The Shasta courier., 1859-02-26
Patrick Henry.

tor of our revolutionary history, one who de-
rived all his power from original genius and the
study Of nature and men, and had no acquaint-
ance with books. The following sketch of his
character and habits Mr. Webster received from
Mr.. Jefferson and is found in the recently pub
hshed volumes of Mr.. Webster's correspondence ::
"Patrick Henry was originally bar-keeper.
He was married very yo- -ng, and going into
some business was bankrupt before the year
was out. When was about the age of fifteen,
left the school here to go to the college at
Williamsburg. stopped few days at a friends
in the county of Louisa. There first saw ano
became acquainted with Patrick Henry Having
spent the Christmas and holidays there, l pro-
ceeded to Williamsburg. Some questions arose
about my admission, as my preparatory studies
had not been pursued at the school connected
with that institution. This delayed my admls-
sion about q fortnight, at which time Patrick
Henry appeared in Williamsburg, and applied
for a 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, Pen6leton, Peyton Randolph
and John Randolph. Wythe and Pendleton at
once rejected his application. The two RAN
dolphs, by his importantly, were prevailed upon
to sign the license 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
turned out for a practising lawyer The first
case which brought him into notice was con-
tested election, in which he appeared as coun-
sci before the committee of the House of Bur-
gesses. His second was the Parsons case, al
ready well known. These and similar efforts
soon obtained for him SO much reputation that
he was elected member of the legislature. He
was as well suited to the times as any man ever
w and II is eocv tn what VIE
should have done without Patrick Henry. He
was far before all in maintaining the spirit of the
Revolution. His influence was most extensive
with the members from the upper counties, and
his boldness and their votes overawed and con-
trolled the more cool or more timid aristocratie
gentlemen of the lower part of the State. His
eloquence was peculiar, if indeed it could be
called eloquence, for it was impressive and SUBJ
lime beyond what he imagined. Although i,
was difficult, after 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 l. myself, been de-
| lighted and moved, have asked myself wher
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
utterance was neither very fast or very slow
His speeches generally short-from quarter to
half an hour. His pronunciation was vulgar
and vicious, but it was forgotten while speaking
He was man of very little knowledge of any
sort be had read nothing, and had no books
Returning one November from Albemarle
court, he borrowed of me Hume's Essays, in two
volumes, saying 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 ascribcd to him, have ~ many been sup
posed to have been written by Mr.. johnson, who
acted as his second on that occasion but il
they were written by Henry himself they were
not such as to prove any power of comparison.
Neither in his politics nor.in his profession was
he man. His biographer says that he read
Plutarch every year. l 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 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 with
outa change of raimcnt have often been
astonished at his command of proper language
how he obtained 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 Vir-
ginia. In that respect, 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 number of men of nearly equal
talents but he left US all far behind. His BIZ
ographer sent the sheets of 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
shelf ofhistory or of panegyric. 1t is poor
book, written in bad taste, gives so imperfect an
idea of Patrick Henry, that it seems intended to
show off the the writer more than the subject of
the work.