The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1870-09-15
Patrick Henry on the Ecdcrai
Constitution.

federation wherein they are defective
not to push them aside. Have they
executed the commission entrusted TO
them? No man will affirm that they
have. Instead Of this, they have as
sumcd TO create anew government, ana
they have proposed for our adoption
Constitution of Government with pow
ers the people never dreamed OF,
Constitution Of Government with pow.
crs 50 extraordinary that ] hesitate not
to say, If this Constitution is adopted
the lights Of the States and the Liberties
Of the people are gone forever We
are told that Union is necessary, we
must have closer Union, the interest,
OF the country require Il stronger Coy
crnmcnt What are the necessities OF
the country now which require AL
this? We are now Il. peace. Oar
people, if free from unnecessary bur
dcns, will repair by their industrythc
fortunes wasted by the war. There
are no tUmults in Virginia No enc
my from abroad threatens to invade
our shores. no Arnold now burns
our towns, no Cornwallis dcsola'es our
land. Then what is the necessity for
this stronger Government? ! will tell
YOU, sir, when we needed uniOn-whcn.
if ever, we needed stronger govern
mcnt, when we did need to put forth
all the power OF the country. When
Gates was defeated at Camden, and
Sumpter surprised and cut to pieces:
when the British we're lording it over
South Carolina and Georgia, and
burned the homes Of the planters OF
those States, and drove them on. TO
seek refuge among the Wild Indians
the other side OF the mountains, when
WASHINGTON rctrcatcd through New
Jersey before Corvallis; twenty thons-
and British veterans driving before
them the shattered remnant Of the
American army-Ncw jersey was coy
cred with blood and ashes, its terrified
population ilccing or every Land from
the path Of the destroycr-in that hour
Of our country's deepest distress, lit.
tie band Of Americans, two thousand,
halrnakcd, starving soldiers, slill ciung
around their beloved chief, stjll gath
crcC about the person Of Washingion'
still followed the flag Of National In.
dependence; there were men without
hats, without shirts, without shoes
they left their tracks in blood on the
frozen Snow over which they marched
then, sir, if ever, we needed union;
then, if ever, we needed a strong Gov
eminent. This dcspiscd Government
Of the Confederation carried Us through
those times, can we not live under ii
now? This Government Of the Con
federation achieved the independence
IF our country. II did more. What
other Government has ever gone
through such struggle, aad come out
Of il with the liberties Of the people
nnymparcd? What other country has
passed through such trials without be
coming the prey Of some domestic tyr
ant Their revolutions cnslaved the
people Of England under Cromwell, as
The great struggle Of Rome made Ju.
Illus Caesar Dictator. We have won
our National Independence, and we
are still free people if We choose not
to submit our nccks to the yoke. VIII
we take warming by the fate OF other
nations? All history teaches one les
son. How have they lost their lihcr-
ties? Ambitious men obtained the
command of n great army for the de.
fence of their country, and with that
army they destroyed their country's
freedom. Has our heart waXcd gross
that we can not heed the things so
plain before US? VIII no lesson, how.
ever plain, no warning, however loud,
awake our 3ountrymcn from their in
iatuation It is the condition Of hu-
mainly that sometimes We heed not
the voice of instruction, no matter how
essential to our well being. We may
not believe though one rose from the
dead. Liberty is maintained By men
with arms in their hands, and is pre-
served in no other way. Was there
ever II State which surrendered the
control Of it, military force to others,
and still retained its liberties? Yet it
is proposed TO US to adopt this Consii.
tuition. When it is inaugurated, Nir-
ginia is forbidden to keep her troops
or ships OF war. The Central Govern
mcnt is empowered to raise and sup
port armies, to provide and maintain a
navy, to organize and arm aud discip-
line the militia, and to govern them
when it shall see fit to call them into
its servicc-all, all is surrendered into
the hands Ul the Central Government.
The whole military power Of the ma
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