The Saint Paul globe., 1901-11-14
ARTICLE III.


| Patrick Henry, the Orator of Inde-
pendence.
In the early days of our country Vir-
ginia-the Old Dominion, as it was affec-
| tionately called-held a proud position. 1t
| was the home of the Randolphs, the Fair
faxes, the Lees, the Marshalls, the JEFF
fersons, the Washingtons and many
others whose names are prominent in the
annals of America At the opening Of
the Revolution, Virginia had about 300,-
600 .pepulation-more than twice that of
Massachusetts, and about three times
that of New York.
Between the adoption of the constitu-
ton and the outbreak of the Civil war
Virginia occupied a position similar to
that which Ohio has since held, and CAME
to be called 1.-The mother of presidents"
Of the Virginians who did so much to
give direction and character to our early
history, few exerted a more potent infiu-
ence or deserves a higher place than
that supreme orator of the Revolution,
Patrick Henry He was not a speaker
of the schools. If ever man was born
to be a master of assemblies through
the magic of speech, he was that man.
Clay may have been man of more grace
OF bearing; Webster surely welded pro-
founder logic and possessed greater
qualities that enable the orator to sway
the assembly before him, Patrick Henry
was supreme.
He was born in 1885 His chief inher-
itance was brains, healthy body,
goor temper and good character-if char
acter may be said to be inherited. For
books he had as a boy great liking.
But. like many another genius, he had
a genuine love for outdoor life, and might
a shotgun or lettering along the banks OF
some stream with a fishing rod in hand.
Failing as merchant, failing as a farm
er, he decided to be a lawyer and get
living by his tongue. Here he did not
fail. Like many worse man, his tongue
was always ready. At the age of twenty
four. after only a few months of study.
he was examined and admitted to prac-
tice law in the courts of Virginia Various
stories are told of this examination. OF
course it was soon discovered that his
knowledge of law as limited. But it was
said that his powers of persuasion were
successfully exercised and that his abil-
ity to draw correct conclusions from gen.
eral principles was so brilliantly display
ed that the prejudiceS of his examiners
We're diSpelled,. and one of then-Ran-
dolph-said Mr.. Henry, If your indus
try be only half equal to your genius, ]
augur that you will do well and become
an orator and an honor to your profess
sion.'' He took Randolph's advice, and
in the first three years Of his practice
conducted nearly 1900 cases. No lazy
man could do that.
The limits of this paper forbid any
attempt to follow Patrick Henry in all
the experiences of his career. All that
can be undertaken is to consider very
briefly his work in connection with the
movement for independence and for the
adoption Of the constitution.
The first case in which his peculiar
powers became widely known and in
which he revealed himself as an advo-
cate of American freedom from parlia-
mentary dctation was the famous to-
bacco case between the Virginia clergy
and the members of their parishes. We
must remember that at that time there
was in Virginia an established church.
the Church of England. The clergy
We're paid in tobacco. One year the crop
was short and the clergy were not paid,
but the price of tobacco was very high,
so that the planters received more than
usual for their crop. When the year
came of prolific crop the planters were
ready to pay. I'VE owe the minister"
they would say in substance, $50 many
pounds of tobacco. Here is the tobacco;
or, if the dominic prefers, we will pay
11i1I tilc value Ol Tie lObdCcO. buL the
preachers earned the tobacco when it
was worth very much more. They sued
for the difference. This was one of the
features of the controversy. The law
was pronounced by the courts to be
plainly on the side of the clergy. 1t
happened, however, that popular senti-
ment was decidedly against them. The
people of Virginia were not then so
strongly religious as were the people of
New England. Still further, there had
grown up strong feeling Of antagonism
to compulsory support of any church.
Finally one of these cases came on,
and young Henry was called upon to con-
duct the forlorn hope of the defense. He
had the popular, but the illegal side Be
mis- sympathieS We're with his cause. The
trial came on amid great excitement
The court house was thronged. Writ,
in his life of Henry, gives a full account
of Henry speech. He says: He rose