Burlington Free Press

Recollections of John Randolph of Roanoke.
We take the following from the New Mirror
of next Saturday, the proof-sheets of which were
kindly sent us by Mr. Fuller.
Mr. Randolph was opposed to the admission
of new States into the Union, especially from
the "western wilderness," as he used to call it.
"Sir," said he one morning, "I don't approve
of this patent plan of manufacturing young re-
publics. The 'old thirteen' committed a fatal er-
ror when they increased the family; but, alas!
the Rubicon is passed, and democracy, you
know, sir, never goes backward! We, of the
sea-board, will be outvoted in a few years, and
those who live to see it may exclaim 'delenda est
Carthago?' By the bye, you told me that you
had visited one of the youngest sisters - Indiana
- a year or two ago, and witnessed some of the
first specimens of infant legislation.
Just tell
me, sir, what you did hear?
"Why," said I, "it would be hardly fair to
take what I heard as a specimen, for I was on-
ly at Corydon for two days, just after the open-
ing of the session, and before
any important
business came before either house.
"No matter, sir; tell me what passed 'out of
curiosity' at once, as you say in Ireland."
"Well," said I, "upon entering the lower
house, I found myself among some forty respec-
table looking farmers, and after a short time one
of them, a member from a distant county, rose
up and said, 'Mr. Speaker, it becomes my un-
pleasant duty to make a particular motion, sir,
which may surprise some gentlemen and of-
fend others; but I have a duty to perform, sir,
and will not shrink from it! I move, sir, that a
committee be appointed to inquire into the ex-
pediency of removing the seat of government
from Corydon to - ,
the blank to be filled
up hereafter.
My reason, Mr. Speaker, for
making this motion, is on account of the impo-
sitions practised upon us by the tavern keepers.
They take advantage of our necessities, sir, and
feed us badly, Mr. Speaker, and charge high -
no less than four dollars a week, sir! We
come a long distance, sir, and sacrifice our time
and labor for the good of the state, sir, and de-
serve better treatment!'
"This speech, delivered in a loud tone, created
a buzz of astonishment - there was some ap-
plause and some hisses. The speaker called
to order. After a short pause, up rose the
member from Corydon - a lawyer of some em-
inence - who thus addressed the speaker:
"The malicious charges brought against my most res-
pectable constituents by the honorable member
from [some] county; and all I shall condescend to
say in reply is, that if he will only be satisfied
with such living as he has always been accus-
tomed to at home, I promise him that our tavern-
keepers will feed him for half price! Pray, sir,
what does he know of good living? where did
he study the art of cooking? where - 'Hello,
there was a cry of 'personal' and an appeal to
the speaker.
"Sir," continued the member from Corydon,
glancing his eye over his shoulder, "I attend to
my personalities out of this house!" - (This was
said with emphasis, and I understood after-
wards that the gentleman had fought one or
two duels!) Some confusion followed, when a
venerable, good-humored-looking farmer arose
and said, with a smiling countenance:
"Mr. Speaker, I regret very much that the
honorable member from [some] county has intro-
duced this motion, and I hope he will consent
to withdraw it: for I confess, sir, that I don't
agree with him at all! For my part, sir, I think
the tavern-keepers give us very good fare,
much better than I am accustomed to: and I
tell you, very candidly, sir, that one reason why
I come to Corydon is, because I do live better
than at home! I get farmer's fare all the rest
of the year, and I think myself entitled to in-
dulge in luxuries here, and I don't want to try
experiments elsewhere. So, Mr. Speaker, if
the question is to be put, I vote dead against it."
"This well-timed speech set the whole house
in a roar. Good humor was restored: and, just
then, the dinner bells rang, which, being the
regular signal for adjournment, we quickly left
the house to indulge our appetites at the abused
taverns: Next day I came away, and never
heard whether the debate was resumed or not."
Mr. Randolph was very much diverted at this
recital, which occurred exactly as I have sta-
ted it, and insisted upon my giving him a writ-
ten narrative of it. I inquired what he wanted
it for?
"Why," said he, "when the next state ap-
plies for admission, I want to ascertain whether
such grave questions as eating and drinking
cannot be debated without all the machinery of
a legislature. It is very evident, sir, that Indi-
ana ought to have remained in leading strings
some time longer. We are too quick on the
trigger, sir. We forgot that our ancestors fought
for their legislative halls, and did not get them
by a mere tap at the door and 'let us in!' No,
sir, depend upon it, constitutions are too cheap
now-a-days. Every man thinks himself a states-
man, and every extended wilderness aspires to
be a state, sir!'
He would then revert to the glorious days of
"Old Virginia," when great names were more
powerful than mere majorities; where the law
of primogeniture still preserved a resident ar-
istocracy, and where gentlemen had an acknow-
ledged precedence on all public occasions. I
used sometimes maliciously to ask him, if he
did not want "kings, lords and commons," once;
to which he would laughingly reply:
"You are not my father confessor, sir, and I
don't like direct interrogatories!"