Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-03-20
what He Wrote From London to His
Friend Nathaniel Macon.

Secretary Graham, of the civil service COM
mission, has in his custody the original of the
following communication from John Randolph,
of Roanoke, to Nathaniel Macon, of North Caro-
lima. It evinces the unchanged and toward
you Interchangeable bond of lifelong friendship
between the two distinguished statesmen,
whose names are jointly commemOrated in the
incorporation OF RandOlph-MacOn college, of
Virginia. The letter is written in a strong run
ming hand, easily read, as each letter is dis
tinctly formed, and does not sustain the some
what prevalent idea that man of genius must
adopt a chirography 80 peculiarly his own that
it is illegible without "key." The letter is
without q blot or erasure, and has only one in
terlineation in the word "even," thrown In for
the sake of emphasis.
The envelope or cover, addressed "To Ma
thaniel Macon, Esquire, Buck Spring, near
WarrentOn, North Carolina, North America"
and countersigned u. r., OF Roanoke. to N.
franked, "Departmen mt Of State. M. Van Buren,
Free, with the postmark, washington, Mar.
LONDON, Jan. %, 1881. Saturday.
MY OLD AND DEAR FRIEND: have no letter
from you later than October %, AS there are
now two packets due December "a and jan
uary u hope soon to hear from you. The first
thing did on my arrival in London was to put
long letter for you. begun at sea but finished
here into the post office the packet of October
seldom missing pscKet Since lGe resep dc Of
your last. ! have now little to tell, but that
had the pleasure to hear from Mark Alexander
december 81 the day before Congress convened,
that a short time before he lett home you were
in good health. My own is greatly mended,
and have now hopes OF seeing you once more.
live with the abstinence of q hermit and in as
great seclusiOn; seeing hardly any one but
John, who is as regular us u clock and t-;De to
his master , as the dial to the sun. / sometimes
stroll to "The Travellers" and read the periodi-
cal publications and occasionally dine there;
but see no one that Know.
1t would be waste of words and of time for
me to say anything upon the state OF Europe.
The newspapers not only anticipate all that
could write, but they are so much fuller than
any private correspondence, that content my
self with saying that France, In my opinion,
has not gained much by her change OF kings:
the present incumbent being as thoroughly de-
ers, AS his predecessor. He is u bourbon and
they are ''all tarred with the same STICK" lie
and (Soult excepted the rest are no better. I
heartily hope that Belgium will choose young
BcauhamOis. The father was the best and great
est man of the school OF Bonaparte-aud 1t Ill
becomes 1.-The SON Of the RegicIde" to sneer at
him.
The news from Poland Is not encouraging.
DisuniOn is to be apprehended. This ensures
discontinue, which even union might not have
been able to avert. 1t Europe suffers her to be
crushed, ages OF misrule and oppression be the
portion Ofthose who are governed by such selfish
and shortsighted counsels. Win they not re-
fleet that Russia, whose capital stands ON the
demesne of q Swedish nObleman, 10 now
cOterminous with Norway! That she has ex-
tended her Limits In every direction, even on
our own continent and that her barbarous
ism that the world ever saw. The present
emperor Is young lin his 35th year, active, In
deiatigable, implacable, remorseless and aInbi-
tiOus. Let Europe look to 1t.
All here are looking forward 10 the meeting
Of parliament with great soiicitude. II the
present ministry shall fail In meeting in
Considerable degree, the just expectations OF
the people, they will go out with one universal
hiss OF scorn: That portion OF it which is in the
house OF lords, comprising ten members OF the
cabinet out OF fourteen, are, with the exception
OF BrOugham himself u political adventurer,
and, perhaps, Lord Melbourne, not at all hearty
in the cause OF reform. Earl Grey has no
stomach 10 It. LandsdOwne and Hollands
couple OF old wOmen-nOt much sharper set,
However, we must wait and see their project.
We have hardly had half dozen good days
during this month. Nevertheless, this climate,
guarding, as do, against 1t, agrees admirably
with me. am enabled to regulate the atmOs-
phere OF my apartment, which NJ Washington
could never do. The seat OF my disease have
discovered TO De In the stomach; when that is
in good bumor all my local complaints snbside,
even the cough. Some OF them disappear alto
gether: so true Is Abernethys observation.
You may judge how much / was shocked at
reading the account OF sud
den and cruel death. He had estranged him.
self froLl me from the memorable war session,
but that did not render me insensible to his
good qualities which were niuny, but unhap-
PLY obscured by the sefishness OF his chsrac-
ter. have been panied, but not disappointed
served With him IN the Senate he seemed to
me to have lost his polarity. He had leaning
to doubtful and more than doubtful land claims
at did not like.
Remember me most kindly to all friends
particularly to Edwards-whom I often think
OF with great interest and regard. Farewell. my
GEAR irleno. Write To me when you are ''in the
VEIN, and believe me unchanged and towards
y0u 9nchangeabie. J. r., OF ROANOKE
To Nathaniel Macon, ESQ.,, Of North Carolina.
N