Marshall County Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1855-1859, 1859-02-24
Patrick Henry y

Very littlo is known of the most elo-
quent orator of our revolutionary history,
one who derived all his power from orig.
ional genious 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. Jeffer-
son, and is found in the recently publish
ed volumes of Mr. Webster's correspond
ence:
Patrick Henry was origionally a bar
keeper. He was married very young and
going into some bushes, was bankrupt be-
fore the year was out. When was about
the age of fifteen, left the school here to
go to the 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 Williamsburg. Some ques-
tons arose about my admission, as my
preparatory studies had not been pursued
at the school connected with that institu-
ton. This delayed my admission about
fortnight. at which time Henry appeared
in Williamsburg, and applied for license
to practice law, having commenced the
study Of it at or subsequently to the time
of my meeting him in Louisa. There were
four examiners-Wythe. Pendleton. Pey-
ton Randolph and John Randolph. Wythe
and Pendleton at once rejected his appli-
cation. The two Randolphs, by his i'm
portunity. were prevailed upon to sign his
license; and having obtained their sigma
lures, he applied again to Pendleten. and
ar'er much entreaty, and many promises
OF future study. succeeded in obtaining
his. He then turned out for practicing
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 Burgesses.
His second was the Parsons case, already
we'll known. These and similar efforts
soon obtained for him SO much reputation
that he was elected a member Of the Leg
islature. He was as well suited to the
times as any man ever was, and it is not
now easy TO say what We should lave done
without Patrick Henry. He was far be-,
fore all in maintaining the spirit of ihe
Revolution. His influence was most ex-
:ensive with the members from the upper
counties. and his boldness and their votes
overawed and controlled the more cool or
the more timid aristocratic gentlemen of
the lower part of the State. His elo-,
quence was peculiar, if indeed it could be
called eloquence. for 1t was impressive and
sublime beyond what can be imagined AL
though il was difficult, when he had spo-
ken, to tell what he had said. yet while he
was speaking, it always seemed directly
to the point. When he had spoken in op-
position to my opinion--had produced
a great sensation, and my self. been de-.
lighted and moved, l have asked myself,
when he ceased, What has he said?' L
could never answer the inquiry His per-
son was of full size, and his manner. and
voice free and manly. His utterance was.
neither very fast nor very slow. His
speeches generally short-from quarter to
half an hour. ,e ~
He was man OF very little knowledge
of any sort; he read nothing and had no
books. Returning one November from
Albermarbfe court, he borrowed of me
Hume's Essays. in two volumes, saying
he would have leisure in The winter for
reading. In Spring he returned them.
and declared he had not been able to 90
further than twenty or thirty pages in the
first volume., He wrote almost nothing
he could not writes 4 be resolutions of rs,
which have been n supposed to have been
written by Mr. Johnson, who acted as his
second on that occasion; but if they were
written by Mr. Henry himself, they, were
not such as to prove any power Of compo-
sition Neither in politics nor in his pro-
fession:w WAS he -rp Fesds MANI His biogra-
pber says that he, read Plutarch every
year. 4 doubt whether he ever read a vol
ume of iit In his life.l. His temper was ex-
celleat, and he generally observed decorum
I'm debate. Z. On one or, two occasions !
have seen him angry, and his anger was
terrible, those who, Witnessed itsiwere not
disposed to rouse isagain. In, his opin-
ions be was yielding and practicable. and
moi disposed to differ from Lis friends. In