The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1867-08-23
Prom the Pstsr,bnra Under.

Noticing lately an article from the pen
OF Mr.. Jefferson which appeared in the
Philadelphia Age, and which contained
some severe structures upon the political
character Of Patrick Henry, charging him
with having apostatised from his party,
especially on the question Of the alien and
sedtion laws, ! communicate the follow
ing testimony on that subject in vindica-
ton Of that great man whose memory will
ever be dear to Virginians. The manu-
script I received from the Rev. William
Spotswood Fontaine, of King William
county, Va, many years ago. Mr.. Fon-
tame is related to the Henry family, and
married d ascendant Of Patrick Henry.
-. G. C.
PATRICK HEERY'a OPINIONS ON THE ALIEN
AND sED1T1oN LAw-sTATEaEST pY ". 8.
FoNTAINE, sEHTENBER 9, 1887.
I have often heard it said by different
members Of my family that Mr.. Writ has
represented the opinions Of Patrick Henry
directly contrary to what they really were
on the subject of the alien and sedition
law. mentioned the fact to Governor
Tyler last winter at his house, and he
seemed to catch at the case with delight,
ouo OAHU GnoU ldtuCT uofcE COulu UC-
lieve it, and that woIid do more good to
the memory of Mr.. Henry by dissbusing it
Of that stigma, as he considered it, than
could believe. I determined to gather
the facts from the few remaining persons
who were acquainted with his opinions /;
and in a conversation this evening with
George Woodson Payne, who married q
sister of Mr.. Henry's last wife, and was
intimately acquainted with Mr.. Henry's
opinions, he said that he knew Of his own
knowledge that Mr.. Henry thought those
laws unconstitutional, particularly the
sedition law; that he believed that there
were aliens who ought to be sent out Of the
country; but that the law, if not uncon-
stitutional, operated unjustly and hard in
many cases.
In conversation with Parson Clement
Read, in presence of Colonel Alexander S.
Henry, the 7th day of November, 1887, he
said that Patrick Henry, in bis celebrated
speech, the last time he was candidate
for election to the Virginia Assembly, did
not say, according his recollection, that
the alien and sedition laws were "good
and proper" as stated by Mr.. Wirt's cor
respoDdence; that Mr.. Henry neither ap-
proved nor sdisapproved those laws that
he only endeavored to quiet the minds Of
the people and to prevent'a dissolution of
the Union, which was very much talked Of
by the people at that time that rather
than do that they had better 60 wrong to-
gether. He further stated that he believed
Mr.. Henry considered those laws impolitic
and unconstitutional. This belief was
founded on Mr.. Henry's conversation and
course on the day of making the speech
alluded to.
49, Statement of Rev. Clement Read.
I have been asked whether I recollect
of the, speech of Patrick Henry which
he made at Charlotte Courthouse not long
before his death in relation to the alien
and sedition laws. To my best recollec-
ton of that speech he neither approved
nor disapproved of those laws. His only
object, as it appeared to me, was to quiet
the minds of the people and to prevent
them from resortiDg to unconstitutional
they thought they labored under. have
that Mr.. Henry said in his speech that the
above laws were "good and proper I" If
Mr.. Henry made any such remark | did
not hear it, as / Row recollect. My own
opinion is that Mr.. Henry was opposed to
the above laws, Judging from some ex-
pressions that fell from him before he
made his speech, and from his known po-
litical opinions. I lived in the same
county in which Mr.. Henry lived, and if
Mr.. Henry had altered his political creed
1 had an opportunity ofknowing it; but l
believe he lived and died true Republi-
can and friend to the liberty Of the people.
Statement of Robert Morton.
According to the best of my recollec-
tion, at Charlotte March court, 1899,
Patrick Henry delivered speech at
Charlotte Courthouse. I lived in the
clerks Office at the time with Colonel
Thomas Read, the clerk Of the court, and
was between fourteen and fifteen years Of
age. It was a day, young as was, that
I we'll remember, being the last of Colonel
Henry's appearing in public flor he died
short time after) and the first of John
Randolph of Roanoke appearing before
the public in Charlotte, for he replied
to Colonel Henry. According to the best
of my recollection, the great object Colo
mel Henry seemed to have in view in his
speech was to keep the people together
under the grievances of the General Co.
vernment, of which they complained,
until constitutionally they could remedy
the evils of which they complained. And
/ remember to have heard Colonel Thomas
Read, with whom lived until | arrived
to over twenty-one years Of age, say that
he was gratifed,~ as much as he differed
with Colonel Henry on some political
topics of the day, that they agreed in OPP
position to the alien and sedition laws.
Given under my hand this 9th day Of
November, 1887. Ro. MORTON.
Statement of Clement Darlington.
When Colonel Patrick Henry, being q
candidate for seat in the Virginia Assem-
bly,, in the year 1898, made his election
eering speech-being I believe the last
public speech he ever made-I was pres
emit. The public mind was much disquiet-
ed on the subject of the Virginia Resolu-
lions [of '9S and 1891 relating to the alien
and sedition laws. Colonel Henry appear
ed to be very unwilling to "n1ake speech"
as he termed it, but the people being i'm
Fortunate, and pressing him forward to
the end of the portico of the tavern, he,
to quiet the tumult, addressed them. He
neither approved nor condemned those
laws, but said they were beyond his compre-
hension, and evidently declined giving an
opinion of them. He decidedly condemn
ed the Virginia resolutions as tending to
civil war. he said "Let US all 90 to-
gether, right or wrong. If we 60 into civil
war, your Washington will lead the Go
yernmental armies and who, I ask, is
willing to point a bayonet against his
breastf" His speech was short. When
Ia ratirad some of tha crowd followed