The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1903-09-07

pie believed that he was the most clea
sighted and consistent statesman IL
south ever had.
Between Thomas jefferson and job
Randolph there could never have bee
much In common.
They were relatives, but not so close 6
to be intimate. They both loved book
but In different way. John Randolph
$500 volumes were the companions O
lonely hours, to be read whenever til
whim seized him, and dropped when h
was tired
lie was no student and while his min
was richly stored with the treasures o
literature. he was complete master of n
| subject whatever
irregular. insubordinate impatient o
rule or restraint, such methodist as JEFF
ferson was certain, sooner or later. Il
provoke his captains temper and reckless
| tongue.
But at first, Randolph as house leader
and jefferson as president got on wei
enough. One had to be extremely anxious
for 81 row, indeed, to pick a fuss with
so mild, so ratient so concliatory, SC
adroit a poltiian rs Jefferson
The republican party was young, it
was enjoying the first great victory ii
|
nothing had yet occurred to cause divis-
| ions. and therefore during the first year
| or so of the jefferson administration,
John Randolph, chairman of the ways
| and means committee and house leader
| for the executive, was the most powerful
man III congress.
| He no leader. He was a boss. He
| drove his men iy the force OF his temper
| and the fury OF his tongue. His pointed
| finger was lsnce his wit sword of
| fire Still, the party being obedient, the
president supreme and Randolph ortho-
dox, he was elective He put admins
tration measur@ through under whip and
spur So long as he spoke in the name
of the party ie was Irresistible. Men
might curse nm in their hearts, but
they dared MOI vote against him
But troubles arose. There was the
Impeachment c Judge Chase in which
the president lad thrown out no aid and
comfort to tie prosecution. Randolph
had caught a ard fall, and been sorely
bruised, and 10 presidential balm was
forthcoming hen there was the Yazoo
fraud bushes wherein the state of
Georgia had lot, srough a bribed legis-
lature, 100000 acres of land, and where
in James Madison Matthew Lyon and
other promin0t republicans had in
dorsed a propoitoa to let the land COM
panies have 100000 acres, in compro-
mise, as compensation TO alleged innocent
purchasers. Randolph could see no inno-
cence in any purchaser of this YaZoo |
land, and his wrath famed fiercely |
against ComprNnie and compromisers. |
He denounced Lyo, and Lyon denounced |
him; he denouncet Madison, and the sec
rotary Of state (tr4d him. lie denounced |
u1a~on Grangeihe cabinet officer who |
had taken n from the land compa- :
mes and was kping TO push the com
promise throua,
~ tuX We must admire Ran
uoipi' ""u Ahize with him. He had
zen ~ 80 Nlring the Yazoo agita~
eioii' "'iu about it. He knew
.""' Nration had corrupted
tiie 'es son" e'i Aerpetrated a tremen
1o"S P''Ne ~ Nry. He may have
- 80 - M Aisvile, Ga. when
@ $50 W, in the presence
Tue ~ kislature. all the
S.ate yam No. CO. altitude of private
" fwn fire from
n'"Nr" W Slass and burnt
nc tAt any rate, he
lsi' ',i'' VIC the state of
Hcoi !" Ai"u TiOus and had
and repudiated, that tnt on,,,d i.,
question of innocent pure ao,,.,,,,,,
ing this land-no matter \ $500 80,
eral judge might say
The heat, the violence. "a zi4>
which Randolph manifested ~. on,,4
against the Yazoo corrupuo
his credit. :
AS an honest man and fe
gresham he staked his poitk,, 5
the issue--combatting Madisol 80 va E
son, Lyon, Granger and everyi NJ ~, r
who refused to help him punish ..
cality of the Yazoo gang. !
There were two sides as there +
always are. Jefferson had prevailei'S' f
the state of Georgia to cede the dix r
Yazoo grant to the general govern q
with the understanding that Gee !
should be paid $l,25oO0o out of the / f
ceeds of the first sales of public Ian f
To avoid all trouble and complicatio. /,
the administration was in favor of CON-
promising with the so-caled innocens
purchasers by Yielding to them 1000 600
acres of land. But the taking of fee
by the postmaster general from the
claimants to lobby their bill through ca st
the shadow of scandal upon the whole
administration, and one cannot escape
the suspicion that the Yazoo grant,
conceived in fraud, remained a source of
corruption to the last.
But the actual breach between Ran
dolph and jefferson occurred on the
proposition to acquire Florida. The pres
ident was proceeding about The business
with that diplomacy which in the Louisi-
ana ase had been successful. He was
making public threats to fight Spain
while by secret message he was asking
congress for money to be used In he
gotiation. 70 the public there was a
revelation, to the initiated secret. This
principle. or want of principle Gas the
case may be) had worked well enough
for Louisiana, and Randolph had been
the presidential agent. But now the
floor leader revolted. In his mind
he drew a distinction between the two
cases and to the amaZement Of congress
he began an opposition. Soon the ter
rors Of his tongue were loosed upon the
president AT first there was a furry
In administ ration circles-almost a panic
-bnt It soon passed. Jefferson's conf
dence did not forsake him. his following
In congress stood the strain, and when
Randolph set up his Independent stand
ard the merest handful went with him
For many and many a year Randolph
remained in the public service, most OF
the time in the house. one term in the
senate one mission to Russia, always
conspicuous always courageous often
right. generally In the minority, but
nothing more than a brilliant free-lance,
without decisive influence.
When one reads his letters to friends
whom he really honored and his descrip-
,n1c In,