The Conservative. (M'connelsville, Ohio) 1866-1871, 1870-10-07
JOHN RANDOLPH.


ton /; his legs were not thicker than
those of Il boy ten years Of age;
and he stood six feet in his slip
pers. He used TO wear an ample
%overcoat, with q large cape, from
below which his pipo-stem legs ap-
peared with q most ridiculous effect.
He wore large silver shoe buckles,
and an old-fasbIoned cloth cap his
voice was shrill and piercing and
all his ways and words and works
were peculiar. lie did not grow as
other men, since he added IL whole
head to his stature after he was
twenty-three years Of age.
John Randolph. born 1913, grew
to manhood IN that part of Virginia
watered by the James and Apps
maIox, which was the scene of the
late encounters between the north
ern and southern nrmIc IN the late
war. The Randolphsswere one the
most ancient families in Virginia,
and one the wealthiest. He Inheir.
tied from his father an estate which
comprised nearly fifty thousand
acres OF land, most Of which was un-
cultivated /; and there was a heavy
debt on part OF it so that this
possessor of land enough for a small
principality was not in afiiuent cir
cumstances until twenty-five years
of good management had paid off
his debt and improved his planta>
ton. lie was always, however, IN
independent circumstances.
Left an orphan IN early life, his
education consisted IN browsing
among the books of a Virginia
country house /; he had read almost
all tho well known works by the
tune he was twelve years Of ago
He attended varIous schools, where
he WIS noted for the violence of his
temper, and concluded by spending
a few months AT Princeton College.
There he fought a duel with n tel~
low student, and afflicted n Danger
GUS wound upon his antagonist. He
showed a singular want of thUse
genial qualities which enable hui
man beings to live together In So
cIety. lie gives us an insight into
his character IN q letter which con-
ta;ns an account of his lite at Prince
ton College.
"My mother once expressed q
wish 10 me-" he says, "that L might
one day or otf er he as great a speak
or as Jerman Baker or Edmund
Randolph. AT Princeton College,
the prize of elecution o. borno
away by mouthers and ranters. l
never would speak il l could help
IT, and when l could not, repeated
without gesture, the shortest piece
that I had committed to memory.
x x = / was then as conscious
of my superiority Over my compe-
Tutors IN delivery and elocutIon, as
1 am now that they are sunk into
oblivion and l despIsed the award
and umpires from the bottom OF my
heart. / believe that there is no
where such foul play as among pro
fessors and schoolmasters more es
peclally if they arc priests. l have
had a contempt for college honors
eversince."
Until he was % years of age, no
one suspected that he possessed any
particular talents. He was then a
tall, gawky, tow-headed STRIPPING.
with a complexion Of parchment, a
bright hazel eye ana q beardless
thin. Ho had led q wandering,
desultory life, reading miscellane-
Gus books, attending to his exten-
sive property, and mIngiing with
the ardent politicians of his party
Being a Democrat, in the fullest
sense of the term, he opposed the
adoption of the constitution he
opposed many of the measures Of
General Washihgton's admInistra'
ton and he hated John Adams
with all the favor of a Virginiar
ard a partisan. Allied to Jefferson
by marriage, he was also his friend
and supporter, and he owed much
to the benign, restraining influence
to Mr.. Jefferson.
In the Virginia of that day, ii
was only men of torture and family
who ever aspired to seats IN Con-
gross. In his twenty>third year he
offered TO represent his distrlc'
in the House of Representatives
and IN the course of the campaign
he had tho boldncss to speak at ar
out doors meeting in reply tC
Patrick Henry, the greatest orator
of his time. On that occasion
which was the last appearance o
the aged orator in public, Governor
Henry spoke with much of his an
cicnt fire, and all his former i'm
pressiveness. 1t was at this meet
ing that a Baptist munster, offend
ed at the extravagant applause be
slowed upon the great orator, re
buked the people, saying:
CIR. Henry IS not a god"
NO." said Patrick Henry, IN hi
most winning and melting tones
"no, indeed, my friend l am
poor worm of the dust-as feetins
and unsubstantIal as the shadow 0
the cloud that flies over your head
and is remembered 10 more"
After speaking for a considerable
time with wonderful effect, holding
the whole multitude irr breathles
silence, MIR. Henry SUNK back INT
the arms of his friends, one of whom
said at the moment
"iThe sun has set in ali his glory.
It certainly required extraordl
nary audacIty in a young man Il
select such a time for his maidel
speech. Undaunted. however, Jobl
Randolph rose, and presented him
self to the multitude. Tall ant
slender, with his light hair cOmbe,
away from his forehead, he woul,
have looked more like a girl tl.an
vounr man Init for his blue frocl