Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1817-11-18


lie found ia the bosom of his own family"
Soon after this period, Mr. Henry having de-
voted sac ,ceeks 10 the study of the law applied
], = aud obtained license TO practise IT, For
t"tee years he fingered in obscurity, until AT
length controversy 90 which the legislature
and people were parties on the one side and
HE clergy on the other, called forth his giyan-
nc talents. An act had passed in 1855, auiho-
lising persons indebted tortobaccO to commute
The debt for money at the rate of los Sd per
hundred. This act deeply affected the interests
ofthe clergy, whose stipends were pay able i'm to
bacco, aud they resisted il on tive ground. /.
First because tue act of l75S not having receiv-
cd The royal assent, had not the force of a
law; and secondly because tie King in Conn
CT had declared that act null and void In n
sLit instituted by the reverend james Maui
ny, VS.. the collector Of Hano, er aud his secur-
ties. the question ofaw came to be argued on !,
demurrer assigning as causes of demurrer these
reasons, and was determined in favor of the
plaintiff. The case then came before Jury on
a writ OF enquiry of damages, aud il was ON
,tns question that Mr. Henry made his debut
before the public. Our authors account of
the whole matter is extremely interesting, hut
we confinc ourselves 10 the following extract
detailing what took place in Court.
Soon after the opening of the court, the
cause was called. II stood on a writ of INQUIRY
OF damages, no plea having been entered by
the defendants since the Judgment Oh the de
murrer The array before MIR. Henry's ewes
was now most fearful. On the bench sat more
IMAM twenty ciergYmen, the most learned men
-, 'as 0oIonH anu me most capahic, as well as
s pi seNtieSl crities before whom II was posi-
Bile Tor him To nave made his DEBUT The court
honSe was crowded with au overwhelming:
multitude, aud surrounded with an immense
ana anxious throng, who not finding room TO
t.teI, were ehheaNouring TO listen without, IN
the deepest attention. But there was some
thing sui more awfully dscoBcerting than all
thls B.; ior III the char OF the presiding nagis-
t,a'e, sat no other person, than his own father.
MT. Lyons opened the cause very briefly in
the way OF al sIlnent he did nothing more than
explain To ihe Jury, that the decision upon the
demurrer had put the act of I75S entirely out
OF Inc way, aud left the law of lT4S Is the only
standard OF their damages /; he then concluded
''It nlgniy wrought euiog'nm on the bene-
colence OF tle clergy. And, now, came on the
nrSt trial OF Patrick Henry's strength. No Que
hah ever heard him speak, and curiosity was
on hPtoe. lie rose gerry awkwardly, and fault
tefed much % us eXoraIum. The people hung
their heads at so unprOmlsug a commence
meht The clergy were. observed to exchange
SiS iooHS win each other aud his father is
described as having almost sunk with confu-
s,oH, rom ms seat But these feelings were of
snort uhidton, aud soon gave place TO others
OF very inherent character. For, now, were
t tnose WoHuerihi faculties which he possessed
ior the nrSt time developed; and now, was
hrSt, Witnessed that mysterious and almost
S,,H;Si .t uahSiofnatioh OF appearance,
"iuch me nre OF MS own elOqnence never fail
ca 10 "o'k IN him For as hls mind rolled
along, and began 10 glow from us own action.
an a, the er9o'G OF the clown, seemed to shed
themselves, spontaneously. His attitude, by
uegIees, became erect aud lofty. The Shirt
or his genius awakened all his features. His
countenance siione with a uobleness and graz
aenr winch It mad aeVer before eNhibiied.-
mere was lightning IN has eyes which seem.
ca 90 rive the spectator. Ais action became
graceful, bold, aud coninIanditiy and n, lie.
tOhes OF ms voice, bur more especially in his
en- PIdsisi there was peculiar charm, magic
Vi winch any one who ever heard hun, will
speSA as soon as ne IS named, hut OF winch 40
one ean' give any adequate description. They
can Only say thatI sirnck upon the ear and
upon the heari IA a manner araich language can
zoe yea Add 10 all these, .Hs vOnder-w orkimg
In cio, any me peculiar pnraseoosy IN which
Leart ,it, ~ lhh;es; iOf lie raIHted TO the
n .ne WIN toEce that almost peiriiedit. In
s..e iaiis sage Oh those vino heard him on this
- e.si'ii, ne na"e their blood run cold, and
'NStt nan 10 rise on tnd.
bei Nm Mn Eot oe dinenlt forany one, who ever
neetu tUIS oIosi extras rdindry Ian 10 believe
.ue "',ois acecnns 81 this TRANSACTION lsiucn is
- q" ~ -ii' surviving hearers; and from their
"vSonnt, me court house of Hanover county,
-,ane eNplDted on Tins occasion, scene
40 picturesque, as Has been ever witnessed in
rear IRE. They say, that the people, whose
ist ''au idiieh as ne arose, had heard
III w! 10" sentences before they began TO
- w rleh 10 Iooh at edch other with sur
Senses ,hen ''ns .ne evidence OF their own
,,,, 'tt, "t''"Cteu Dy some strong geS-
80, ,,h oy some majestic attitude,
ns liz 1y ihe speii OF ms eye, the charm
mand; S e',l',aSis, ano the varied and com
comiJ -, eHp'essioh OF ms countenanca, they
Minus - 80 no more. IN less Than twenty
he Io,,t'o me! M'ght De seen IN every part OF
az mGule, On every bench, IN every wnuOw,
Ill q rii',nce ,i rom theIr stands, IN death
ID . . Ieatures hXed IN ama2ement
ed 49, ~, I,, 'nelr seuSes nsle'Ins and rvot-
strain ~ SfeaNer, as II 10 eaten the last
o.,"at oi some heavenly visitant. The mock
MIR ,r ',v ky was soon turned into alarm
a. one hnr. iri'o CONFUSION ana despair; and
imvecti1" H. % a ms tapld ana overwhelming
tation al tarS ,Su 'IVih the Dench III precipi-
t?.ou anu terror, as for the father, such was
ture H. ?uS'' iis dhldZemeni, such his rap
,.bs Ia, olsetuhS where he was. and the