New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1886-02-10
VIRGINIA GOVERNORS.
An Office Always Coveted by vir~
ginians.

A Richmond, (Va.) correspondent of
The Louisville Courier-Journal writes:
1t has been just ninety years since
Light horse Harry Lee retired from
the office of governor of Virginia. He
was the father of Robert E. Lee, Charles
Carter Lee and Sidney Smith Lee. The
latter gentleman, naval officer in both
the union and confederate service, was
the father of Fitzhugh Lee, who, on New
Years Day, succeeded Gov. Cameron in
the office from which three presidents
Thomas Jefferson, James Monroe and
John Iyler-were graduated for higher
executive duties. Jefferson and Monroe
were twice governor of Virginia, and
John Tyler resigned his office in 1925,
just twelve years after his father had re-
signed it, because of his election to the
United States senate over John Ran
dolph, of Roanoke. the vote. being in
joint assembly of the legislature 1l5 for
Tyler and 10 for Randolph.
More than a century passes away, and
yet the Virginians adhere to their be-
lief in historic names and famous
genealogy. Cameron. q direct de-
scendant OF President Harrison. and
great grandfather of Senator Harrison.
of Indiana, retires from the governor
ship to give place to Lee who worthily
represents the tradition of the Lee FAM
lily. Benjamin Harrison signed the
Declaration of independence, and was
governor of Virginia when peace was
declared between Great Britain and the
successfully-revolting colonies. When
Harrison and Tyler were elected presi-
dent and vice president in 1910, the lit
tie county of Charles City, lying on
James river, thirty miles below Rich
mond, won distinction perhaps never
to be enjoyed by county of any state
in the union, of furnishing both
president and vice president
elected at the same time, and from
within five miles of each other When
President Harrison died and John Tyler
became president, Charles City county
gained distinction rivaled only by an
other county of Virginia in furnishing
two presidents to the union. Westmore.
land county was the birth place of Wash
ington and Monroe. It was also the
county IN which the Lee family had
been born and nurtured.
The governorship has always been
coveted by. Virginians since the royal
power was overthrown, when Patrick
Henry, Jefferson, Nelson, and their
compatriots seized the power and Earl
Dunmore, the last of the royal govern
ors, yielded to the suppression of the
popular uprising against British tyran-
ny. It was first held after the Revolu-
ton began by Henry, and later on he
filled second term. Jefferson was
governor when CORVALLIS entered the
state, after his conquest of the Car
oinas, on his fatal march to Yorktown,
whittier Washington followed him from
the siege of New York, the headquar-
tiers Of the British forcesin the colonies.
"A. long line of eminent Americans fol-
lowed in the occupancy Of the govern
orship. From the present executive
mansion which he was the first govern
or to fill, and which Fitz Lee will oc-
cupy for four years, Gov. James Bar
bour stepped to the places of secretary
of war, United States senator, and min
lister to Great Britain. Two Floyds,
one the secretary of war under Buchan-
an, filed the Office of governor, and
two Tylers, two Randolphs, besides
Giles, the ..American Chatham" as he
was called in the federal senate, Pleas
ants, Gilmer, and Wise have been Viz
ginian governors.