The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1859-02-10
PATRICK HENRY.

tanoo with books. The following oc-
count Of his character and habits, Mr..
WEBSTER received from cotemporory,
and is found in the recently published
volumes Of Mr.. WEBsrER's correspon-
dcuco
PATRICK Henry was originally bar
keeper. lie was married very young,
and going into business was a bankrupt
before the year was out. When l was
about the age Of fifteen I left the school
here to go to college at Williamsburgh.
[ stopped few days at a friends in the
county of Louisa. There L first saw
and became acquainted with Patrick
Henry. Having spent the Christmas
holidays there [ proceeded to Williams
burgh Some questions arose about my
admission, as my preparatory studies
had not been pursued at the school con
nected with that institution. This de-
laved NV admission about a fortnight,
at which time Henry appeared in Will
lamsburgh aud applied for a license to
practice law, having commenced the
study at or subsequently to the time Of
nv meeting him in Louisa. There
we're four examincrs-Wythe, Pendle-
ton, Peyton Randolph and John Ran
dolph. Wythe aud PendletOn at once
rejected his application. The two Ran
dolphs, by his Importantly, were pre-
vailed upon to sign the license, and huy-
ing obtained their signatures, he ap-
piled again to Pendleton, and after
much eutrcaty and many promises Of
future study, succeeded in obtaining
his. He then turned out for a praotic-
ing lawyer. The first case which brought
him into notice was a contested cleo
ton, in which he appeared as counsel
before the committee of the House Of
Burgcsses. His second was the Par
sons case. already we'll known. These
aud similar efforts soon obtained for
him so much reputation that he was
elected member Of the Legislature
lie was as well suited to the times as any
man ever was, and it.is not now easy to
say what we should have done with
Patrick Henry lie was far before all
in maintaining the spirit Of the Reyolu
ton. His influence was most eXten-
sive with the members from the upper
counties, and his boldness and their
votes overawed and controlled the more
cool or the more timid aristocratic gen
tlemcn Of the lower part Of the State
His eloqucnce was peculiar, if indeed it
could be called eloquence, for it was inn
pressivc 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 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 delighted aud
moTed, have asked myself, when he
ceased, What has he said?' l could
never answer the inquiry. His person
was of full size, and his manner and
voice free and manly. His uttcrance
was neither very fast nor very SLOW
His speeches generally short-irom a
quarter to a half an hour His pronun-
citation was vulgar and vicious, but it
was forgotten while speaking.
He was a man Of very little knowl-
edge of any sort; he read nothing, and
had no books. Returning one Novem-
Der from Albermarle court, he borrowed
of me Humes Essays, in two volumes,
saying he should have leisure in the
winter for reading, In the spring he
returned them, aud declared h had 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, which
have been ascribed to him, have by
many been supposed to have been writ
ten by Mr.. Johnson, who acted as his
secoud on that occasion; but if they
were written by Henry himself, they
were not such as to prove any power Of
composition Neither in politics nor in
his profession was hea studiOus man. His
biographer says that he read Plutarch ev.
cry year. I doubt whether he ever read
volume Of itin his life, His temper
was excellent, and he generally observed
decorum i'm debate. On one or two oc-
casions 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 conyersa-
ton he was agreeable and facetious,
and, while in genteel society, appeared
to understand all the decencies of 1t;
but, in his heart, he preferred low soci-
ETY., and sought it as often as possible.
He would hunt in the pine woods Of
Fluvanna, with overseers, 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 obtained a knowledge Of it, never
could find out, as he read so little and
conversed little with educated men.
After all it must be allowed that he
was our leader in the measure Of the
Revolution in Virginia Ia that re-
spect more was due to him than any
other person If we had not had him
we should probably have got on pretty
well, as YOU did by a number Of men
nearly Of equal talents; but be left us
far behind. His biographer sent the
sheets Of his work to me as they were
printed, and at the end asked for my
opinion. told him il would be q ques-
tiou hereafter whether hiswork would be