the United
States," and in March, 1776, participated in the great debate of
that period upon the "Constitutional Powers of Congress," in
reference to treaties and in April, 1696, gave his views at large
in opposition to the provision for carrying the British treaty into
effect. All his views would seem to class him with the Democratic
rather than the Federal side of the House.

It might afford some interest to take a few extracts from these
speeches (especially as the reporter declares them to be authentic,
they "having passed the revision of the Speaker") as illustrative
of Mr. R's. views and opinions, but they must be passed by for the
present.

Feeling that he was, in his public course, acting in opposition to
the recommendations of Washington, he thus refers to their personal
relations:

"Much stress has-been laid on the patriotism of the President,
which makes it necessary for me to reply, lest I may be taken for
one uninformed. I have had the honor of the President's
acquaintance well nigh, or quite, forty years, and he has supported
every character with merit, dignity and unswerving attention. I
have acted with him on trying occasions, sometimes equal, often-
times in a subordinate sphere, and tho' senior in point of years,
yet, I uniformly looked up to him as a parent — my head and my
guide; yet I am independent of the President — an unchangeable
friendship excepted."

Judging of Mr. Rutherford by the impression made upon me by his
speeches in Congress I would say that he was a man of strong and
original mind — honest and sincere in all his convictions — upright
and independent in his bearing, but not of much mental cultivation,
nor deeply imbued with the facts of history, nor the lessons of
statesmanship.

I have heard traditionally and seen in print many anecdotes of Mr.
Rutherford illustrative of his homely manners, the simplicity of
his dress, the frugality of his mode of living, and of his
awkwardness in society, but these stories may or may not be true —
and as they touch none of the substantial merits of a man — are not
worthy of being remembered or repeated.

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