West Virginia Democrat. [volume] (Charles Town, W. Va.) 1885-1890, 1888-01-06

IWeuty -clSuh COunsico III ehC oiu
State have been named after them.
Three of them and the son of an
other have been Presidents of the
United States. Seven have been
members OF Presidents cabinets.
Seven members of the United States
Senate, one Attorney General Of the
United States, eleven in the House
OF Representatives, and four of them
foreign ministers, and indeed many
of them have filed all the offices
within the range of the government,
and discharged the duties Of them
equally we'll from ths lowest to the
highest.
John Tyler stepped out of the
White House into the'ofiice of Over
seer of Roads in Charles City Coun-
ty, and made the people work them
we'll. James Monroe3into Justice
of the Peace for Loudon county, and
was a good one. Patrick Henry did
perhaps more than any other man in
separating the Colonies from Great
Britain. His love of liberty, inspir-
ing an overpowering, AL convincing
glorious eloquence and pratory, much
enveloped the minds Of our fathers,
and along with the effortseof the
Washingtons, Adams, JEFF xsons and
other patriots, led them into the
revolution and to freedom. Jefferson
wrote the Declaration of Indepen
denee, and was one of the chief arch
itects who framed tho government.
Perhaps of all the statesmen Of the
Republic, he has most enduringly
stamped his ideas and thoughts
into the national mind
One of them died a violent death.
George w. Smith was burnt in the
Richmond Theatre in l8ll. Since
the time of Wyndham Robertson l
have known personally nearly all of
them. All were men Of much more
than ordinary ability, and some of
them had high order of talent, Ed
mund Randolph, William II. Cabell,
L. w. Tazewell and Jno. nj. Patton
were perhaps men of she greatest
regulations as lawyers. Barbour,
Giles, Patton, Tyler, Smith, Jno. b.
Floyd and Henry A. Wise were per-
haps the best public speakers. All
who recollect the Knownothing cam
paign of 1855 will remember how
Wise's denunciatory eloquence de
stroyed the majority Of that party.
Had Flonrnoy and Patton, who were
candidates for governor and attor
nev- general on the Knownothing
ticket brought to bear the powerful
battery of their logical and eloquent
speeches against him, the result
might have been different. The
campaign between VIM. L. Goggin
and John Lctcher was also a memo
rabie one, and the mere mention of
it will stir the hearts of many an
old Whig and Democrat all over the
State. Tradition has handed down
the following story, the truth of
which | do not vouch One of the
Governors had plantation in one
of the western counties, on which he
raised a large number of hogs. He
had these hogs driven down to
Richmond, and when they arrived
they we're kept for time in the en-
closure around his house. The gov
ernor had formed partnership
with an old citizen of that day, who
was a butcher. He had the hogs
driven to his slaughtering pen, n,where
they were killed, and the meat pre-
pared for the market. Some of the
people of Richmond became incensed
at the Governor Of the State pursu-
ing the business Of butcher, think
ing he was lowering the dignity of
his high office by so doing, and they
gave expression to their indignation
in the following manner: One night
after large drove of hogs had been
slaughtered, they went out to the
pens and gathered together large
quantity of hog entrails, which they
brought back to the Cover
nor's house and testooned his
doors, porches and trees with
them. The next morning when
the Governor went out he found his
house and yard adorned with the
refuse of his own hogs. Doubtless
he was not pleased at the sight, but
the Legislature took it as a down
right insult, which reflected in some
degree upon the county members,
the governor himself being from
one of the counties. They, there
fore in retaliation, passed an act
ordering that an iron fence should
be placed around the Capitol Square.
Thus, the fence which now stands
was put up and finished in 1919, and
for many years afterwads at 8 O'Clock
every night, it was padlocked to
keep out the people. Modern ideas
and fashions are now demanding
that it shall be removed.
/ must not conclude without re-
ferring especially to Governor Will
liam Smith, in the boot of whose
stages l have stolen many ride
many years ago when little boy,
while he was driving them. John
Hampden Peasants, who bitterly
hated him, politically, compliment
ed him by the appellation of smith
| of tba WvnalSr after a celebrated