The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-08-18
John Randolph OF Roanoke-Profes-
sOr Parsons Reviewed.

- iotSSoOt L IL 5OAo1 VI Hay
dertaken In lectures to his class to paint
certain "pictures" of John Randolph of
Roanoke. The pictures are not a likeness
rather caricature. With the best inten.
tions, no doubt, the Professor has fallen
into errors and misstatements which ought
not, in justice to the memory Of one of
whom his country should be proud, to pass
without correction.
In considering Mr.. Randolph's character
in any aspect, 1t must be remembered that,
from his early youth, he was martyr to ill.,
health, resulting at times in acute suffering.
Phe writer has seen him rolling on his bed
in actual agony Of pain. This morbid con-
dltlon OF body resulted, very naturally, In
morbid condition of mind, producing an
eccentricity which his enemies magnified
into insanity, and which furnished ground
Tor endless caricatures and absurd stories.
70 this class certainly belongs, in my opin-
ion, the statement that he assumed in LON
don the garb of "the Randolph clan" 1t
would, at least, be satisfactory to know
when such "clan" was in existence, and
as to any claim of descent from it. 1t is well
known that Mr.. Randolph traced his pater-
nal ancestry to the Randolphs or ROLES of
England, though be may have supposed
that the famous Randolph, Earl of Moray
IN the days of Robert Bruce, was remote
&hl' plluC-dUlo
and Ri home-was to be known rs a
FtrginiGm Any one who has ever
seen his travelling equipage will remember
that his territorial designation "of Roa-
noke" was more conspicuous on his trunks
than even his own name. | remember his
telling me that ut some town on the Rhine,
where register was kept at the hotel in
which the rank as well as the name of the
guests We're written, he entered himself as
John Randolph, "planter." to the extreme
justification Of the bystanderS. He was
much more likely to have travelled i'll the
dress Of Virginia country gentleman than
! in that of any Scotch clan whatever.
Another slight error Of the learned Profess
sor is in telling his class that Mr. Randolph
stipulated for permission to visit Italy for
his health before proceeding to Russia on his
! mission. Mr.. Randolph was appointed
| Minister in the spring or early summer Of
1880. The writer met him in Norfolk in the
end of June, and was with bini until he eri-
| barked, few days afterwards, in the sloop-
! ot-war Concord, which had been placed ut
his disposal by the Government. He went
| directly TO England, and after delay of 4
| few days proceeded by sea straight to Cron-
stadt, and then to st. Petersburg. Mr..
| and then went to England. His sole motive
| for leaving Russia was the fearful effect of
the climate upon his health. 1t was, he
| firmly believed, a matter Of life and death,
| and he probably was right. He had mani
| fest tendency to conSlmption---a disease
which, believe. was the immediate cause
| of his death, Few persons who have not
experienced it can realize the nature OF the
Russian climate. On a diseased frame, like
that of Mr.. Randolph, jts influence is fatal
He withdrew in time to prolons his life for
I 60, h,1f nlyx-avc | think oftClh1fpf
| an increase of ill-health to his stay in St.
| Petersburg.
| The true story Of his presentation is,
briefly, this : He had naturally asked some
one in England, whom he supposed to be
well informed, what was tic etiquette oil
! the Russian CGult on such occasions, and
| he was told that it was that of the old Court
Of st. james. This was. it seems, to kneel
OH being introduced into the imperial pre-
sencc. Accordingly, on his first formal in-
terview, he knelt in spite of the efforts OF the
| Emperor or Of the master of ceremonies,
| Count Potocke, to prevent him. The atti-
tude and the lank figure Of the envoy were
ludicrols enough. and the young Empress
could not restrain smile. This Mr.. Ran.
dolph, with his usual quickneSs; noticed;
and eSaid, or is reported to have said; to the
| Emperor, afterwards, e Votre femme est tres
| belle, naistrSs mechanics" In the gossip
ping court circles of st. Petersburg the ap'
| plcation Of the honely word "femme" to
the Empress excited at least as much com
mcnt and ridicule as the odd presentation.
| but it is entirely to mistake Mr.. Randolph'S
character to suppose that he was eVel
moved by ridicule or gossip to any other
emotion than contempt.
| A more serious mistake, at least in my
opinion, is the assertion that Mr.. Randolph
! studied the Bible solely for its style. Ger
tainly in style he was u purist, and the Pro.
| lessor is quite right in saying that ms
| speeches might have been published exactly
as they We're spoken-a striking contrast,
| by TIC way, to the heavv-written essays oil
some Of our present legislators: TO say
| that style was the only attraction Of MIR.
Randolph to the Scriptures, and to wish
that she had studied them to more advan-
taec,'' is to do injustice to his piety. This,
| us firmly believe, and as others who knew
him we'll can testify, was real and sincere
| No man was ever more conscious OF Oh
imperfections,-an he had many--or of his
open errors, and he earnestly repented OF
them. His trust in our common Saviour
was, believe, firm though often obseured
| In the incessant variations of his mind on
this great subject, and his rnistrust OF HI:
own feelings, nothing seems to me more en-.
/! tirely natural OF characteristic than bis VIII
| llnn the taHlDuS WOIu Al iAh'
| last extremity. was not with him when
he breathed his last, and therefore cannot
affirm or contradict the story, but saw hin
more than once on bis death-bed. His last
hope of life was a se;l-voyage, and he mao
come to Philadelphia to embark for Europe,
when he was arrested by the hand OF Death
Several weli-known Virginia gentlemen
were in close attendance on him, but can
not remember the name of Morse among
them, however appropriate it may be TO
| telegram from the verge Of the grave. :,
| This paper has been perhaps too muc1
| prolonged, but / will add characteristic
anecdote The late Judge Kane, OF Penn
sylyania, told me that he was present at
little entertainment one evening ut Mr. Kan
dolph's rooms, in Washington. Mr.. Ran
dolph presided with his usual ease and bril-
liancy, but was repeatedly called out OF tho
| room, and as often returned. During on'
of these intervals he took occasion to de-
| liver most eloquent denunclatlon OF the
practice of duelling. He was ut that Time
arranging the preliminaries OF his hostile
meeting with Henry Clay, and this was tn
cause Of the interruptions. y. q. =.
We hope the author of the foregoing vii
| excuse us for saying that perhaps no ON
living could speak more confidently OF MI
Randolph's life and pecullaritles.
| NJ bo1lt hq