Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1897-12-23

IIe'y, WHICH, however, much as 1t
tried his temper, failed 10 produce an
, alteration in his manner of dress
ing. He was u firm advocate of the
English law of primo. .geniture, and
believed so strongly in Keeping prop
erty intact that he could never he
induced to part with foot of his
large landed estates.
Randolph's habit of keeping aloof
from the world at large caused him
to make few intimate friends, but
those who were privilcdgcd with his
confidence felt for him a depth ofai
tachment that could scarce be meas.
ured, One of his friends was Francis
Scott Key, author of the "Star
Spangled Banner" with whom he
Kept up long and voluminous cor
respondence, which was published
some time since.
JOHN RANDOLPH'S ROMANCE.
a sketch of the Virginia states
man, recently published in the Phil
ddelphiG Times, contains this little
romance: In the life of John Ran
dolph was romance, around which
has always lowered a mystery quite
in accord with the rest of his strange
career. On a plantation near his
mothers home lived Maria Ward, a
young girl of wonderful beauty.
tanned as the belle of her day in the
State. All the wild devotion in
Randolph's nature was concentrated
on his beautiful neighnOr, and finally
they became betr0thed. One day.
however, they parted after q long,
solemn interview, and from that
time never met when possible to
avoid 1T, though their interest in each
other seemed unabated. Neither of
them could ever be induced to ex-
plain the strange occurrence. In
after years Miss Ward married his
cousin, Peyton Randolph, and at her
death left sealed package Of letters,
with solemn injunctions that il
should be kept unopened and given
to her daughter, then 3 years old,
when she should be of age. This
package, il is thought, explained the
reasons of the broken engagement,
but the executors concluded the
papers were too sacred to chance the
uncertainties of so many years and
burned them unopened, destroying
solving the mystery.
John RandolpN re-entered Con
gress in 1915, being at the time in
very bad health, and despite the fact
that he suffered to an alarming ex-
tent the balance of his life, he took a
prominent part in politics. He op-
posed the national bank bill, the
tariff, the Missouri compromise and
numerous other measures of impor-
tance which were brought forward.
He cared little for the approval or
dIsapproVal of any individual and
upheld his opinion i'm spite Of every
one. He was passonately devoted
to his State. This sentiment, i'm
deed, ruled him, and even his enc.
mics could not but admire ii in him
His chief political efforts were eX.
erted for States rights in opposition
10 most OF the party leaders Of the
day, who favored strong central
government.
Studying his life, one becomes i'm
pressed with the fact 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 the State.
IN THE 1929 CONVENTION.
Randolph took a brilliant part in
the famous Virginia convention of
1929, where the greatness of his in
tellect and eloquence was conspicu.
Gus even in an assembly composed of
such men as Monroe, Madison and
Marshall. A few months before his
death the country was thrown into
great excitement by Andrew Jack
sons proclamation to enforce the
tariff law. Randolph, though i'll in
bed at the time, opposed this so bit
terly that he insisted on being lifted
into his coach and driven from
county to county, where he adj
dressed the people with all the ear
nessness Of dying man. His dis
trict Immediately adopted resoIu-
tions condemning the proclamation
as an infringement upon the rights
OF the States, and the effect of the
eloquence spreading abroad had
great influence in bringing about the
compromise bill of 1888. This last
powerful stroke for the cause for
which the powers of his genius and
eloquence had been so constantly ex-
erted seemed 10 form a fitting end
to the life of John Randolph. He
died June "a, 1888, at the City Hoiel,
in Philadelphia, where he had gone
to set sail for England. On his way
there he passed through Washing
ton, 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.
After his death Randolph's body
was brought to the old homestead,
in this State, and buried under the
pines Of Roanoke in the midst of
that solitude which he loved SO well
during life. Many years later
about ten years ago-hiS relatives
decided to remove his remains to
Hollywood. This was done at the
joint expense of a number of the
kinspeople of the statesman, chief
among whom was John Randolph
Bryan. The reinterment was made
privately, only few persons being
witnesses to the solemn CEREMONY
Richmond Dispatch.
APPROPRIATE.-A Clergyman fa-
nous tor his begging abilities was
once catechising Sunday school.
When comparing himself-the pas
tor of a church-to a shepherd and
his congregation to the sheep, he put