The States and Union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1868-1872, 1868-06-24
Patrick Henry.
BY JAMES rARroS.

1t Is common to speak OF Hatrlck
Henry as a person unlike any other
who ever existed, as though the gift of
oratory were something exceedingly
rare 1t is rare in deed to possess it in
such degree; but I am inclined to
think America has produced many men
resembling Patrick Henry in every
thing but the greatness of his talent
Among the religious sects which en-
courage their members to exercise what
ever gift for public exhortation they.
may possess, VIC frequently find unlet-
tered men who have an astonishing how
of language, and, not unfrequently,
command of imagery that strikes the
hearer with amazement. Parick Hen.
~ was merely the greatest of our natu--
raj orators.
he was born in Virginia, in the year
1876. His father was scotchman,
who emigrated to Virginia in early life,
and exercised in the colony the joint
occupations of planter, schoolmaster, and
surveyor. Neither he MOI his wife, nor
any of their nine children exhibited any
particlar talent for oratory, compost
tion, or conversation. Nevertheless,
such talent had existed in the family
A brother of Patrick Henry's mother
was fine natural orator, although un-
known out of his native county. 1t is
said of this gentleman that, during the
French war, alter Braddock's defeat,
when the militia were called ont to de-
fend the frontiers, he addressed them
with an eloquence never before equaled
in Virginia except by his illustrious
nephew. The father of Patrick Hen
ry, on the contrary, was plain, soiId
kind of man, not fluent in speech, nor
gifted with Imagination.
There is another common error with
regard to this orator. He is supposed
to have owed all his celebrity and sue
cess to a natural gift, and to have been
IN no degree indebted to education. Ii
is true that he was an idle boy, aud a
careless young man. The father, when
Patrick was ten years of age, opened
/ school in his own house, in which the
boy acquired little Latin, learned the
Greek alphabet, and made some prof.
cheney in arithmetic, aud geometry. II
is said, however, that he was too fond
of hunting and fishing to avail himself
of the advantages which his fathers
school afforded. When the bell rang
for school in the morning, he was rare
| ly to be found. He was away in the
woods with his gun, or on the banks Of
a stream with his fishing rod and IL
these sports he would spend weeks at
time, unchecked by his fathers author.
ity. He appeared to love idleness fol-
its own sake. His schoolfellows fire.
que ntly observed him under the shade
of tree, watching the cork of his fish
! ing rod for hours without getting bite
and yet without tiring of the monoto-
n.y. He liked to be alone in his sports
though fend of society at other times
We are told, however, that, in the
midst of his young companions. he Oft
en- sat silent, appearing to be occupied %
only with his own thoughts, while, IN
reality, he was paying close attention
and reAec.ing deeply on the character
of the speakers.
! His early friends could not recollecl
that he had ever given the least sign ei
talent in his youth or early manhood :
They remembered him as having been
coarse in his appearance, awkward IN
his manners, slovenly in his dress, plain
in his conversation, hating study, and
wholly given up to idle pleasure. a
the same time, they .concusrea IA report
ing that he aoas constant and deer
student of hun,am nature. He ha6itu
ally reflected upon the nsotipes ,ohich
goOern mankind in general, as ,oeH a.
upon those sohich gouerned each indi-
vidual of his acquaintance.
When he was fifteen years of age
his father, burdened with the suppor
Of a large fatnily, placed this wayward
aud unpromising SON as clerk in .
county store, and, year after, set hin
up in business with a small stock o.
4 goods, associating with him one OF hi
elder brothers. This elder brother, Il
appears, was yet more idle than Pat
rick, and threw the whole burden o
he business upon the Junior partner.
The drudgery Of the store soon became