The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1878-05-27

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DASvlIs.s, al, May rs Is, 1873. 4.
TO Editors af Richmond
hi your Monday's issue apr eared q letter
( from I. ri. Bryan, ESQ, which calls for o
i raply from me. Indeed, should have an-
\ svesea it before but for the fact that It canie
! out while & was suffering from severe
spell OF sickness. 5 3
Had the gentleman cenlined himself to .
Legitimate criticism OF Home Reminiscent
/ OF John Randolph should not have q word
to say, but as he imp gns the motives OF the
author, and reflects upon 8 number OF The
best citizens Of Charlotte county entie.
men oil the highest character and undo bsed
yerscity-I hope you will allow me space
ferrcply in Yonr paper. i shalt not follow
the gentlemaf,,s example and deal In per-
sonaiitics, but simply defend myself and
those who furnished materials for my book.
ar. Bryan says:
:. Mr.. Randolph had some sterling friends
in Charlotte, who were In the habit OF visit
ing him, not one or wnom is mentioned by
who was detected In stealing is given, and
it is probable that the Hon., James w. Boul-
din. who Is one OF the authorities OF the
book, was never in Mr.. Randolph's house as
an invited guest.
Lam .astonished at such statement, so
entirely contrary TO the facts OF the case.
plainly set forth in the book. Il
Mr.. Joseph M. Daniel states that he was
very rear neighbor OF Mr.. Randoiph's,
and that Mr.. Randolph was In the habit OF
frequently visiting him, and that he visited
Mr.. Randolph. The Hon. James w. Boul-
din saws that ON one occasion Mr.. Randolph
came by his house, on his way from Prince
Edward, and, complaining that he would be
lonesome, asked him to go with him and
stay few days. He did go, and remained
aweek. 1t appears also from his 3sRecol-
lecticns" that Dir. Ran dolph stayed all
night with him just before he made one OF
his great speeches. Mr. Henry Darlington
introduces bis sketches by stating that g in
1915 he lived in Mr.. Randolph's reighbor-
hood, and received much hospitable atten-
ton from him." Now, all these things are
plainly set forth in the book, and other per-
sons besides the aboYe-Damed are mentioned
who visited Dir. Randolph at Roanoke, and
were visited by him. How, then, can MIR.
Bryan charge that Hon. James w. Bouldin
was probably never in Mr. Randolph's
house as an invited guest? What candid
reader, after perusing Mr.. Bouldin's 6 Re.
collections will not be impressed with the
fact that he knew great deal OF Mr.. Ran
doIph's home-lise? Andy yet Mr.. Bryan says
he s.had not the remoteSt opportunity OF
knowing anything about IT'D The fact is
ne knew him long and well. The state
ments of half dozen persons are given
who visited Mr.. Randolph as invited guests
and yet Mr.. Bryan says not q single one is
given. Besides those who visited at Roa-
noke, interviewed a large number OF per-
sons who saw how the eccentric genius car
riedon in his county, and who are therefore
proper witnesses to describe his homelife.
The thrust at the late Mr.. William 3
Green, one OF the first citizens OF the coun.
", and whose family is OF the highest social
iustifable. He snys: "Alr. Green, so ex-
tcnsively quoted, only knew Mr.. Randolph
by sight, and his curiosity to know more OF
him had been morbidly excited" Now,
Mr.. Green distinctly states that when !,
young man he boarded at Mr.. William NJ.
Watkins's for many years, where he had an
opportunity OF frequently seeing Mr.. Ran
dolph. He also states that he had business
transactions with him, and that on one oc-
casion Mr.. Randolph paid him special
visit. With what propriety, therefore, can
Mr.. Bryan say he only knew him by sight
As to the charge that his curiosity had been
morbidIy excited to know more of him,
there is positively nothing to justify the re-
mark. am sure Mr. Green saw quite as
much of him as he desired. Indeed, in his
"reminiscences he states that he was glad
that on one occasion, when Mr. Randolph
started to visit him, he was prevented by
some one who Informed him he was not at
home.
Mr.. Bryan says quote an oyerseer BIZ
the name Of .tPalmer.'' / do no such
thing. He says: s. The statement OF one
who was detected in stealing is given"
No such statement is given, and justice de-
mands that the accuser should name the
man.
Mr.. Bryan further charges that s'the au.
thorities chiefly relied on are low over
seers." Now, while. obtained informa-
ton from q number Of persons more or
less acquainted with Mr.. Randolph's home
life, it so happened that only one was an
orerseer, and his yeracity has never been
questioned.
Who are tsthe authorities" characterized
as g chiefly low oyerseers They are
Henry Darlington, w. b. Green. W. 81. FL
lott. DIR. Isaac Read, DR.. /. B. Rice, DR.. r.
Z. Bouldin, Henry Madison, Judge +. N.
Watkins, Hon. Thomas S. Flournoy, Judge
Wood Bouldin, and Hon. James W. Bouldin.
They are the authorities relied on chiefly to
describe the home life OF John Randolph
heightened old Virginia gentlemen-and |
deem myself fortunate in having secured
materials for my work from sources SO en-
tirely reliable. Valuable contributions APP
pear from other gentlemen-n Rev.
w. s.. Plumer, D. D., James III. Whittle,
ESQ.,, and DR.. c.. III. Jordan-whicha great
many persons have informed me they read
with a high degree OF pleasure. But the
last named gentlemen do not dwell upon
Mr.. Randolph's .home-life they describe his
transcendent abilities as an orator and
statesman,
Mr.. Bryan concludes as follows: E..
1.-THE hallucinatiens OF diseased mind
are used TO portray such a mans real ma
ture, That any detail Of the acts Of q great
man done under such circumstances should
find place in book entitled sHome REM
iniscences Of John Randolph OF Roanoke
argues extreme ignorance or malignity, OF
BOTH"
1t is proved beyond shade OF doubt that
MIR. Randolph drank not only wine, bat q
great deal OF strong liquor, and the detail
OF the acts referred TO is given to show that
much OF his strange conduct was to be at
tributed to his intemperance, and that he
was not deranged.
Had / been influenced by malice / should
certainly have published the correspond
ence between Mr.. Randolph and his cousin
Nancy. O, no! MY only object in writing
the book was to draw a true picture Of Mr..
Randolphs private life--to show that he
was one OF The greatest orators that ever
lived, and to illustrate the truth of what
Demosthenes, said: that the chief requisite
in an orator is detioeTy. So far as the true
picture is concerned, the old people who
knew Dir. Randolph assure me that my
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