Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1895-09-06
DEATH OF Ex- SENATOR IF. LEWIS.

DEATH OF EX-SENATOR J. F. LEWIS
HE PASSES AWAY. AT HIS HOME
ON MONDAY.
Hon. John Francis Lewis. Union mem
ber of the Secession Convention OF Virgin
ia, twice Lieutenant Governor OF the State
once it's representative in the United
States Senate, and once U. S. Marshal fol
the Western District. died at his home
near Port Republic, on Monday last. aftel
long illness, accompanied by much suffer
ing.
Mr.. Lewis was born in 1918 where his
| life ended in 1895. He was son Of Gen
Sam 4 Fl. Lewis, and married Serena Helen
daughter of Daniel Sheffey, of Augusta
| He was a brother-in-law of Rev. j. e.
Wheat, D. D.. who married his sister; was
a brother Of the late Charles F. Lewis, q
S. Minister to Portugal, and half-brothel
Of Judge Lunsford L. Lewis, OF the old
Court of Appeals.
For man who was little of politician
in the commonly accepted sense OF the term,
his public life has been a remarkable one.
He was an old line Wing before the war in
that Democratic stronghold, Rockingham,
and was the especial friend and admirer OF
John Minor Bolts, the great Wing leader
OF that period. In the excited times pre-
ceding the war he was a pronounced Union
man, and fearless one. just before the
election of delegates from his county to
what proved to he the Secession Convention
Of the State, he wrote an article for a Rock
ingham paper, signed Honor" in which
he protested with vigor against Virginia
taking any step looking to a dissolution Of
the Union. 1t was this article more than
anything else that attracted the opponents
of Secession in his county to him as a can
didate for the Convention, and he was NOM
mated and elected to the Convention, his
colleagues being A. s. Gray and DR.. Sam ]
Cofman. In the Convention he was Il per-
sistent opponent OF Secession, and when the
ordinance was at last passed, refused to put
his signature to it, being the only member
east of the Alleghanies who refused. When
the war, which he had predicted, came on,
he remained at home, taking no part in it.
| When the war was over, MI. Lewis, with
an increased hatred for the Democratic
party, to whom he attributed it, but with
a yet greater solicitude for Virginia, was
; among the first to look around for some
way Of restoration. He entered public life
by running for Congress in 1865 as Re
publican, and was defeated by Hon.A H H
Stuart, who, however, was not admitted tc
the House. When what was called the
"True Republican" movement was begun
and the Democratic State ticket which had
been nominated was withdrawn, he was on
the former ticket for Lieutenant Governor
with Gilbert S. Walker for Governor, in
1869. The ticket was elected over the Rad
ical Republican ticket headed by III. H.
Welles, by an overwhelming majority, and
the legislature was as overwhelmingly Dem.
ocratic. 1t was this legislature that elect
ed two U. s. Senators, ohm +. Lewis, OF
the Valley, and Judge Johnston, of the
Southwest.
In the Senate Mr.. Lewis took his place
with the Republicans and Mr.. Johnston
with the Democrats. After his term ex.
pired, in 1875, he was made U. S. Marshal
in 1877, for the Western District of Vir.
ginia, by President Grant. At that time
he was one of half dozen men who had alb
solute control of the Virginia Republican
party, then in hopeless minority as far as
State matters were concerned.
In 1879, when the Readjuster party ap
peared. Mr.. Lewis saw an opportunity tc
defeat his old enemy, the Democracy. in
the State. He advocated fusion of the
Republican with the Readjuster party, and
at the Republican State Convention in
Staunton was the leading spirit on that
side. He was beaten by Gen. W1ckham on
the straight-out Republican side, for the
time, but it was not long before his views
were adopted and the two united. The
ticket of the fusion was Cameron for Gov.
ernor, Lewis for Lieutenant Governor and
Frank Blair for Attorney General, and it
carried the State. When the fusion legis.
lature came to elect U. s. Senators it was
naturally thought Lewis would be one, the
existence Of the fusion being largely due te
his efforts, more largely than to any othel
Republican, but by that time Gen. Malone
a very different sort Of politician from Mr.
Lewis, was well in the saddle and distrib
7, ,1 tho Sonatnrchipc fn emit bi,,ocoIf vThore
could hardly have been two men more wide
ly differing in their political methods thar
Malone and Lewis. and they had never
gotten on without some friction, which
finally broke out on Lewis part into oper
war-a war which largely contributed tx
the final downfall of Malone.
Since the end of the Malone party, MI
Lewis has had little to do with public mat
tiers. An incurable disease, borne witt
courageous endurance. has been source Of
great pain to him for years. and finally end
ed his life. 1t was a life which had beer
lived for many years before the public eye
and which even his bitterest political op
ponents have always admitted to be clear
and honorable life. Having held many Of
fees of high trust, he died with clean hands
and with no more of this worlds goods
than were his before he started. He leave.
to his widow and children all honorable
name, which was never dragged in the mir'
even in the mad strife Of politics. He was
fearless man, physically and morally, ani
| did honor to his distinguished ancestry whl
fought the early battles Of Colonial Virgin
ia. 10 say that he was not adapted tt
modern politics, is nothing to his discredit
| MI. Lewis leaves a widow. three sons, D
S. Lewis. of Harrisonburg, Saml H. Lewis
OF Washington. and John F. Lewis, Jr., Of
| LynWOOd. and four daughters. Mrs. Pen