The Nevada Democrat., 1857-01-14
Mr.. JefrersOn on Patricl. Henry.


description of the ex-President, and kept notes
of his conversation which are given in the forth
coming 'private correspondence of Daniel Web
ster." The following is what Mr.. Jefferson said
of Patrick Henry:
Patrick Henry was originally bar-keeper.
He was married very young and going into
some business, on his own account, was bank
rupt before year was out When was about
the age of fifteen, left the school here to go to
the college at Williamsburgh. | stopped
few weeks at friends in the county of Loui-
sa. There first saw and became acquainted
with Patrick Henry. Having spent the Christ
mas holidays there, proceeded to Williams
burgh. Some question arose about my admis-
sion, as my preparatory studies had not been
pursued at the school connected with that in-
stituton. This delayed my admission about
fortnight, at which time Henry appeared in
Williamsburgh, and applied for license to
practice law, having commenced the study OF it
at or subsequently to the time of my meeting
him at Louisa. There were four examiners,
Wythe, Pendleton, Peyton Randolph and John
Randolph. Wythe and Pendleton at once re-
jected the application. The two Randolphs, by
his importantly, were prevailed upon to sign
the license; and having obtained their sigma
lures, he applied again to Pendleton, and after
much entreaty and many promises of future
study, succeeded in obtaining his. He then
~
case which brought him into notice was con-
tested election, in which he appeared as coun
sci before a committee of the House of Burgess
es. His second was the Parsons cause, already
well known. These and similar efforts soon OBJ
Iained for him so much reputation, that he was
elected a member of the Legislature. He was
as 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
Inf.a in foi N; ho of tho
luton. His influence was most extensive with
the members from the upper counties, and his
boldness in their votes overawed and controlled
the more cool or the more timid arstocratic
gentlemen of the lower part of the State. His
elOquence was peculiar, if indeed in should be
called eloquence for it was impressive and sub
lime, beyond what can be imagined Although
it was difficult when he had spoken to tell what
he had said, yet while he was speaking. it al
ways seemed directly to the point. When he
had spoken in opposition to my opinion, had
produced a great effect and myself been high
ly delighted and moved, have asked myself
when he ceased: 'What the devil has he sail ?'
could never answer the inquiry. His person
was of full size, and his manner and voice free
and manly. His utterance neither very fast nor
very slow. His speeches generally short, from
quarter to half an hour. His pronunciation
was vulgar and vicious. but it was forgotten
Wnlle HC was speaking.
HE was a man of very little knowledge of
any sort; he read nothing, and had no books
Returning one November from Albemarle court
he borrowed Of me Hume's Essays, in two vol
umes, saying he should have leisure in the win
ter for reading In the spring he returned
them, and declared that he had not beer able to
go further than twenty or thirty pages in the
first volume. He wrote almost nothing-he
could not write. The resolutions of '75, which
have been ascribed to him, have, by many, been
supposed to have been written by Mr.. Johnson
who acted as his second on that occasions; but
if they were written by Henry himself, they are
not such as to prove any power of composition.
Neither in politics nor in his profession was he
a man of business; he was a man for debate
only. His biographer says that he read Plu-
tarch every year. | doubt whether he ever
read volume of it in his life. His temper was
excellent and he generally observed decOrum
in debate On one or two occasions have seen
him angry, and his anger was terrible; those
who witnessed it were not disposed to rouse it
again. In his opinions he was yielding and
practicable, and not disposed to differ from his
friends In private conversation he was agree
able and facetious, and, while in genteel society
appeared to understand all the decencies and
prOprieties of it; but in his heart, he preferred
low society, and soughtit as often as possible
He would hunt in the woods of Finvanna with
overseers, and people OF that description, living
in camp for fortnight at time without
a change of raiment have often been aston
ished at his command of proper language; how
he attained knowledge of it | never could find
out. as hc read so little and conversed so little
with educated men. After all, it must be al
lowed that he was our leader in the measures OF
the Revolution in Virginia In that respect
more was due him than any other person. II
we had not had him we should probably have
got on pretty well, as you did, by number OF
men of nearly equal talents, but he left us all
far behind. His biographer sent the sheets oi
his work to me as they were printed, and at the
end asked for my opinion. | told him it would
be question hereafter, whether his work should
be placed on the shelf of history or of panegyr
ic. 1t is poor book and written in bad taste
and gives so imperfect an idea of Patrick Hen
ry. that it seems intended to show off the writer
more than the subject of the work."
ARRIVAL OF FRENCH RFFUGEEs.--We find the
following in the local column of the Baltimore
American of the oath ultimO:
Er;J uirbf Loot ON