Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1857-12-29
q hand in bis txenty.6rst year.

The spot commands a delightful! view % the
Frs, and Soath the eye wanders over o Io,Hs p,a"
bounded only by the horizon West ana Nu!'n' y
rests on the wooded folds ana %ns, ~ ;hssa
Sou,b nf the Riysuna--a hill .iI hundred ,te' III
height and approaching nearer to heInisPhef,ca
than conica form. Oversfopped on the oou'n Wy oa'
t-r's Mountain, and or the North dropping down II
rocky cliffs to the rivers brink-ls Monticello =
h,cy,yh the R;yapna zap, the eye, after trnversng
nnrt;on of the valley West Of the hills encounters
| on the left the broken and picturesque SUBMITS o.
he Ragged Mountains, while beyond, and TO Inc
right the Blue Ridge hits up its towering oar,'e'
AZ if typical of the soil and climate, OF The rrn ue
of ths ripe blue wild grape-against the western
sky.
| EARLY SOCIETY OF VIRGINIA.
Lands were obtained on easy conu: ,", ;nd;,,;d
Government aud o,herU ise; ana sr,cnlsrIv m.
| cssa on lanes River, where the most enterpr.'pg
and wealthy of tho earlier einisrah's
| tbe,nselyes Some OF these men y! p', -
and .nsrpv acquired possessions Vyipg III ''
49, &c e. nr6udest mobiles of their native iand
Thasa perpetuated in their families by entails
,ha ,s,,s regulating which were ultimately renueie"
80 s,rppent in Virginia, than IN England nsen'-
a.. heir lands rose gradually in value the great low
land propretors began TO vie Win Lnssn ,hsro
wealth az we'll az in territory. Many OF them lved
10 baronial spendor. Their abodes, II 10 true, were
comparatively mean, as the country dio not ye' 'ut
nish permanent building materials, ehcept at .ae.
cost nor did il furnish praciiced archhec's ~ nake
nae of them but their spacious grounds ana gardens
| .srs hr.vsIv ornamanted their tables were loaded
with plate and with the Injuries OF Inc oio anu ne"
| World; numerous slaves, and white persons whose
time they owned for term OF years, served 'nen w
every capacity which uss' luxury OF ~, n
dictate; and when they travelled ID s'a'e, lnelr Gun,
brous and richly appointed coaches were araggeo Nv
ak horses driven by three postlllons. bu. usuaiy
the mistress Of the household with her cn,iuren anu
maids, appropriated this vehicle. Inc vish.a gen
| r
ler faudal times, when the spur was the badge OF
kpiphtbood es,eemed the saddle the most manly u
no, ihs only manly way of making use the noolest
of brutes He accordingly performed all ms oruna'
hi. whole household. the cavalcade consisted OF he
| mounted white males OF the family the cosch anu
.;Y Inmbsrinp through the sands, and retlnue OF
mounted body Rrooms with epare 'ea
In ther general tone of character, the owland arl'
| tocrsey of Virginia resembed the cultivated ianoed
| gentry of the mother country. Nunoers VI 'ne'i'
| we're highly educated and accomplished, by foreign
study aud travel and nearly a Gsrs' sdc .ado
at William and Mary College, alter It's e'taonshmen'
or respectable requirements in the classical schools
gent 10 nearly every parish by the learned clergy OF
the Established Church AS class, .nsS ~s'e
ble-snd sturdy in their loyalty aud IN their acme
renee to the natonal Church. Their Wlnters were
| oitan snsnt 10 the gaes and festivities OF the pro,
| yncia capital their summers' "no" po' ooNue.o'
With the public service principally IN supervising
mi, immense estates in visiting each Other, and IN
| such amusements as country lie afforded. among
| the latter the chase held d prominent place. Born
almost to the saddle aud to the use Of nre srms lhey
| ere Keen hunters; aud when the chase was over,
thew eat round grooming boards, and drank confusion
| to Erenchman and Spsniard abroad, and TO hounu
head and Prelstist at home. when the iurkiog and
predatory Indian became the oe)ect OF pursuit. no
| str.ngth of the Red man could withstand, no speed
If bis elude this fiery and gallanty mounted caVal'
ry The social gulf which separated TINS from IN :
common class of coloDsts, became ABOUT ~ deep ana
wide and as difficult to overeap in marriage silu
other social arrangements az that Thich DIVIDED Tue
Carriers the Carys, the Burwes, the Byrds the Far,
f.Yes the Hsrrisons, the Lees the Randolphs, and
many other families OF early virginia
FATHER OF THOMAS JEFFERSON.
Msny we'll attested facts and anecdotes yet
.ant of the life OF the father Of Thomas Jefferson
| which, though too desultory, and separately unim
nortant TO be embodied into connected narration,
give taken together clear insight into bis charac'
far They all show that he was no ordinary man.
