The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1875-08-18

soo,iude7 iiIn,poltiaI life eyeff sHposed y, %
I'LL ~ MA lew HE uo1fd haYeheen the
,verrsr man iobe ash up and keep9Tom ~ tue
records on the House what ppeassdn ~ . .Je
time as an if,orndent speech. l1as Ias..ss
Henry was u mau OF uncomtndn sasaGlty Ap ~
UNPARALLELED elouuence all knew. Ina ..,. VIC
.;rong11rated the ReroIutie on by mofins
acuinst the stamp act, Americans ac " ":
Having aecompIished his great oEJeG soI
ar,,ahino the mower of taxation WlLno9s
renresentasion, what did the SITUATION ~
i7sI suggest to him? Politicians, great qua
small had gone wild onthe suhjec or ffDerty.
They were deter6aiued!to 6atter Inc peopie
with the love of equality OF condttion US ~ =
means Of advancing their own poltleai eIlls.
The love for legitimate authority astne uus :
soIlrce of government had given p'aeetto sne
imaxirns OF Rousseau and the ipfideis2 toi
the o1den time. "a quasi permanent
renr1bijc Ind been foreshadswed by ,Lhe
ratification OF articles Of confederation. iue
British Government had previously oiereo
with rare liberalty better goVernmentsoo
the colony than she had ever bad OF, eoulo
hsye by permanent separation. Mr. hehry
foresaw that a confederation Of Weas"ana
loosely Joined republics would soon emu 70 3
combination. Of the more thlckly settlea W
|oppress and plumber the less poputous lDu'
more arisiocratic. Ithad been always so: ne
foresaw; the danger of presidential eiectlons:
the decline In representation by extension Oh
the franchise, the disorder and ruin that re-
publican institutions always bring upon
i he descendants i'of those VINO or1gibate
Them. l5 and the bad example tney
nIrnisb to the world Gates mad
1neen conuderedin South Carolina. Charles
titon. Savannah, and all. the important 10 WINS
were in possession OF his lawful KING. Green
had been pursued and conquered at Gulliord
Courthouse. and CORVALLIS was at Whining
i'm ready to. 60 across to Hillsboro'-hIs
finest strategic poiDt. Here be could cut OH
ali rtinforcenlents and supplies going ITO
Green and have had him: cut up in Georgia.
I washington and the French would have been
2fatced on New York and been conquered by
Clinton. This aras expected By Lord Ra.o-
don and other British officers in Georgia,
and doubtless coDjectured by Henry. Ii
| was not TOO late to accept the favorable
nronositions of Great Britain. In full
vicw of all these circumstances, and the
gloomy ruin of subsequent Virginia that
"a in a dream doomed up before him,
| Mr., Henry moved to 50 into secret. session,
and "spoke as never man espakeD. against
| the continuance Of the wicked rebellion and
in favor OF accepting the best government
ever presented to the people of the West.
| Pint il was like speaking to the wild flames
of prairie on fire. He had lit the infiam-
mabje material and could not stop it. He
was hurried along by those who we're rash
and who thought him rash. All excused
each other, and in the reVelry Of rebellion
reached an unexpected TO many an unde'
sired) success by the mistake OF Sir
| Henry Clinton as to the destination OF
the French feet. Lord Fairfax is re-
ported to have, been much distressed on
| bearing of the surrender of Lord Cornwall
lis. He called up his servant and said, Put
me to bed, Peter; will never rise again"
aud died shortly thereafter. General Wash
ington. in his old age told friend that be
."weuld not, if be could, lead bis life over
again." Mr. Jefferson, on hearing of the
Missouri compromise, said: $ 1t comes to
me like the sound of ire-bell by night; we
have had all of our work for nothing" 1t
is remarkable proof of Dir. Henry's sagacity
that, he should have foreseen, the evil conse.
quences of republic to his native State, and
that be should have made the speech referred
TO by Mr.. Taylor. None but Uery great
man would have had the sagacity and moral
courage requisite for such an undertaking at
such time. The only feeling with reference
to it now in Virginia and The CaroliDas ought
to be one of regret that he did not succeed
| in the object of that speech. .u b.