The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1858-11-06

ter, that the hand Of the isbofer went bu.iIy to
work 10 the Improvement OF the city. DR.. john
ADAMS, whose name should ever be held 10 CRATE
ful remembrance by the people OF Richmond, dur
ing bis Mayoraity. graduated the streets, reguta.
ted the ascents to its beautiful hills, aud in many
particulars, embelished and adorned the city -
lie was a gentleman of refined taste, tfmuch cru
ditlon, and highly cultivated manners.
At the time Of which | have been speaking
there were but three churches 10 the city-the
Baptist, Methodist aud Episcopal church, on
church Hsii. The Episcopolans and Presbytel ians
had q minister each-parson Buchannau aud par
son Blair. I never knew two better men. They
preached on alternate Sundays at the capitol and
at the old church on the hill. No difference in
the forms OF serviee were permitted to interrupt
their perfect harmony. The same congregations
attended on their niDistratons. They taught the
same sublime doctrines, and were too ir tent on
the execution Of their holy mission to dispute
about mere external forms and ceremonies Their
lives we're unitediy devoted to the high aud i'm
bortani task of making men good citizens and
good Christians; nor did they esteem II necessary
la order to accomplish these ends to make war
upon those in Dnocent amusemeuts which serve as a
respite from labor and toll. Buchaunans Sp;ing
Is identified with the Quot Clab, in the innocent
festivities of which the good old man sometimes
Participated There were ilnsttiots ftien asses
ciased with him in these harmless relaxa.ious
whose memories will ever live in the heart of
Richmond. Mr.. Buchanan lived in a small
wooden house, situated in the neighborhood of
Mayo's bridge, suited to his condition of old
bac chelership, all trace Of which, | stippose. has
long since passed away Under that roof he was
once honored by the presence Of another divine,
who, bringing on suitable credentials, and wear>
ing suitable canonicals, otficiated in the place of
the two eminent ministers at Church Hill and the
Capitol. During his stay in Richmond, he was
Hospitality entertained by Mr.. Buchanan. By
some arrangement of the toilet, it was, however,
accidentally discovered that the now minister was
woman dressed in canenicas. Some time there
of I'D -.
or's, when brother Blair INDUCED In innocent
tailery at the expense of brother Buchanan, to
the infnite amusefient OF all present. Mr. Bucb-
auDan had, but few days before, received letter
from his quondam guest apologizing for her con-
duct and giving her true patrouimic of Dianna
Smith. she was the first woman in America who
practically put in force the doctrines of wonan's
rights.
This anocdote brings forcibty to my recollection
another Of your citizens of that day, who was the
worthy cotemporary of the two parsons. who
afterwards MET at the hospitable board of his esti
mab!e son, Col John Rutherford 1t was a source
of great pleasure with me to have seen him in the
latter days of his life, when the conversation be.
tween us ran upon early "reminiscences of Rich
mond. adverted, to :he two coed Parsons ami
Dianna Smith. 1t was gleam Of the past, which
had not crossed his pathway for many years. he
enjoyed it heartily, and narrated all it's most min
Ute circumstances Thomas Ruther rioord was q
man OF high intellect, and went down to his grave
at an advanced age, houored and lamen,ed by all
who had bnown him, Shortly after | went into
Congress as the repret tative of this district an
honor OF which ] have ever been proud, those
questions arose %bich tore asunder the cid Repub-
lcan party, and have since been, to a great ex ent
the dividing line between subsequent partes-.
The citizens OF Richmond were not backwar in
the expression If their opinions upon those inter-
estins and absot biuP topics which sprung up be
tween 1916 and 1921; and the memorials and re-
noustrances which tbeyIr sented to Congress we're
Chiefly from The pen Of Thomas Rutherford They
we're admitted TO be the ab!est Yapers presented
to Congress during these eyentiul tilnes: and,
amid the crowd OF similar papers which came up
from the country, We're unif ,rmly selected for re
view by the advocates of the measures which they
o. posed-the strongest evidence cf their power
and force. hope that, in some firm they have
been preserved among the records Of me city.
