The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1872-01-22
r,atr.cI. Henry IL. the House OF Eur
BY james Parton,

by JalIieS Idltpli'
Only three days Of the session remained.
On the blank leaf Of an old "Coke upon Lyt-
t!etoa" --perhaps Jellcr5on's own copy-the
new member wrote his celebrated I'VE resoiu-
tons. OF this purport: We, EngiIshmcn living
in America, have Ill the rights OF Englislmen
living in England; the Chief OF WHICH Is, tiaI
we can only be taxed by our own rcpfcsen-
tatiycs and any attempt 10 tax Us otherwise
mcnaces British liberty Oh both continents.
Tn all probability jefferson knew that some
thing Of the kind was intended on Inat
memorable day, for he was present III
the House. There was no gallery then,
nor anv other provision for spectators; but
there could be no objection to the friend anu
relative of so many members standing in the
doorway between the lobby and the cham
Der. and there he took his stand. lie saw his
tall. gaunt, coarsely-atsred guest rise, III his
awkward way, and break with stalnmcrlnS
tongue the silence which had brooded over
the loudest debates as week after week OF inc
session hid passed. h5 observed, and telt
too, the thrill which ran through the HOUSE
at the mere Introduction of a subject Wltli
which every mind was surcharged, and
marked the rising tide of feeling as the read
ing of the resolutions went on, until the Gil
max of audacity WAS reached ID the iaSt
clause Of the last.
How, moderate, how tame, the words
seem to us /! Every attempt to invest such
power (of taXation) in any person or per-
sons whatever other than the General Assem-
blv aforesaid has manifest tendency to de-
stiIoy British and American freedom" Rav-
ishinng words to the Wing members from Al
bcD,arlc and the other western counties
Sound as old Coke himself, i'll the judgment
of our spell-bound listener in the doorway.
Words of fearful import to the Tory lords
OF the eastern counties. Not approved as
vet by George Wythe nor by Peyton ham
dolpb, whom the student held IN SO much
honor.
When the reading was finished he heard
his friend utter the opening sentences OF his
speech with ALTERING tongue, Us usual, anu
giving little promise OF the strains that were
to follow. But it was the nature OF this great
genius to rise to the occasion. Soon Jellcr-
son saw him stand erect, and swinging Tree
of all impedimcnts, launch into the tlde OF
his Grafton, every eye captivated BY the large
and sweeping grace OF Ills gestlculation )
every ear charmed with the swelling music
of his voice; every mind thrltcd or stuhS
by the vivid epiglams into which he con-
densed his opinions. lie never had llstent
so formed to be held captive by HIM rs the
student at the lobby door, who, as boy, had
found the oratory of the Indian chief so I'M
nrrssive. and could not now resist slurring
| translation of Ossiun's majestic phrases. At
ter the lapse of tifty-nine years, he spoke OF
this great day with enthusiasm, and described
anew the closing moments of Henry's speech,
when the orator interrupted by the cries Of
treason, uttered the well-known words Of de.
fiance, .If this be treason, make the most OF
if !"-Fron, the atlantic Monthly for FebrI'
| drY