The Kalida venture. [volume] (Kalida, Ohio) 1841-1865, 1851-05-23
From Graham's Magazine, for Marcn, 1851.
AN INCIDENT IN THE LIFE OF
JOHN RANDOLPH o OF.ROANOKE.
BY CHARLES J. PETERSON.

suaslons OF his friends, to become |
candidate for Congress-. /! was a. peiioc
| Of greet political excitement The ad
| minstration had resolved upon war will
France, measure to which the repub
licans were opposed; and each party wa:
straining its utmost TO elect its own can
rdidates. Virginia, as in 1855, was the
principal battlefield. II was the practice
then, as now, for the opposite cor1petit
ors to harangue the people at The hus
tings, Randolph's district was that Of
Old Charlotte, and his antagonist fol
Congress was, Powhatan Boiling. But
the federal candidate was no orator, and
on this occasion, had left his cause to the
celebrated Patrick Henry, who. Though
originally hostile toihe Constitution, had
since its adoption, joined the predomi.
nant party, and now consented at the ex-
press solicitation of Washington, to be a
candidate fot The Virginia Legislature.
| When il was known that tho sold man
eloquent would once more address the
people of Charlo;te, the whole country
turned out to hear him speak. Haughty
owners Of thousands of acres, and grave
doctors of divinity, with professors of
the neighboring college mingled in the
eager crowd with petty land holders and
jockey attorneys Through this expec-
tant concourse strobe the federal candid,
ate, equipped in his laced scarlet coat,
iall, proud, overbearng, confident of
success. There, too, was the immortal
Henry, feeble with disease rather than
with age, feeling that he was already
touched with the hlnd of death, but res
oluie 10 strike last blow for what he
thought the cause Of truth. The people,
aware that they might never behold him
again, followed him about like father.
So reverent, indeed, was their behavior,
that a jealous iiinerant, shocked at what
he styled idolatry, ciied out rebukiug.
ly that the .man was not god. "Non
said the old patriot, with mild reproof.
turning TO the speaker, "No, indeed, nv
friend, Lam but poor worm of the
dust--as feeting and unsubstantal as
the shadow of the cloud that flies
over your fields, and is remembered no
more" And then, having first been iif-
ted on the stand, he poured out such
flood of eloquence, mingled with so
much matured wisdom, that when he
ceased and fell back exhausted INTO the
arms ofhis friends, his auditors men as
they we're wept like children.
Il was in reply 10 this parting address,
which, under tho circumstances, had
something Of sacred character, that
Randolph rose TO speak. Few Of those
present had ever seen him, Others
only remembered him as strange figure
which they had beheld fitting past their
houses in the shades Of evening like
another wild hunlsman. All started
therefore when tall, slender, effeminaie
youth, apparently not yet oul of his no
mage, with thin face and n beardless
chin, walked forward on the stand. Ira
dtion has recorded his dress on that oc-
casion, and we are thus enabled TO con
jure up the very image of the man. His
light hair was combed back from his
forehead into the customary cue, and he.
wore blue frock, buff small clothes, and
fair-top boots. His higb.cheek-bones,
his massy brew, and his brilliant hazel
eyes arrested attention at once. Ile
was deadly pale. Fer some moments he
stood in silence, bis, lips quivering, his
eyes swimming in tears, He evidently
felt fhe apparent sacriieee of his position.
But this mute appeal won for him gen.
erous forgiveness at once. Had he been
training for an orator all his life, heecould
not have acted more skilfully ,han he did
now under the impulse of the moment.
AT last few broken words fell from h S
lips, They we're wordsof apology for the
presumption Of one SO young in address.
sing the people after the venerable father
who had jus, set down; but il was an
homes. difference Of. opinion, he said, and
he hoped to be pardoned while he ex-
planned, as became the, occasion, the
reasons why he offered himself as a can
didate for Congress. The modes,y OF
this exordium made him partisans al
once. His very youth pleaded for him,
as age before had pleaded for Patrick
Henry. Every auditor stood breathless.
And now, a, last, the orator .ventured to
launch into his subject. For three hours
he held the people spell,bound by his
words. No record ofhis address, further
than we have mentioned, has come down
to us; but it could have been no mean
eflart TO have chaiued attention SO long,
especially when the voice Of his, antag-
lonis, was still lingering in eyerv memory
1t was triumph worthy Of Alcibiadss,
as the result Of the election proved. The
voters chose Patrick Henry for their
member of,he Legislature, but rejected
Boiling and selected Randolph in his
Wace.lalnp iHslgnhis .laiew .lis 8
= AMERIcAN PARsIse.-I COURT Court
Is verb active, indicative mood, present
tense. and agrees Nth all HE girls In tie