Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1856-12-04
WHOLE NO 956
Jefferson's Opinion of Henry

The following sketch of Patrick Hen,
10y his contemporary, Mr.. jefferson. will t
! found interesting. 1t is taken from The n,
vance sheets of a work soon 10 he issusd b
boston publisher, containing the privat
correspondence of Dapiel Webster. l.
1924 MIR. Webster visited Jefferson at hi
home at Monticello, and afterwards wrot
out the following opiaion Of Henry, express
ed by Mr.. Jefferson at the time
Patrick Henry was originally bar
keeper. He was married very Young. an,
going into some business, on his own ac
count was bankrupt before the year wa.
out. When was about the age of fifteer
l lelt the school here, to go to College al
" Iiilamsourg. [ stopped few days at 8
friends IN the county of Louisa. There
lrss saw and became acquainted with p.,.
rick Henry. Having spent the Christmas
hollidays there. proceeded TO WILLIAMSBURG
some questions arose about my admission
as my preparatory studies had not been Dur
sued at the school connected with that in
stItution. This delayed my admission about
fortnight, at which time Henry appeared
at Williamsburg and applied for a license
to practice law, having commenced the
study OF 1t at or subsequently to the time of
my meeting him at Louisa There were
four examiners, Nythe, Psndleton. Peyton
Randolph, a i'd John Randolph. Wythe and
Pendleton at once rejected his application
The two Randolphs, by his importantly
were prevailed upon to sign it; and having
obtained their signatures. he applied again
10 Pendleton, and after much entreaty and
many promises of future study succeeded in
obtsining his. The first case which brought
him into notice was contested election, in
which he appeared as counsel before q COM
mlttee of the House of Burgesses. His Sec
ond was the Parsons cause, already we'll
known. These and similar efforts soon OBJ
tanned for him so much reputation, that he
was elected member of the Legislature.
He was as well suited to the times as anv
man ever was, and it is not now easy to saw
what We should have done without Patrick
Henry. He was far above all in maintain
ing the spirit of the Revolution. His inhu-
ence was most extensive, with the members
from the upper counties, and his boldness
and their votes overaWed and controlled the
more cool or the more aristocratic gentle
men OF the lower part Of the State. His
eloquence was peculiar, if indeed it should
be called eioqnence; for it was imp essive
ard sublime, beyond what can be imagined.
Although It was difficun when he had spo-
ken 10 tell what ne had said, yet, while he
was speaking, it always seemed directly to
to the point. When he had spoken in op-
position to my opinion, had produced great
ehect, and myself been highly delighted
and moved. | nave asked myself when he
ceased: what the devil has he saidl~ II
could never answer the inquiry. His per-
son was of full size, and his manner and
voice free and manly. His utterance neither
very fast nor very slow. His speeches yerv
short; ifom quarter TO half an hour His |
pronunciation was vulgar and vicious,s but |
il was forgotten while he was speaking.
tie was man Of very little know ledge OF |
,ny sort; he read nothing, and had no books. |
Returning one November day from Abe
MAJ lie court, he borrowed of me Humes' Es-
says, in two volumes: saying he should have
leisure IN the Winter for reading. In the
spring he returned them; and declared he
lad not been able TO go further than twenty
Or thirty pages IN the first volume He
wrote almost nothing-he could not write
The resolutions of rs v hich have been as
;ribed to him, have by many supposed to
rave been written by Mr.. Johnson, who
lcted as his second on that occasion; but ifI
hey were written by Henry himself. they
ire not such as to prove any power of COM
position. Neither in politics nor in his
Profession was he Il man of busipes-; be
vas man OF debate only. His blographer
lays that he read Piutarch every year. II
loubt whether he ever read a volume of it'll
n his life. His temper was excellent, and /,
le generally observed decorum in debate -
)n one or two occasions | have seen him
Ingry, and his anger was terrible; those
Who witnessed it were not disposed to rouse
again. In his opinion he was yield ng
Ihu y oNtiCaIlS anu HOL cISpOSeu u CIucT ,
rom his friends. In private conversation
lie was agreeable and facetious, and, while
n genteel society, appeared TO understand
Ill the decencies and proprieties of it; but
n his heart, he preferred low society, and
ought it as often as possible. He would ,
Iunt in the pine woods Of F.uvanna; with ;
verseers, and people of that description,
wing in camp for fortnight at time ,
Without change of raiment. have often
'een astonished at his command of proper ;
anguage; how he attained knowledge OF
never could find out, as he read so little !
nd converSed little v ith educated men, ,
after all 1t must be allowed that he was our
eader in the measures of the Revelation, in
Iirgnia. In that respect more was due to ,
i'm than any other person. If we had not
ad him, we should probably have got out f,
retty well, as you did, by anumber Of men r
f nearly equal talents. but he left US all
ir behind. His. ..biograPher sent The sheets
{ his work to me as they were printed, and :;
t the end asked for my opinion. told him :,
would be question hereafter, whether :,
is work should be placee on the she'll Of
lstorV or paneGVric.