The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1913-05-09
InstaIIment 9


ing how the world went. and by what
manner OF speech It was moved and
governed. He had roamed the woods
with no thought but for sport, or a
quiet hour with book or his fancy
In the shape OF the trees He had
kept country store, and let gossip
and talk OF affairs of colony and coun-
try side take precedence of business
Finally he had turned with d per-
manent relish to the law, and had set
himself to plead causes for his neigh
bors In way that made judges stare
and juries surrender at discretion. In
everything he had seemed to read the
passions of men, Books no less than
men, the chance company of an old
author no less than the constant talk
of the neighborly land he lived in,
seemed to fill him with the quick prin-
ciples of the people and polity to which
he belonged, and to lend him an in
evitably every living phrase In which
to utter them
His Power Over Men.
The universal sympathy and insight
which made his pleasantly 80 engag-
Ing to men of every stamp rendered
his power no less than terrible when
he turned to play upon their passions.
He was not conscious OF any audacity
when he sprang to his feet upon the
instant he saw the house resolved in
to committee to consider the Stamp
Act. 1t was of the ardor Of his nature
to speak when conviction moved him
strongly, without thought of propriety
or precedence; and 1t was like him
to stand there absorbed, reading his
resolutions from a f1y-leaf torn from
an old law-book
1t seemed no doubt precious piece
of audacity in the eyes of the pre-
scriptive leaders of the house to hear
this almost unknown man propose his
high recital of Virginia's liberties and
his express defiance of parliament
in tones which rang no less clear and
confident upon the clause which de-
! clared Ibis majesty's liege people" OF
| the colony in no way bound to yield
obedience, than in the utterance OF
| the accepted matter of his premises
AStOuNQS Lne 0t0 LSduCFSs
| Debate famed up at once, hot. ever
passionate The astounding, moving
elouquence of the young advocate, hi;
/ instant hold upon the house, the di
rectness with which he purposed ant
executed action in so grave matter
stirred the pulses of his opponents
and his followers with an equal power
and reused those who would have
| checked him to a vehemence as greai
as his own.
/ The old leaders of the house, will
whom he now stood face to face IL
this critical business, were the more
formidable because of the strong rea
! son of their position. No one could
! justly doubt that they wished to see
| the Old Dominion keep and vindicatt
| her liberty, but they deemed 1t folly
to be thus Unexpectedly beforehand
| with the issue. Almost to a man they
were sprung of families who had come
to Virginia with the great migration
that had brought the Washingtons, II
the evil day when SO many were fee
ing England to be quit of the Puritan
tyranny-royalists all, and touched te
the quick with the sentiment Of 10y
atty.
Twas now a long long time since
Cromwell's day, indeed; generations
had passed, and a deep passion fol
Virginia had been added to that ole
reverence for the wearer of the crown
in England. But these men pridet
themselves still upon their< loyalty
made it a point of honor TO show
themselves no agitators, but constitu
tionai- statesmen.
1t made them grave and deeply anx
ious to see the PRIVILEGES that were
most dear to them thus vio1ated anS
denied. but it did not make them hast.
to quarrel with the parliament OF th'
realm. They had intended oppos son
but they feared to throw their cause
away by defiance. Twas as little wNs'
as dignified, to fiout thus at the sovdr
eign power before all means had beef
exhausted to win it to forbearance.
The Speaker Of the House.
! 1t was not the least part of the dian
Guilty to face the veterans speaker, pm
Robinson, so old in affairs, SO stgtteil
In his age, SO gravely courteouf, ant
yet with such a threat of gocd man
ners against those who shouyd MAKE
breach of the decorous traeilions o
the place. But the men ch eny TO d
feared were ON the fSor. dah
There was Richard Blah wary
old, experienced" with 'sometEtng o
the look" Virginian wit said, ''oft oi'
musty parchments. which he handlets
and studleth much, author of q
treatise against the Quakers on
water-baptism; with none OF the gifts
OF an orator. but veritable antiquar.
Ian in law and the precedents Of pub
lie business. very formidable man in
counsel Quiet men trusted him. and
thought his prudence very wise
George Wythe was no less learned,
and no less influential. Men knew him
man Of letters. bringing the knowl-
edge of many wise books to the prac.
tice Of affairs. and set great store by
his sincerity, as artfess as It was hu.
man and swraafarnd With good faaFfys