The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-06-11
John RANDOLPH
Of ROANOKE
Character Of Great Statesman
Most Beautifully Por-
traycd.
BY r. c. BRAxToN BRYAN
A Man Of Many Moods, But
Equally Undying
Principle.
BY r. c. BRAxToN BRYAN

r'hc a.;t,rcss of Rev. DR.. c. BraXton
nryi,i at Randc!pli- Macon College Thurs
day evening. presenting the picture OF
John randolph, o1 Roanoke on behalf OF
his brother, MIR. Joseph Bryan. was de-
clared by all to be gem. The interest
ing Sketch Of the great statesman, John
Randulph created great interest. 1t. was
us follows:
no attempt to portray the character
of John Randolph would nc a most diff
ficult undertaking. He was pre-endnently
~ man OF moods and while the most con-
eistcnt man conceivable in maintaining
his principles, the manifestations Of his
MOODS were as different as the portraits
which have survived lim rafXs~2 from
the exquisite portrait by Gilbert fAuart'
luminous with youth and genius, TO the
sinister and skcict on-iike sketch OF the
,rio,,rn that walked the streets Of London
In 1890. His public lifo began IN la9A
md was prominent from the 1lrst. for
thirty-old years he was the most oo-
served and the most frequently quoted
man certain in his own state, posslol!
in Tic United States. His personal char-3
o.tcrlstics were so marked that they
be5a,ne ,,eculiaritfes, or pronounced &C.
cent,icitlcs. But while {; common result
~ ercentricities is that the eccentric IN
divld,,al becomes an object Of amusement
IN others few men have ever lived VINO
were taken more seriously than Johh
Randolph. I rarely occurred 70 any
man TO take any liberty with MN. ana J.
never occurred to the same mans n n..Al
more than once one WIG h ,l' -
most intimately wrote thus Oh nm i'io'o
than Twenty-Five years ago:
X p ..rhc& training, of John Randolph's Child
hood was byEpersons of the most reiihe.
and virtuous types OF thai. period. and
his early life was spent nnsns such'.
."rhe society Of Williamsburg, then me
court end OF the Dominion, was lnooeieu
after the highest standard Of grace poisll
aud refinement known among the nopiiily
~ L,npland. Mr.. Randolph's stepfather
3 mis- own father having died when ne
was almost an infant, the elcer 81
C,anrce Tucker. was an elegant sentic--2
nap. ard belonged to the hiS hcs- o'ueiS
~ natures noblemcn His mother was
lady OF rare grace. beauty ana lhte,ic w.
His stepfather's second wife, MIS-. leii'l
Tucker had few equals ana no sui' ctioi
in this or any other country:
tN..En,erjnr public life at the earliest
5nossihlc period, Mr.. Randolph was from
tba first admired for a graceful Aellper;i-s
tion of manner which impressed every one
about him. lie never did anything IN IN y
shi,rryi ~ have often wished It We're pos
Il sit,le 10 approach and shake hahos 40 nc
did. These graccs of manner were g, he,.i ..
+ lost NDon his constituents ~ =. 80
and Buckingham, nor in the rellleu eii
els at Washington or abroad
..In the society OF ladies his manner
4 was ,,efcrential, and the effect was mag
neflc7to a degree that made him greatly
admired by them. His sensitive ana
intuitive perception of the beautiful maze
him use words in a way which strucha
everyone who heard him. His tone anu
manner seemed to give them new power.
t.In his person, Mr.. Randolph was most
scrupulously neat. and his modest dwell
inc was more free from everything that
could soil a house or yard than any
other place ever saw. No fowls OF
any kind were allowed on the premises,
nor was a horse permitted to graze:ln
the yard.
.Flies stunned the place.
an 1916 Mr.. Randolph took 1t upon
him to direct the education of three
very young orphan boys. the. eldest of
whom was barely ten years old They
passed their vacations Of about two
months OF the year mt Mr.. Randolph's
house. where they were treated as his
children some one of them often sleep
Ing in the same bed with him. and