The transfer Ct the General Court froEi Will
to Richmond brought alous with it
nien OF high emi0ence-and among others Ed.
muud kandop ph. He WAS soon after followed by
Charles Copeland John Wickham and many 9th.
ers, Who made the city their place Of permanent
abode. II was my happiness to have become ac-
quainted with those havo mentioned, at the early
period TO which bave retired. was admitted,
by Mr. Randolph, as law student in his office and
can never be too grateful for the instruction he
sfflrded me. He was the son of Sir john Ram
dolph, formerly the Kings Attorney General who
in his briet day, (be died at the age Of 45 filed
large space in the affairs of the Colony. HIS mon.
ument il to be on the walis of the chapel of
William and Mary College, and his remains al n 2
with those ef Peyton Randolph the first President
OF Congress- aud others OF distinction, eptomb.
ed in vaults connected with the chapel. Edmund
Randolph entered upon life With every prestige of
success; which it was his good fortune not to dis.
appoint He ran most brilliant career. Under
the Colonial Government be succeeded his father
or soon afterwards became the ATTORNEY General
of the Colony, and attained the highest emjpepce
Ct the legal forum. Clients fl0cked around him in
vast numbers, and his opinions eXerted great in.
fueuce, not only over the Courts, but over the
people When the disturbances with Great Britain
broke out. be took his stand Il rm y on The side Of
the Colony. What Offices he flied, ard VII It SER
vices be rendered, both before and after The De.
claration Of Independence, Recorded in history.
Ii is no part OF my purpose to give Biographies
My design is the M re humble n of presenting
pencil sketches, in which the mere outline is ex.
hibited. When L became personally acquainted
with Mr.. Randolph, age had m ade its inroads upon
him but he, nevertheless, had been gently dealt
with by time. His person still bore it's manly and
ms jesic mien-his fail, black eye, still be.med
with intelligence, aud one left bin in doubt which
most to admire, his commanding person. his eie-
grace of manners, or his sparkling, and st the
same time, massive inIeliect. lie REQUIRED al
these combined TO restore him 10 his position at
the bar, after having repeatedly abandoned it for
high political station, and yet he achieved the
difficult task and, although surrounds. d by strong
aud powerful dt!iet@, he main tanned his flotiug 9
firmly, and enjoyed large share in the profits CT
his profession.
Charles Copeland remained in williamsburg for
several years afier the tIausfer of the General
Court That old city still nished large theatre
Tor forensic labors, and Mr.. Copeland became the
leading counsel in all cases of interest. To secur
his services was regarded as equivalent to securing
the result of the case. About that time, John
Wickhsm, quite young man, appeared ut the bar
and soon became man of mark. 1t was in nv
twenty first year that l Came to Richmond, as
counsel in a which had been sent from g
county below, aad which bad conducted in The
court OF that county. j consented, after much
urgency, to come here upon tse understanding <
with nv client, that should net be exrected TO
DO more than furnish Mr.. Wickham, who bad been
employed by my client, with a statement of the
case. Mr.. Writ had been employed by the deten-
daDt. stated to Mr.. Wickham the simple pur-
po.e with which had follow ed the case. lie drew
M without the courtroom to expostalate with
me. Upon my declaring to him my utter con
fusion at the idea of speaking in a Gaze wherein
MIR. Writ and himself were employed, he said:
That is a mere bugbear. When wont TO the
h.r, (said bej became engaged In a case in which
my Zee, dependent on success. was a large one
The lion in my way was Cbas Copeland. When he
day arrived for the trial of the case the terror in
creased uPon me, and Sd continued until fell iD
with your father, who was one Of the Judge OF
the court, who inquired as to my success at the
bar, replied that had on that day \ case com
ing on which would yield me good fee, but that
was terrified in having to encounter MIR. Cope
land 'Pooh, pooh said the Judge, all nonsense,
the law is with you, the court will take care ot
sle balance Thus enco Iraged entered on the ar.
gument, and gained the cause-so much, (said he
for high sounding names at the bar You must
open tho Case"
! did so 10 fsar and trembling. however and
soon after lost myself in tbs iageuius salies made
during the rest Of the dag, between the two emf
nent counsel. The succe.s in the Case which he
had mentioned to me was followed shortly after
by the removal Of Mr. Wickham to Richmond-
Here he found ''foemen worthy Of his steel" Al
the time to which my narrative chiefly relates,
the Richmond bar was equal to any other in the
Union. it consulted, witaout a metaphor, of u
OF talent. Mr.. Randolph, Mr.. Wick
ham, Mr.. Writ, Mr.. Hay, Mr. Call, Mr.. Warden,
along with others scarcely inferior In Abilities
Chief Justice Marshal had years before put on the
robes OF the Chief Justice. How he wore them is
two we'll known to require me to say. Mr.. Wick.
ham occupied the foremost rank in the profession
The accomplishments Of his mind, great as they
were, W re fully squaled by the accomp mplsh ments
oil his person. His form Was light, airy and elas-
tic, his manners highly cultivated his address ad
mrabie, hts conversational power rarely surpsss-