Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1856-02-01
NUMBER :.
JOHN RANDOLPH. OF ROANOKE.

letter from this distinguished man 1--WE
regret that it is without date), addressed
to his half-brother, the Hon. Henry St.
George Tucker, on the death Of his eldest
son, youth of singular promise. Itwas
found among The private papers of the
latter, by his son, Judge John Randolph
Tucker, Of Virginia; and has, by consent
of his family, been given 10 the palii-
We are sure that we shall crafty our
readers with the following extracts
Banner Of Tie Cross.
< Did you ever read Bishop Butler
Analogy? If rot, l will send il to you.
Have you read THE Book? What say
upon this point not only believe, but
know to be true-that the BiJle Studied
with an humble and contrite heart, rover
yet failed to do its work, even with those
who from idiosyncracy or disordelcd
minds have conceived that they were cut
off from its promises Of a life to come
'' Ask, and ye shall receive; seek, and
ye shall find; knock, and ii shall be oper.-
ed unto you This was my only support
and stay during years of misery and
darkness (; and just as had almost be
gun TO despair, after more than ten years
of penitence and prayer, It pleased God
to enable me to see the truth, to which
until then my eyes had been sealed. To
this youchsafemcnt have made the most
ungrateful returns. But | would not
give up my slender portion of the price
paid for our redemption--yes, my broth
er, our redemption-the ransom of sin
ners-of all who do not hug their chains,
and refuse TO come out from the house Of
bondage Il say that l would not ex-
change my little portion in the Son Of
David for the power AID glory OF the
Parthian or Roman empires, as described
by Milton in the temptation of our Lord
and Sayiour;-not for all with which the
Enemy tempted the Saviour of man.
This is the secret of the change of
my spirits, which all who know me must
have observed within few years past
After years spent in humble and contrite
ertreaty that the tremendous sacrifice on
]
Mount Calvary might rot have been made
in vain for me-the cliefest of sinners-
it pleased God 10 speak His peace into
my heart-that peace Of God which pas
seth all understanding to them that know
it not, and even 10 them that do. Aud
although have now, as then, to reproach
myself with time misspent, and faculties
misemployed; although my condition bas
on more 1han one occasion resembled that
of him wlo, having one evil spirit east
out, was taken possession Of by seven
other spirits more wicked than the first,
and the first also; yet trust that they,
too, by the power and mercy of God,
may be, if they are not, vanquished.
"The existence Of atheism has been
denied; but was an honest one. Hume
began and Hobbies finished me- read
Spinoza and all the tribe. Surely | fell
by no ignoble hand. And the very man
(-) who gave me Hume's Essays
upon Human Nature to read, admins
tered Beattic upon Truth as the anti.
dote. Venice treacle against arsenic and
the essential oil of bitter almonds
bread and milk poultice for the bite ofthe
cobra capello
Had remained a successful political
leader, might never have been Chris
tian. But it pleased God that my pride
should be mortified; that by death and
deserlion should lose my friends; that
.. The death Of Tudor finished
my humiliation. ! had tried all things
but the refuge to Christ; and to that,
with parental stripes, was | driven.
Throw Revelation aside, and / can
drive any man by irresistible induction TO
atheism. john Marshall could not resist
me. When / say any man, | mean a man
capable Of logical and consequential rea-
soning. Deism is the refuge Of those
that startle at atheism, and can't believe
Revelation; and, my (may God have
forgiven US both J and myself used, with
Diderot Il Co., to laugh at the deistical
bigots who must have milk, moi being able
to digest meat.
But enough-and more than enough
Il can scarcely guide my pen. will,
however, add that no lukewarm seeker
ever became real Christian; for from
the days Of John the Baptist until now,
the kingdom Of heaven sunereih violence,
and the violent take il by force ia text
which ! read five hundred times before
had the slightest conception Of h5 trre
application"
g. Somebody in Albany IS getting up