Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-08-21

who took dokn An accsunt III III il.
mlarlcable theme few days after ~
event. Patrick Henry. coming. to tie
scene Of action, found the courtyard
packed with an Interested crowd ~
auditors. They were visitors collected
from all over the state, and deeply In
terested In the settlement Of tlais Ques-
tion. Once already the case had gone
in favor Of the clergy. The latter were
present in the court In q large body.
fun OF previous triumph, and looked
down upon the opposition with perfect
security OF carrying the case. On the
bench eat more than 20 clergymen, the
most learned In the colony. The
crowd filed into the court room. until
II was full to Overlooking, leaving a
large crowd outside. s In the chair II
the. presiding magistrate sat Patrick
Henrys own father. No one had ever
heard the boy speak. Curiosity was
alert at seeing him arise awkwardly
and begin his speech with evident tim
idity. The people hung their heads,
who had hoped that the young fellow
would be able to do something notable
for their cause. The clergy exchanged
sly looks. and the father is said to have
been SO overcome with confusion and
shame that he could hardly retain his
seat. But the boy soon began to Crap
pie with his topic, or rather the topic
began to grapple with him. A trans
formation took place, which was sail
to be almost supernatural, In the eyes
Of those who Witnessed him. His elo-
quencei took fire and blazed But he
lost not for moment absolute hold Of
his topic. The clown Disappeared; the
orator stood in his place. One who lis
tened said 1t made his blood run cold
and his hair rise on end.
Writ says 1t will not be difficult for
any one who ever heard this most ex-
traor1inary man to believe the whole
account Of this transaction which is
given by his surviving hearers. They
say that the people whose countenances
had fallen as he arose had heard but
a very few sentences before they began
to look up. Then to lock at each other
with surprise, as IL doubling the evil
dence of their own senses. Then, at
tracted by some strong gesture. struck
by some majestic attitude. fascinated
by the spell Of his eye. the charm Of his
emphasis and the varied and command
ing expression of his countenance, they
could look away no more. In less than
20 minutes they might be seen in every
part OF the house. on every. bench, in
every window, STOPPING forward from:
their stands in deathlike silence, their
features fixed in amazement and awe.
all their senses listening. and riveted
upon the speaker, as il to catch the
least train of some heavenly visftant
The mockery of the clergy was soon
turned into alarm. their triumph into
confusion and despair; and at one burst
of his rapid and overwhelming invec-
tive they fed from the house in precipi- |
tltion and terror. AS for the father, |
such was his surprise, such his amaze
ment. such his rapture, that, forgetting |
Where he was and the character when |
ne was filling, tears of ecstasy streamed |
down his cheeks, without the power or |
inclination to represS them. The jury |
secmed to have been so completely be-
wildered, and even thoughtless of the
admitted right Of the plaintiff, they f
had scarcely left the bar when they re-
turned with the verdict OF one penny
damages. The people who had with
difficulty kept their hands on their
champion during the harangue.. NO
sooner saw the fate OF the cause finally
scaled than they seized him at the bar;
ard, in spite of his own exertions, ana
the continued cry or order from the
sheriffs and the court. they bore him
out OF the court house, and. raising him
on their shoulders. carried him about
the yard in kind of electioneering tfi-
ucrph. No account Of the speech has
ever come to us. No one seems able 10
have recalled anything that Henry had
said, but. as one of them put 1t, when
awakened from some ecstatic dream,
Of which they were unable to recall CT
the particulars"
America is not likely to class among
is great orators a simple New England .
blacksmith who rose to eminence as q
sifted linguist and a devotee of human
tarianism. But 1t happens to be fact1
sr:-i: Ir.sn.-ed ~ his enthusiasm Tor
did make one of the most not
lble speeches ever uttered by IN Amer
can. Beginning with 1916. he spent three
n behalf of the League of Universal
Brotherhood. We are told that his first
appearance before a London audience
vas met with the most turbulent aud
loisy Opposition. "AmiI cries for adj
Ournn,enf. whooping and jeering, Mr.
3urritt made Effort after effort 10 BEL
leard, but in vain. All was uproar. But
It last patience won the day" Speaking {
# the affair, Mr.. Burritt himself says.
I summoned all my physical power,
md when l had won the audience
poke fbr two hours as / had never done
'efore IN my life." When he had An I
shed apd begun to offer the pledge
'ursts pf applause were 50 continuols
8 to almost prevent his work. Four ,
ines hf undertook to read the last j i
lause If the constitution of the BROTH ,
rhood. when he came to the word /
color the house went into a most flu
ious and enthusiastic exclamation, echo.
ng and sresOunding with applause La
les waved their handkerchiefs, while
men swing their hats. He sat down
mid suoh tempest OF cheers as hardly
yer greeted any man on any public oc-
aston II England. Burritt, describing
he handwriting that followed and the
u.0graph seeking, and his final escape
0 his qbiet room. records. II threaded
ny way back to the days of my hashful
oyh0Od, through all the way the Lord
ath led me-" The greatness of the oc-
aston lay not little In the fact that
his man was absolutely self-forgetful