The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1855-11-28
Last of the RandOIphs.

| A southern correspondent of the Home
Journal, sends it the following interesting
sketch:
During the summer of 1854, 1 had
| some business transactions which called
me to the county of Charlotte, in lower
Virginia. A mild and lovely Sabbath
morning, found me seated in one of the
comfortably cusioned pews of the village
church at the Court House As it want
ed few minutes of the hour of service
my eye wandered over the large and re-
spectacle looking audience assembled, and
was finally attracted by very eccentric
individual, who was just entering-a rath-
er aged man, TALL of dark complexion,
long, white hair waving plentifully over
his shoulders, and an equally venerable
beard flowing on his breast. His step
was active and graceful, his form erect
and manly. But his peculiar actions were
i'll striking contrast to his digniGed ap-
pearance. At first / thought him only
eccentric, but few moments of further
observation proved to me that he was
insane
Immediately on entering the pew he
knelt towards the wall, crossed himself,
and, apparently, repeated prayer He
then sat down, drew out a white cambria,
delicately pcrfumed, wiped his brow, re-
moved his gloves, stroked his hair and
beard, took up his Bible, kissed it and
read, examined his cane, used his hand
kerchief again-and all the time keeping
himself IN constant motion. say all the
time, but, occasionally he was passive for
few minutes-his attention apparently
aroused by some truths from the minis
ter-but these times were rare. His
countenance assumed all kinds of express
sions. Contempt, alarm, pleasure, earn
estness, sorrow and anger, fitted across
it in rapid succession. 1t reminded me
more of what children call making faces :"
than anything else.
after the services were over, ascer-
tanned that this was none other than the
nephew of John Randolph, of Roanoke
He calls himself Sir John st. George
Randolph, and is sole heir to his celebra-
ted uncle. Randolph, himself, remarked
with great bitterness, during his last days,
that their blood flowed in the veins of but
one single scion, and he was deaf, dlmd
and insane. SO much for human great
ness. The subject of this sketch-al-
though physically, and now mentally de-
fectiye-had mind cultivated in the
highest degree. In his youth he was sent
to Paris, where, under the protection of q
celebrated abbe, he received thorough
education. Having the capacity to re-
ceive, and the wealth to command, nc
pains were spared in the improvement o.
his intellectual faculties But it was la.
Dor lost; for on returning to his home in
Virginia, he met with, and loved young
lady, whom he addressed, but was refused
on account of his physical defects Or
becoming aware of the truth, he was plung
ed into the most profound grief, from
which he was at last aroused, but-in
sane
He has considerable wealth, which il
!; managed by his friends; and, being harm
less, he comes and goes as he pleases, ane
, is gratifed in all his whims. Wrecked a.
, his mind is, he still commands respect
and his peculiar manners do not attrac
the attention of acquaintances or excit,
: merrtment, as one would suppose"