Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1856-12-03
Jeflerson,s Opinion of Henry.


Jefferson's Opinion Of Henry.
The following sketch of Patrick Henry by his
contemporary; Mr.. Jefferson. will be found in
tsresting. Itistaken from the advance sheets
of work soon to be issued by Boston publish.
or, containing the private correspondence Of
Daniel Webster. In 1924 Mr.. Webster visited
Jefferson ut his home at Monticello, and after
wards wrote ont the following opinion of Henry,
expressed by Mr.. Jefferson at the time:
Patrick Henry was originally bar-keeper.-
lie was married very young and going into
some business, on his own account was bank
rupt before the year was out. When | was a.
bout tie age of fifteen, left the school here, to
20 to the college at Williamsburg. | stopped
few days at friends in tie county of Leqisar
There first saw and became acquainted v>ll4;
Patrick Henry. Having spent the Chsist,pas
holidays there, proceeded to Williamsburg =
Some questions arose about my admission - ~,
preparatory studies had not been purshed q tho
school connected with that institution, ms
DELAYED my, admission about fortnight at
which time Henry appeared at Williamsburg,
and applied for license to practice law, hsving
commenced the study of it at or subsequently to
the time Of my meeting him at Iousa.s There
were four examiners, Wythe, Pendleton, Peyton
Randolph and John Randolph Wythe and Pen
dleton at once rejected his application. The two
Randolphs, by his importantly, were prevailed
upon to sign tho license; and having obtained
their signatures, he applied again to Pendleton,
and after much entreaty and many promises OF
future study, succeeded in obtaining his. The
first case which brought him into notice was a
contested election, in which he appeared as
counsel before o committee of the House of Bur-
gesses. His second was the Parsons cause, 81
ready well known These and similar efforts
soon obtained for him SO much reputation, that
he was elected member of the Legislature
He was rs we'll suited to the times as any man
ever was and it is not now easy to say what we
should have done without Patrick Henry. He
was far before all in maintaining the spirit of
the Revolution. His influence was most exten-
siye. with the members from the upper counties
and his boldness and their votes Overawed and
controlled the more cool or the more timid aris-
tocratic gentlemen of the lower part of the
State. His eloquence was peculiar, if indeed it
should be called eloquence for it was impressive
and sublime, beyond what can be imagined
Although it was difficult when he had spoken to
tell what he had said, yet, while he was speak
ing, it always seemed directly to the point
When he had spoken in opposition to my opin-
ion, had produced great effect, and l myself
been highly delighted and moved, have asked
myself when he ceased "What the devil has he
said 2" could never answer the inquiry. His
person was of full size, and his manner ard voice
free and manly. His utterance neither very fast
nor very slow His speeches very short, from
quarter to half an hour. His pronunciation
was vulgar and vicious, but it was forgotten
while he was speaking.
He was man of very little knowledge OF any
sort; he read nothing, and had no books. Re-
turning one November from Albemarle court, he
borrowed of me Humes Essays, in two volumes,
saving he should have leisure in the winter for
reading. In the spring he returned them; and
declared he had not been able to 60 further than
twenty or thirty pages in the first volume. He
wrote almost nothing-he could not write. The
resolutions of rs which have been ascribed to
him, have by many supposed to have been writ
ten by Mr.. Johnson who acted as his second on
that occasion; but if they were written by Hen
ry himself, they are not such as to prove any
power of composition. Neither in politics nor
in bis profession was he man OF business; he
w a, q ,.,e..- Coz lsL~.- --i,- H;s 5oo-nrh.,-
SAYS he read Plutarch every year. doubt
whether he ever read volume of it in his life.
His temper was excellent, and he generally OBJ
served decorum in debate.
On one or two occasions have seen him an
gry, and his anger was terrible; those who wit
messed it were not disposed to rouse it again.
In his opinion he was yielding and practicable
and not disposed to differ from his friends. In
private conversation he was agreeable and face
tious, and, while in genteel society, appeared to
understand all the decencies and proprieties of
it, but, in his heart, he preferred low society,
and sought it as often rs possible. He would
hunt in the pine woods of Fuvanna with over
seers, and people of that description, living in
camp for fortnight at time without change
of raiment / have often been astonished at his
command of proper language; how he attained
a knowledge of it 1 never could find ou., as he
read so little and conversed little with educated
men. After all it must be allowed that he was
our leader in the measures of the Revolution in
Virginia. In that respect moro was due to him
than any other person. If we had not had him,
we should probably have got out pretty well, as
YOU did by a number of men of nearly equal tal-
en;s. but he left us all far behind. His biogra-
pher sent the sheets of his work to me as they
were printed, and at the end asked for my opin-
ion. l told him it would be question hereaf-
ter, whether his work should be placed on the
shelf of history or panegyric.