The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1859-02-03
PATRICK HENRY.

quent orator of our revolutionary histo-
ry, and who derived all his power from
original genius and the study Of nature
and men. and had no acquaintance
with books. The following sketch Of
his character and habits Mr.. Webster
received from Mr.. Jefferson, and is
found in the recently published volum,
es of Mr.. Webstcr's correspondence:
Patrick Henry was originally a bar
keeper. He was married when very
young, and going into some business,
was bankrupt before the year was out.
When was about the age OF fifteen, |
left the school here to so to the college
at Williamsburg. | stopped at a
friends in the county Of Louisa. There
| first became acquainted with Pat
rick lcnry. Having spent the Christ
mas holidays there, | proceeded to
Williamsburg. Some questions arose
about my admission, as my preparatory
studies had not been pursued at the
school connected with the institution,
This delayed my admission about a
fortnight, at which time Henry APP
pcared in Williamsburg, and applied
for II license to practice law. having
commenced the study of it at or sub
Scqucntly to the time of my meeting
him in Louisa. There were four cx-
aniners--Wythr, Pendlcton, Pcyton
Randolph and John Randolph. Wythc
and Pendlcton at once rejected his ap-
plication. The two Randolphs, by his
importantly, We're prevailed upon to
sign the license; and having obtained
their signatures, he applied again to
Pcndleton. and after much cntrcaty
and many promises Of future study,
succeeded in obtaining his. lie then
turned out for II practlcIng lawyer
The first case which brought him into
notice was contested election, in
which he appeared as counsel before
the committee Of the House of Bur-
gesscs. His second was the Parsons
case, already we'll known. These and
similar efforts soon obtained for him
so much reputation that he was eIec-
ted Il 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
out Patrick Henry. lie was far be.
fore all in maintaining the spirit of
the Revolution. His influence was
most extensive with TIE members
from the upper counties and his bold
ness aud their votes overawed and
controlled the more cool or the more
timid aristocraic gentleman of the
lower part of State. His eloqucncc
was peculiar, il Indeed it could be call
ed cloquencc, for it WAS impressive
and sublime beyond what can be i'm
agincd. Although it was difficult
when he had spoken, to tell what he
had said, yet, while he was speaking
it always seemed directly to the point
When he had spoken in opposition to
my opinion-had produced great
effect, and |, myself, been delighted
and moved, have asked myself when
he ceased what has he said!' ]
could never answer the inquiry. His
person was of full size, and his manner
and voice free and manly. His utter
ancc was neither very fast nor very
slow. His speeches generally short
from quarter to halt an hour. Ills
pronunciation was vulgar and vicious,
but it was forgotten while speaking
lie was man of very little knowl-
edge of any sort; he read nothing, and
had no books. Returning one NO
yember from Abermarble court, he
borrowed Hume's Essays. in two vol
umcs, saying he should have leisure in
the winter for reading. In the spring
he returned them, declared he had not
been able to get further than twenty
or thirty pages in the first volume
lie 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
written by Mr.. Johnson, who acted a.
second on that occasion; but if they
were written by Henry himself, they
were not such as to prove any power
of comparison. Neither in politics
nor in his profession was he "A man
His biographer says that he read Piu'
tarch every year. ldoubt whether he
ever read volume Of it in bis life
His temper was excellent, and ne se"'
orally observed decorum in debate
On one or two occasions nave seen
him angry, and his anger was was 'er.loie' l,!
those who witnessed it were not dis
nosed TO rouse it again. In his opinion
Pe % was Welding and practible, and not
disnosed dis to differ from his friends. In
nrirate conversation he was agreeable
and facetious, and while in genteel So
! eiety appeared to understand all the
DEFICIENCIES and proprieties oft; but in
bis heart he preferred low society, and