Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1833-08-15

question Of adopting OF rejecting the Federal
Constitution Of 1857. This visit gave rise to
the attachment between himself and your
mother, which terminated in their marriage
about eighteen months afterwards.
Your father Joined us in New York. He
was In his nineteenth year, and the most man.
ly youth, and most elegant gentleman that !
ever saw. Mrs. Bingham, Of Phiiadclphia,
used to send him invitations 10 her parties,
and he oftcn went from New York to that
city TO them!-fet he was neither debauched
nor dlssiPatod. Tie was regular, studious, a.
bove low company Of any sort, "the great
vulgar or tho small !" his " apparel" accord
ing 60 Lord Burleigh's advice, was "costIy,
not hac;" and You might see in his old attend
ant, Syphax, whom he carried with him TO
New York, that his matter was . gentleman.
Columbia College was not yet recovered from
the shock Of The revolution II was Justcmerg-
ing out Of chaos. The Profe s.or of Humanity,
Cochran, now in the College Of Nova SEQ
u,) was an Irishman, educated Trinity Col
lego, Dublin, and q most accomplished scholar.
With him, I entered as q private pupil, paying
eight dollars O month, tout OF my own allow
ance for clothes, &C, for the privilege. I had
devoted the fall vacation al Princeton, (l767, }
10 an attempt ut rcgaining my Greek and
now Gully, 1851 burning with the thirst Of
knowledge, (Which = was not permitted 10
Stake nj the fountain Of Nassau,) and emu.
lous oil literary distinction, Z sat seriously TO
work, and was greatly encouraged by nv tu-
tor, who was, or affected TO be, amazed at
the rapidity Of my progress. To my ir-
reparable loss, he left college about two or
three months after had entered myself as
his private pupil. Your fathers return to
Virginia LEFT me without friend. "whcre, ~
you will ask, twas my uncle Theodo.ick ~
Alas! my poor brother differed in every re-
sPect from your noble father. OF all things
IN the world, he detestcd most book. De-
voted to pleasure and " fun" rs he termed il.
no not only set mo q bad example, but, with
his dissolute companions, absolutely prevent
ed me from reading. Often have they forced
the door Of my study, aud tossed the books
over the floor, sometimes out Of the window.
In two years, he undermined his constitution,
and destroyed his health forever; and after
lingering long time n mere skeleton of him.
self, he died at Bizarre, just before the birth
OF your brother St George. My guardian
Tor under ;he impulse or the asccndency he
had acquired over me, ] had chosen Mr.
Tucker as such-was so scanty in his supplies
That became necessitous; Of course, unhap-
Py and (why should conceal il y gradually
fell into the habits and ways Of my unfortunate
orother,-with this difference, that I CONT
nued to read, but books Of amusement onIy.
enervating and almost destroying my intellec-
tuai powers, and vitiating my taste. Your
father was married on the last day of the
year 1889; and in the summer following.
Theodorick and left New York for Virginia.
In consequence Of my mothers death, her
husband left Matoax, 10 reside in Williams
burgh, where Edmund Randolph, lust an
pointed Attorney General Of the U. States, at
mat time lived. lie proposed TO Mr.. Tucker
mat should study law under him; accord
ingiy went 10 PhiladeIphia 10 the month of
september, ITO, the year Of the removal of
Congress from New York. had seen the
old Congress expire, and the new one rise
ike Phenix from its ashes. saw the CO.
ronauon (such IN fact It was) Of Gen. WASH
ington, IN 1889, and heard Ames and Madj-
son, when they first took their seats on the
moor OF the House OF Representatives. Con-
gress met &C Philadelphia, and Mr.. Randolph
was too much engrossed by politics and his
own necessities, TO think OF me. He too.
cmbezzled the funds which Mr.. Tucker en-
trusted to him for my use. Had thew bee,
faithfully applied, they were in.dea,iate 10
my decent support-only $500 per annum.-
For what Cause I know not, hr. RandoIpb
put into my hands, by way Of preparation for
= course OF law, Hume's metaphysical works.
! had q great propensity for that sort of re a.
ING. The conduct and conversation OF N,
Tucker and his friends, such as Col. J,-e.
and Beverly Randolph (every other word an
oath) had early In life led me 10 regard reIi-
yion as the imposition Of pricstcrafi. soon
became q deist; and, by consequences. an
atheist. q shudder whilst I write II; al
though my intentions were pure, and wa.
seeking after TRUTH saw aby
consequence" because am convinced that
deism necessarily leads, by the fairest Undue
tion, to that conclusion. NY late friend. To-
scPh Bryan, was placed by Mai. Pierce But
Ter, then IN the Senate from South Carolina
also under tho direction Of Mr.. Randolph. 60
read law. The Attorney General had NO az
fee, and we were 10 read at our rooms such
books as be pointed out. After getting als,Os,
through the first book Of Blackstone, BRYAN
ana myself abandoned a profession, for which
neither OF US had been qualified by a regular
euueation, and commenced men Of pleasure
-plunging into tho "gaiety that fills the
mouth with biasphcmy, the heart with wo. "
IN July, lI92, returned 20 Virginia, from
want OF means for remaining in PHILADELPHIA.
10 this town, on my way 10 Wiiliamsburrb. \
was taken III with the scarlet fever. ana
brought TO the brink OF the grave. So few
charms had life for me, so strong was the d,.-
gust that had taken 90 the world, that was
INDIFFERENT as to che issue Of the disease =
Ne aching WILLIAMSBURG. Z saw, for the FIRST
lime, Mr.. fuckers new wife.
shall never forget the chilling eoldness
81 my reception. Ia few days set out Ior
bizarre, and was once more restored 20 the
.ocIey OF the fobdest Of brothers. The events
mat soon followed are those which have al
ready related TO you, and which you say ,mo.t
truly, can never be forgotten. In Jelly. I5g3.
again returned 70 Philadelphia, at my guar
mans instance, 20 while away tho Tine Of
my minority; and after encouniering the hor.
rors OF the yellow fever, (Which broke out
: lev days after my arrival, and drove nv
rlend Bryan TO Georgia. passed The win
ler less unplcasantly than the two former
which ! bad spent there, and left the right
angled city In April or May, 1924. IN June
came OF age. The crop Of that year vas
lss'roJ Cd, and also that % 1875, by the aood.
Wy guardian showed me no accounts. paid
me nothing for the profits Of nv estate dur
ng minority Of nineteen years and (o,,nA