New-York tribune., 1907-10-26
PATRICK HENRY.
4 Sympathetic Study of His Char
acter and Career.

IHE TRUE PATRICK HENRY. BY George Nor
san oFo' PIP 49, J. b Lippincott Company.
1t Is always wise to approach with caution
biography which claims to disclose the true"
MI somebody. Usually this arrogance springs
olIy from exaggerated confidence in a bundle of
newly discovered letters or from some partisan
, desire to defend the subjects name against the
lhputations of contemporaries or the historians
MI Morgans interesting study of the great Vir-
glnian orator has been actuated by this latter
Wlsh. AS one scans the pages there emerge two
lalrly distinct purposes: Patrick Henry is to
De revealed as something more than a mere
master OF spoken words q statesman as well as
the forest born Demosthenes, whose thunder
shook the Philip of the seas" and he is also
: be rescued from the tarnished reputation un-
kindly given him by Thomas jefferson his
greatest enemy. and other States Rights men,
Mr.. Morgan has managed his historical mate
rials admirably in endeavoring to carry these
two points. but he has done so at the expense of
smoothness and continuity in his narrative
The sacrifice, though, has not been harmfuy
great; in spite of the many digressions and
sharp jumps from character and event to
another. and some evidences of hasty collabo-
ration, the book still reads. the whole.
good biography should. The biographer lives in
the atmosphere Of Revolutionary days; he knows
how to use anecdotes effectively, and he has the
SO priceless to popular historians.
Mr.. Morgan spared pains to establish his
main apologetic contentious. BY dnt Of wading
through the records of the Virginia court
Patrick Henry's own memorandum books the
proceedings Of and chronicles about the first
Continental Congress and other duller docu-
ments the author succeeds in showing beyond
reasonable doubt the malevolent misrepresenta-
tious of jefferson. We learn, for instance. that
4 Terersons assertion about Henry being 100
lazy to practise. never drawing pleadings if he
could avoid it and not even keeping any ac-
counts IF clients and fees" is amply disproved
Hy the orators fee books, now TO be seen at his
former home Red Hill His first three years
practice brought 11S5 suits while Jetfersons
, first four years were busted with only 504 This
precisa refutation of Caumnies typiies the en-
tire biography; and it is a good thing not only
for Patrick Henry's fame. but also for the read
er who may have approached the volume Win
! the unpleasant anticipation that the true MS
tory would be only a vague denial OF dePre-
/ catorv tales as i'll founded the latter. Con-
corning Henry's leadership in Virginia during
the Stamp Act crisis, Mr.. Morgan finds 1t easy
to confirm in great detail Jefferson's reluctant
confession that after all. it must be allowed
that he was our leader in the measures OF the
Revolution in Virginia. he left us all oehiho'
History leaves open no other Interpretation OF
.
biographer has certainly succeeded IN painting
his subject as statesman and leader
! To. the modern reader perhaps no part OF MI
NTorgan's description is more welcome Cnan lhe
+ illuminating account of the famous orator aP-
parent Inconsistencies and waVerlngs IN nlS
campaign for Federalism, which began IN 100
with the immortal utterance, i am not VIZ
ginian but an American Henrys numerous
critics. Mr. Morgan shows. in accusing him OF
o11a piaT
/ the Federal Constitution, give too scant ressFu
: IN the events which led the statesman TO rear
the rise of Federal power. The facts lhNo4Neu
, are all well known: Henry's "apostasy Ao'-
lowed closely upon the threat OF the Ne" Eng
land states TO secede unless the MlsslsSiPpl
River we're closed to traffic for twenty-five
,-aare. Il came hot on the trail Of the project
n cede TO Spain the rights of the great Western
WATERWAYS. In this endeavor TO check the de-
a1,,,7,ert Of the Southern states Patrick Henry
eavv how dangerous strong central govern
mont might be; and he allowed the unpleASaii-
immersion OF this event to rule his JuogieH' III
the davs when the Federal Constitution came up
for ratification. AS the bitterest, most loI-
rnidabIe critic and opponent OF the impending
Constitution Henry has won more thth ms que
of albany; he has even been accused OF urging
secession or at least emigration 10 NoT'H
Carolina But his biographer has an abundance
% e,;dance +o show that, although the Nlrglhlan
nos e,,eatlv vexed over the success of the FED
arorsts he insisted that his friends, like him
cole abide by the action of the States. and seek
.. ;ronro,,e matters from within by forcing con-
.+i+,,tional amendments Mr.. Morgan also com
-. .ba Glory that Henry withdrew from ma
.;oro1 r,olitics and later from Nirginlan aHalfS
tacause discounted over the trend or Things.
IT,; tale like many others the historian traces
+,a e1anderous tongues of the Jeffersonlans !
s,a Of whom let no scruples harness their mis-
,ia,-ors ina ginations. The orators abandon
,er+ of political activities may be explained
a ara told. by intrigues directed against hiI
,,, IN health and by a strong natural liking lor
frontier life.
In olden days. and even yet in certain par'S
- VIRGINIA anecdotes have multiplied about
patrick Henry even as they have more recently
obor+ lincoln Mr. Morgan must nave beeh
forced 70 sift the cycle of Henry tales most
,rdic,ouslv for hero worshippers and reVlleTs
are equally fond of spinning yarns. But II the
Io,,e, LIST Of amusing stories the historian hnds
,ortb,, Of credence do really go back 10 Patrick
Henry the great Virginian must have been not
only a consummate orator and wise statesman
l,+ also a subtle lawyer wit and-best of all
- large souled, big hearted man. In reading
1Ir Aorgan's volume every American will hope
.bat the biographer has discovered "the true"
Henry