The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1867-07-25
8itI1uond 1ispatrt1,
THURSDAY..".".........JULY Is, 1867.
THE CIRCULATION OF THE "DIS-
PATCH" IS LARGER THAN THE COM.
BINED CIRCULATION OF ALL THE
OTHER DAILY NEWSPAPERS OF THIS
CITY.

CITY.
From the Philadelphia Age, July 20.
A Memento of the RevoIutiOn-A
Manuscript of Thomas Jefferson
Never before PublIshed-His Rem1-
niscences OF Patrick Henry.
The following curious paper is copied
verbatim from manuscript Of Mr.. Jeffer-
son, which a correspondent in the interior
of the State has put into our hands, with
the privilege Of retaining it for few days,
that any of our readers who may desire to
see the handwriting Of the author Of the
Declaration Of Independence may be gra-
| tilted with sight Of the paper itself. The
well-known chirography Of Mr.. Jefferson,
made familiar to the world by the nume-
rous fac sinailes of the first draft of the
! Declaration, taken in connection with the
| internal evidence which this manuscript
bears of having come from his hand, rem
ders any argument about its genuineness
superhuous. His recollections of Mr..
Henry, and the view which he presents of
bis character, although somewhat startling
and at variance with the cherished and
/ traditionary reputation of the great orator,
. are far too valuable to be suppressed, and
form contribution to history which it is
strange has been so long withheld. They
will be read, especially those portions de-
rogatory to Mr.. Henry as man OF per-
sonal integrity, with some caution. There
are statements in this paper, the accu-
racy of which, we very much question, and
in relation to which we shall in day or
two take on opportunity of stating our
views. The paper, however, whether as
evidence trustworthy or not, is great
curiosity:
My acquaintance with Mr.. Henry CON-
menced in the winter of l759-'60. On my
way to the college passed the Xmas
holidays at Colonel Dandridge's, in Han
over, to whom Mr.. Henry was a near
neighbor. During the festivity of the
season met him in society every day, and
we became well acquainted, although |
was much his junior, being then but in my
seventeenth year, and he married man.
The spring following he came to Williams
burg to obtain license as q lawyer, and
he called on me at College. He told me
he had been reading law only six weeks.
Two of the examiners, however, Peyton
and John Randolph, men of great facility
of temper, signed his license with as much
reluctance as their dispositions would per-
NIT them to show. Mr.. Wythe absolutely
refused. Rob. G. Nicholas refused also
} at first, but on repeated opportunities and
promises of future reading he signed.
These facts I had afterwards from the
gentlemen themselves, the two Randolphs
acknowledging he was very ignorant OF
law, but that they perceived him to be a
: young man of genius and did not doubt he
would soon qualify himself.
He was some time after elected repre-
sentative of the County of Hanover, and
brought himself into public notice on the
following occasion, which, l think, took
place in 1762, or year sooner or later.
The gentlemen OF this country had at that
time become deeply involved in that state
of indebtedness which has since ended IN
so reneral crush of their fortunes-the
sneaker was also Treasurer, an officer al
ways chosen by the Assembly. He was
all excellent man, liberal, friendly, ana
rich. He had been drawn in to lend on
his own account great sums of money to
persons of this description, and especially
those who were of the Assembly. He
used freely for this purpose the public
money, confiding for its replacement IN
his own means and the securities he had
taken on those loans. About this time,
however, he became sensible that his de-
ficit to the public was become so enor-
. nous as that discovery must soon take
place. for as yet the public had no suspi-
cion of it. He devised, therefore, with his
friends in the Assembly plan for pub
lie loan Office to a certain amount, from
which moneys might be lent on public
count and on good landed security, to in
dividuals. This was accordingly brought
forward in the House of Burgesses, and
had it succeeded the debts due to Robin
son on these loans would have been trans
ferred to the public, and his deficit thus
completely covered. This state of things,
however, was not yet known but Mr..
Henry attacked the scheme on other gene
raj grounds in that style of bold, grand,
and Overwhelming eloquence for which he
became so Justly celebrated afterwards.
He carried with him all the members OF the
upper counties, and left minority, COM
nosed mainly of the aristocracy of the
country. From this time his popularity
swelled apace, and, - dying about four
wears after, his deficit was brought to light,
and discovered the true object of the pro-
position.
The next great occasion on which he
s;onalized himself was that which may be
considered as the dawn Of the Revolution,
| in March. 1774. The British Parliament
had passed resolutions preparatory to the
levying a revenue on the COLONIES Dy
stamp tax. The Virginia Assembly, at
their next session, prepared and sent TO
England very elaborate representations,
addressed, in separate forms, to the King,
Lords, and Commons, against the right to
| impose such taxes. The famous Stamp
Act was, however, passed in January,
1765. and in the session of the Virginia
Assembly of May following Mr.. Henry in.
troduced the celebrated resolutions OF
that date. These were drawn by George
Johnston, a lawyer of the Northern Neck,
a very able, logical, and correct speaker;
Mr.. Henry moved and Johnston seconded
these resolutions successfully. They
were opposed by Randolph, PendletoIn,
Nicholas, Wythe, and all the oid
members whose influence in the house
had till then been unbroken. They ala IL,
NOT from any question of our rights, Dut
on the ground that the same sentiments
had been at their preceding session ex-
messed in a more conciliatory form, 10
which the answers were not yet received.
But torrents of sublime eloquence 1rom
Mr.. Henry, backed by the solid. sol reasoning
of Johnston, prevailed. The last, now,
ever and strongest resolution was carried
but bv q single vote. The debate on It
was most bloody. I was then but stu
dent, and was listening at the door OF the
| lobby, (for as yet there was no gallery,)
when Peyton Randolph, after the Vote'