The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-07-17
RitI,nroud 1ispa'tth.
THE CIRCULATION OF THE DISPATCH
IS LARGER THAN THE CONFINED CIR
crty ALTON OF ALL THE OTHER DAILY
NEWSPAPERS OF THE CITY. ee Z

cuIATIoN OF ALL THE OTHER DAILY
NEWSPAPERS OF THE CITY.
fFor the Dispatch.I ~ Il
Remtntsccnce Of James Madison
In the summer of 1885, the year before
Mr.. Madisen's death (Which occurroenut ~
the summer of. think, in June, 1So6G !
happened to visit bim, in company WIN
his stcp'son, Payne Todd, commonly
called Col. Todd. s,tT 80
Payne Todd was man OF high culture,
OF urbane and fascinating manners, ana
was the only son Of Mrs. Madison, whose
maiden name was Dorathy Payne, OF Hans
over CO., Va, by former marriage with
Mr.. Todd, who was a native, or Mt least
resident, Of Philadelphia. MIR. Madison
became acquainted with her whilst menu
Der of the Federal Convention held in
Phiiadelphia in 1857, and shortly after mar
| ried her. mir. Madison had no children.
and Payne Todd was the heir apparent OF
his estate, which was very large at the
time of his death, aud but for Mr. Todd's
extravaganza would have been greatly
larger.
Todd was private secretary to Albert
Gallatin, at the treaty Of Ghent, and an
nounced the signature Of the treaty between
England and America, at that Belgian town,
under circumstances which gave him great
, eciat, to wit: over many bowls ofegg-nogg-
Virginia drink, of which he was eXtrava-
gantly fond, and in the compounding of
| which, as will be remembered by many yet
| living in the county of Orange and else
where, he was an adept. He was man OF
infinite jest and humor, and was not only
swiftly himself, but was the cause of wit in
Others" Had he not been poor he would
L I, hnon n Of r1y hoy fnf
a high stand in the country, and had been
| able to distinguish himself, and leave be-
hind a name worthy of being long remem-
bered. 49,.
| But digest in order to cast passing
tribute upon the tomb of friend who
was not well appreciated, and has passed
away, leaving no chlld or relative who
seems to have properly understood, or TO
have put their real value upon his many
virtues, his great worth, or his high charac-
ter for honesty, probity, and Intelligence.
In July, 1885, visited. Montpelier, the
abode of an abundant, elegant, but unos.
tentatious hospitality. It was at a time
when the tempest of notification, raised by
the State Of South Carolina, and which had
been so thoroughly. and timely laid by An
drew jackson, yet agitated the political
ocean. It was well known that mir. Madi-
son was opposed to notification, and that
so was Jefferson, as was abundantly shown
during the notification excitement by his
grandson and executor, Thomas Jefferson
Randolph, Of Albemarle. +. ~. -.-. =
Thomas Richie, Esq, of the Richmond
1 Enquirer, who was regarded as the "FI-
dius ,Anchatis" " of State rights, and who
long afterwards welded the editorial knout
Of the Enquirer and Of the Washington
Union, had at the time of my visit just pub
lIshed long and able editorial, in which he
had taken the ground that notification was
not the rightful remedy for infractions of
the Constitution, but that secession was.
/ had read the article before, but happen
ing to pick up the No. containing it at
Montpelier. asked Mr.. Madison what he
thought of 1t. :.r~s
He expressed himself, as will be remem.
bered by all his friends, with great caution
as to perSOnS-especially those on the pub
lie stage but as to abstract principles of
Government, with which he was as tho.
roughly conversant as any person who ever
| lived, he was, as might be expected, per-
fectly communicative. This arose from his
wish to preserve his dignity, and to avoid
being drawn into any controversy with par
| ties on the one side or the other for he
always, after his Presidential term expired,
avoided the party topics of the day, regard
| ing as he. did partisan strife with great aver
L
come him, the principal Trainer Of the Con-
stitutiOn, and eXpounder of its doctrines,
one who had administered the Government
for eight years, the most difficult of Its his
tory. without single infraction Of the Con-
stitution in 8" one jot or tittle," which was
his greatest glory and boast, should mingle
In such scenes as would expose him to
elimination and recrimination.
| His was, altogether, the greatest intellect
| hof 1,aS nd hix
name will stand with more truth than
Burke said Of Chatham. as ''
| 'Clarum ct venerable nomen gentibus
Mnltum ct nostr8 quod proderat urbi."
| Without further. preface, which might,
| as to personal "reminiscences of this remark
able man, be indefinitely extended, will
say that j adverted to the article alluded
to above in the Richmond Enquirer, pre-
facing my remarks perhaps with rather too
much forwardness by the expression Of the
opinion that secession was worse than
! notification, and asked MIR. Madison what
! no thought of it. Mr.. Madison replied, i'll
substance .'Admit the right of secession,
| what is it worth?' ........ :
| The mailman exclaimed, s'I will shear
the wolfw A friend demonstrates, and
says: "Shear the wolff Have you con-
sldered the folly, the unproftableness, and
the danger Of the atGemptW "No," says
the madsnan. 50 am not in the habit of con-
! sidering anything Of the sort. When /
wish to do thing; my only inquiry is into
| the right to do it,"
Now, / can prove by the most .undoubted
| authority that l have right to shear the
over all the beasts of the forest. am a
man the wolf is beast, &C.; and I have
| right to o.exercise my ownership over him
In the way OF shearing or in any other
mode I;choose and if. the wolf don't SUBJ
| NIT, the consequences are on his head, not
| on mine.
So, said Mr.. Madison, admit, to the fullest
extent, the right of secession, unless the
| other States and the General Government
| admit the exercise of the right of secession,
war will ensue. When war ensues, the
question Is not which party has the right,
but it is an appeal to arms, and the God Of
Battles must determine it. l 'a-'t
The seeding States may not only lose the
boasted right OF secession {the right to shear
the wolff, but many other rights besides.
Having told this story frequently before
| secession and since secession, and knowing
this reminiscence to be founded upon the
great wisdom of the author of our Consti-
| tuition, and perhaps OF the wisest states.
man whom this or any other country has
ever produced, am tempted to throw it
before the winds of the popular breeze for
| what it is worth, and in the confidence that,
as the opinion of saoh u man, it is worth
| great deal.
At any rate. the writer hereof has never
| formed, or thought, since that CONVERSE
| ton with ,Mr. Madison, 1t worth while to
form any opinion as to the right of seces-
| sion:a Ever since he has considered the
question as of no consequence, 80 far as he
or the country is concerned 81 'fsR'E
i y .s,ss.y4 - ~ ~ FEDEp Ayyap0 ~