 | John Randolph |  |
RANDOLPH DYING AND YET LIVING.
For the following curious incident we are indebted to
Colonel Thomas S. Flournoy, who, though a lad at the
time, has a vivid recollection of the scene he describes.
He says that, in the year of 1829, he and his father
were on their way to Halifax Court-House; about sunset
they stopped at Roanoke; Johnny, Mr. Randolph's body
servant, met them, and informed his master of their arrival.
They were invited into Mr. Randolph's bed-room,
and what followed we will give as nearly as possible in
the language of our witness.
Colonel Flournoy is a man of national reputation, and
we are glad to have such undoubted authority for the
strange statement which he makes. He says: "My father
inquired after Mr. Randolph's health. His reply was:
`John, I am dying: I shall not live through the night.'
"My father informed him that we were on our way to
Halifax court. He requested us to say to the people on
Monday, court day, that he was no longer a candidate for
the convention; that he did not expect to live through
the night, certainly not till the meeting of the convention.
"He soon began to discuss the questions of reform and
the proposed changes in the constitution. Becoming excited,
he seemed to forget that he was a `dying' man. In
a short time we were invited to tea, and when we returned
to his room we found him again in a `dying' condition,
but, as before, he soon began to discuss the subject
of the convention; and becoming more and more animated,
he rose up in bed—my father and myself being
the only auditors—and delivered one of the most interesting
speeches, in conversational style, that it was ever
my good fortune to hear, occupying the time, from half
past eight till midnight.
"The next morning, immediately after breakfast, Mr.
Randolph sent for us again. We found him again in a
`dying' condition. He stated to us that he was satisfied
that he would not live through the day, and repeated his
request that my father would have it announced to the
people of Halifax that he declined being a candidate for
the convention. Once more he became animated while
discussing the convention, and kept us till 10 o'clock at
his house. When we were about to start he took solemn
leave of us, saying: `In all probability you will never see
us again.'
"Before we reached Clarke's Ferry, five miles distant,
I heard some one coming on horseback, pushing to overtake
us, which proved to be Mr. Randolph, with Johnny
in a sulky following.
"We travelled on together until we came to the road
leading to Judge Leigh's. Mr. Randolph then left us,
to spend the night with Judge Leigh. The next morning,
crowd of people had assembled to hear him. He
addressed them in the open air on the subject of the convention
in a strain of argument and sarcastic eloquence
rarely equalled by any one."
| John Randolph | |