Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-04-12
VIRGINIA In 1S2O-3O.
EXTRACTS FROM 1.-THE SECTIONAL
STRUGGLE ey C. w. HARRIS.
John Randolph In Dsbsss-virsinis Con-
stitutionai Convention-scuthamp
ton Insurrcetior.
rHxsracss from advance sheets Of "The secfiona
Struggle furnished 70 the DfSaAfcH by the
..sh<~ r. Nl<~ro Marta


rExtracss from advance sheets Of Tbs secfiona
Struggle furnished 70 the DfsfAfcH BY the
author, Mr.. Cicero W. Harriet
Less influential, more phenomenal than
either of these % was the Virginian orator
Of that time. the statesman who delighted
most in opposing his own party, while
stranuopslv fighting tho enemy. John Ran
dolph of. Roanoke, from infancy to his
death.bed scene was riddle to himself
and his friends, swooning In passion be-
fore he was four years old; bis
| FIRST book, yoltaire's Life OF Charles XII.
followed by the arabian Nights and the
Wizard Plays OF Shakespeare; CD seeing at
seventeen years OF age "the poison under
the Constitutions wings"; (3Q hating JEFF
ferson, the sage and founder ofhis own sys-
TEN of political thought; an ardent Re-
publican, who loved madly the England,
which was then ut the further pole from
republicanism an orator who could
entrance, startie and alarm. but who could
not confne himself to the question---could
such human medley and spiritual mon:
strosIty be other than what he seemed, and
was both 10 himself and outer humanity?
| To much that was grotesque, If not eft
fective. Randolph added at times
the simplicity, strength and grandeur
| Of truly great character. Lean, long, Sc
pulchrally bony, with look from another
world, q voice of contrasts-now sweet.
| like the low notes of the flute. then stri-
dent as the scream of the eagle-a man
ner best indicated by the historical ges-
| ture of the attenuated forefngcr. this man
presented figure such as had never before
| him been seen in any American Congress.
| He who was so precise in his quotations
| from the classics. SO copious and over
whelming in diction, was attentive 20 the
minutest points of household and planta-
| ton economies. His method and neatness
there was remarkable. ~ The lone man,
| dwelling in forest with his dogs and &c,
centre thoughts for company; the withered
congressman. grouping around his cnalr
the forms of friend and enemy, all intent
| on the words, half wise, half absurd, now
flowing and beautiful. anon vehe;;
ment and rugged. as his mood
would change. This fitful contrast
struck the bystander as nothing else IN
public life could have impressed him.
Kind to his slaves. he was odictator to his
equals. CD Eccentric to blasphemy, as
when he told the clergyman who was pray
ing at his request to his servants, stop,
sir, IL you pray after that manner God Al
mighty will damn us both" lie was at
other moments reverential and tender in
his reverence as q woman. Even the sanity
of this extraordinary man has never been
settled beyond question.
THE VIRGINIA CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION.
lS29j30.
In the Virginia Constitutional Conven-
ton the subject of slavery was discussed
in its bearing on the question Of represen-
tation In the Legislature. The body was
organized on the 5th Of October. Mr..
Madison having declined the honor, Mr..
Monroe was chosen president mem. CON-,
and was conducted to his seat by Messrs.
Madison and Marshall. Co OF ninety
members elected all except six were pres
ent on the first day. The convention pro-
ceeded daily with its task OF forming o
new Constitution for the State. 1t was a
body OF men, most OF whom were eminent
for services TO the State and nation, OF
great dignity, character, and Intelligence,
"a and the proceedings throughout the
long session were notable Tor tnelr
order and harmony. OF the committee
of twenty-four appointed on the 7th OF
October nearly every, member, was an
eminent man. Among these members were
Madison, Marshall. Randolph, GILES,
Roane, farewell, and John Y. Mason.
The principal difficulty of the conven-
ton was the equalization of burdens on
slave property and its connection with rep
resentation. (8) The report of the legls--
lative committee was made on the 24tb or
October. Propositions were offered Tor
free white suffrage and for free suffrage for
those twanty-three years old. ~, General de-
bate opeued two days later. The speeches.
of Messrs. Cooke and Green on the
9th of October indicate fairly. the tenn
per and ability of the discussion.
The former gentleman advocated the basis
of an exclusive white representation, and
insisted that 1t was in accordance with the
principles of Jefferson. which he and his
compeers could not carry out, but when
could at last be rendered effective. bis
argument was from the natural justice 10
the civic policy. Green contended that
there could be no objection to such a basis
if the majority had an interest In always
doing what was right. But the danger was
in tho steady increase of the non-property-
holding classes At later day 1t was said
that Incorporation fora white representa-
ton was as old as 1890. Among the speak
ers were Messrs. Upsbur and Doddridge,
the latter for and the former against ex-
elusive white representation. Z. z. Bar
hour seemed to demonstrate that II
the argument from the Bill of Rights
and the law of nature were correct then
the emancipation of the slaves would fol-
low as necessary consequence. Win
characteristic severity OF logic he asked,
"ls il not q solecism to say that rights
which have their bearing only as conse-
ouence of government are TO be controlled
by principles depending on state OF
things antecedent TO government" MIR.
Monroe deplored divisions on the subject
of representation and favored white
basis for the House OF Delegates and
mixed basis for the Senate. On November
sd Naylor lamented the evil OF slavery,
but declared that he was opposed to I'M
mediate emancipation. Leigh said Q few
days later that slave-owners demanded
the same security for their property that
the South did of the North in the Constl-
tuition. Governor Giles averred that ms
feelings were much excited. by the
mere allusion in Mr.. Monroe's speech
TO the possibility of the Federal
Government rendering aid in the emanci-
patton of slaves. Randolph spoke against
the white basis on the 14th of November.
Madison and Monroe preferred the white
basis for the House of Delegates and the
Federal basis for the Senate. Marshall and
Leigh the Federal basis for both houses. (9)
Leigh's proposition providing for
Federal basis for the House OF Delegates,
which was rejected, was like several Others,
among them Pleasants's for Senate on the
white and House Of Delegates on the
Federal basis. The fight now seemed to
be between the plans of Upshur and Cook {;
the Federal basis In both houses,
or only in the Senate. Q0l Cooke and
some of his party bad modified their de-
mand, but others refused TO accept less
than a white basis for both House and
Senate. Somewhat later Upshur support
ed resolutions offered by Gordon, which
were different from his own in the proper
ton OF members allowed the eastern and
western sections of the State, the Blue
Ridge being the dividing line. But the
whole question of apportionment was re-
ferred TO the committee on the final draft,
of which Madison vas chairman. up The
subject excited much attention in the
closing DAYS of the session. The new Con-
stitution was adopted on the l4th OF Janu-
airy. 1880.
THE SOUTHAMPTON SsuRREoTIoS-EMAscI-
PATTON DEBATE In THE VIRGINIA LEGIsLA-
TURR.
Precautions against q seryile insurrec-
ton in certain localities of the southern
States were spoken of IN previous chap
ter. Such safeguards had not, up to the
events about to be recorded, been
taken in Virginia. The white PEG,
ME of that Commonwealth sustained
somewhat different relations with their
servants from those sustained by
o. .Iaya hoidara of the far South with