The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1899-01-29
LITERARY GOSSIP.

JOHN RANDOLPH or ROANOKE,
THE PATRIOT SERIES 40. Q, by
Professor Richard Heath DaDney, NJ.
| A.. Pm. d.. professor of Historical ana
Economic Science University OF Viz
ginia. The University Association
Chicago
This book is Of about 100 pages Of
! clear. large type. and emhelilsned with
! % appropriate pictures and illustrations,
is the first number we have seen of this
| series.
When one considers the extraordinary
| nature Of John Randolph, Of Roanoke,
| and the place he occupied In the public
| eye for more than thirty years, the sue
/ cess with which Professor Dabncy has
/ condensed the salient features OF tine
| personal character and political power Of
! the man will Dee appreciated. a salts
| factory review Of the book would almost
/ involve fits reproduction. There is u0ne
| of 90 which one would wish 10 leave orr.
( How great am impression Mr. Randolph
J left can bee IN some measure understood
| from the fact that to-day his sayings are
constantly repeated and there is more
tradition about him among the people
! than about any other Virgnian. alive or
dead Ills character will always DE as
much q subject Of controversy as the
sanity of Hamlet and his NE will con-
| tinue 10, be- the glittering thread upon
which can De strung the leading histori-
cal events of the period ia which he was
an actor.
Prof. Dahney himself a State rights
man. was no doubt cramped for space or
boy his pubishers-mOst likely the lat
term unfolding fully the principles and
the facts which underlay The contention
of the Southern States. lie cites. how
ever the principles of the party then
called Republican but now Democratic
which Mr.. Randolph espoused. and which
he declared % be "lOyo " peace hatred
OF offensive war. jealousy of the state
governments toward the general govern
mcnt and the influence of the executive
government over the coordinate branches
of government. hatred OF standing
armies, a loathing Of public debt, taxes
aud excuses tenderness for the liberty
of the citizen. Jealousy argus-eyed jeal-
ousy OF the patronage Of the President
How he rings out the principles Of
Democracy we would now rejoice 10 see
prevail. I'm respect to excessive legisla-
ton. he said Give me nifty speeches. !
care not how dun or stupid. rather than
Ills power lay not merely 100 bic intel
lcct. his marvellous gift Of eloquencc but
in his absolute fcarlessness. Z Senator
Benton said of him. agony and fear We're
the sensations which he aroused I'm Con-
gress.'
Tie hated corruption in AN its forms.
and in specifying the different sorts OF
corruption said. There SIS 81 corruption
OF interest. that D. number One; there is
q corruption OF umidiW which consists
in men not saying what they ihink. that
is number two. there is the corruption OF
court innuence-Of party-and there Is
I the corruption of irreconcilable personal
auimosity. corruption which will enc
gage % man 10 go 40 lengths 600 iniure
him whom he hates and dispises. or
rather. whom bee cannot dispise because
. ne hates"
Mr. Randolph would never COM
promise himself SO far as TO ask Of the
executive the appointment or removal TO
.r from any office OF any individual"
HOW incredible this statement must ape
pear 10 those whose time is taken mp iu
appealing for patronage and whose
greatest claim 20 the position of states
. man is the number OF offices they have
secured for their constituents
Upon the great subject which was then
deeply agitating tho country, African
Slavery. Mr.. Randolph was an emancipa-
ZIONIST. Following the example Of his
brother Richard. whose will. published
I'm 1879. was "A furious philippe against
slavery. he set his 800 slaves free But
he abhOrrci the ab0liti0nist. the reckless.
unconstitutional Bible-hating agltator
even more than De did negro slavery.
Tie denounced the slave auctions in Wash
uet0n as "the most ncfarous the most
disgraceful, most Internal traffic that
ever stained the annals OF the human
race" But Doe also said OF slavery that
&c was "a disease which must not be-
tempered with hy quacks' and said the
disease would run It's course. 1T has
yum its course I'm the northern States. 10
is beginning 90 run Its course in Mary
land" How true that prediction WAS
those Of us who have seen the friehtful
results Of the armed quacks dealing with
slavery now know by experience. In
initely better would f. have been
10 have let the disease run it's
course. and for the natural power Of self
interest. Of humanity. OF public opinion.
20 have gradually removed that awful
burden from the South. than TO have suf-
fered the incalculable sacrifices which r.
norance and fanaticism brought upon this
country. sacrifices which are not yet
ended.
Mr. Raudolphs singicness Of heart in
his devotion 90 Virginia has set an ex-
ample and stimulated q noble sentiment
viii u every young Nirginian would DO
wen TO follow Nothing adds SO much
90 the dignity Of citizen or the glory of
the land Of his birth as the intensity Of
his devotion 20 that land and IT'S people.
IL would be- the merest folly 10 speak OF
true Vlrginian pretending 10 have the
same feeling about Maine or Arizona or
any other state that he has about his
native state. and those who think that
the United States is one great country,
an Of which is equally dear are either
infinite in their patriotism or have never
felt any. OF Mr. Randolph Whittier has
said.
Too honest or too proud TO claim
love he never cherished
Beyond Virginia's border-line his pa
triotism persisted.
This was no doubt an eXagseratloh or
poetic license. but IL emphasizes a great
H