Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1833-09-10

tateness OF tho hour al which they arrived, they were soiJ
-
THE A IT MR.. RANDoLpH' <"NA"
The surviving relatives Of Mr.. Randolph. who arc the
children and grand children OF his .tep.father, the late
81. George Tucker, Esq. have much reason to complain,
the former, a public journal should have ushered INTO the
world the auto biographical sketch which recently an.
Feared IN the " Now York Commercial Advertiser."-
lhat 'euer, TITS admitted, was never designed for the pub.
lie eye; and IL Is matter OF some surprize that without en-
curry, without examination, without explanatioon-it
should have been given to the public. containing as IL does
the gravest charges and The most Injurious insinu,tion.
against men i'Iustrious in their country's annals. and
whose lives Of spotless purity and elevated virtu. Id ."'
cured to them an unsuIlied reputation. To those rho a..
well acquainted with the excitements under which The
mind Of Mr.. Randolph occasionally labouied, IL might be
mailer OF little surprise, that ut particular moments he
might have been influenced by delusions which had no
foundation In fact; but to the Public who know little of
him' except through his brilliant political career, his at
TACK upon the character OF one who stood towards him
In the interesting relations of step father and guardian.
may seem 10 De entitled to somc notice on the part Of the
representatives Of that excellent and honorable person.
tits not the object Of the writer Of this short article. TO
enter into any detailed explanation Of this matter. He has
neither in his power the documentary evidence which Il.
In existence, to establish the int grity of Mr.. Tucker's con
euct IN reference to his wards, nor has he a personal know.
ieage o. facts which occurred when he was Of tender
years, having the same tendency. His ONLY purposa AZ
this time Is, to point the attention to certain facts set forth
In the letter itself, and to add one or two, of which he han.
pens TO have information.
From Mr.. Randolph's letter IL appears. &c ,ba, hi. mo-
ther died IN January, 17SS. She had been a faithful mana.
ger anu steward 1.-THE estate he tells us. 'and left clear
accounts anu money (not a small sum) In hand" There
10 hcn, no complaint OF the mismanagement or misappIi.
cauon Of his estate in her time. We therefore date The
affairs with which we have concern, from the beginning of
1888. In that year and month Il think st. George Tuck.
er was appointed a Judge oil the General and Distric,
courts, Tue duties OF which, calling him occasionally to
every corner OF TINS wide Commonwealth, rendered his
attention to the Randolph estate, distant from $50 TO 200
mies) almost impracticabie; for, in a year after the death
OF ms wife, ne Quilted the estate on which he lived az
part OF her dover, for a residence in WILLIAMSBURG vbers
ne might have an opportunity Of educating his Children
w,.n'u' 'o expence Of sending them abroad; and the
and Charlotte.
In the last month Of 1889. Richard Randolph married.
He was four years elder than John, " bred IN the h,r
and equally distinguished for his manly and decisive cha.
racter, iof his generous and noble and afeciionatet emper
. ns commanding and extraordinary talents, and tor his
extensive anu useful requirements. To this Young man.
then' when he came OF age and married and settled on
one o. the estates, and within forty miles OF the others,
very judiciously committed the MANAGEMENT and dire,
non V me estates in a great measure, as also OF some pro-
P sa o, his own "a that part Of the country. In June,
i196. occurred the lamented death of Richard Ran.
do'ph' whose afecdonats attachment to Mr.. Tucker
ana whose graceful recollecions of his paternaI care and
iaitttu' discharge OF his duties, il evidenced by nnmerou,
letters preserved by his surviving guardian with a la,her,s
iondness, Tor the relics oil a child whom he gre atly loved.
attached. ~
John Randolph not having been of age before the death
OF Richard more than a few months, the estate accounts
nd not been hnally closed. As soon, however. after his
death as MIR. Tucker returned from his fall circuit. ne
made a short statement Of his accounts, ascertained the ba.
u w us nandS 10 De about EfOO. for which ann, ha
gave his bonds, Oor one half TO John Randolph, and for the
other to Mrs. Judith Randolph, the widow and Executrix
OF Richard and took from them a release. This must have
been in the fall Of 1876. The bonds were afterw.rd. MID
and taken up, and no hint of Dissatisfaction appears in the
whole Transaction. Indeed, in 1899, Mr.. Randolph being
III nlohmond, applied TO MIR Tucker for a loan, which was
H'Hue without "A moments hesitation to the amount Of $4,000,
AMI q receipt given, 10 which Mr.. II. Of his own accord al.
ded a scroll as his seal.
