Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1858-02-10
For the wheelns 1nteluseaeer.
PHILIP DODRIDGE:
A Sketch of his Early Life & legislative Career.
BT c. L. oKASNkR-
TcoHTINUEDl 4

Il
of the General Assembly, that an increase of
! pay was allowed to the members OF that bOAS
| This motion was supported by an able argtl-
mentative speech, in the course of which he
made happy alluSton to the afhnenee OF the
! East. and the value Of money at the Nest He
was, in every sense Of the word, perfect orig
/ inal and one Of the most powerful debaterS ia
the Commonwealth; and this too, at q timewheR
Virginia ranked as the first State IN the Union,
in point of talent and ability in her public men,
His will when aroused, proved Irresistible in
the accomplishment of the purpose which he
had in view, and to this end. obstacles and diff,
fieulIies vanished before as readily as the snow
fake when 1t sinks on the the bosom OF the
stream His judgment, too, was uHclOuded and
clear and the most intricate questions were dis
entangled by him with the CELEBRITY of thought.
/ Subjects which weighed down the minds Of or
binary men, before the power OF his penetrating
mind were dissolved into lucid light, and those
who, before had acknowledged their inability to
successfully wrestle with them, were surprised
at the simplicity with which he characterized
the subject
The readiness of his mind to adapt itself to
circumstances was surprising. 1t it related of
| him. that he would frequently draft bill sur
rounded by friends and companions engaged in
conversation, and himself participating without
making mistake, and that he never drafted a
bill thus or otherwise, but was passed without
an amendment.
TWAS hist he was member of the Senate
of Virginia, that an effort made to re-
move the County seat from Wheeling to Grave
On Monday the 18th of December, a. D. 1907,
the General Assembly of Virginia convened in
Richmond, and the llouse was organized by
choosing Hugh Nelson Esq, of Albenarle,
Speaker.
On the 10th of December a petition from some
of the inhabitants of Ohio County, praying for
the removal of the Seat of Justice from Wheel
ing to Grave Greek was read Dodridgc at this
time was member of the Senate. The subject
of the petition created no inconsiderable feeling
and anxiety among the citizens of that borough,
On Tuesday the 10Th of December, the commit
tee of propositions and grievances, to whom
the petition had been referred, reported that the
same sis reasonable"
Mr. Irwin, then delegate from Ohio County,
moved to amend the report by striking ont the
words-''is reasonable" and to insert the words,
'be rejected" which motion was decided in the
negative, and the House concurred in the report
of the committee.
Accordingly, on the 18th December, the bill
for the removal of the county seat from Wheel
ing passed the House by a majority of fifteen
votes
Some five or six days after the passage of the
bill by the House, Mr.. Dodrige, who had been
detained, arrived in Richmond. On the same
day, after his arrival, the bill was called up in
the Senate, when he proceeded to show the dis
advantages which would ensuc to the popula-
ton of the upper end of TIE county, where the
principal part of the inhabitants resided, and
that it would be no accommodation to the pco-
pie of the lower end of the county and would
not prevent them from asking for division, to-
gether with many other sound and logical argu-
ments which were presented with such an over
whelming force as to defeat the bill.
Mr.. TOmlinSon, who was in Richmond as a
lobby member to effect the passage of this bill,
was now much chagrined at its deftat and re.
GREETED verv much the arrival of Mr. Dodrigc,
and moreover expressed the belief that had it
not been for his arrival she would have had but
little difficulty in getting the bill passed in the
Senate"
On the 10Th day of the same month, in the
same year, the Senate went into committee of
the whole for the purpose of taking into consid-
Grafton certain resolutions of the House of Del
egates, the object of which was to amend the
Federal Constitution as to authorize Congress
I;by vote of a majority of both Houses to re-
move the Federal Judges and empowering The
State Legislatures to recall their Senators at
pleasure Mr. Dodridge commenced the de
bate on the first proposition contained In the
above resolutions. In this powerful speech he
| exhibited force of intellect and vaStneSs of
comprehension which showed his to be mind
of no ordinary calibre. For logical acutenesS,
conciseness and sentcntiousness it is cqualled by
| few and surpassed by
His theme was the independence of the Judi.
| clary of the Federal Government. Heportrayed
in glowing colors the danger of the citizen " hen
his life, liberty and property is reposed in the
hands of corrupt Judge, dependent on party
favor or prejudice, maintaining that it was cs-
sential to their independence that the tenure of
their offices should be for life and that they
should not be subjected TO removal! ither by
the legislative or executive power kept for
llnisbehavior in Office. Here is a port ~ of this
ispcech so appropriate to the day in V l,ich we
live and the predacious proclivities of Nould-be
politicians and statesmen that we cam ut refrain
from inserting an extract
'Mr. Chairman he Safd tif no danger is to
be apprehended from the departments of Gov
eminent, these departments have much to fear
from one common evil with which all our insti-
buttons are threatened-the ambition and folly
of young men who begin to ill our legislative
houses. The love of distinction is ruling pas.
sion. It operates alike in every department
and pursuit of life. That thirst for glory by
which the young subaltern is impelled to court
danger, and to rush into the heat and fury of
the battle, is nothing more than the love of dis.
tnctiOn. BY the same motive is the youthful
hero of political strife actuated When first he
is elected by the people, lie is resolved to dis.
tinguish himself ia their service. Until he takes
his scat, his dreams are those of honor aud re-
IpnUfh lao nutore Tho lo,;.i..;....