The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1882-02-16
NO. As
Sketch of Hon. John Paul, Readjuster
BEAUTIFUL AND ELOQUENT DESCRIPTION OF
THE SEVENTH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT. OF
vIRGINIA-HIsToRIc sCENEs-THE KNIGHT
LY NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. OF THE SEW
ERAL COUNTIES
Brooke's letter in washington Chronicle

Brooke's letter in Washington Chronicle
The counties of Albemarle, Augusta Bath
Fluvanna, Goochland, Greene, Highland, Page
Rockingham, Shenandoah, and the city o.
Staunton, compose the Seventh Congressional
district Of Virginia, represented in the Forty
seventh Congress by Hon. John Paul, Read
juster, of Rockingham. The subject Of our
sketch was born in Rockingham county, Viz
glnia June, 1889; received common school
education; taught school in his native county
In 1S59-6O; entered Roanoke College in the
fall of 1860, but left in 1861 to enter the army
OF the Confederacy, where he served CALAMITY
during the entire war. After the return of
gentle peace, he entered the University of Vir-
| glnia and graduated with distinction in the
law class of 1867 The people of his native
county, in 1870, elected him commonwealth
attorney, which office he filled with credit to
himself and honor to his constituency until
1877, when he was chosen to the State Senate
and reelected in 1879.
When the liberal-minded men of Virginia
determined to free themselves from the yoke
of political degradation under which Virginia
was bowed down in the dust, when the genius
OF General Malone pointed out the way OF
escape, the people naturally turned to John
Paul as their representative man and demand
ed that he assume the leadership Like Will
liam Tell, of Switzerland, he nobly responded.
His eloquent voice rang out along the valleys
of his loved commonwealth; he reasoned with
the masses and they believed him; and when
the sun went down behind the summit of the
Alleghanies on the eve of election, he shed his
last ray upon the corpse Of Funder Bourbon
Democracy, and free ballot and fair count
proclaimed the triumphant election of John
Paul, of Rockingham, over his competitor of
antiquarian IDEAS
The Seventh Congressional district was
made historic during the late war by 80 many
deeds OF reckless daring that the mind goes
back to the days of knighthood and pictures
again the scenes of the crusaders in the holy
land. There are people living at this day,
under the shadow of the Blue Ridge, who will
tell you that the spectral form of Turner Ash
by on his milk-white steed is often seen in the
moonlight charging through the mountain
gaps. That the clash of swords and echo of
trumpets are borne along on the midnight
winds.
The fertile Valley of Virginia lies within
his district, with its pleasant homes, commo-
iious barns, fat cattle, sturdy farmers, buxom
assies with glad faces, and fields green with
he bluegrass and clover-even now when the
Hintry blasts whistle along the snow-clad
peaks. The tramp of armed hosts-of Stone
vail Jackson and Sheridan, of Early, Fremont,
md Banks-are hushed, and where once war
pread her wide desolation, peace and plenty
low reign. The great University of Virginia
lands in the county of Albemarle-a seat of
earning whose fame has gone wherever the
English language is admired for its purity, and
ducation is considered stepping stone to
,oWer and greatness.
Rockingham, Shenandoah and Page formed
The Tenth Legion" in ante-bellum days
how well l remember the anxiety felt by the
" hlgs IN Virginia in every election to hear by
What majority the old Tenth had gone. The
majority of the Democratic candidate was al
ways double the population, and as there were
10 tissue ballots in those days, the leaders of
hat party accounted for the discrepancy by
aging that the Swabians came out of the
ocks and caverns, voted and returned to the
ems like ground-hogs on the second OF Feb
uary. Be this story true or not, it is certain
hat the uuterrified had political grip on the
eople OF those counties that no logic or elo-
uence on the part of the orators of the OBJ
osition could remove. Hickory jackson was
heir IDOL and long years after the old hero
ad been sleeping in his tomb at the Hermit
ge, the people would flock to the polls on
lection days, and, as the voting was yiyo voce,
ne name of Jackson would be called by the
riers from the rising of the sun until the go
1g down thereof. 1t was not until after the
OF the late civil war that these
eople learned that this loved old jackson had
cen gathered to his fathers, and they f1ocked
the standard OF Stonewall, believing that
e was second jackson, the blaze of whose
abre would light them on to victory. How
hey fought history will tell, and the Federal
oldier, as he recounts the hard fought battles.
the valley, with victory often quiyering in
~
hen he met the battle-scarred foot cavalry
ID by Stonewall Jackson he crossed bayonets
18th foemen worthy of his STEEL
After the surrender at Appomattox, the yeo-
lanry of the valley turned their swords into
low-shares and returned to the labor of their
enerous soil. They soon obllterated the
larks which the war had made IN their midst,
ebullt the diaries by the cool bubbling springs,
le good wives MIXED the, lowing herds and
1urned the luscious butter, the fields were
olden with the crops of wheat, the bees culled
lie honey from the clover bloom, and the old
assumed the cheerful hue they
ear to-day. t4
Of some of the counties of the Seventh dis
let have some personal knowledge. The
rand old county of Augusta-once the Glib
liter of Whiggery-is rich in everything that
'rves to gladden. the hearts of men; populated
7 bold, hosptable people, General Wash
gton once declared that if defeated in the
lst he could retreat to the mountains of West
ugusta with his little band of patriots and
ere lid defiance to the power of King George.
he best whisky in the world is manufactured
Augusta, and the names of Bumgardner
I'd Hanger will go down to posterity along
de those OF Heidsick and Mumm. Staunton
thrifty and pretty little city. and contains
le of the best conducted and ablest edited
ewspapers south of the Potomac-the VAL
Ely VIReINIAN. The editor, Major Sam Yost,
rs done more to make Republicanism respect
Die in Virginia than any other man we could
ame.
'Albemarle is celebrated not only for its great
diversity, but for the fertility of its SOIL This
productive wheat county. The Albemarle
ppm is not only the largest but the best
ople known to the agrieulturist Monticello,
he home Of Jefferson, stands near the town of
and is visited annually bv
any strangers.
Goochland is known as the land of the melon
nd the sweet potato. The people of this
)unty are celebrated for "minding their own
usiness." This is the most out-of-the-way
'ction in the world. No one ever goes there
nd none ever leave.
Fluvanna is noted for it's crop of persim.
IONS, and its orchards of that fruit were look
! upon by the hungry tar-heel during the late.
npleasantness as the loveliest trees he ever.