Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1921-02-17

| Wiling TO paFuclpale, All ing pun"
service. # IS significant that in th'
early days the Virginia statesmen die
not eagerly. seek the Senate or seel. j
| in preference p the House Patrief
| Henry: and George, Mason each de.
| clined seat. n the Senate.
James Madison would have beer
appointed as nc successor of Gray
son when the latter died in 1870 it he
had wished it, BAT he, chose to stay IL
the House. JOIN Marshall likewise
served in the House without ATTEMPT.
ing to enter the other body. It is
! also significant that Virginia Sena.
tors of the early days manifested re
very strong des;le to continue in Of.
fee. Since Mason and Hunter took
their seats in :s47, period Of "A
wears, the State has been represented
by only Is Senator's, whereas in the
preceding period Of So years it was
represented by 2j. In the later; per-
;od designations have been unknown,
save in the case Of Mason and Hunter
who retired when the State seeded,
while in the former there were IA
designations, only two of which were
consequent upol mandatory instruc-
ions BY the State legislature, to which
obedience was refused. Tyler and
qives were the Senators who resigned
'>ecause they would not obey instruc-
lions. Andrew jackson was the cause
# their trouble. One had been in
structed. 70 vote for resolution ex;
,unging cens,1e Of Jackson, and the
,tehr had been. Instructed to vote for
resolution tensuring him.
Gradually the Senate recovered from
he discredit it hsd suffered from the
>ractice of secrecy and attracted. the
foremost men. In 1923 Benton, Van
9uren. and Haync were members: in
'S27 Webster CAME in; in 1881 Clay
oturned, having earlier left the Sen
tie to serve in the House; and in 1882
~alhoun was a.lde,! to tho group. The
wonderful character Of Its member
hip at that limo contributed toward
s eventual prominence.
In the Senate, Virginia has been
represented with marked distinction.
uniting the Civil War period, SO
zen, including the present incum-
>ents, have served. 1t is not inappro-
rate here in tbs Can:tol, where the
,oices of so many Of them were once
card, to call the names Of the IS who
ave passed away: Richard. Henry
zee, William Gruyson, John Walker,
lanes Monroe, John Taylor, Stevens
Nlason, Henry Tazeweli, Wilson c.
Nicholas, Abraham B. Venable, VIII
lam B Giles, andrew Moore, Rich
I'D Brent, James Barbour, Armistead
T. Mason. John w. Eppes, James
"lcasants, Ljttleton w. Tazewell,
rohn Randolph, John Tyler, William
:. Rives, Benjtnin W. Leigh, Rich
I'D E. Parker, William II. Roane,
William 8. Archer, Isaac S. Penny
,acker, James NJ. Mason, Robert 81.
i. Hunter, Joha ". Johnston. John
-. Lewis, Robert E. Withers, Viii
am Malone, Harrison H. Heidelberg
r, John w. Daniel. John S.. Barbour,
7ppa Hunton, and Thomas S. Martin.
rom The recorI Of the lives of these
'irgihians might be compiled his
Dry Of their State, and indeed a. his
Dry Of the Cove, nment since its foun-
'ation. The lat includes veterans OF
he Revelation, President and mem
ers Of the Continental Congress, the
uthor Of the resolution that led to
he Declaration Of Independence,
members Of the remarkable Virginia
onveutioa of 1888 which ratified Tae
Constitution, two Presidents nf the
United States, members Of the Cabi-
ret and ministers to foreign countries,
governors of the Commonwealth, and
;oldiers and statesmen Of the Confea-
,racy.
Senator Martin now belongs to the
ompany of the laureled dead who
IGNORED Virginia by giving he. high
ank in the councils Of the Nation.
Serving longer .rhan any of his p,ede-
'essors, he grew in activity and in
1uence with ne Senate's growth. Be-
FORE the curtain fell upon his career
he had played an impressive pert in
theater Of aln.ost unexampied i'm
7ortance, where opportunity offers a
'hallenge to the most vigorous and
~esoIrcefal men. Toward the end the
.'abors imposed rpon him by the num-
arous and complex problems Of the
war were nearly beyond his endurance
Those labors he could not have es-
caped, because Ct the responsibilities
of leadership with which he WAS en-
trusted, and ne would not have es-
>aped them had that had been posi-.