The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-06-27
ON "EDITORS OF THE PAST"
Continued from Second Page.)

naturally claar. just mind. to the domin-
ion of an irascihle temper.
Tho patrick Henry Society met and
debated In the library room ] have identi-
fed. which was. by means Of a sort OF
f~olding-sofa then In use our Librarians
only amt IL was humhlatlnSly ob-
sorvahie that. ordinarily, this officer paid
little attentIou 10 our debates. There
was Ground for the suspicion that what
over attention he gave them. from n par
tally curtained corner OF the room in
which ne was usually ensconced, wai
moro contemntuous than deferential. Yet
he dfd vouchsafe his countenance 10 some
~ the members. Among these was his
lifetime friend. Henry y. Washington. az
forwards Professor in William and Mary
College. n still later, the Congressional
editor Of tho works OF lhomas Jefferson
ON one occasion. I'm the winter OF 1871,
| myself. then 4 stranger 10 Mr.. Daniel,
delivered an hours haringue 10 an audi
ence Of fen young mrn, In justification
Of tho n5icv pursuci by the United States
towards the Republic Of Mexico; and In
maintenance OF our right 20 hold Call
forni. Of ce,era as Indemnity for the past
and security for the future. The subject
was then most ecregiously haCkneyed by
the newspapers and the politicians. ! was
unpleasantiy. ! may say somewhat gull
] INV nHfTIIHIEILF lNANN n NML h||NAAAn NtI
Librarian an undue length OF time from
some one OF his f~avorite authors. Swift.
Hazlett. Fonilanque or Thackeray, and
expocfcd a reproachiul sc0wl at the con-
I ciueion. was surprised after my long
discourse mad made a finish OF the meet
ing. when Mr.. Daniel approached me. say
ing that 7 had given them an inform
ing" address. and declared that he had
listened 20 every word / had spokert
This was the beginning Of an intimacy
interrupted only by his absence in Europe.
which continued until his death.
HIS EARLY LIFE.
He was born and reared I'm the county
Of Stafford. which lies between Frede-
ricksburg and the Potomac River. He
had lost his mother IN early bOyhood. His
father was a physician and a man OF in
teIioct. education and strong force OF
character. This father. a country
practitioner. had evidently devoted
much time and care TO the edu-
] cation OF his eldest SON. and had held
education OF Ms eldest son. and had held
him in the relation Of constant cOmpan-
i0nship. He had possessed a large and
well selected library, was himself a Latin
list and student, and encouraged the ma
tural disposition Of his son TO study ana
general reading. It was thus hat I'm early
AAAI NAL HNAA "a N"Z tAAAAA 49,
vOurer Of books which he continued to
be through life. ! doubt II John VI. Dan
J tel ever went 20 a school. | ain OF the
impression that he derived all the instruc-
ton he had received before the death II
his father, n before coming to Rich
mond. from Or. John Daniel. He knew
nothing of the Greek. but was n fair
Latinist, and became more and mot.
thorough in that tongue in after life. es-
] v..f.m. F.-f, III vHFIn..a a. Ft0T.n
His memory was always full Of gratitude
and affection for his father.
lie had come 10 Richmond sometime be-
fore l knew him. He had come 70 reside
with his paternal grand-uncle. the late
Mr.. Justice Peter Y. Daniel. Of the SUI
preme Court OF the United States, whose
wife. then deceased. was a daughter OF
Edmund Randolph. OF Gen. Washlngton's
Cabinet. He was aNectionately treated
by that gentieman's family, and he held
them in sincere esteem. as lie did his
great-un1le in anectionate veneraticn
10 the end of his life. Indeed. he gave
at his death all his property. Except the
Examiner establishment which was con-
siderable, by last will and testament. 10
thai member Of the family who he knew
would faithfully appropriate u TO the
use or those for whose benefit he designed
II. l think there was always an apart
ment IN his great uncle house FOR his
use. and that he spent some OF his leisure
time with the family.
10 was during these vOraci0us readings
IN the Society's Library, that opportunity
was opened 10 him for the great profess
sion Of an editor. Two humble and UNI
pretentious men. Bennett NJ. De Witt and
j. W. Wright. had ra-crscd the entire
eastern half Of the State soliciting sub
scriptions to a Democratic newspa.sr
which they proposed 10 establish. to he
called tho Richmond Examiner. They had
especial talents for enlisting newspaper
subscribers. and had achieved a wonder
full success. On their lists were several
thousand names, and they had thus pre-
pared an audience ready az hand for a
bold. original writer. They had also So
cured the means Of purchasing the ma
terials for a newspaper printing Office
They had excellent experience as print
ers. and Mr.. De Witt. besides some APP
tituGe On the commonplace writing OF a
provincial newspaper. had a wonderfully
EXTENDED personal acquaintance with men
and politicians. But Mr.. De Witt had the
sense soon 10 discover that he was en-
tirely unequal 20 the requirements O.,
metropolitan journalism; especially IN
Richmond. then the focus OF active poll
teal thought for one-half the Union.
on publishing O few issues OF bis paper
he came %instlnctively 70 feel that his
heavy enterprise must fail li be should
not bring an infusion OF genius aud talent
into his columns.
THE EXAMINERS POWER.
Though I well reoollect, l need not
explain, By what accident no CHANGED 10
fan in with Mr.. Daniel. He did secure
his services, n from that day the Ex-
aminor began 10 become or< OF the in
stitutlons Of Virginia. Tie career OF
John VI. Daniel and the Examine began
In 1871. Virginia had found an editor.
IL was conducted as an indepent Demo-
cratic journal Its establishment hrd
been intended as a protest against what
had become the machine politics OF the
Enquirer. The Democratic party Of Viz
ginia was too strong, and embodied too
much talent 10 be dominated by man
ayers inclined 10 treat IL as a machine
and who were accused of employing 1t
I'm the flrtherauce OF special fIvOritos.
There was never a more constitutional
party than that which called itself Demo-
cratic I'm 1917. The Examiner was a
faithful advocate Of constitutional poll
tics. II paid no attention TO the Couven-
tional ideas OF politicians. IL would not
| support a measure OF the Democratic
marty merely because II was such. but,
approving generally The measures OF that
party. II gave them an advocacy. and the
principles on which they were based an
elucilation. bold. original. informing. con
vincinc. Earnest, conscientious and ennec-
tive.