Obituary

Fletchor Harper, whose dcath occurred rocontly in New York, was the lnst of the our brathela who togcther founded the mblishing house of Harper & Brothers, ie was the youngest of the brothern, inving boen boni in 1805. Jumen was jom in 1795, John in 1797, and Jqseph Wesley in 1801. The twoyounger brothers vere at an early age apprentieed to their eider, who had in 1818 begun the work of publishingnndcr the firm name oi J. fe J. Hnrper, in Dover street. In 1823 Joseph Wesley Iliiipcr was admitted to the flrm, and two years later Fletcher was also made a member. In theyear 1833 the firm name was changed to Harper & Brothers. The progresa of this now historie establishment toward fumo nnd fortune, the extent and variety of its enterprises, its liberality and thoroughness, the business principies to which it has rigidly atlhered, hare been too oíten reheansed - and esneciallv in connection witli notiees if the deaths of the other brothers - to necd further exposition. Fletcher was the best educated of the brothers, jut, singular to relate, his attention was directed exclnsively to the management of the business departrnent, while Wesey was the literary man. It is said that Fletcher, for a short time, was at the [amous school in Koosevelt street, kept by Mr. A. T. Stewart; he may there liave imbibed some of the business principies so successfully applied by him in after life. While he was learniiig the printer's trade, at the age of 19, he marriod, and he followed a pretty wellHtiií)lished custom of the Harpers in marrying so early. Tt is said that Fletcher was responsible for the aötablishment of eaeh one of the periodioale, and that they owed their success to his fostering care more than to auy other cause. "In lact," says one biograpner, "he was the life of the iirni." In religión Mr. Harper, like bis brothers, was u devout Methodist. He had a pious fondness for fast horses and salt water, findiug constant amusement during his doclirung years in ocean voyages. He leaves a wife and two sous - Fleteher Harper, Jr., and Joseph. The firm of Harper & Brothers is now coniposed of Fletcher Harper, Jr. ; Philip J. A. Harper, a son of James; John "VVesley and Joseph Abner Harper, sons of John; and Joseph Wesley Harper, a son of Wesley Harper. John I.oi in-op Motley. John Lothrop Motley was bom at Dorchester, Mass., in 1814, and died at London, Eng., May 30, 1877. He graduatod from Harvard College at the age cf 17,and spent a year each at the Universities of Gottingen and Berlin, after which he trayeled in the South of Europe, chiefly in Italy. He returned to America, and was adinitted to the bur in 1836, but never attained any eminenoe in the profession, and praeticed only a short time. His first literary work was in the department of fiction, and was inspired by his study of the colonial history of the United títutes. His íirst novel was published in 1830, and was entitled " Morton's Hope ; or, the Memoirs of a Yoiuig Provincial." This was followed in 1841 bv another called " Merrymount." In 1856 his history, "The Riso of the Dutch Kcpublic," was published in London. It was speedily translated into Germán, Dutch, Kussian and French, the introduetion for the last-named edition being furnished bj Guizot. In 18C0 Mr. Motley publishec the ñrst two volumes of the second por tion of his work, entitled " The History of the United Netherlands from the JDeiith of Williani the Silent to the TwelveYears' Trace, 1609;" and inl867ii was eoinpleted in two additional volumes This was followed, in 1874, by "The Life and Death of John Borneveld, Ad vocato of Holland ; with a View of the Primary Causes of the Thirty Years War." At the time of his deatn Mr Motley was said to bc engaged in writing a "History of the Tlürty Years War." The diplomatic career of Mr. Motley began as far back as 1840, when he was appointed Secretary of Legation to the American embassy to Kussia, anc held the post lor eight months. In No vember, 1861, he was appointed Minister to Austria, and resigned in 18(57. On the accession of President Grant, in 1869 he was made Minister to England, suc ceeding Reverdy Johnson. He w&s recalled in November, 1870, in couse quence of the disagreement between the President and Senator Sumner, the ap pointment in the first place having been sociu'ed, it is understood, by the latter