The Saint Paul globe., 1901-11-14

and determined opposition to the en-.
forcement of the stamp act The value
| of that service was beyond computation
1t was likewise in the Virginia legis-
| lature that Henry pronounced his most
famous speech in behalf of liberty. por-
tions of which have been declaimed by
almost every American schoolboy from
that day to this. 1t was during the win
ter session of l714-75. The colonies were
fast rushing into armed rebellion The
aggression of England could be no longer
endured
Patrick Henry introduced set of reSo-
lutions providing for the organization and
equipment of the Virginia militia. 1t was
We'll understood that such a movement
as then interpreted and under the condi-
tons then existing would be an act of
hostility to England and equivalent to a
declaration of war. Just the reason fcr
the hesitation and opposition it is at this
day impossible to discover. But Nhat.
ever the cause, it reused the lion Ill Pal-
rick Henry and brought forth from him a
burst of eloquence that has never been
surpassed, perhaps, in the history of ora
tory. A description of the scene the lin
its of this paper forbids us to attempt,
nor can We follow the argument But
with that argument we all are familiar.
He aimed to show that hopes of concilia-
evitable, and that for his part he would
welcome war rather than fail to secure
independence. MIR. President" he began,
1t is natural to man to indulge in the il
lusionS of hope. We are apt to shut Or
eyes against painful truth and listen 20
the song of that siren till she transforAis
us into beasts" From this eXordium he
went on to show that to listen longer
to hope was the part of delusion and
folly. Then, picturing vividly the ag-
Sressiveness of England and the warlike
preparations of the mother country as
a proof that there would be an attempt
the conclusion tnat armed force is ne
cessary. IF we wish to be Free" he
declares, we must fight! / repeat it
sir, we must fight. An appeal to arm
to u.s. And then a little later he cried
''our chains are forged. Their clankina
may be heard on the plains of Boston
The war is inevitable. And let it come
reused his listeners like the blast of
trumpet and they seemed to hear all about
them the tramping of battalions and tn,
tumult of battle. His last exclamation
Give me liberty or give me death!' wa.
like the shout of the leader who turn.
back the rout of battle. OF course the
resolution prevailed; indeed, he had Sc
moved the depths of feeling and convic.
tions in the souls of his hearers that tt
would have followed him into the gate.
of death had he summoned them.
Not long after his marvellous Speeci
came Lexington and Concord. The val
had begun and the colonies We're "A
fused into union by the blstering nr&
of battle.
Patrick Henry was an active member
OF the first continental congress, but
was not representative in the second
congress, which adopted the declaration.
He was, instead, on the 9Th of July, 1776.
the day following the adoption of that
great measure, inaugurated as the first
governor OF Virginia under the new
state constitution, and by his great elo-
quence and popularity rendered valiant
service during the entire revolutionary
struggle.
When the war was over the confcdera-
ton was found inadequate to the needs
of the new republic, and the constitution
was proposed. Patrick Henry, like many
other able men, both North and South,
was jealous of the independence of the
states and feared that the formation of
strong national government would de-
prive the states of their cherished free
dom. Therefore he opposed the accept
ance of the constitution by Virginia with
all his great powers and succeeded I'm
keeping his own state from entering
into the Union until nine states, enough
to secure the establishment of the United
States government as we know it. had
voted in favor of the great instrument.
After that, however, he supported the
Union faithfully and well.
With the subsequent career of this
great man We are not now concerned.
He died in 1899, the same year with Wash
tngton, that other great Virginian, and
his memory, like that of Washington, IS
cherished with pride not only by the "Old
Dominion" but by the entire nation which
hs helped to make so great.
Copyright, 19o0)