The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-12-11

strange occurrence. In after years Miss
Ward married his cousin, Peyton Ran
dolph, and at her death left sealed pack
age of letters, with solemn injupctions
that it should be kept unopened and given
to her daughter. then three years old,
when she should be of age. This pack
age, it is thought, explained the reasons
of the broken engagement, but the execu-
tors concluded the papers were too sacr Sd
to chance the uncertainties of SO many
years, and burned them unopened, des-
troy.ng at the same time all chances of
ever solving the mystery.
John Randolph rs-entered Congress in
1916, and though the i'll health from
which he suffered all his life had in
creased to an alarming extent. he took o
prominent part in politics. He opposed
the National Bank bill, the tariff, the
missouri compromise and numerous other
important measures whieh were brought
forward: He upheld his opinions in de.
lance OF everyone, caring little for the
approval or disapproval of those around
MIN. Ihe sentiment which ruled him
was passionate devotion to his State,
Wnlcn even his enemies could but admire;
his chief political efforts were exefted for
States rights in opposition to most OF
the party leaders of the day, who favored
strong central government. In STUDYING
his life one finds that his most fiery
shafts and bitterest taunts were directed
not SO much against his own enemies as
against those whom he considered the
foes Of his State. Neither fattery nor
threat nor favor could turn him from
this all-absorbing theme,
Randolph took brilliant part in the
famous Virginia convention of 1929,
where the greatness of his intellect and
eloquence was conspicuous even in an as
! sembly composed of such men as Monroe,
Madison and John Marshall. A few
months before his death the country was
thrown into great excitement by Andrew
Jackson's proclamation to enforce the
tariff law. Randolph, though Ill in bed
at the time, opposed this SO bitterly that
he insisted ON being lifted into his coach
and driven from county to county, where
he addressed the people with all the earn
estness Of dying man. His district i'm
mediately adopted resolutions condemn
ing the proclamation as an infringement
upon the rights of the States, and the
effect Of his eloquence spreading abroad
had great influence In bringing about the
compromise bill of 1888. This last pow.
erful stroke for the cause for which the
powers of his genius and eloquence had
been so constantly exertsd seemed to
form fitting end to the life of John
Randolph. He died June "a, 1888, at the
City Hotel in Philadelphia, where ne
had gone to set sail for England. On his
way there he passed through Washington.
and dragging his emaciated body with
difficulty to the Senate chamber again
met Henry Clay. The former enemies
had a touching interview and parted. for
the last time, In peace and good will.
Randolph was carried to Virginia and
buried under the pines of Roanoke in the
midst of that solitude which he had al
ways craved in life. Many years later his
remains were removed to Hollywood
Cemetery In Richmond, and handsome
monument placed over them by John
Bryan.
In making the removal it was found
that his body was buried no less than
eight feet in the ground; the triple lead
coffin was with difficulty removed, as the
roots of an old oak had burst 1t asunder
and wrapped round and round his body
holding him in long embrace close to
the State he had loved SO well.