John Randolph of Roanoke. The antagonism of Mr. Randolph to his party grew constantly greater during the ensuing six years. He held firmly to the views of the Republican-Democrats when he first knew them, and would concede nothing to the changes wrought by circumstances, and the progress of events. All that, he considered a time-serving truckling to pub lic opinion, and denounced it in unsparing terms. The war with Great Britain and the embargo which preceded it, aroused his most fiery opposition, and, for the time, he was more in sympathy with the New Eng land Federalists than the southern Demo crats. His bitterness of spirit influenced Ran dolph's private life also. Falling into a violent passion at a remark which Judge Tucker made to him jestingly about his Tucker half-brothers becoming his heirs, he broke off the affectionate relations which had hitherto existed between his step-father and himself. He would never renew the friendship, and was with difficulty dissuaded from bringing suit against the old gentleman for mismanagement of his property. With his brother, Henry St. George Tucker, his friendly relations never changed. In 1810, he quarrelled with his brother Richard's widow because she became reconciled to some whom he thought his brother's ene mies. He then withdrew to his own estate on the Roanoke river — "a savage solitude" he terms it, where he lived for years in her mit-like seclusion. His house of hewn logs, surrounded by a vast forest, was remote from the public road, from the post office, from neighbors, stores, and similar necessities of our modern life. The cabins of his negroes were near by, but until Dr. Dudley's educa tion was completed, he had no regular white companion. Alone and unhappy his des pondency and the more savage traits of his character at times took sole possession of him. His pride of family led him now to call himself, at first, "John Randolph of Roan oke." Subsequently he dropped his first
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name for the title " Randolph of Roanoke." With the strange contrariness which ran through his whole life, Randolph manifested at this very time an almost feminine tender ness towards another protege, little Johnnie Clay, the orphan son of a Philadelphia friend; and for the two sons of his beloved Bryan. Losing both parents at an early age, the young Bryans received from their father's friend untiring care and affection. In their society and in that of his nephew Tudor, Clay and Dudley, and in constant corres pondence with a few tried friends, John Randolph took most of the pleasure of his life. It is indeed rather touching to find that at one time he gravely contemplated opening a boys' school at Roanoke, and him self becoming their teacher. The thought of his impatient, irascible nature brought face to face with the petty vexations and harassments of such occupation excites a smile of mingled pity and amusement. Randolph's opposition to Madison and the war with England, could not be toler ated even in his own district. His former friend Eppes, the son-in-law of Mr. Jefferson, was chosen as his opponent, and moved in to the district that he might be eligible for election. In his electioneering speeches, Randolph complained that they had not found a native candidate for the place. On one occasion he stated that, in the county where he was speaking, there were only two genteel families, the —s and the —s. A voice on the edge of the crowd called out, "And the Egglestons, Mr. Randolph, the Egglestons." "Certainly," replied Randolph, recogniz ing the voice, " And the Egglestons — always excepting yourself, Colonel," and he bowed derisively to the representative of the Eggle stons. The success of the war of 1812 was so de cided that the whole United States was in good humor, and when Randolph came for ward as candidate for Congress at the end of two years, his old district welcomed him
