The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1873-08-14
THE REPUBLICAN NOMINEES.

| THE REPUBLICAN NOMINEES,
| 1t is singular coincidence that the three
| gentlemen who have been chosen to represent
the Republican party Of Virginia in the present
| campaign for the positions of Governor, 1t
| Governor, and Attorney General, are all self.
made men.
! The following brief sketch of the life of Col
| Hughes, we take from one Of the most rab id
| Conservative papers in the State, the Richmond
| Dispatch. The historical facts we presume, are
| contrary.
| The sketch of Mr.. Ramsdell, is taken from the
Richmond State Journal, and that of Judge Fultz,
we hastily prepared.
| Sketch of Colonel Hughes.
r. W. Hughes is native Of Powhatan
county, aud is a descendant Of one of the
pioneer families of the colony of Va His
.grandfather David Hughes, was captain in
the war Of Independence, while his father,
Jesse Hughes, was a captain in the war Of
1912. His mother was Morton, of Prince
| Edward county Through her the subject
of this sketch inherits the blood o! the Hug
uenot families, of Watkins, Mosely, Mosby,
Daniel, and others. A great-great uncle,
Jesse Hughes, was pioneer hunter and In
dian fighter in West Virginia, from whom
Hughes's river, flowing into the Kanawha,
| took its name.
| Having lost both parents in infancy, ths
subject of this sketch was reared to the age
of twelve by Colonel Edward G. Darlington,
Iof Halifax. He was then sent to the carpen-
tiers trade in Princeton, N. j., and there
worked for four years. He then returned
to Virginia, and having determined to obtain
an education, went to the Caldwell lnsti-
tute, Greensboro n c., for eighteen months.
We next find him teacher Of mathematics
in the Bingham High School, Hillsboro', N.
G.. where he grounded himself in classical
education but, contrary to the general i'm
preston, he never went to college.
In 1914 Col. Hughes studied law in Fin
castle, Va, and in 1916 settled ia Richmond,
where he lived until 1857. During nearly
all this time he was a constant contributor
| to the Richmond Euanliaser, an independent
Democratic paper Of considerable celebrity
aud great influence in the South. WheD
the editor Of that journal, John N: Daniel !,
| ESQ, went abroad as United States Minis
ter to Sardinia in 1858, Colonel Hughes as
sumed editorial charge Of it. Hescontinued
in this position until the accession Of Mr..
Buchanan to the presidency in 1887, when,
on invitation Of the President, he accepted
the position of principal editorial writer for
the Washington Union, the national organ,
it will be remembered, Of the Democratic
party. This position he filed with marked
ability until the summer Of 1889, when he
retired from politics to farm which he had
purchased in Washington county, 10 South
western Virginia. where he has since contin-
ued to reside, though during and since the
war he has spent most Of his tine in Rich
mond
The hostility Of Mr.. Buchanan to Judge
Douglas was one of the reasons which indpc-
ed the withdrawal of Colonel Hughes from
the Washington Union. He attended the
Democratic Convention which convened in
Charleston in April, 1860, as jealous advo-
cate of Judge Douglas; but owing to his
personal relations with the Buchanan Ad-
minstration he took no part in the presiden-
tial contest of that year.
After the secession Of Virginia, Colonel
I Hughes became an ardent supporter of the
cause Of Confederate independence, and at
the earnest solicitation of his friend, John
| NJ. Daniel, spent the principal part Of his
time during the war in Richmond as an edi-
torial writer for the columns Of the Eaanai-
ner. The influence and celebrity Of this
Journal during that memorable period are
we'll known. The paper was conducted in
opposition to the Davis Administration, but
made encouragement OF the Confederate sol
diers and armies it's leading study and effort.
Contrary to the popular impression, Colonel
Hughes was not on the staff of the Lscanaa-
mer during theyear 1860, Dor until after the
fall Of Fort Sumpter; but after that be was
Jealous defender of southern Institutions and
aims ard bitter opponent Of the Federal
| Government He left the paper about eight
months before She evacuation of Richmond.
Immediately after the Federal occupation
of this city, Union paper, called The Re-
public, was established and Colone Hughes,
to the great surprise Of his old Democratic
and Confederate friends. became its editor
This paper though for while successful, was
short-lived, for it had no hold whatever upon
the sympathes of the disapponted@and bro
ken hearted people among whom it was cir
calated aud from whom its patronage, if any,
was to be derived. When it suspended,
Colonel Hughes resumed the practice of
law and resided On his farm in Southwest
ern Virginia
On the removal Of the State Journal from
| Alexandria to Richmond he took editorial
charge of that paper, combining his attention
as first almost entirely to railroad questions.
Heswrote in the Journal series Of able ar
ticles favoring the consolidation schemes Of
General Malone. aad in advocacy of nation
al aid to the central wates-lipe, or James
River and Kanawha canal. His report, pre-.
pared for the Natioaal Board of Trade in ia
vor of this waser-hne, attained considerable
celebrity; and his article on the same sub
!iect published in Hunts Merchants Maya
kline for August and September, 1868, and
Irepublshed in pamphlet form, has been vide
| ly circulated.
| Before he had been many months editor
of the Journal CHS name never appeared in
that paper as such, We believe Colonel
Hughes began to write articles in support of
| the Republican party and its policy Of recon-
struction, and some of these we're so bitter
that they caused much excitement among the
people of Richmond, and attracted great
| r .a,oo fro,, tho Goncorv.t;,yo rras,