The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1909-12-30
Patrick Henry.
He is to Have New Grave and Monu
ment

RICHMOND, December g. 1t has been
practically determined to move the body
Of Patrick Henry from Red Hill, Char
lotte County, to this city for reburial in
the churchyard of old st. Johns Church,
in which Henry made his famous revolu-
tonary speech. The present grave is in
Inc rear of the old Henry house at Red
Hill, unmarked except by small slab.
bill is to be presented to the Vir-
ginia Legislature in January appropria-
ting funds for the erection of a monu-
ment to Henry. 1t is said that the fam
i.y of Henry will not oppose the removal.
For over century the remains of Pat
-ick Henry, who according to John Jay,
ur first Chief Justice, was the great
est of orators" have reposed on his
state at Red Hill with only small,
plain slab to mark the resting place of
ne of Americas most famous orators,
and whose burning words uttered in the
second revolutionary convention in Vir-
mia at the opening of the Revolution:
Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death"
viii live forever in the hearts and minds
# men. have always thought this great
seech marked the highest point attained
Patrick Henry as an orator and public
an, and that it was the greatest speech
n the sense of stirring the hearts of the
teople ever delivered by any of our emf
cent orators, with the possible exception
Webster's reply to Hayne and Lin
Gins great speech at Gettysburg.
Take him all in all, it is not too much
20 say that Patrick Henry was undoubt-
-aly the greatest natural orator our
alton has ever reared, while his elo-
hence and power to move the minds of
men and to influence their action has
,robably not been surpassed by any of
me worlds greatest orators. Jefferson
said of him, THAT his eloquence was
such as he had never heard from any
nan, and that he appeared to speak as
Homer wrote. The eccentric John Ran
.olph of Roanoke, the stormy petrol of
American politics, declared that he was the
rreatest orator that ever lived, and al
Ways loved and honored his memory
4 w many times l have acclaimed his
g~eat speech in boyhood, and it has prob
been acclaimed more times by Amer
ran school boys than any speech in our
H-tory. l little thought then as boy
hat | should ever have the privilege of
sting the old church in Richmond in
which he Numbered forth those eloquent
words of warning to old King George
the III, or that | should ever visit the
-ome of his forefathers in Aberdeen,
scotland.
Ii was quarter of a century, or
4rly so, after the thunders of the
H-volution had died away that Patrick
Henry. then an infrm and aged man,
-.Sa with some difficulty to deliver his
asst speech on earth to the thousands of
Nrginians who had assembled at the
aarlotte court house to listen to his
rds. Washington, VINO loved him,
lad few years before, while President
cred Patrick Henry the great office Of
s-cretary of State, which he declined.
ashington had written him from Mount
Errnon and urged him to come forth and
raise his eloquent voice once more
4galnst the danger which was then
-eatened by such statesmen as Jeffer-
.. and Madison of hurrying Virginia
the young republic into civil war.
.obly did he meet the crisis in his great
ba
rmed up with his subject his eyes
sned fire as in other days. He denied
1t Virginia had any right to decide
-.on the constitutionality of federal laws.
l4ese recent acts in the Virginia As
bly, to set the people at variance
sta their government, "cried he, ''have
lied me with apprehensions and alarm,
I'd planted thorns upon my pillow and
! u exert myself in every endeavor to
r.sent my country from eXhausting
IF in civil connections and intestinal
ESP One of our eminent historians
H., declared that Nothing in his life
nobler" than his last great speech
N that March day when he told the
pe pie to respect and obey the laws Of
t.- and. Noble men like Patrick Henry
ar only those who act noby. Their
leeds create their nobility, and the grand
a4 commonwealth of Virginia does her
self proud in erecting monument to the
Emory of her great son who has often
osr1 styled the "Demosthenes of the
age"
wish | had time to write more at
1gth of his Christian life and his efforts
p-half of the cause of temperance. |
al not know that he favored legal prohi-
otn of the traffic in liquors, as Madison
l- out | do know from the late works
ea is life l have in my library that he
Vas ieeply interested in the temperance
ealss, especially after the Revolution,
s1l regarded the traffic in strong drink
AZ a dishonor to Christian civilization.
H. vas a STAKEHOLDER, but he said: ''That
be lamented and deplored the necessity
OF aolding his felloWmen in bondage" and
a-,er the Revolution, and before the
srion of our constitution, which he
opposed from honest motives, he earnest
. j. i L.