Pinckney, CHARLES COTESWORTH

Pinckney, CHARLES COTESWORTH, an American statesman, was born at Charleston, South Carolina, 25th February 1746, was sent to England and educated at Westminster and at Christ Church, Oxford, read law at the Middle Temple, and studied for a while at the military academy in Caen. He afterwards settled as a barrister at Charleston. He was Washington's aide-de-camp at the battles of Brandywine and Germantown, and afterwards, as colonel, saw much active service, until 1780, when he was taken prisoner at the surrender of Charleston, and detained till the close of the war. A member of the convention that framed the constitution of the United States (1787), he introduced the clause forbidding religious tests as a qualification for office. He declined the secretaryship of war in 1794, and of state in 1795; in 1796 he was sent as minister to France, but the Directory refused to receive him, and he had to quit the country. It was while on this mission that, when it was intimated that peace might be granted in return for a money payment, he made the reply, 'Millions for defence, but not a cent for tribute.' In 1804-8 he was twice an unsuccessful Federalist candidate for the presidency. He died 16th August 1825.