Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-11-22
HENRY, THE LAWYER
WaeINlA,s "FoRssT- BORN DEMOS
THEMES" OBTAINS HIS LICENSE.
The Celebrated speech I'm the "Parson'S
Cause "-Public Life-fiesolutions
Against the stamp Act.

TTT|Tu NWTTWW T. a. =
Tcspoadenoe, and spte;hes. Bv William WIZ
Houry.l
Az we have seen, Mr.. Jefferson fixes the
visit Of Mr.. Henry to williamsburg TO Cd.
tain his license as o lawyer in the spring OF
l7eo II this be correct. he very certainly
continued his studies for acme months
after his return, before commencing the
practice. That all-important book 70
Young attorney. a volume Of forms OF de-
caratious and pleas, was given him Oy
! Peter Fontaine, whose sister Mary Ann
| had married Isaac Winston, the uncle or
/ Wr. Henry. In 10, in the handwriting OF
MIR. Henry, are found these words 10
! don de Pierre de 10 Fontaine, and patrlee
/ Henry le Jeune. son hyre. Ayriue lo'n'
/ 1860" III,
The appearance of his first fee-book IN
| djcates that be did not commence practlce
| till the fa.l Of the year. hls ls the sano
/ folio In which be kept the ledger or hi5
! mercantile business. The last entry touGn-
/ ING tins Is dated September 10, 1850, and Is
| a charge TO Crenshaw Il Grant OF the rem
nant OF his goods amounting 20 TO -
93Id. On the next leaf he commences the
| index of his fee accounts. His ices follow
and are charged by the year, but not Oy
! the month. His first clients we're a nrm
| III MERCHANTS. Coutts & Crosse, and du-
/ ring the year Of 1860 he entered the names
| of sixty clients and charged l75 ices, De
| s,das tbosa charged on the first page,
| which has been lost from the book. ouch
| a remarkable SUCCESS for the nrst le"
months OF his professional career denI2h-
strates cOuclusiyely that he was persohaliy
popular and was recognized as an ihuus-
trious and capable lawyer from the Degin-
/ ming.
| THE "PARsoN's CAUSE"
The line of argument taken in TINS cele-
| brated speech in the Persons Cause mas
| been preserved by the plaintiff IN a letter
| written few days afterward to the h rev
John Camm, and by Captain Thomas ire
| william. one of the audience, who related
| for wears efterward one of the passages.
| From these sources the following outline
| of the speech Is TAKEN. -.
| Mr.. Henry commenced by stating MS
! view of the issues involved IN tue c.2o .
| Ho then entered upon a discussion OF the
| mutual relations and reciprocal duties OF
| the King and his subjects. he MAINTAIN,
ed thai government was condltlonal
| cnmpact-comDOsed Of mutual and de-
| pepdent covenants, the King stipulating
| protection on the one band and the peo-
| Die STIMULATING obedience and support Oh
| the other. He declared that a violation
| of these covenants by either party
| discharged the other from obligation;
| 40 claimed that in the Coionlhl
| Government the burGesses represent
! ed tho House of Commons, tho OOuh-
| ell. the House of Lords, and the GOVernor'
! the King, and that law approved Oy
! these should be deemed valid until II was
| disalowed. He then took up the ACT OF
| 17bg and discussed its provisions ana the
! necessities of the people which caused ITS
! enactment. Ho contended that 1t had
| every characteristic Of good law thaJ IL
! Vac a law Of general utility. and could NOT
| he annulled consistently with the compact
| between the King and the people; that
! tho disaliowance by the King OF tDl5
| salutary act was an instance %
| mlsrule and neglect Of the inte-
rests of the colony, which made 1t neces-
sary for them to provide for their own saie-
~ by adhering to the directions Of the act;
| and that by this conduct the King, from
! b4ing the father of his people. had degene-
| rated into q tvIant and forfeited oil right
10 his su bieCts' obedience 70 his order re-
gardlng it, At this point Mr.. Lyons cried
| out with warmth; Inc gentleman haS
spoken treason. aud am astonished that
! vour Worships can hear it without emo
| ton or anv mark OF dissatisfaction Az
the same instant among some gentlemen
behind the bar there was confused muir
| mur OF 80
TREASON TREAsoNln
Mr.. Henry paid no attention to this IN
! tarruntion. but continued in the same
strain without receiving any sign OF dlsaI p
| probation from the bench. when sat spell
| bound by his eloquence, while some OF the
| iury nodded thor appreciation. RAISING
| fTom this tonic the speaker next discussed
the relations of the clergy TO the people.
