The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1859-11-18
Early Years of Patrick Henry.
Happiest Effort.

About the middle of the last century,
there was youth in Hanover county, Vir
ginia. who, in Scotland, would have been
called me 'erdo-weel," and in England a
"good-for- naught." He was idle, indolent.
and careless. He shambed ir his gait, and
slouched in the carriage of his person.
Every moment which he could steal from
his forced occupations, was spent in hunting,
angling and !ounging. 1t would have
required more than mortal foresight to dis
cerE in the awkward and lazy youth, the
great prophet Of Revolution, and the
moulder of one Of the greatest epochs in the
history of the world.
Such was Patrick Henry in his earlier
days. The contrast between this figure and
that of the imprisoned tribune of the peO-
pie, the gigantic leader of rebellion, is sufi
GENTLY striking.
The courts of law were not to be the scene
of Henry's greatest triumphs. His genius
was to carry him onward into another and
a more august arena. The impending
struggle with England claimed its great
prophet and leader. Like most young law
yers in Virginia who have secured the
popular voice and applause, be ran for the
House, and was duly elected. He took his
seat 10 the spring of 1865. On the 22d of
March the Stamp Act had received the
royal sanction, and in May, soon after the
meeting Of the Burgesses, it came up for the
action of that body.
The hour and the man had both come.
The storm long gathering, had piled up its
blacklist clouds; the muttering of the thun-
der began to be heard ere long the light
ming was to fall like fire from heaven. But
all the elements of revolution were not yet
combined. Many of the greatest leaders
and most patriotic statesmen hesitated and
doubted. Bound to England by hundred
ties of affection, admiration, interest and
habit, they recoiled from contest to which
their most cherished feelings were opposed,
and advocated still the old formulas-peti-
ti0ns, protests and memorials to Parliament
and the King. Such was the state of the
public feeling, when in the midst of the
richly clad and imposing assemblage of
wealthy and aristocratic planters, appeared
the shabbily dressed, unknown lawyer from
Hanover Let us glance at the body, and
then at the personal appearance of the in
truder. We enter the town of Williams.
burgh, and proceed up Gloucester street to
the old capitol.
Passing through the vestibule, and the
covered way leading to the building in the
rear, we find ourselves in the hall of the
worshipful House of Burgesses OF the Colo
.ny and Dominion of Virginia. The speak
,er is seated beneath a red canopy, held aloft
by golden rods. Beneath him, the clerk is
writing at his desk, the mace lying upon
the table, to signify that the House is in
tull session. The body is imposing. Il
consists of the richest planters of the sea
board, men who own thousands of acres
and hundreds of servants, and who reign
supreme on their great estates, like feuda
barons, surrounded by their serfs and the
glebe. AS becomes their rank and socia
advantages. they are elegantly clad. They
wear rich cloth and velvet, their coats ant
waistcoats are splendid, with embroidery
:and their long aaXen perukes are covered
with snowy hair powder. They are wealth,
aristocrats, with hundred noble and gene
rous traits Of mind and heart, with brave
loyal souls, magnanimOus natures, liberia
hands and kindly feelings-but also with ;
Jealous attachment to " degrees in state,
with pride Of lineage, pride of position-a
little of Democrats" in s-ntiment or con
viction, as it is possible to conceive. The.
are. in their own opinion, the authoritative
guardians of the State-not simply by tn
legal election o. the freeholders, but b,
birth. rank and position. Not unk;nd o
overbearug, they yet look down from a
immense height upon the common people
veomen factors and tradesmen-and calml
assume, as they verify believe themselve
entitled to, the place OF patricians and COZ
stitutional rulers.
This brief sketch may serve to explain th
astonishment indignation aud bitter oppos
ton, which the coarsely clad youth frol