El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-12-03
FARMING POINTS In GREAT CAREERS.
THE RISE OF PATRICK HENRY
Aa.AMa.~~-
By DR..
Madison
E..
Peters

house near by, Patrick suggested 10
his customer that he. too had thought
of becoming a lawyer The attorney
encouraged Patrick He had failed as
a merchant and farmer, why not try
talking? He was now only "A years
old. 1t is claimed that he studied law
only six weeks For three years his
with his previous preparations. Thom-
as Jefferson, who knew Henry well,
tells us that he was too lazy to prac-
tice law-he was either out hunting OF
camping in the woods and that his un-
tidy appearance was repellant.
His First Opportunity.
Fhe turning point in his career-hls
real opportunity came to him at ~ IN
the Parsons Clause" in which he was
retained to plead the Peoples case
against Ministerial Taxation"
Never before was such scene WIT
messed in Virginia There stood the
young and unknown lawyer facing an
array Of ministers and counsel which
might have daunted the heart and dis
mayed the nerve of the most famous
members of the bar. Every eye was
upon him as he rose. He was about TO
show the stuff that was in him ana
which in the after years was TO gam
him immortal fame
Towards the close of the address he
Numbered forth: do they feed the
hungry. do they clothe the naked! On
no. gentlemenl Instead of feeding the
hungry and clothing the naked, these
rapacious harpies would, were their
mower equal to their viii, snatch from
the hearth of their. honest parishioners
the last hoe cake. from the widow and
her orphan children their~last mlich
cow!-the last bed, nay the last Dian
ket from the lying-in woman
Never was such an arrangement OF
pilIars of the church by churcnmah-
Henry,s victory was complete, the jury
was with him to man HIS hour nau
struck. His success was assured HIS
speech may be said to have peen 'ne
commencement of the Revolution IN
Virginia.
with one bound he had leaped into
fame. He discovered himself He found
out that he was a born orator he
seized what was thought common oc-
casion and made it great 1t was the
first good chance he had since he had
gotten on the right track, and ne pc
seiged the chance, conquered the
chance and made chance the servitor.
He had prepared himself for his OPP
portunity. When Patrick Henry found
his true bent as a speaker and pleader
Ushers in the Revolution.
In 1865 he was elected to the house
of burgesses. and in his speech on the
stamp act, Give me liberty or give me
death" he ushered in the war OF the
Revolution.
In 1771 his wife, by whom he had six
children, died. in 1716 he married the
daughter of Nathaniel cambridge, oy
whom he had nine children He was
fir1a rQI n
gress in 1774. and delivered the first
speech in that assembly. In 1776 he
carried the vote of the Virginia con-
vention for independence; and in the
same year he became governor or the
state. He was afterwards four times
reelected He entered the assembly as
delegate from Prince edward and all
the time was ever prominently before
the public. He died in June. 1873, In
his 63rd year.
The lesson of his l.fe is this NO
man can struggle vic-oriousiy agalns'
his own character. All barriers were
burned away when he found his true
calling.
Patrick Henry did not wait for OPP
portunity, he made It. He made ii as
all leaders Of men have, made their
chances of success When he found The
bent of his genius, his devotion to Gne
thing, law, made common chances, gold
en- opportunities. He was a failure UNI
til he knew what thing he was fit for
Your talent is your call. Fini out
where your talents lie and then follow
your bent You viii make a sorry fig
lre until you get on the rfghi track. !
You will know fna- you are on the
right track by the way things run.
When you strike WAFER you Will find |
Use for your fins