The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-06-18
PATRICK HENRY
FIRST PATRIOT.
Was Far in Advance OF Con-
tcmporaries in Fight for
Liberty.
WAS BOLD AND FAR SEEING
Tic Would Have Been Marked for
Gallows Had Revolution
Failed.
by Susan Bullitt Dixon.


The abhorred stamp act had been pass
ed uy tile BRUSH Parliament. and signed
w me hing, in March OF l,6o, and was
Is so into effect the lst OF November,
ioAawing.
II Was SO contrivcd as TO enforce It
sci, as without use Of tDs stamps mar
riAses would be null, inncrItances IRE
T clalmable, obligations valuelesS, legal pro-
Ceedinss impossible, ETC., I'D minimum.
TIE COLONIES had, in lt64, sent most car
nest aud able protests to England against
the passage OF such an act; but amer 1t
vas passed, although they felt that the
cornerstone Of English liberty, the right
to tax themselves, was being taken from
them forever, yet they saw no way to es-
cape IT, and were prepared TO submit,
even though most Respondent over the
situation.
James OTIS the leading spirit in New
England. said: ut is the duty of all hum
bly,. and silently, to acquiesce.
They undoubtedly have the right to levy
internal taxes on the Colonies But he
suggested a Congress OF tho Colonies, to
Z meot In New York in October, to con-
slider Of q loyal and humble representa-
ton 70 his Majesty and the Parliament,
and to implore relief"
Even in Virginia. the wealthiest and
most powerful of all the Colonies, the
people had decided to submit, but deter
mined, by banishing England luXuries, to
cause tho act to recoil on England Re-
sistance to British authority had not
been proposed by any Of the patient
leaders, and the execution of the act
seemed nevitable--although II was leased,
as John Adams wrote in his diary, II
this authority is once acknowledged and
established the ruin of America will be-
come inevltn BILE"
Rut-a different fate awaited us! Two
years previous, a young lawyer OF Han
over, Va, was called on to plead the
cause of 'the people against the par
sons In his speech he so boldly de-
nounced the Kin as a tyrant, and so
fiercely attacked the tyranny of Church
and State, that he won at once the
hearts of the people, whom he was de-
Tending, and whose cause he had SO elo-
quently advocated, and practically gained
las the Jury gave the plaintiff only one
penny damages! #
This young lawyer, Patrick Henry, was
elected a member of the House of Bur-
gesses, In which he took his seat on
May 20. 1765.
He found the House thrown into con-
sternatoin by the intelligence just re-
caved (no cablegrams them Of the pass
aye of the stamp act. but with no dis
position to resist its execution The old
leaders had protested, felt they had done
their duty and for them 1t was closed
incident Henry took different view;
he#knew what the rights Of the Colonies
were; he had Learned the rights of the
people from close study Of English his
tory: he believed that submission would
be fatal to their liberties, while bold
move might unite. the people IN q deter
mined opposition to the execution of the
act the only hope Of nverting its dis
astrous consequences. 80 believing no
wrote on tho blank leaf Of an old copy
Of Coke upon Lyttleton' his famous reso-
buttons against the act, which were based
~ a,,I, {tor ~ "a % fhlt
IT IS aeaips. Magma Charta for free
men to be taxed, but by their own con-
sent. and that an act CT Parliament
against Magma Charta, or common right,
or reason Is void"
he offered his resolutions to the House;
sitting In committee of the whole, and
they were seconded by Mr.. George Johh-
ston. Of Fairfax.
were opposed by all the Old members
whose influence had until then been I'M
broken. "But torrents of sublime elo-
reasoning of Johnston. prevailed. Tho
last. however. and strongest resolution
was carried but by a. single. vote Tho
debate on It was most bloody.'--(Mr JET
It it was in this most bloody debate
that Mr.. Henry. in q voice and with
gesture that startled the House, eXclain-
ed: Caesar had hi*+ srutrs, Charles me me
Third"-"Treason!' shouted the speaker
Urea SON" ''Treason!'' echoed from every
part of the House. Without faltering Tor
an instant, but rising to a loftier attitude,
and fixing on the speaker an eye which
seemed TO fash fire. Mr.. Henry added,
with the most thrilling emphasis-"May
profit by their example! If this be trea-
son, make tho most OF III!
The resolves were all passed In COM
mittee of the whole, but later the last
one was struck out by the House, Mr.
Henry having left for his home in Louisa
the evening they had passed.
The House Dissolved.
Tho Governor, alarmed by these resolu-
tons dissolved the House on June LIST.
A copy in manuscript Of the 'unrev!sed'
resolves was sent at once TO fh!!adeiphla
for the benefit of 1.-THE Sons of Liberty;
from there to New York. where they were
handed about with great privacy. But an
Irish gentleman from Connecticut, procur-
ing a copy, carried them TO New England.
where they were published far and wide
without reserve and created a wide
spread and intense excitement MIR. OTIS
declared them Unreasonable" but they
struck chord which vibrated throughout
America Secret societies were formed,
pledged TO resist the act by all lawful
means, and We're called THE Sons OF
Liberty" who adopted as their creed that
last resolution OF Mr.. Henry, which had