Orangeburg times. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1872-1875, 1872-11-20

rally known in williamsburg in. 1764;
for he moved about the streets and public
places unrecognized, though not unmark-
ed. 1t would not have been cxtraordi-
nary if our young student had been q
little ashamed of his oddity of guest
as they walked together towards the cap
itol, at the time when the young ladies
were abroad -Sukcy Potter, Betsy Moore,
Judy Burwell, and the rest--for Henry's
dress was coarse, Worn, and countrifed,
and he walked with such an air of
thoughtlcss unconcern, that he was taken
by some for al idiot But lie had a cause
to plead that winter; and when he sat
down he had become "Mr. Henry" to all
Williamsburg. You will observe in the
memorials of old Virginia, from 1865 to
1900, that, whoever else may be named
without Il prefix of honor, this "lrst-born
Dcmosthcncs," ,"4as Byron styled lin, is
generally Mr.. Henry To Washington,
to jefferson, to Madison, 10 all that cir
Gle of eminent men lie ever remained MIR
Henry On that day in 1854 he gave
such an exhibition of his power, that
during the next session Of the House Of
Burgcsscs Il vacancy was made. for him,
and he WAS elected TO n seat. The up
country yocmcn, whose idol he had be-
come, gladly gave their votes to such Il
man, when the stamp act was expected
to bca topic Of debate.
And so, i'll May, 1865, the new mem
Der was in Williamsburg TO take his seat,
a guest again of his young friend Jetier-
son. Hc sat, day after day, waiting for
some ofthc older members to open the
subject But no one seemed TO know
just what to do. a year before the house
shesl gently denied the right OF Pallin.
mcnt to tax the colonies, and ;ottly re-
monstrated against the threatened meas
ure; but as the act had been passed in
spite of their objections, what more could
II loyal colony do? No one thought Of
formal resistance, and rcmons.rance had
failed. What else? What next? How
ever frequently The two friends may have
convcrsed upon the perplcxity, it was
Patrick Henry Mho--to use his own
words-"a alone, unudviscd, and unassist-
ed" hit upon the proper expcdicnt.
Only three days ofthc session remain
ed. On the blank leaf of an old Coke
upon Lyttlc;on" perhaps Jciltrson's
own copy-,he new member wrote his
celebrated five resolutions, Of this pur-
port: We, Englishmcn living in Ameri-
ca, have all the rights OF Englishmen
living in England; the chief Of which is,
that we can only be taxed by our own
representatives, and any attempt to tax
us otherwise mcnaccs Britieh liberty on
both continents. In all probability,
Jefferson knew that something OF the
kind was intended OH thai. memorable
day, for he was present in the hou:c.
There was no gallery then, nor any other
provision for spectators; but there could
be no objection to the friends and rcla-
tivcs of many members standing in the
doorway between the lobby and the cham
Der; and there he took his stand. He
saw lis tall, gaunt, ccarscly-attired guest
rise, in his awkward way, and break with
stammcring tongue the silence which had
broodcd over the lou;lest debates, SIS week
after week Of the session had passed. He
observed, and felt too, the thrill! which
ran through the house at the mere intro
duction OF IL subject with which every
mind was surcharged, and marked the
rising tide of feeling rs the reading ofthc
resolutions went on, until the climax Of
audacity was reached in the last clause of
the last. How moderate, how tame the
words seem to us! "Evcry attempt to
invest such power (of taxationl in any
person or persons whatsoever, other than
the General assembly aforesaid, has a
manifest tendency to destroy British and
American freedom" Ravishing words
to the Wing members from Albemarlc'
and the other western counties. Sound rs