Changes

Convinced there was profound corruption in a complicated land deal known as the "Yazoo claims," he decided Jefferson, Madison and other top administration leaders were corrupt, and he broke with them and lost his leadership role. He kept his chairmanship for a while, and thus his power.  But as new Congressmen arrived with equal legislative and oratorical skills, and stronger political bases, such as [[Henry Clay]] and [[John C. Calhoun]], he became more and more irrelevant. In 1825 in the Senate, his mind was disordered and his speeches, while still brilliant, were more than ever extravagant, irrelevant, and eccentric. He never lost his mordant wit; suspicious of Clay and bitterly hostile to President [[John Quincy Adams]], in 1826 he described the alliance of these two leaders as "the coalition of Blifil and Black George," the combination "of the Puritan with the blackleg."  

Convinced there was profound corruption in a complicated land deal known as the "Yazoo claims," he decided Jefferson, Madison and other top administration leaders were corrupt, and he broke with them and lost his leadership role. He kept his chairmanship for a while, and thus his power.  But as new Congressmen arrived with equal legislative and oratorical skills, and stronger political bases, such as [[Henry Clay]] and [[John C. Calhoun]], he became more and more irrelevant. In 1825 in the Senate, his mind was disordered and his speeches, while still brilliant, were more than ever extravagant, irrelevant, and eccentric. He never lost his mordant wit; suspicious of Clay and bitterly hostile to President [[John Quincy Adams]], in 1826 he described the alliance of these two leaders as "the coalition of Blifil and Black George," the combination "of the Puritan with the blackleg."  

He was the most prominent delegate to the Virginia constitutional convention of 1829-30, where he defensed eastern tobacco interests against the westerners. Opposing any significant change in the constitution of the state he was responsible for the victory of the conservatives—and the ultimate secession of West Virginia.  The new president Andrew Jackson appointed Randolph as minister to Russia—a disastrous mistake. His health broke down in Russia and he returned in less than a month. By 1831 he was demented; he drank excessively, used opium, and though previously a kind master was harsh and abusive to his hapless slaves, who, he was convinced, had been faithless in his absence. Starting with a rich inheritance he finally owned more than 8,000 acres of land, nearly 400 slaves, and a valuable stud of blooded horses.  

He was the most prominent delegate to the Virginia constitutional convention of 1829–30, where he defensed eastern tobacco interests against the westerners. Opposing any significant change in the constitution of the state he was responsible for the victory of the conservatives—and the ultimate secession of West Virginia.  The new president Andrew Jackson appointed Randolph as minister to Russia—a disastrous mistake. His health broke down in Russia and he returned in less than a month. By 1831 he was demented; he drank excessively, used opium, and though previously a kind master was harsh and abusive to his hapless slaves, who, he was convinced, had been faithless in his absence. Starting with a rich inheritance he finally owned more than 8,000 acres of land, nearly 400 slaves, and a valuable stud of blooded horses.  

Suffering from various hormonal deficiencies (he never had to shave, and was impotent), Randolph aged rapidly—even at age thirty he looked like an old man. He suffered insomnia, chronic diarrhea, and rheumatism; he died of tuberculosis.  

Suffering from various hormonal deficiencies (he never had to shave, and was impotent), Randolph aged rapidly—even at age thirty he looked like an old man. He suffered insomnia, chronic diarrhea, and rheumatism; he died of tuberculosis.  

==Conservatism==

==Conservatism==

Randolph as a public man was usually a leader of the opposition. His reputattion comes as a constitutional purist, a states rights exponent of small national government, an unsparing critic, a merciless castigator of [[corruption]], which sometimes he imagined and which he alsways saw as the great enemy of republicanism. He was the champion of lost causes. "I am an aristocrat"; he proclaimed, "I love liberty, I hate equality". As for states rights, he said, "Asking one of the States to surrender part of her sovereignty is like asking a lady to surrender part of her chastity."  

Randolph as a public man was usually a leader of the opposition. His reputattion comes as a constitutional purist, a states rights exponent of small national government, an unsparing critic, a merciless castigator of [[corruption]], which sometimes he imagined and which he always saw as the great enemy of republicanism. He was the champion of lost causes. "I am an aristocrat"; he proclaimed, "I love liberty, I hate equality". As for states rights, he said, "Asking one of the States to surrender part of her sovereignty is like asking a lady to surrender part of her chastity."  

Randolph's conservative stance, displayed in his arguments against debt and for the rights of the landed gentry, may be attributed to his ties to his family estate and to his adoption of the elitist values of Southside, Virginia, where he was raised. Randolph opposed the War of 1812 and the Missouri Compromise and was active in debates about tariffs, manufacturing, and currency. However, he had mixed feelings about slavery. While opposed to the slave trade abroad and in the capital, Randolph remained dependent on slaves to work his land.  

