Maumee express. [volume] (Maumee City, Ohio) 1837-1838, 1837-09-02
ELooUENCE OF PATRICK HENRY.

ELoQUENCE OF PATRICK HENRY.
| Hook was q Scotchman, man OF
wealth, and suspected Of being unfriend-
ly to the American cause. During the
distresses of the American army, conse-
quent on the joint invasion of Cornwall
lis and Philips, in 1881, a Mr.. Venable,
an army Commissary, had taken two
of Hooks steers for the use OF the troops
The act had not been strictly legal 5
and on the establishment Of peace, Hook,
on the advice of Mr.. Cowan, a gentle
man Of some distinction in the law
thought proper to bring an action of
trespass against Mr.. Venab.e, in the
District Court of New London. Mr..
Henry appeared for the defendant, and
is said TO have deported himself in this
cause to the infinite enjoyment of his
hearers, the unfortunate Hook always
excepted. After Mr.. Henry became
animated in the cause, says correspon-
dent, he appeared to have complete con-
troll over the passions Of the audience.
At one time he excited their indigna-
ton against Hook-vengeance was vi
sible in every countenance. Again
when he chose to relax and ridicule him,
the whole audience was in roar Of
laughter. He painted the distresses of
the American army, exposed almost max
ed to the rigor of a winters sky, and
marking the frozen ground over which
they trod, with the blood Of their unshod
feet. Where was the man, who had an
American heart in his bosom, who would
not have thrown open his fields, his barn,
his cellars, the doors of his house, and
, the portals his breast, to have receiv-
ed with open arms the meanest soldier
in that little band of patriots : Where
, is the man There he stands--but what
ever of the heart of the American beats
, in his bosom, you, gentlemen, are to be
the judge. He carried the jury by The
power Of his imagination, to the plains
: around York, the surrender of which
had followed shortly after the act com.
planned Of He depicted the surrender
, in the most glowing and noble colors
The audience saw before their eyes the
; humiliation and detection of the British
, as they marched out of their trenches.
, They saw the triumph which lightec
: up every patriots face, and heard the
: shouts of victory, and the cry Of" Wash
ington and Liberty" as it rung and e
e choed through the American ranks, ane
l. was reverberated from hills and shore
e of the neighboring river" but bark J.
If What notes of discord are these, which
# disturb the general joy, and silence the
: acclamations of victory? They are the
n notes of John Hook, hoarsely bawline
|. through the American camp,--beef
|, beef"
s The whole audience were convused
: A particular incident will give better
: idea of the effect than any general de.
scription. The clerk of the court, un
4 able to command himself, and unwilling
7 to commit any breach of decorum in his
, place, rushed out of the court house
t and threw himself upon the grass, in
, the most violent paroxysms Of laughter
where he was rolling, when Hook, witt
s very different feelings, came out for re-
lief in the yard also. "Jemmy Step.
toe," said he to the clerk, "what the
, devil ails ye, mon D. Mr.. Steptoe could
only say that he could not help it.
Never mind ye," said Hook, "wait
till Billy Cowan gets up; he'll show him
the la r Mr.. Cowan, however, was SC
completely overwhelmed by the torren
which bore upon his client, that wher
, he rose to reply to Mr.. Henry. he wa.
r scarcely able to make an ineligible Of
audible remark. The cause was decid
ed almost by acclamations. The jury
retired for FORMS sake, and instantly re-
, turned with verdict for the defendant
! Nor did the effect of Mr.. Henry's speech
stop here. The people were so highly
excited by the tory audacity of such a
suit, that Hook began to hear around
him cry more terrible than that ofbeet
1t was the cry of tar and feathers
from the application Of which, it is said,
nothing saved him but precipitate flight
and the speed Of his horse.-American
Common Place Book.