Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1888-06-02
The Late Judge Meade.

day Of May, 1883, of angina pectoris, or
ossifica ion Of the cart. of which disease
for many Of the lasi, years of his life he had
teen severely sfllIcted.
Judge Meade was born at Benvenue, In
the county of Clarke, then Frederick, on
the 2lst July, 1925. His father. David
Meade, was the youngest son of Col. Rich
ard kidder Meade, a distinguished and ia
voriie member of Washington's staff, and
the youngest brother Of William Meade, the
late venerable Bishop of the Protestant
Episcopal Church 10 Virginia. His mother
was Nelson, whose mother was daughter
of Warren Washington by Hannah Fairfax,
born at Mt Vernon, and Washington was
god father to her at her baptism. This
Hannah was the Hannah Washington men
toned in the last will Of Washington.
at the carly age of seventeen years lin
1S45) young Meade migrated to the West.
and studied law with Hansen Lee Penn, q
distinguished lawyer of his dag, in Ohio,
snd returned to Virginia in 1850, and in the
fall Of that year married Eugenia, the only
daughter of Albert Turner, OF Pop Castle, in
King George county, Virginia, and settled
in the county of his nativity, preferring the
calling of the agriculturist to the practice OF
the profession for which, uEder tie tutilage
of Mr.. Penn, he had prepared himself, CIV
ing his leisure moments, as the custom was
now. to politics. He was an earnest, Zaal-
Gus and active whig, serving as delegate to
its county and State conyentions-its candi.
date for the Virginia Senate in 1859 in the
Winchester district, and delegate from the
lo los 1Oo tion
of the wing party held in Baltimore, and at
which Bell aud Everett were nominated for
the Presidency and Vice Presidency of the
United States.
He was devoted friend and enthusiastic
admirer of Henry Clay, with whom he held
close personal relations, wearing to the day
of his death a lock of hair of the sage Of
Ashland, sent to him by the great statesman.
Judge Meade, like most, if not all, of the
leaders of the wing party in Virginia, was
greatly opposed to the secession of the
States, and by pen and word resisted it with
all his power. In January, 1861. he was
call, d to the cQutrol Of the Winchester Re
publican. then Che organ of the wing party
In that portion Of the State, and consequent.
lv removed his residence to that city. He
continued his efforts in behalf of the Union
until President Lincoln demanded of Vir-
ginia her quota of $4,000 men with which
ito quell The insurgents" as the secession
ists, then organized as the Confederate
S.ates, were designated by the goverpmen
Of the United States, when be became an
active and jealous supporter of the Confed-
crate government. Gen. Turner Ashby, bis
life long friend and schoolmete, rendered
bin position on his staff, which was de-
clined at the instance AID advice Of Gen.
Stonewall Jackson upjn the ground tina: he
had other use for him.
In the fall OF 1865 he WAS elected to the
Virginia Senate from the Winchester dis.
tfict
Judge Meade WAS fluent speaker and
welded the pen OF q ready writer, and was
thoroughly posted on the past and, then,
present history Of party politics, State and
federal, and of the leading men Of the coun-
try. Iu 1872 he wrote many pointed and
stringent articles over the signature Of
"Senex," in opposition to what is familiarity
known as 1.-THE funding BILL" and in 1878
January he took charge Of the editorial
department of the Richmond Wing. While
editor OF the Wing he waa elected QS73} by
the conservative State convention to sue
coed the Hon. Raleigh I. Dsniel as the
chairman of the executive committee, was
reelected in 1876, and resigned the position
in 1877 by reason CT failing health.
Mainly through his active instrum entality
was secured tbs withdrawal of the Hon. r.
N. r. Hunter as competing candidate for
gubernatorial donors in 1874. thus opening
the way for the nomination and subsequent
election of Gen James l.. Kemper as Gov
erpor OF Virginia.
During the ever memorable heated can
vass of 1876, although confined TO his room,
he wrote most of the leading editorials in
the Wing, assisted, when himself unable to
write, by Giend, who had no official rela-
tons with the Wing, receiving no aid, as has
been claimed, from then attache of that
paper, now dead, who needed not this un-
founded claim to add lustre to the laurels
which crowned his brow as journalist and
editor. His health continuing to fail him,
he was enforced to resign the editorial chair.
which be bad filled with ability for FIVE
years, ard in January, 1878, returned to
Winchester. He never afterwards assumed
the editorial functions. In 1879 he removed
to the town of Culpeper, in the county of
the same name; in 1850 he was elected
Mayor, and in the same year was appointed
elector on the readjuster electoral ticket.
Judge Mesds was opposed to Two Hancock
electoral tickets, but gave his consent to
serve, it being assured that the electors were
pledged to vote for Hancock for President.
Judge Meafe had never claimed to be
democrat. His glory was in being whig,
of the old line. of the unaduterated stock,
'as his fathers before him were," and being
such, after the war of secession had ended,
he co.operated with wings, democrats and
liberal republicans, as the conservative par
ty of Virginia, and never voted with the re.
publican party. As conservative. be cor.
daily co operated with the readjuster party
on the question of the State debt, regarding
readjustment as the only means of ayer.iDg
reputation. When this party and the re.
publican party were amalgamated into one,
be took sides with the democratic party.
10 al! of his political career he was ever
moderate, conservative and liberal towards
those who differed with him in opinion. He
never invaded the amenities due from one to
another gentleman. He was never harsh
in his judgment of others, nor offensive in
word or bearing to political opponents.
t. lo, IL ;,,A- Il