lie contended that the or ly use OF an es-
tablished church and clergy IN society is
to enforce obedience TO civil sanctions,
and the Observance of those which are
called duties of imperfect obligation; tnat
when clergy cease TO answer
these ends the community nave no
further need of their ministry, ana
NAV Justly strip them of their appoint
ments, that the clergy of Virginia, In this
particular instance of their refusing 70 ac-
ouiesce IN the law in question, 50 TAR from
| answering, had most VIGOROUSLY counter
| acted those great ends OF their lnstlIu,
ton; that therefore instead OF uselul
| members of the State they ought 10 DC
| considered as enemies of the community
| and that in the case now before them UT.
| Many. instead of countenance OF protec'
| ton and damages, very justly deserved 70
he punished with signal severity. WINE
discussing this part of the subject ne
said as Captain IreviliGn relates
I'VE have heard q great den! about
| the benevolonce and holy zeal 81
our reverend clergy, but how Is tins
| manifested? Do they manifest their zeal
i'm the cause of religion and humanity by
nracticiug the mild and benevolent pre-
cents of the Gospel of Jesus? Do they
i feed the hungry and clothe the naked !
on, no, gentiemen Instead Of feeding
the hungry and clothing tho naked these
rapactous harpies would, were thelI
mowers equal TO their will, snatch from tht
! hearth of their honest parlshloner MS las'
| &, no mid OTnll0
children their last mich COW, the last bed
nav. the last blanket-from the lylng-lt
woman"
THE CLERGY PUT TO FLIGHT.
These words, uttered with all the power
, NJ the orator, aroused in the audience al
intense feeling against the clergy, which
| became so apparent es to cause the reYer
end gentlemen TO leave their seats on TN
bench and TO Quit the courthouse IN dis
| may.
} The speaker, continuing, described tn
, bondage of a people who were denied I'M
privilege OF enacting their own laws, an'
5 told the Jury that unless they were dis
a nosed to riyet the chains Of bondage OF
{ | their necks he hoped they would not lie
: slip the opportunity which was now on9r
I ed of making such an example OF tn
. nlaintiff as might hereafter be warning t
- himself and to his brethren not TO dlsput
1 | the validity OF such laws Authenticated y.
= the only authority which in his connection
- would give force to laws for the govern
- ment of the colony-the authority OF
( | House of Burgess, of council, and OF
Kind. benevolent, and patriotic Governor
He added that under the ruling OF tn
Court they must find for the plaintiff, bu
d that they need not find more than on
? farthinc. and that this would accomplish
Q all that the defence desired.
h When he had concluded, after speakln
Q about an hour, his associate declined I
I add ANYTHING 10 the defence aud III
: LYONS closed the case for the plaintiff
Q ySinIy endeavoring TO break the force O
p | Mr.. Henry's speech When he sat dow
: the iury retired to consult and IN less tha
T ave minutes returned with verdict. IL
q sistine that it was contrary to the evl
o dence he asked that the jury be sent GU
= again. This motion the Court prompt
: oyerruled and ordered the verdict TO b
o recorded. He then moved for new trla
: which was also refused, and, lastly, b
. prayed for an appeal TO the General Court
: which was granted. The feelings OF tn
t excited people. which with difficulty ha
D been restrained, now overleaped all bound
= and wild with delight they seized thei
$ champion and bore him on their shoulder
9 triumph around the courtyard. He ha
: NOT only proved himself TO be All orator O
q | tba b3dheSk order. mastering the emotion