Litchfield enquirer., 1850-06-06

ANO" AS''O' WI. AAOuIy = IcSIueHCCp
Red Hill, was few miles distant on the
same rlve~. Having been long friend
OF the deceased, Mr.. Henry attended
the funeral and remained to di &c with the
company; on which occasion | was in
troduced to him by Capt. William Craig
head' who had been an elder in p. esident
Davies Church These gentlemen had
bee1 friends in Hanover, hut had not
met for many years. The two old gems
tleinen M It with great cordlality, and
seemed to have high enjoyment in talk
ing of old times
On the retrospect If so many years /
may be permitted to express my views of
the extraordinary effects of Hcnry's elo.
quence. The remark is obvious, in APP
plicatiol not only to him bat - all great
o.ators, that we canno, us:.ibe these ef-
fects merely t. their intellectual concep-
tens "or'-'Sheir eogent srcasonings, how.
ever great these conceptions and rea
sons, when bat OH paper, often fall dead.
They are often inferior to the arrange
ments Of men whose utterance have little
impression. 1t has indeed been often
sad, both of Wnite6eld and of Henry,
that their discourscs, when reduced to
writing show poorly BY the side Of men
who are no orators. Let me illustrate
this, by the testimony of one whom l
remember as fiend Of my youth
Gen. Posey was a revolutionary officer,
who was second in conmani, under
Wayne, in the expedition agains. the In
dians man OF observation and cool
judgment. He was in attendance on the
debates o. that convention in which there
was SO many Displays of deliberative clio.
quence. lie assured me- that after the
hearing of Patrick Henry's most cele-
brated speech in that body, he felt him
self as fully persuaded that the Consti-
tuition as adopted would be our ruin, as oil
his own existence. Yet subsequent re.
Election restored his former judgment,
and his well considered opinion resumed
its place. - .1.
The power of Henry's eloluence was
due, first. to the greatness of his emotion
and passion, accompanied with a versa,
tility which enabled him 10 assume at
once any emotion or passion which was
suited to his ends. Not less indcspensa-
bic, secondly, was a matchless perfection
of the organs OF expression, including the
entire apparatus of voice, information,
pause. gesture, attitude and indescriba>
bic play of countenance. In no instance
did he ever indulge in an expression that
was not Instantly recognized as nature
itself, yet some of his penetrating and
subduIny ton were absolutely peculiar,
and as imitable as they were indescriba.
BILE. These were felt by every nearer
in all their force. His mightiest feelings
were sometimes indicated and communi
Gated by Il long pause, aided by an clio,
quent aspect. and some significant use 81
his finger. The sympathy between mind
and mind is inexplicable. Where the
channels of communication are open, the
faculty revealing inward passion great,
and the expression of it sudden and visi
BILE, the effects are extraordinary Let
these shocks of influence be repeated
again and again, and all other opinions
and ideas are for the moment absorbed
or excluded the whole mind is brough
into unison with that Of the speaker ant
the spell bound listener, till the caus
ceases, is under an entire fascination
Then, perhaps, the charm ceases, upo
reflection, and the infatuat d nearer re
sumss his ordinary state.
Patrick Henry Of course owed mucl
to his singular insight into the feelings Q
the common mind. In great cases h
scanned his jury, and formed his menta
estimate; on this basis he founded hi
appeals to their predictions and char
acter. 1t is what other. advocates do il
lesser degree.
When he knew that there were consc!.
entious or religious msn am>ns the ju.
ry, he would most solemnly address him
self to their sense Of right. and would
adroitly bring in sciiptural citations. Il
this handle was not offered, he would
lay bare the sensibility OF patriotism
Thus it was, when he succeeded in res
cuing the man who deliberately sho
down a neighbor; who moreover lay un
der the odious suspicion Of being tory
and who was proved to have refused
supplies to brigade Of the American
1 army. ..... .-..t ..s..... .f
A learned ami intelligent gentlem n
stated to me that he once heard MIR. II
defence Of MIN who had been arralsned
for a capital crime. So cleal and aoan'
dant was the evidence. that my inlo,-
m ant was unable to conceive any grounds,
Of defence, especially after the law had
been ably placed before the jury oy the
attorney TO-. the commonwealth: For
long lin, after Henry begin, he never
once advertcd to the merits Of the case
or the arguments Of the prosecution. ba'
went off in.o most captivating and dis
cursiyc Grafton on general topics. expires
sing opinions in perfect accordance with
those Of bis hearers; until having iuiiJ
succeeded i. oblitera Ing every impress
sion Of his opponents speech, he ooliqne'