Randolph's conservative stance, displayed in his arguments against debt and for the rights of the landed gentry, may be attributed to his ties to his family estate and to his adoption of the elitist values of Southside, Virginia, where he was raised. Randolph opposed the War of 1812 and the Missouri Compromise and was active in debates about tariffs, manufacturing, and currency. However, he had mixed feelings about slavery. While opposed to the slave trade abroad and in the capital, Randolph remained dependent on slaves to work his land.  

* Adams, Henry.  ''John Randolph'' (1882), is as biting and nasty as Randolph himself; it was written by a great historian who represented a New England conservativism [https://books.google.com/books?id=_zYOAAAAIAAJ&dq=intitle:John+intitle:Randolph&lr=&as_drrb_is=q&as_minm_is=0&as_miny_is=&as_maxm_is=0&as_maxy_is=&num=30&as_brr=3 full text online]

* Adams, Henry.  ''John Randolph'' (1882), is as biting and nasty as Randolph himself; it was written by a great historian who represented a New England conservativism [https://books.google.com/books?id=_zYOAAAAIAAJ&dq=intitle:John+intitle:Randolph&lr=&as_drrb_is=q&as_minm_is=0&as_miny_is=&as_maxm_is=0&as_maxy_is=&num=30&as_brr=3 full text online]

* Bruce, W. C. ''John Randolph of Roanoke, 1773-1833'' (2 vols., 1922), with many quotes; a standard biography [https://books.google.com/books?id=hHksAAAAMAAJ&dq=intitle:John+intitle:Randolph&lr=&as_drrb_is=q&as_minm_is=0&as_miny_is=&as_maxm_is=0&as_maxy_is=&num=30&as_brr=3 full text online]

* Bruce, W. C. ''John Randolph of Roanoke, 1773-1833'' (2 vols., 1922), with many quotes; a standard biography [https://books.google.com/books?id=hHksAAAAMAAJ&dq=intitle:John+intitle:Randolph&lr=&as_drrb_is=q&as_minm_is=0&as_miny_is=&as_maxm_is=0&as_maxy_is=&num=30&as_brr=3 full text online]

* Devanny, John F., Jr. "A Loathing of Public Debt, Taxes, and Excises": The Political Economy of John Randolph of Roanoke. Virginia Magazine of History and Biography 2001 109(4): 387-416. 0042-6636  

* Devanny, John F., Jr. "A Loathing of Public Debt, Taxes, and Excises": The Political Economy of John Randolph of Roanoke. Virginia Magazine of History and Biography 2001 109(4): 387–416. 0042-6636  

* Kirk, Russell. ''John Randolph of Roanoke: A Study in American Politics.'' (3rd ed., 1978). 588 pp. admiring study by a leading conservative

* Kirk, Russell. ''John Randolph of Roanoke: A Study in American Politics.'' (3rd ed., 1978). 588 pp. admiring study by a leading conservative

** * Kirk, Russell. ''John Randolph of Roanoke [http://www.firstprinciplesjournal.com/articles.aspx?article=361&loc=qs online], very short biography

** * Kirk, Russell. ''John Randolph of Roanoke [http://www.firstprinciplesjournal.com/articles.aspx?article=361&loc=qs online], very short biography

* Kirk, Russell. '' The conservative mind: from Burke to Eliot‎ '' (2001) pp 155-67  

* Kirk, Russell. '' The conservative mind: from Burke to Eliot‎ '' (2001) pp 155-67  

* Risjord, Norman K.  ''The Old Republicans: Southern Conservatism in the Age of Jefferson'' (1965) the standard history of the Randolph faction. [http://www.questia.com/library/book/the-old-republicans-southern-conservatism-in-the-age-of-jefferson-by-norman-k-risjord.jsp online edition]

* Risjord, Norman K.  ''The Old Republicans: Southern Conservatism in the Age of Jefferson'' (1965) the standard history of the Randolph faction. [http://www.questia.com/library/book/the-old-republicans-southern-conservatism-in-the-age-of-jefferson-by-norman-k-risjord.jsp online edition]

* Weaver, Richard M. "Two Types Of American Individualism." ''Modern Age'' 1963 7(2): 119-134. [http://www.mmisi.org/ma/07_02/weaver.pdf online edition]

* Weaver, Richard M. "Two Types Of American Individualism." ''Modern Age'' 1963 7(2): 119–134. [http://www.mmisi.org/ma/07_02/weaver.pdf online edition]

==References==

==References==