Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1863-03-09
: Where, in dissent Southern land,
She still lives to mourn
Who, from its words Of sorrow,
Learned, in agony wild,
That war had made widow
And an orphan child.
To The Editor Of The WHO:
And an orphan child

canuiuate Tor the Office of Governor At time when
virginia needs the best talents and the experience skill
anu OF her truest and devoted sons such
nomination, II Is hoped, will be generally acceptable
DIS claims to promotion are the best foundation for
the States claim to his services He has been ;n,;,e
ly connected with the public affairs of Vrcin;, ror -
~ for<y years. He has at his fingers, end a. -.
her egsation he has been the keeper Of Tho oo o
the reforms of her organic law he has, as cowmsa;a
err of the Sinking Fund, been officially obliged 70 sca
her fsc with the accuracy of a calculator and 80.
he has practced her whole system of militia organic
tion he has had to state the accounts and pay-ros OF
her claims and PENSIONS aud the catalogue Of her libra
ry and to conduct her international exchanges he has
had to supervise the audts and settlements of her lite
rary and monument funds he has lately revised all her
statutes; and he has been her Secretary Of State init
maely counselng her Executive administration, for
long series of years In offices withvery moderate if
not inadequate pay, he has waited asduousy and often
extraordinarily on her people; he is universally known
and gratefully approved in all the places he has filed
aud yet fills; he is thoroughly acquainted with the
pablities of the Commonwealth, and with the ge-
MUS aud wishes and instincts, and even prejudces
of her people; and he is ntus ct in cute Virginan
beloved Of Virginans mbued with their genius their
wishes their instincts their preudces their PRIDE their
passions their grace aud their glory He is unambtious
except and be useful and has served and been
useful long time in subordinate places lie is new in
the full maturity Of his talents. Though time has sill
yered his head his energies yet vigorous as ever
and now they have been for many years are inces
sanity exered to do his part we'll in the brightest of
sunny days in the night and gloom of the storm
which pasies and appas almost all. lie is all old
public servant too, of moderate means and avore Of
Heaven in having large and most interesting family;
but, al he has them Ept all God gave him, and this
unrgheous has taken from him of his brightest
jewes-that noble boy, who fell calamity fighting at
Malvern HILL
Colonel Munford is a gentleman in the true sense
urbanc even-tempered calm, patient honest just firm
manly and liberal lie is scholar of classical educa
ton and amidst all his practical life has cultivated,
unsuccessully the field of polite literature. He is
alumnus of the venerable college of William and Mary,
with her degree of Bachelor of Law
At the beginning Of the session Of the General As
semb!y in 1926 he was elected clerk of the House of
DeIegatss-to which Office lie reelected at each
succeeding session for twenty years by unanimous
votes And in December 1852, he elected by the
General Assembly Secretary of the Commonwealth
On the last day of his. service clerk the House Of
Delegates unanimously adopted resolution rendering 10
him theis thanks for the prompt able and impartial
manner in which, for twenty-seven years, he had dis
charged the important and responsible duties of that
Office.
During this time too he was no. neglectfu of other
duties In 1929 he was elected Captain of the Richmond
Light Infantry Bues-the oldest volunteer company in
the State-baptsed by the blood of its Captain, o. Jen
nings WISE Of gallant memory, in the lamentabe affair
of Roanoke Island. Afterwards, he was promoted to
the Lieutenant Colonecy of the 10Th Regiment; but in
1899 was reelected Captain of the Blues and served
with ecat for nearly eight years. At the breaking out
of the present war; the honorary andexmembers of the
Blues formed themselves into reserved corps, to the
command of which they again called their Old Captain.
He was appointed by Governor McDow,a Visitor Of tie
Virginia Military Institute and served such four years
For tSeye years Je served as a member OF the City
Council Of Richmond, during the latter part OF that
period being its President He elected and served
one year as a member of the Hastings Court. Origin
ally appointed by the Board of Public Works. and after
wards elected lay the Stockholders he asServed continu
ou-ly for twenty-five years Director of the Rich
mond Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad and vas
for several years Director of the Richmond and DAN
vile Railroad
of tue State Convention called 10 revise the ConSttu
ton Ol S7RoDuvention Mr.. Richie, in his preface TO
the Report u their Proceedings and Debates, sdys:-
Much of what was venerable for years and long ser
" their wisdom and their cloqucncc two OF the EH-
presidents Of the United States the Chief Justice Of
the United States; several Of those who had bcenmo
distinguished in Congress the State Legislature,
"tLo Bench at the Bgr, brought together for
"thc momcutous purpose OF laying anew the funda-
mental law of the land" This Office he resigned,
after service of two months, having been then re-
elected for the fifth time Clerk OF the House Of Dele
gates. In his letter of resignation he stated that SO
long as the sessions of the Convention aud the House
would moi have conctcd he would with pleasure have
served bet! without receiving double compensation
But brief as was his association with the Convention
of 1880 il brought him into contact with some OF
and debates taught him lessons Of jurisprudence and
law-makng and held before his eyes examples OF wis
dom and virtue in the art OF governing the Ike oil which
we may well pray for again. He could not but be in
sprel by their spirit he coudnot but be enlightened by
the Illumination of such minds he could not but be
made more wisely patriotic by the dgni6ed deliberations
CT such fathers and founders of civil liberty OF social
order and OF constitutional guarantees
Since he entered upon the duties of Secretary of the
Commonwealth, he has filled either ex-ofices, or by
other Offices. sucl
Commissioner of the Colonization Board; Commits
soucr of the Sinking Fund Commissioner to audit aud
settle accounts and expenditures CT the John Brown
raid Commissioner 10y ordinance OF the Convention oil
virginia. to audit and settle all claims for expenditures
for the or aviation, equipment, &c, OF the land and
naval forces called to be called for the defence oil the
Commonwealth in the present war.
In March 1860 the duty OF revising tho Code Of vi
ginia dcvoved on him by law and he has executed
his task the entire satisfaction of the Bench and the
Bar at an expense of but $4,000 whilst the revisa OF
1919 cost $4,000, and that Of lS49 cost $4,000
Thus lie has been required to fill many important but
still subordinate offices. All of them, and most Of them
together, he has filled with ability, asduity punctuality
accuracy and dignity And VIXEN we look at the nature
of the Offices they all such exactly as train man
for the comprehensive views and various details requr-
ed III the Executive Office, which experimentation all
Col Munford Governor, would not have to go to the
Attorney General for the statutes He would not have
TO run to every clerk for the forms Of his department
a would not have overburthen the Offices by calls
for reports on every claim With the legislation, with
the FORMS with the history of accounts and Claims he is
more familiar than any other And with tie larger
subjects he has had labor still harder aud more con-
stany. The sinking u.d has tested bis fiscal capacity,
and his reports show how we'll he has mastered the hscal
concerns of the Commonwealth. He knows all our la
bies all our resources all expediens fer puhctual
preservation Of State honor and he Knows how to detect
the tricks of money changers and the frauds OF claim
ants Himself economical no has jealousy watched
othar lhprb Inv
yagance. There is subject Of the States policy
with which George Wyhe Munlord is not habituay ia
miar and with which he has not been practically Ia
miliar, for twenty-five years What man living can
and vet so minute an experience! What better man,
then is there to be found for the office of Governors
Is there any personal objection to him? His private,
il even more exemplary and commendabe than his pub