The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-08-30
GENERAL EPPA RUNl0N,
LAWYER, SOLDIER, sTATEsMAN-A
son OF OLD VIRGINIA.
His Career OF Manliness and Integrity
Of which his Country may
Well be Proud.
Communicated.

/
gnla and Gen. Eppa Hunton, on the
occasion OF the latter's appointment 10
the United States Senate. il seems ft-
ting that the public OF our State should be
| advised at this time OF the high esteem in
| which their distinguished Senator Is held
| by the country, and OF the value or the
/ services he has rendered the Democratic
| party.
| l must be permitted to add that Gen.
| Hunton during the brief period In which
| he has occupied the position Of United
| States Senator from Virginia has demon
| strated the justice Of the eulogy Of the
brilliant correspondent. and has so i'm
pressed himself upon the Senate that he
| is recognized as one Of its strongest
| and most effective members. Experienced
| and aggressive. he eXerts an influence IN
| the Senate that ordinarily can be only
| obtained after long service in that body;
practical and vigorous, he has addressed
himself TO measures for the material
benefit OF Virginia, and it is conceded that
the large appropriation for the naval
| parade at Norfolk was mainly procured
through his untiring and sagacious
efforts, and thus was assured the eXpen-
diture of thousands OF dollars among our
people: diligent, earnest, sincere and re-
liable he has acquired a standing In the
departments Of the government that has
enabled him 10 advance the interests OF
many Of his constituents. and VIII be
1udciously exercised for the promouon
Of others desiring position.
II has been the usage OF Virginia to
eyalt her public men who have proven
faithful TO the trust committed 10 them
and efficient in the discharge Of their
duties. by continuing them IN her service.
and II is recognized that this wise policy
sa4N4t "a
in Congress. that they acquired re-
nown for themselves and their state,
and were power in the country beyond
the strength of their numbers. Ability,
educated by experience I'm poiity and poll
tics. and guided by honor and courage
creates the statesman for greatest use
fuiness, and / dare to say that Gen
Hunton possesses this combination TO
n degree that cannot be surpassed in this
State. and that Will enable him, In CO.
operation with his grand colleague, 10
maintain the great name won for her in
the Senate by the illustrious men of
the days of her glory.
PIEDMONT.
There is nobody in Washington who
does not hail with delight the appoint
ment Of Gen. Eppa Hunton to the va
cancy I'm the Federal Senate occasloned
by the death of the late Mr.. Barbour
Gen. Hunton is n typical Nirsinian or
the old school. And what race was
that! The Ola Dominion gave to the
world Washington and jefferson and Lee
For seventy years Virginia ideas MAIN
taired in the councils Of the NaHon. Inc
Virginia gentleman is the gentles', the
bravest. tn. simplest of human creatures
Honest and credulous himself ne sus-
IL, In fh hone
the rebellion Of seventy-siX, the backbone
OF the rebellion of sixty-one, more luster
clusters about the name Virginia than
any other name pronounced by Amerl-
cans. The grand Old Dominion splendid
ly illustrates all that her brilliant sons
conceived In the coup,et:
1.-The glory that was Greece,
And the grandeur that was Rome"
Forty years ago Eppa Hunton was the
humbiest and most modest struggling
young lawyer at the bar Of Eastern Nir-
ginia. AS a boy he had killed squirrels
and trapped rabbits on the ground that
was afterward to become historic as Bull
Runs bank and Manassas Cross Road.
He loved Virginia as the chiyalry that
fell at Pavia loved France; he loved her
sterile sands as the peasant OF Aisne
loves the soil OF France. When Virginia
cast her fortunes with the South HuntOn
entered her armies private, and, four
years later, at Appomattox, ne sur
rendered Major commission.
In all those four years OF blood ana IRON,
whether in the ranks or in the field, ne
was always where duty called him, Illus
trating the courage, the fortitude, the
heroism of Virginia chivalry, as stead
fast as the most fanatic Puritan
ism. After all was over he returned 10
his law Office and began life anew. Soon
he was sent 10 Congress and that body
he illumlned by his splendid intellect and
his profound knowledge Of the law. So
conspicuous was he for legal attachments
that the Democrats chose him as one
OF the Electoral Commission; but his
sound opinions fell on deaf ears, organ
lied as the tribunal was 20 ind n frau
dulent judgment. OF that commission,
composed Of eight Republicans and seven
Democrats, six Democrats survive and
five Republicans are dead.
1t must be consOling TO every Repub-
lican that the ground Of the opinion de-
clarIng Hayes elected was the Rights
Of the States. and it carried the doctrine
OF States Rights 10 a length tina,
would have made swim the head Of John
G. Calhoun and the Breckenridge that
drafted the Resolutions Of Ninety eight
In the Forty-fourth Congress Gen.
p
Committee and had charge OF the in
vestigation of those interesting epistles
Of Jim the Penman, known as the Null
ligan letters. few months before
Blaine had gained all Southern hearts
by defeating the Force bill, evolved out
of the boundless mallgnity OF Ben But
Ter; but a few weeks before Blaine had
cancelled the obligation by waving
the bloody shirt as no one ever waved IT
before or since. When the Mulligan let
ters came out and Congress set about
constituting them. Blaine, with an ef
frontery that might well have extorted
applause from the devil himself, threw
off the role Of the culprit and assumed
that OF the prosecutor, and in John Gil
pin style he played Il. Congress sat
staring like a stuck pig while Blaine
read II and its Judiciary Committee a
lecture on honesty. morality and decency.
This was the scene. or one OF the scenes,
Bob Ingerson had in his fancy when ne
spoke of plumed Knights and shining
lances and things In the Cincinnati con-
ventton Of 1876 just before the lights
went out. But there was one calm
sedate, imperturbable lawyer on the Jul
dietary Committee that Blaine's buster
and bullying operated on as a sprinkle
on a ducks back. He rose as soon as
Blaine concluded and I'm n few plain
blunt, simple sentences gave the House q
piece of his mind that convinced It there
was something rotten I'm Denmark and
made 1T necessary for Blaine 10 have a
sunstrOke next day That grim old
lawyer was Eppa Hunton, and he has
raised the standard OF the United States
Senate In both manhood and Intellectual