Existing comment:
Political Decline
The presidencies of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and James Monroe were over. In the rising generation of Virginians, only John Randolph possessed exceptional talent, but he was feared, not admired. The state had lost power in Congress because of population shifts. " What has become of our political rank and eminence in the Union?" worried Benjamin Watkins Leigh. "Virginia has declined and is declining." |