The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1877-08-17

OF THE CITY IN THE LEGISLATURE
MEMBER OF THE GOVERNORS COUNCIL
HIS PART IN TIE CLAY AND OTHER CAM
pAIGNs-ELECTIoNA AS CHAIRMAN OF THE
| CONSERVATIVE STATE COMMITTEE, AND
SERVICES DURING THE WALKER-WELLs
fONTEsT-MEAfBER OF THE HOUSE OF
| DEL ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF
TIE sTKTE-EFFEcTIvE- WORK DONE
FOR THE sTATE-CAUsE OF. HIS DEATH
PROCLAMATION BY THE GOVERNOR
| FUNERAL. ....
Hon. Raleigh T. Daniel, Attorney-Gene-
ral OF the State, died yesterday afternoon at
! bis residence, No. 108 north Seventh street.
His disease was hemorrhage OF the bowels
from congestion OF the liver. He had been
upweIl. but accomplishing, for several
weeks. On Monday he took to his bed, and
Wednesday was alarmingly i'll, and the
members OF his family, who were all absent
in the mountains, were summoned home.
and reached here in time to see him breathe
his last. His mind was clear until within
about two hours OF his death. In Mr.. Dan
iel the State has lost pure and able ofhcer,
and the community citizen whose place
will not be easily filled.
BIRTH AND EARLY LIFE,
Rawleigh (old style) Trayers Daniel was
born October Is, 1905, at Falmouth, Va,
and was the son OF John Moncure Daniel.
His great-grandfather, Peter Daniel, came
from Yorkshire, England, and settled IN
Orange county at very early date. ana
married Sarah Travers, OF Travers Meek
afterwards Stafford county,, who came to
this country from England in 1884. His
grandmother, Sarah Traycrs, was the daugh-
Ter OF RawIeigh Travers and Hannah Ball,
half-sister OF Mary Ball, the mother OF
Washington. The mother OF Mr.. Daniel
was Margaret Stone, daughter OF Thomas
Stone, OF Habudevcnture, Charles county,
Nd, a signer OF the Declaration OF
American Independence. The deceased
lost both his parents in early youth,
and soon after came to Richmond, INTO
the guardianship OF his uncle, the late
Judge p. V. Daniel, in whose family he was
reared and under whose direction he studied
law.
| He married Mrs. Johu Riddle nee Tabb,
of Gloucester county. Mrs. Daniel has lot
been long dead. 4 son and two daughters
survive them.
AT THE BAR.
Mfr. Daniel commenced the practice OF his
| profession in the courts OF this city, and
| fixed his residence here. Before he had
| been at the bar many years he developed
the finest qualities OF lawyer, and at once,
though young, was awarded high place In
the profession. He first entered public lie
as commemorative attorney for the county
! of Henrico under the old county-court sys-
tenn Of magistrates This office he retained
as long as that system lasted. When the
late Joseph Mayo became Mayor OF Rich
mond Mr.. Daniel was eleSted Common
wealth'sl attorney to succeed BIN. rms
latter office he held until military order
removed him, with host OF other faithful
and valuable public servants. g.!..- .. +.
POLITICAL POSITION. ~, !.
| = Educated in the old Virginia school Of
republican politics, Mr.. Daniel was OF that
numerous class, OF southern men who
thought. they saw in. the pretensions set up
! and powers claimed for the General Govern
rnent in the memorable era OF the South
! Carolina troubles a aforeshadowing OF those
monstrous usurpations which have since
almost swept away the sovereignty or the
States, and he became associated Ill opposl-
ton with what was then known rs the
southern wing OF the Whig party.
He followed the banner Of Mr.. Clay III
his measures OF compromise in both OF
these troubles, and OF the even more threat
eninr ones of succeeding years, believing
as he did that his was the most potent lnflu-
encc, il not the only influence, that could
keep peace in the country. He was Clay
elector in 1914, and took an active part IN
the popular debates Of that period. His
speeches were vigorous and eloquent, ana
were Of vast benefit to his party.
FIRST LEGISLATIVE SERVICE.
In the spring OF lS4l-'42 Mr.. Daniel came
into the Legislature as the only representa-
tive Of the city of Richmond, the city under
the then freehold system being entitled to
but one delegate. He continued to serve IN
that capacity until the session OF 1S45-'46,
when. in close division Of parties in the
Legislature, he was elected into the Council
OF State to succeed that worthy and re-
spected Democratic gentleman John Ruther-
ford. whose term then expired. The vote
was Daniel, 70; Rutherford, 1.-THE Wing
party then having for the first time ma
| iority OF two on Joint ballot. The contest
between them was memorable among the
party struggles of the day. Its spirit sur
/ yived in successive elections for the same
Office, in which Mr.. Daniel was successful
until the session Of '49-'50 or '00-'5l, when
he was at last defeated by John NJ. Daniel,
/ his nephew, more celebrated afterwards as
the editor Of the Examiner.
He was In successive political campaigns
the chairman of the Whig State Committee,
and was Whig eleetor in the presidential
canvass OF 1860, when, owing to the dis
traction OF the Democratic party about their
candidate for the presidency, Virginia, for
the first time, and that merely by plural
tty, cast her vote for Wing candidates
| IBel and Eyerettl -.
/ THE WAR AND AFTER.
When the late war became inevitable Mr..
Daniel went where his allegiance called
him ito the support OF his native State), and
was the ardent friend OF the Confederacy, OF
wtneh she became a member.
! He was OF the college which cast her vote
for Davis and Stephens as President and
Vice-Reesident of the Coniederacy.
The war over, its dire political conse-
quences ended under the measures OF recon-
struction, the white people OF the State met
by their delegates in Convention IN Rieh-
mond, in December 1867, and made tneir
solemn protest against it. ..---.
Mr.. Daniel was made the executive head
of the organization which then had its
| birth, and 80 continued until his election to
the Office Of Attorney General. .r
| CHAIRMAN OF STATE CoMNITTEE.
| OF the exalted manner in which he dis
charged the duties OF head of the Conser-
watiYe party IN Virginia for seven or eigit
yexrs 10 seems almost needless to refer.
The good he and his associates accom-
Ilished-in the Walker eampaign particu-
Iariy-can perhaps never be properly esti-
mated They ead,fande6 flfeier rhe mnst