Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1854-06-09
ske.oh fsohr, Randolph
DC OH = sNs.4.1 :.
IPrnn 7Hns. II Benion' ..7'hirfa gears Gietrs

mr. # ls.s}-thr scene of lls fhrtt ana bfliilHht
aplariiian on the stage al public hie.lhYig COM
! nenced hi pariau cntary eafrer III that clty.ui
der tie first Mr. Adams. wltU Congress rat there
md when he was bareiv of M agr 70 be admitted
| i 10 the body. For mcre than thirty years lie
,sus the .aIitcal meteor If Congress. blazing
I'll .fntliinini sfd scidnf during the whoe time
and often appearing a. the ..plam.tnry pnghe'
which she'd. n twarHnd pe<tilenee on hhli"hs'
hut agony and fear members. HIS snrctrm
waske,li. rsfne,l. asiheriDg--with great ten
tfency 10 indulge in il; but, n H. believed, n
lawful parliamentary weapon 10 effect come de.
sifnhlr pnrpost. prrtenSion.meh1fiers, vice.den-
npngism were the frequent subjects OF the e&er-
else IF his aent; aud. when eoiflls.d To ihein,he
wa the bnnefaetnr uf the fIense. Wit aud ge-
uios all allowed him; ~ngacity wasa qnnllty 81 his
mind visible 10 all Observrrs-and winch gave
him ri inihiivc insight into the effect "f meas
nres. During Tie first six years of Mr.. Jciter-
.on'. administration he was tue '.Murat'' Of biz
party brilliant The charge.and always ready
for IL: aud valued IN the council, we'll i,s IN the
field He was hong the chairman uf the Commit
tee of Ways and Mcans--n place always of la
Dor and .spansbility and Of more then than now
when the elt meutr of revenue were less abundant,
and NJ man could have been placed IN that situa-
ton during Mr.. Jetlerson's time whose known
.aeaeiiy WIS not pledge for the safety ot his
lea in the most srdden and critic 'ircumstan
ees. lie was one of those VIII III that en- inent
statesman hulitually consulted during the period
If their friend-hp,nnd Ia whom he carefully com
munieated his plans before they were given 10
ihespublic. On his arrival at Washington Mt the
opening OF each session of Congress during this
period. he regularly found Whiting for him at his
establi he'd odgints- then rawf'rd's, George
town-=ihe card of Mr.. Jefferson, with an invita-
tn'ion for dnnc~, nj which the !, ading measures
81 the ensuing session we're the principal topic
Mr. ,Jetiers OH did not treat IN that way mem
bcl in whose sagacity he had not confidence.
II i mt just To Judge such man by ordna
~ rules. by detachcd and separate incidents
in his life. Ia comprehend him, lac must be
judged rs "A whole physically aud mentally
and under many aspects, aud for his entire life.
lie was never wcll--a chronic victim of i'll health
from the cradle To- the grave. A letter from his
most intimate and ya,ued friend, Mr. Macon,
written 10 ne after his DEATH expressed The be
lief Thai he ne,ei enjoyed during his life one
day ol perfect h. nIth--,uch ~ well people enjoy.
Such life long suffering must have lis effect on
the temper, and on the mind: and i, had on his
bringing The temper often b The qucrul"us rood.
and The state of his mind som,times 10 the qucs
ton ri insanity, u question which hecamp judi
eial utter his DEATH WHEN the validity oihlS will
cane 10 be contested. | lind my opinion On the
point. and gaze it responsibility, IN deposition tu
ly iaken, To be read on the trial of the will; and
winch III II belrt III his insanity. at several sprc
iticd periods, wa, fully EXPIRE sed-with the rca-
IONS Ion the opinion. had good opportunities
OF fnrnling an opinion, living in the snIne house
With him several years, having his confidence,
and seeing hun at all hours of the day and night.
II, also, on several occasions, became NV duty
10 study the question, with view to govern my
own conduct under critical crcumStances.---
Twice he applied to me To carry challenges for
him. II would have been inhuman to have gone
out will man not IN his right mind; and critical
To one sell, AS any accident on the ground
might seriously compromise The second. My %
Pinon was fixed, oi occasional temporary ahcr
ratons nf mind; and during such periods he would
do aud shy strange things-hut always in his
own wny-not only method, but genius in his
fantasies, nothing to hespeuk II Lad heart hut
only eAnliatiun and excitement. The most bril-
liaut tnk HAT ! ever heard from him came fm til
on such oecas iunS-a flow Tor hours lat one time
seven hunrs, of copious wit and classic allusion
"A perfect scattering OF the diamonds of the
mind. | heard u friend remark on one of these
occasions, "he has wasted intellectual jcwch y
enough here this evening, 10 equip many spe TX
ers tor great oration~." once sounded linn ON
the delicate point If his avn opinion of himself;
OF eoor,e when he was IA a perfectly natural
staie, and when he had said something to permit
an approach To 1lch subject. 1t was daring
Ii last visit to Washington, two winters before
le Died. 1t was in my r"om, in the gloom al
the evening light, a. the day wis going OIL aud
the humps not hl-no one present hut our elves
| lie r.clinln on Il sofa; silent and thoughtful
speaking but seldom und1 only in reply heurd
hin reprai,nS if To himseli those lines from john
! son. (Which, in fact. had often heard from him
heiole,) On "Senty and hmbeeility," which
slow us life under its most melanch ~ form.
"lh lii"'sltst scenes what prodigios surprise,
Fears of the hlnve, and iollie, of the wise
From Marlborough eyes the streams Of dotag,
flow
And Swift expires, a driycller and show"
When he had thus repeated these lines, whicl
| he did with deep feeling. and IN slow aud meas
ured cadence. deemed 1t eXeusable to max"
rena k If kind which had never vcntur,d ol
heiore aud said: Mr. Randupl, | have soy era
tHmes heard you rcpe these lines, as If they
could haNcan alphcui ion 10 yourself, while n,
person ct,n have less reason Ia fear the fate q
swift. ! SAID this to sound him. and to sce wha
he though of himself. His answer wa>:-"
have lived IN dread # insanity That answe
was the opening of sealed hook-revened to m,
the source OF much mental agony that had seel
him undergo. did deem him in danger of tn
tate of Swift. and from the same cause Judge
by his latest and greatest biographer Sir Waite
Scott. I.'..
parliamentary life was respondent in talrn
| Elevated IN moral tane--alwavs moving ON th
lofty line oi homlr and patriotism and scoruin,
everything mean and selfish. lie was the iudig
nan ene'ny oi personal and plumber legislation
and the very urge OF intrigue AID corruption
| lie reVerenced an honest man in the humhes
garh, aud scorned the dishonest though plate,
with gold. An opinion was p,o,mgated that h,
was tickle in his friendships. Certainly ther
were some ca, rcous changes; bat far more in
stances of steudtast adherence. His FRIENDSHIP
with Mr.. Macon was historic. Their namcI
went together in Iife--live togethcrin dcath-an,
are honercd togcthl y most by the friends wh'