Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1817-11-21
RICHMOND, NoVEMEra n.
LIFE OF PATRICK HENRY.
IN CONTINUATION.

ofdispiaving his irallscendant powers, OK
ctpt on a motion TO separate the, offices al
treasurer and speaker, which he support
edwitii T" hisusual ability :" aud carried.
From that period TO The year 1919, aiiio'
lac continued member of The house.
aud although Il firm and temperate oppo-
siton was kept up 10 the British ministry,
as appears from the strong resolutions
which were OH more than one occasion "a
dopted, yet nothing is recorded of him by
our author, distinguishing him in a par
ticular manner from the Other members
oil the house. This Interval Mr.. w has
very judiciousiy laid hold of, TO bring us
acquainted with Mr.. H.. as lawyer...
" After having tried his strength {say $ iie)
for several years on tie Legislative floor a.
galnst some of the brightest champions of
the bar, Mr.. Henry came, in the wear 1900
10 lie bar itself OF the general court.
Here he seems never 10 lave attracted
much notoriety for his arguments on
. mere questions of law" "Iie wanted
that learning whose place no sl,lcndOur of
genius can supply 10 the lawyer; aud he
wanted those habits of steady and pcrse-
vertng application, without which that
learning is not to be acquired" YET even
here " OIL questions turning on The laws
oil nations, and even on the maritime law
whose basis is natural reason and Justice,
his vigor of mind made him occasionally
very great. 1T WAS, however. says our
author, on questions before Jury. tlIat
he was III his natural element
9 There, his intimate knowledge of human
nataEe, and The rapid ~ as well as .jnsuess of
his inierences, frcm the iiitting xnIeSsiuns oil
the couuteuance, as tn what was RAISING i'm
the hearts OF his hearers, ayaied him fully
The jury might he composed ct entire stran.
gers, yet he rarely failed to know them, man
by man, before the evidence was closed -.
There was 10 ST tied fixture of features, that
could long iiide the character from his pier
eng and experienced view. The slightest nm
guarded turn of countenance, or motion of the
eye, Let Inn at once into the soul ofthe man
whom he was observing. Or, if he doubted
whether his conclusions we're correct from the
exhibitions ct couutenance during th.-narrati.
Oh OF the evidence, he had mode of plaviug
aPrelude asi were, upon the jury, in his ex-
ord'uln, which never failed TO = wake into
lite each silent string" and >bew him the
Whole compass az well as pitch OF the instrn-
ment. his style of address, OH these occasi-
ons, is sand TO have resembled very much that
OF the scriptures. ii was strongly mark ed with
the same simplicity, the same energy. the
same patbos. he sounded no alarm he made
no parade, 10 put the jury oil ibeir guard -
l. was MISC natnrai, so humble, 80 nnassumins,
ihat they were carried inperceptiDly along
ana atluned To eiS purpose, uutil some master
tonch dissolved them Into tears HiS Lam
Suags OF passion was perfect. His voice, too
hada wonderful effect. lie had q SINGULAR
power OF intuSlng ii into Juyy, aud mixing lis
notes with their nerves in a manner which If
rs impossible 10 describe justly but which
produced d fhrililug excitement in the I,lnni
est concordance with his designs. No man
knew SO well as he did what kind OF topics To
urge 10 their understandings nor what kind
or simple imagery TO present to their hearts,
itiseye, Whick re kept rivetted upon them as
sisted the process of fascigatinI ana at the
same lime informed him what then TO press
or at what instant TO retreat, if by rare acct
dcUt he touched unprOpit!ous string. And
IliSU he hdu SttCn pxusjlraslcP NJ
ate thoughts ot apt Illustrations Of aDposite
images, aud such inelotliops and varied roll
OF the lappiiest words, that the hearer Was new
er wedried by repetition, aud never WINGED
from an apprehension that tie intellectual
treasures OF the Speai.er would be exhausted"
lfin civi! cases before iury he was
thus powerful, he seems i'm criminal to
have been irresistible. When their turn
came OH the docket lie was, as our author
expresses It, tie monarch OF The bar"
In these cases
: He adapted himself, without effort" con-
Tunes our author, to the character Of the
cause seized with the quIckness of Intuition,
us OeIenSi0ie point, and never permitted thc
jury To lose sight OF it, Sir Joshua kevuolls
has SAID OF Titan, that, bya few strokes of
hts pencil, he knew how to mark the image
anu CHARACTER OF whatever object he attempt
cd; aud Produced by this means a trmer re-
presentation, than any of his predecessors.
lrho finished every hair. Ia like manuer. Mr.
Henry ny iew master strokes upon the evil
deuce could in general stamp mon the cause
whatever image or character he pleased and |
convert II into tragedy or comedy at his Soye
reign ill, and with power which no efforts |
OF MS adversary could counterfeit. He never |
NeafIed the jury by dry aud minnie ANALYSIS
OF the evidencel he did not expend his strength |
a. Brushing the hairy; he produced all his lii.,b
enect by those rare master touches, and by the |
seSistiess sklil, ' It'll which in "a very few words
ne could mould and colour the prominent fIcts
OF Cause to his purpose, He mad tyondprf,I
address too, in leading off the minds of hi< |
hearers from file contemplation of uufayouro
PIE points, at any time they too stub
born to yield to his power of transformation
lie beguiled the nearer So far from Them "a IN
diminish them by distance, and soften, IL moi
entirely cast into shade, their too strong main
raj colours. Al this distance too he had n |
better opportunity of throwing upon them
false light, by an apparently casual ray of re-
traction from other p0ints in the evidence |
whose powers no mat better kngw how TO ar
ray and concentrate, M order TO Disguise or |
eclipse an obnoxious fact. Ii required a mind
OF uncommon vigilance, aud most lntractable
temper, to esist this charm with which lie de- |
coyed away his hearers IT demanded a rapid
ny OF penetration, Which IS rarely if ever TO be
found ~ the Jury box, 10 detect the inteliectu.
az Juggie by WHICH lie spread his nets around
them it called tor stuDbOTnness and obdu-
Tacy OF soul which does not exist to sit uninoy-
60 under the pictnres o. horror or OF pity,
which started from iiis canvass. They might |
resolve 10 ihey pleased, to decide the cause a. |
sdlust him, and 10 disregard every fiing which
he could nrgc IN tie defence Of his client. But |
II was all IN vain. Some feint IN an uueXpecf.
ed direction, threw them on their guard, and
they were gone some happy phrase burning
from the SOUL some image fresh from natures
mint, and bearing her own beautiful and gem
uioe impress, struck them with delightful sur
PftSe, dDd melted them into Cancellation aud
couciliation towards Mr.. Henry vas victory
inevitable. In short, lie understood the hu |
nan character SO perfectly; knew so we'll all