Evening star., 1936-09-27
Randolph
Continued From Page ~

corrected. The doctor hesitated on
the criticism. There can be no doubt
of it, sir An immediate acknowl-
edgment Of the reader that he stood
corrected appeared to satisfy the
critic, and the piece was concluded"
lie NOW made his preparations to
die. He directed John to bring
him his fathers breast button: he
then directed him to place 1t in the
bosom of his shirt. 1t was an old
fashioned, large sized gold stud. John
placed it in the button hole Of the
shirt bosom-but to fix it completely
required a hole on the opposite side.
Get q knife said he, and cut one
A napkin was called for and placed
by John over his breast. For q short
time he lay perfectly quiet, with his
eyes closed. He suddenly reused up
and exclaimed, "Remorse! Remorse!'
1t was thrice repeated-the last time,
at the top of his voice, with great agi-
tation. He cried out, Let me see the
word. Get a dictionary, let me see
the word, There is none in the ROOM
sir Write it down, then-let me see
the word The doctor picked up one
of his cards, Randolph Of Roanoke.
Shall I write it on this card?' Yes,
nothing more proper The word re-
morse was then written in pencil.
He took the card in hurried
manner and fastened his eyes on 1t
with great intensity. Write it on
the back he exclaimed. 1t was so
done and handed him again. He
was extremely agitated. 'Remorse!
You have no idea what it is; you can
form no idea Of it whatever; 1t had
contributed to bring me to my pres
ent situation; but I have looked to
the Lord Jesus Christ and hope I
have obtained pardon. Now. let John
take your pencil and draw line I'M
der the word which was accordingly
done. What am I to do with the
card?' inquired the doctor. Put it
in your pocket-take care Of it
when am dead look at it.
THE scene was now soon changed.
Having disposed of that subject most
deeply impressed on his heart. his
keen, penetrating eye lost its express
sion, his powerful mind gave way and
his fading Imagination began to wan
der amidst scenes and with friends
that he had left behind In two
hours the spirit took its flight, and
all that was mortal of John Randolph
of Roanoke was hushed in death. At
quarter before IL o'clock, on the
oath day Of June, 1888, aged so years,
he breathed his last in a chamber of
the City Hotel, No. IL North Third
street, Philadelphia"
IN THE Intelligencer of May ~,
= 1888. appears the following tribute
to the deceased:
"Mr Randolph, as is well known,
was a member -elect of the Twenty
third Congress, OF which body he had
been, with occasional intermissions, a
member for IS years. From his first
entrance into public life, in 1898, he
had been one of the most prominent
politicians of our country. In some
respects he was one of the most re-
markable men Of the age, and in
few particulars, perhaps, the most
remarkable. If, in the course of his
long career, the popularity of his
temper and his propensity for sar-
casm made him enemies, no man, on
the other hand, had warmer personal
friends; and the time has been when
few would have disputed the justice
of the high compliment which was
paid him when he was pronounced
to be eloquent as Chatham-as Cato
incorruptible.
And at the meeting held in the
court room in Philadelphia following
his death John Sergeant, esq.,, said:
THAT Mr.. Randolph should have
come here to die was, to us, merely
accidental. And yet there was some
thing in it, which one who loved the
Union could not but heartily well
come. Virginia's eminent son loved
and honored his native State as much
as any man could do. 1t was his
pride to be in all things a Virginian;
and Virginia requited his affection
with continued confidence. At her
feet he had laid the trophies he had
won and she rejoiced and sent him
forth again to earn new honors. That
he breathed his last breath here in
Pennsylvania would seem to signify
that Virginia's eminent son also was
a son of the Union; that the title of
citizen of the United States was still
the paramount title and that the
whole Union was his country"
BEFORE his death Mr.. Randolph
gave directions that his corpse
should be transferred to Roanoke and
buried under a particular tree, which
was probably done. Later his re-
mains were reinterred in Hollywood
Cemetery, Richmond, Va, which only
goes to show that our wishes are not
always respected even in death.
Mr.. Randolph exercised certain
amount of interest in the District Of
Columbia and probably would have
freed the slaves had it been in his
power to do so. Indeed, in 1917, he
introduced a bill in the House OF
Representatives to abolish the slave
trade ct the National Capital