Birmingham age-herald., 1894-08-31
MATTERS OF HISTORY.
RANDOLPH, THE VETERAN PATRIOT, AND
 HENRY, THE ORATOR.

hANDoLfh, THE VETERAN PAtAlUT, ANY HENRY, THE ORATOR. To the Age Herald:
 If the editor will permit me must admit the justness of the correction of "S. WI in the issue of Wednesday. But only in | tended to say that John Randolph defeated Patrick Henry in their joint debate, the former being then a candidate for congress. Henry was induced to stand for the state senate for the express purpose of com passing the defeat of Randolph for con. gress and other Jefferson :ad candidates on the earliest of democratic platforms.
 To an unfortunate reluctance to revise one's own manuscript must be charged, in this case, a failure to connect intelligibly the facts intended to be conveyed, but which "S. WI has kindly made plain without loss to your readers.
 The general subject being now revived, venture to transcribe from Percy Greg's 8 History of the United States some eloquent passages on Randolph. This work, by the way is the same which Gen. s. D. Lee so enlogized at the late reunion. Quoting Whiltier's paraphrase on Randolph:
 Bard, sage and tribunel in himself
 All moods of mind contrasting
 The terderest vail of human woe,
 The scorn of lightning blastingS
 The pathos that from the rival eyes
 Unwilling tears could summon;l
 The stinging taunt the fiery burst
 Of hatred hardly human.
 Mirth sparkling like diamond shown
 From lips of lifelong sadness;
 Clear picturings Of majestic thou ght
 Upon ground of madness
 The historian now proceeds: "When a few years before the position taken by his mother state at Jefferson's lnstigation seemed to threaten the disruption of the union, the federalists had appealed to the most resolute and most distinguished of their original opponents, the greatest of revolutionary orators and agitators, Patrick Henry. The veteran patriot and anti jed eralist, had responded to the call, delivered q passionate harangue against disun1on and cival war, and menaced his revolted countrymen with an army led by Washing ington himself. His eloquence and his au- thority quelled for moment the stormy audience who looked to him as their natural leader. John Randolph, youth of 26, unknown in politics, spraug foward to confront the man he reyered az his political teacher and father, and with passionate fervor denounced the unconstitutional measures of tn government, the insoleut menace, the tyran ical invasion of the self same rights. which Virginia, with Henry at her head, had maintained against all the power of England. He restored the convictions, reused the pride and revived the courage of the startled and dismayed multitude and carried the threatening resolutions in the teeth of the great orator. At the next eIec- tion his district sent Randolph to Congress, and never but once during his long, cratic and melancholy life did his constituents desert him.''
 Garland's "Life of Randolph," two volumes, gives full and graphic account of the scene at the memorable debate in Charlotte between the rising and the setting sun of Virginia, and relates the ex- pressions of Benry's surprise and admira- lion of his youthful assailant. Greg ought to be read by every southerner, but there will be many der murrers to thelestimate he makes upon not few of our historic southern characters. l. w. D.