The Somerset reporter., 1889-05-02
Patrick Henry and the Federal Con
Stitutlon.

b PKOB. y. w. CONES.
have been deeply Interested II late in
reading "EllIOt's Dictates on the Federal
Constitution" 30 much 80 that / have
yentUred 10 give the journal readers an
article Oh Patrick Henry and the Federal
Cons tuition. In a political view know
Of no work IN any law library that should
be read With greater pleasure and Interest
than the WORK mentioned. The volumes
furnish collection Of the debates and
proceedings In the d rerent States on the
adoption Of the federal constitution, a.
submitted by the General Convention,
Sept. 18th, 1857. Jo.cph Story, the great
Juri>t, said that the work was a repOsi-
tory Of facts, as well az arguments, re-
specting the great points Of constitutional
law" one year after the General Con
vention in Philadelphia. the State Con
yentioD Of Virginia assembled il Rich
mond to take into consideration the pro-
posed plan OF federal government. Tine
most distinguished men in our nations
history were prcsent-Madison, Monroe,
Harrison, and that eloquent and fearless
orator, Patrick Henry. Twentythree
years before, at the age Of %, he had
stood In the House of Burges, in Virgin
Ia, with the Speaker aud many members
Royalists, and with Indignation in every
feature at the passage Of the Stamp Act
delivered the well known speech that has
no equal in the annals Of oratory for
fearessness, elOquence and patriotism
That great diplomat and statesman, then
a young Virginian, Thomas Jefferson
was in the lobby of the House. Well
might he have said with the poet a. he
stood there and listened to his eloquence :
"Such language as his may never recall,
But bis theme INSTRUMENTATION 70 all
And the souls Of thousand in ecstasy hung
On the like sweetness that dropped
from his tongue.
In IVA, at the age of IS, We find him a
member of the Continental Congress
which met III Carpenters Hall in Phila-
delphia. 1t was time when the de-ti-
MES of America were at stake, and in
some of his finest oratorical efforts he de-
claimed for liberty, for government and
for humanity. Nine years before he had
said with flashing eye "Gire ote lhery or
gfce ne dedth." Now he was saying to
the members of Congress Liberty, the
greatest Of all earthly blessings-glye US
that precious jewel and you may take ev-
erythiDg else" Every nerve and every
| fibre as well as the heart Of the great Nir-
ginia orator beat for liberty. His was the
motto of no compromise and no surren
der to the British rebels. And there was
no surrender on our part. After war
of nearly seven years of untold misery
and suffering the struggle fer indepen-
dence and new nation came to a close.
We now found that we had nothing
but poor, loose and feeble government :;
so feeble that foreign nations did not
like to make treaties with US. This, said
Jefferson, Hamilton and other statesmen
"Will never do and a new constitution,
was decided upon. But when it come to
be ratified by the different States there
was much opposition to it. This new
form of government did not meet the ap.
proval of Patrick Henry. He thought il
would do harm 20 the liberties of the peo-
Pile. Although nearly three score years
had banched his hair and furrowed
wrinkles in his features, the brilliant ora
tory which had So greatly distinguished
him in the past was not wanting in the
| Virginia convention. The Demosthenes
of the Revolution was of the people and
was ever ready to fight their battles Ii
must be remembered that the people OF
those early days little understood the
great questions of constitutional law
They tremoled with fear lest the new
government would be tyrannical. If
we adopt this new constitution" they
said, "eyerything for which We fought
during the dark days of the war will be
lost. Away with your President! VT
shall have \ king.
The people.of Virginia now looked fol
support to him who had stood by then
and their rights during the dark hours OF
the republic They did not look in vain.
With joyful hearts pnd redoubed accla
nations they heard Mr. Henry declaring
in his first great speech in the convention
Gentlemen, we have come hither to pre-
serve the commonwealth of Virginia, if il
can possibly be done. Something mus
be done to preserve your liberties auC
mine. Consider what you are about to dc
before you part with the government
Take longer time in reckoning; reyolu
tions like this have happened in almost
every country in Europe; examples are tc
be found in ancient Greece and ancient
Rome. IL this new government will moi
come up to the expectations of the peo
Pile, aud they shall be disappointed, theil
liberty will be lost and tyranny must sn1
will rise. | beg gentlemen to remember
that a wrong step made now may caus,
the loss of the republic
|
powerful speeches against the adoption
of the new government the verdict wa.
for new Union. Just before the vote
was taken upon the great question, Mr.
Henry msde use of this praiseworthy Ian
guage II am in the minority, but have
those painful sensations which rise from
a conviction of being overpowered in q
good cause. Yet | will be a pcaceablt
citizen. My head, my hand aud my heart
shall be at liberty TO retrieve the loss of
liberty and remove the defects of that
system III constitutional way
We, to-day, are another generation
with new issues and tasks before us, and
after having been benefited by the consti-
| tuition and its rights we look back with
no reproach and dsdain to the vigorous
opposition of the great orator to the fed
eral government. 1t would be wrong for
us to do so. MIR. Henry went to the fed
eral convention with the strongest alice
ton for his country, and acted there, as
| he thought, in full conformity with this
affection. Eleven years after the Virgin
la convention a man with deep cut lines
of power in his face lay dying and warm
and devoted friends, who, with sorrow
ing hearts and anguish,
"rhen saw in death his eyelids close,
Calmly, as to nights repose,
Like flowers at set OF sun.
America is proud of Patrick Henry
proud Of his actions and proud of hi,
oratory. In defence of his State and his
country he struck boldly and with all his
might. Long will his name live as low
er of freedom and his couutrymen.
Cn-Htiy Mic In, tho pahy