To this short statement. which NAV he co,6Jon,Iy ..r.
on, may be added, that not only are the letters Of Mr
Richard Randolph filled with the most sFec;ionale evi.
dehces oil attachment and esteem for Mr.. Tucker, but 80
arc 'no'e OIL Mr.. John Randolph himself, to q date long
poslerior to his election TO Congress. Tho political scbisu'
which commenced in 1905, aud cventuared in the comics,
between MIR. Madison aud Mr.. Monroe in ISOS.9 q. place.
them for the first time in opposition in politics The Ie,.
ters between them subsequent 10 tn al date. the writer n
ms article has never seen; but he has in his own posses.
SION very numerous letters of dates as late az those above
indicated, ~ which MIR. Randolph speaks of Mr.. Tucke,
~ the most affectionate aud ende airing terms. To the son.
OF that gentleman he speaks Of him as 40 our dear father
"our revered and excellent father" He mentions hi.
"eDtire esteem and affection for him" i'm the LANGUAGE n
a son. and where he differs from him. lakes occasion ne.
vcrthe'ess 10 declare his :" unqualified admiration and at
tachnent TO him." In one Of these letters he saws. "
would write to my father frequently but you will repre-
sent TO this best Of men, that ! am in point of ewes no bst
ter provided than he was some lime past; - and he con
eludes another about The same time, with the assurance
that he retained mndiminished that strong affection
which he had ALWAYS entertained for him"
NO occasion, however, called for any particular expres
SION oil Mr.. Rsndolphs opinions Of Mr.. Tucker until tn,
mno i9oa-whsn Mr.. Tucker having been vilely calum
mated demanded an investigation OF The charge agains
h'm from the Legislature, which resulted in an unanimou
anu most honorable exonerstion from every suspicion G
Improper conduct. and In his promotion 10 a seat upon n,
bench OF the Court Of Appeals. Upon this occasion, am
WINE 'he affair was yet in progress, Mr.. R,pdoIpb's encc
miums upon the character Of his ste %. father. in a letter
the writer OF this article, were strong and unau,b;gnons-
"Can the character" says he, " Of ST. George Tucker n
sullied by the breath Of this mani I would no, have vo
fail Of whs, you owe to that honour which we botI, eoys
iy worsbip-tot that friend whom we equally revere. Suc
an accusation can rebound only TO his honour. \, will =.
forth the Indignation Of every honest man in the comm,
pity. and draw forth a marked expression of The p,bi
competence TN his unsunied integrity. If the rufisn is
DC offered up a victim to flial pieiy, remember he is m
prey, and 10 touch the assassin is 10 ROB me of ma brit
right"
Let II only be remembered, that all these evidences
MIR kando'Phs estimate OF Mr.. Tucker, were man
years alter he was Of age, aud in the endowment OF his .
tstes, and doubtless, fully possessed Of every fact in rel
lion TO them. He was al that time one of the most disru
guished and leading menof the House Of Representative
and OF the nation. He must be presumed At tina, ,ime
Die, to have acquired a toll uDde rstsnding Of bs own
fairs; he had learned how precsrious the profits N Of .
ta,es oil land, aud negroes: he knew what sum had be,
'et ny his mother, which could net have been large
81 obe snrp'usses alter paying EXPENSE, aud supporGi
,mo snhuren, were doubtless applied Ivy her regularly
the dischsrge OF the heavy eoeumbrances on his esrs,
which were not completely paid Oft until a very lew vet
past by himself and he knew, that after Richard r.
doiph came OF age, the management Of those concerns Il
principally into his hands. He eosId not tben. bavs he,
ignorant Of the tcts; aud az all will agree, he wa, no h