The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1888-03-15

pleasures, for country life and the un-
kempt charms of nature. 1t was said
too of the Winstons that their talents
were in excess of their ambition, or OF
their energy, and were not brought out
except ftfully, and under some unusu-
al stimulus" -.t
This family, may here remark, are
represented in North Carolina by the
four sons of the late P. II. Winston, of
BERTHE. They all are men of marked
character and genius, and none who
know them can doubt that they possess
more or less of the qualities ascribed to
their Virginia ancestry.
PatrickHenry, with such parentage,
was not likely to have grown up an
uneducated boor The universal testi-
mony is that he was an indolent
dreamy boy with mortal hatred of
books and passionate regard for shot
guns and fishing poles-a roamer in
the woods, and giving no hint of any
special intellectual gifts till he was
nearly thirty years old. But it has
been pretty well established that he
did receive from both his father and
uncle, (each of them good Scotch class
ical scholarship ground work ofa good
classical education, and that as his
mind matured he became fond of read
ing, especially of Greek and Roman
History. His favorite book for great
er part of his life was Cutters Anal
| ogy,' and this fact alone argues no
mean taste in letters
All his life long Henry was deep
ly religious man. An Episcopalian,
no bigot, and sharing in no degree the
senseless prescription of other forms of
religion that then characterized the
English church In 1868 three Bap-
tist preachers were arrested by the
sheriff of Spotsylvania and imprisoned
for more than a month. When they
were arraigned "for preaching the
Gospel contrary to law" Patrick Hen
ry, who had ridden fifty miles to wit
ness the trial, suddenly rose and ex-
claimed: "May it please your wor-
ships, what did I hear? Did | hear
that these men whom you are about to
try for misdemeanor are charged aOith
preaching the Gospel Of the Son et
GodF"
His solemn voice is said to have
moved all present. The State prose,
cutor turned pale with as itation, and
the court were near dismissing the
case.
He was no scholar, but master of a
few Welcomed first trate books, with
strong and clear intellect, good
memory, warm and vivid sympathies
with men, an intuitive insight into
their minds, and "an invincible pro-
pensity to take sides with the under
dog in any fight"
He married at eighteen, and failed in
every occupation to which he turned
for living till he knocked at the
door of the arduous but magnificent
profession eff the Law. Then he enter
ed in and at once mastering its princi
Piles, found the field that his geniu
had been waiting for.
Within four years time he had the
command of a large and lucrative
practice, and in 1853 became retained
in the celebrated Parsons Cause,
which established his fame and repu
tation beyond cavil. He had The
brain and the temperament of an ad
vocate; his imagination and his heart
always kindled hotly to the side tina
he had espoused, and with them, al
ways went the rest of him.
He was always good fighter, never
good hater, for there was withal ;
certain sweetness of spirit that never
deserted him through all the stern con
ficts of his career.
In 1865 he was in the Virginia Leg
islature. His triumphs there swelleC
his reputation and popularity. Hi
memorable speech on the resolutions
against the stamp act gave him hence
forth the position of the greatest orator
in Virginia, perhaps the greatest states
man. Those resolutions, five in mum
Der were written by Henry himsel
and were the first alarm bill of the
American Revolution.
From 1865 to 1774 which was tn,
first year OF his service in the Cont
mental Congress, a period of nine years
Henry seems to have settled down tt
steady work both as lawyer and as I
politician. His fortune was now es
tablished on a solid basis. His fanan
eial prosperity was evidenced by th'
purchase of a country seat. In 177t
he was elected the first Governor o
the Commonwealth of Virginia.
In the hope that some generous ant
enthusiastic young mans eye has beer
caught by the title of this paper, ano
has thus far accompanied me, 1 would
fain sketch lightly and attractively
the whole of this noble and memorable
career. But columns are limited.
cannot even trace his journey will
Washington to that first meeting o
Congress give any description o
that tremendous speech which the dec
lamation of three generations of schoo
boys has not made trite, nor common
place, nor robbed of its power to thrill
mems hearts.
! Prof. Tyler's account of its delivery
and of the effect produced Opp. 1876
1889 is very fine. Our southern boy
are given to "oratory." Let then
, study these pages. M
u Patrick Henry was six times elected
Governor of Virginia between III
, and 1896. The last time, having thel
retired from the bar, having refused
seat in the United States Senate-th
highest position in Washington's Cab
met, and the highest judicial position
in the country, he declined to serve.
Once more, early in 1893, at the sol
II emn invocation of his friend Georg
, Washington (whose life also was t.