Hs owed none Of hs to good fortune oringra
rating manners. He was q man Of gigantic stature
and strength-pain, and averse to dispay-he was
grave tsciturn, Glow to make, and not over prompt
| 70 ACCEPT advances. He was one OF those calmly
and alnost sternly sereying men, who lean on none
-who desire help from none And he certainly had
| both muscles and mind which could be trusted! He
| uuu,a simultaneously 'head up" (ralse from their
sides to an uprigh. pos,ion two hogsheads of obac
| co. weighing nearly thousand pounds apiece! he
| once directed three able. bodied slaves 10 pull down
| ruinous shed by means OF rope. After they had
AGAIN and again made the effort, he bade them stand
aside. seized the rope, and dragged down the struo
ture in an instant Traditions have down OF his
continuing his lines as a surveyor through savage
wlderuesses after his assistants had given out from
| famine aud fatigue snbsisting on the raw hssh Of
| game, and even of his carrying mules, when other
food failed, sleeping in hollow tee amidst bowling
h.s cf nd fbna pdap nfc u
| pushing on until his task was accomplished.
| His mind was OF a corresponding texture. He had
the same love of mathematics which afterwards char
scterized his son-snd much. if not all OF the same
remark able facility in understanding its processes
| His Judgment was ewift and solid. His neighbour
sought his ad vice. his friends soon learned TO esteem
! il unerring. His mind once made up, no danger
could turn him aside-no obstacles thwart his iror
| will and calm, but resistees energy And be acteo
for another in these particulars, as he acted for him
himself His probty uas 30 conspicuous. that othel
wealthy friends besides William Randolph, desirec
him TO act as hls executor, and In one or two othe
| instances be consented ,
When the foregoing traits of character are consid
sred il becomes easy to understand the nature of tina
| strong bond Of alliance which subsisted, IRON tn'
outset between Colonel Jefferson and the Randolph
TO understand why that proud family 30 readily
took the young surveyor without fortune or hu'sneo
educaton-a comparative sdventurer-to their clos'
| family alliance and friendship. Those shrewd ant
| prsctced men ofthe world we're not slow to discover
| that ihie stately young man would prove tower o
strength to his friends, and bulwark to be reliet
| upon sgans. foes. And the eys OF woman rarei!
looks down with Indifference on such an union y
mental and physical power.
But 90 massivey moulded, be had q gentler, softe
side. He was tender husband, devoted father
His tastes approached TO the elegant, in his Owl
household After the wearsome and often stirring
events of day of border life were passed, he spen
the evening in reading historians esssyiss, and eve
poets Addison, Swift and Pope were prime favorite
with him, but Shakespeare was bis great tavore! hi
we'll worn and fine old edition Of the work is yet ex
tsnt. This speaks volumes concerning the tastes
the man.
Colonel Jefferson was a stsunch Wing, and he ad
hered to certsin democratic using the word in II
broad, popular sense) notions and ma1ima, which de
scended to his SOD. His leanngs as magistrate wer
10 the popular side He WIS unpretendng IN ID
eouppays and address. 4 cardinal maxim with hiu
wss, Never ask another TO do for you what you cal
do for Yourself" He held that is the strong in bod
who are both the strong and free In mind-a tex
bis sou often afterwards preached FROM His attempt
to form the character of his son cOrresponded wit
his theories. He died when the latter was fourteen
years DID, but he had already taught him to sit hi
horss. fire his gum boldly stem the Rivanna when tn
swollen river wae
"Rolling red from brao to hrae"
and press his way with unaagging foot through tn
rocky submits of the contiguous hills in pursuit G
deer and wild turkeys. But his attention was nc
limited to physical training Though his son wa
kept constantly at school. in the evenings he pu
good books into his hands for reading, taught him
keep accounts instructed him in his own beautifr
penmanship, and impressed upon his mind lessons
system, punctuali,y. energy, end perseverance, =
Thomas jefferson always possessed particular ven
GRAFTON for the memory Of his father. Young as b
was when the latter died, We think hs mind had bee
obviously impressed with his instructions aud exam
pe for we trace manifest analogy-a family like
ness modified only by circumstances and more Il
degree than kind-between their political social, an
domestic ideas. There souie physicai resen
!, blence between them. According 10 tradition, 'h
calm thoughtful firm eye of the son. and the outline
| of his face were those of his father his physcs
strength, too was beyond that of ordinary men; 6u
his slim form aud delicate flores we're those OF hi
mothers family. His mind. too, gave evidence G
both parental stocks-of the suspicious combnatio
Of new strength With old courtly culture, OF the coll
with the SNOWY, of robust sense with the glitter {
talent!