Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-08-30
Aitkulon0 Enquirer.
WEDNESDAY MORNING, AUG. IS, 1se
rrba late Valentine ". southali.

was announced in yesterday ; S'"|.
Like most Of the Virginia lawyers Oh ms
day, Mr.. Southall was drawn into poiit'ca. l'le
at an early age. He engaged in discussions
rnon tho hustings during tho first term OF
Jsckeon's administration but did not appear
heso,o his fellow.citizens as a candidate LOT
office till the Spring of 1883, when nc ran lot
~. House Of Delegates, and was elected in con
function with his distinguished friend, Thomas
Walker Gilmcr. Both Of these gentlemen
supported tho election Of General jackson 10
the Presidency in 1928, and his reelection we
believe, also, in 1892; but in the mutation OF
parties which occurred during tho winter OF
ls3S-'S4, theT wcro thrown in opposition 10
his administration upon . leading Legislature
question of his second terra. The opponents
of the Removal of the Deposits united with the
anti. Proclamation, States Rights men, and
formed the "Whig party" in Tirsinia-an
organization which proved itself a power IN
this State fer more than twenty years. In
Albemarle county, the rev party lines were
tightly drawn, and canvasses 70: oil political
offices became bitter and exciting. For q
number Of succeeding years the resul; OF an
election il odd Albcmar!c, the land Of Jetfer'
son." was looked to with intense interest, rot
only throughout Virginia, but in distant States
also. The moral effect Of the reault IN tnas
county vas regarded as considerable. Iany
readers OF the Enquirer" no doubt, reeoliect
the of. repeated expression ofits correspondents
a: tina. period, as goes Albenarlc, so goes the
| State" For several ycsrs after the formation OF
the opposition party, as above stated. 1t hsa 10
contend against the active and powerful! iRdu'
ence of William G. Riyes and nearly Gil the
prominent cid leaders Of the Jetls7sonian party
in the county. The result OF the election OF
1884, was the defeat Of M.sssTs. Southail and
| Gilmer as candidates ior reelection to the
| House of Delegates, MessTs. Alexander hives
and Thomas jefferson Randolph obtaining a
small msjority over them. The next year the
same candidates were again presented o. the
respective parties, the county thoroughly can
vassold. every inch Of ground contested by
each candidate, and the result was tho election
of Gilner aud Southall over RiTes end Ran
dolph BIZ a few votes. in 1856, with the same
candldaSs in the field, and with the utmost
eSertion of strength on each side, MessTs.
Ri7es and Randolph were elected By s small
majority. The next year Messrs. Giluer and
Sou,hall declined 10 enter The field, and their
old competitors walked crer it "ithout op'
position. In 1888, MesSrs. Gilme7 and South
all were elected over Ri7cs and Randolph.
In 1882, Messrs. Gil;ler and SoushaI we're
reelected without oppoSitjon-and thus ended
the contests Of Gilner snd Scuthall OF the one
side and Ri7cs aud Randolph Oh the other, in
Aibeu1a7ie.
The success OF ar. Sou;hs:i in SO E!any naTd
| fousti, political contests in .~Aibemarle, gave him
6 State reputation which re afterwards i'm,
proved. He was chosen Speaker OF the House
Of Delegates alter The election Of MS colleague,
Coz. Gilmer, 10 the Executive char OF VIZ
GINA, and was subsequently chosen several
times to the saras position. lie vas returned
to the House Of Delegates in 1910, II, '45 and
~, and was maze Speaker At each session ex,
cept the one of 1s43, in which there was q ma
jotity politically opposed 70 him. Attic close
of each session he recci7ed 4 vote of1hanks fo7
the dignity, impartiality and ability with which
he had discharged the duties Of the Chair; and
in his case it was not i mere matter OF form,
an unmean;ng resolution Of courtesy, but was
intended as a bona tide, we'll deserved conpl!-
ment-a compliment, in which Democrats and
Wings alike united with readiness and cordial
ty. lie commanded, in an eminent degree,
the respect md confidence Of the body Of which
he vas a member.
Mr.. Southal! retired from the Legislature
in 1916, and remained in private life, if we re-
collect Alright, till the Spring Of 1850, when he
became a candidate, sad a successful one, for
q seat in the Convention called for amending
our State Constitution. He vas elected, not
withstanding his a7owid opposition to the
raiica! sentiment which pTedcminated in his
district-an evidence alike OF his honest indie
pendence AID personal influence in the dis
trict.
II February last Mr.. Southall vas elected,
b. a highly aa;teriag vote, ore CT the mem.
bers Of the Sovereign Convention, iram the
county OF Albena-le. lie vas proposed as
the presiding officer Of tns body, and re-
ceived a strong 7o,e for tho position. He
took an acsi7c and prominent part in the de-
libera:ious Of the Convention, and retired
from it q few weeks since with the respect and
good wishes Of all. lie cal.e into i: 2 friend
to the Union to the ezten, Of " sincere dcsi ire
to co operate in efforts for its preservation
upon tho principles Of the Federal Constitu.
ton but he willingly sigaed the ordinance Of
secession when TIE alternative vas presented
to his State, in the language Of Jefferson, Of
resistance or submission 10 a government
without limitation Of powur."
Though Mr.. Southall has gone down to the
grave full Of years and full OF honors," yet
his sudden death calls forth an expression OF
the deepest sympathy not only from his own
ncighbors, but iTrE! acquaintance and friends
throughout the Commonwealth.
why It WINS Done,
We have published the particulars OF the ar
rest Of Mr.. Thomas S. S~crrill, & cotton buyer
and agent for English houses, noS lncarcerated
in one Of the forts contiguous to New York.
The New Orleans "Truo Delta" says that Mr..
Scrrill, it may Be observed, is neither a Lousi-
anian by birth, as some Of The Northern Jour
nails have it, nor yeti Vire;nian, as stated; nc
is a Pennsylvania o. birth, md married ali
estimable Creole lady here, ard spends tho