The Kansas herald of freedom., 1859-10-01
Patrick Henri.

orator of our revolutionary history, one
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 hab-
Its MIR. Webster received from Mr.. Jeffer-
son, and is found in the published vol
umes of Mr.. Webster's correspondence
Patrick Henry was originally bar
keeper. He was married very young, and
going into some business, was a bankrupt
IN less than year. When l was about
the age of fifteen, left school to go to
college at Williamsburg. Istopped few
days at friends house in the county Of
Louisa. There / first saw and became
acquainted with Patrick Henry. Having
spent the Christmas holidays there, pro-
ceeded to Williamsburg. Some questions
arose about my admission, as my prepar-
atory studies had not been pursued at the
school connected with that Institution
This delayed my admission about fort
night, 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,
Peyton Randolph and John Randolph.
Wythe and Pendleton az once rejected
his application. The two Randolphs, by
his importantly, were prevailed upon to
sign his license and having obtained
their signatures, he applied again to PEN
dleton, and after much entreaty and many
promises of future study, succeeded in OBJ
tanning his. He then turned out for a
practising lawyer. The first case which
brought him into notice was a contested
election, in which he appeared as counsel
before the committee of the House of
Burgesses. His second was the Parsons
case, already well known. These aud
similar efforts soon obtained for him so
much reputation, that he was elected a
member of the Legislature. He 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 without Patrick
Henry. He was far before all in main
tanning the spirit of the revolution. His
influence was most extensive with the
members from the upper counties his
boldness and their votes overawed and
controlled the more cool or the more tim
id aristocratic gentlemen of the lower part
of the State. His eloquence was peculiar,
if, indeed, it could be called eloquence,
for it was impressive 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 seemed directly to the point. When
he had spoken in opposition to my opin-
ion-had produced great sensation, and
myself been delighted and moved,
have asked myself, when he ceased,
what has he said p l could never an
swcr the inquiry. His person was of full
size, and his manner aud voice free and
manly. His utterance was neither very
slow nor very fast. His speeches gener-
ally short-from a quarter to half an
hour.
"He was a man Of very little knowledge
| of any sort he read nothing, and had nc
books. Returning, one November, from
Albemarle Court, he borrowed Hume'i
Essays, in two volumes, saying he would
have leisure in the winter for reading. Ii
the spring he returned them, and declared
he had not been able to go further thar
twenty or thirty pages in the first vol
ume. He wrote almost nothing-he coulC
not write. The resolutions of '75, which
have been ascribed to him, have by many
been supposed to have been written by
Mr.. johnson, who acted as his second OF
that occasion but if they were writer
by Mr.. Henry himself, they were not sucl
as to prove any power of composition
Neither in politics nor in his profession
was he read mai. His biographer say
that he read Plutarch every year.
doubt whether he ever read a volume o
it in his life. His temper was excellent
and he generally observed decorum in de
bate. On one or two occasions ! hav
seen him angry, and his anger was terri
bic; those who witnessed it were not dis
posed to rouse it again. In his opinion
he was yielding, practicable, and not dis
; posed to differ from his friends. In pri
vate conversation he was agreeable an
facetious, and while in genteel societ
appeared to understand all the decencie
, and proprieties of it, but in his heart h
preferred low society, and sought it 8
often as possible. He would hunt in th
pine woods of Fluvenna, with overseel
and people of that description, living i
camp for fortnight at time, withou
change of raiment. 1 have often bee
| astonished at his command of proper lar
G guage; how he obtained knowledge {
it | never could find out, as he read SO Ii
4 tie and conversed little with educate
men.
Q "After all, it must be allowed that
Q was our leader in the measure of the re'
: olution in Virginia. In that respect. moi
was due to him than any other persol
{ II we had not had him, we should prol
Q ably have got on pretty well, as you di
by number of men of nearly equal ia
ents but he left us far behind. His BIZ
grapher sent the sheets of his work to n
: as they were printed, and at the end askt
i for my opinion. l told him it would
q question hereafter whether his wo1
: should be placed on the shelf of histo
= or panegyric. 1t is poor book, writ,
:. in bad taste, and gives SO imperfect I
e idea of Patrick Henry, that it seems
Is show off the writer more than the subje
If of the work."