Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-06-29

Harrison. the Lees and Peyton Randolph-rich,
cultured and educated in England for the most
part-Sat in the seats of power, august as Ro-
man senator's. George Washington, more sol
der than orator. looked on in silence from the
floor, and young Thomas jefferson was oftener
in the gallery than at his law books.
It was now 1765 and events had moved apace
Pedantic Grenvile, determined to bring the
colonies to their knees, limited their currency,
frightened every act designed to crush manu-
facture and mOnopoliSe trade, and ct the last
devised stamp duties to leech new revenues
RITTER was the outcry. but when the stamp
act passed the colonies prepared TO accept
it, even fiery James Otis declaring, "It is the
duty Of all humbly and silently to acquiesce in
all the decisions Of the supreme legislature"
Such was the attitude of Virginia. and from
his obscure seat Patrick Henry listened to
the SpneIeSs debates-humble and unnoticed
II any patrician tossed a glance in his direction
It was to sheer at him for backwoods lawyer
rude and unlettered.
Member after member droned the necessity
OF patience and submission, and suddenly sick
ening of mealy -mouthed phrases Patrick Henry
Sprang to his feet with a set of resolutions
scrubbed on the back of a page torn from an
old law book. In words that rang as clarionS
the justice of the stamp act was denied King
and Commons were denounced as lawless and
despotic. and the people summoned to resist
Supporting the resolutions with a mastery
analysis of American charters and the British
Constitution, Henry soon left the field of argu-
ment and. plunging into a discourse on the
natural rights of man, ended with the flaming
phrases that every school child learns TODAY:
Caesar had his Brutus Charles the First his
Cromwell, and George the Third"-here cries of
Treason!" shook the House-"may profit by
their example. If this be treason make the
most of it,"
The aristocratic bloc furious at the presumn-
ton of this homeSpun upStart resisted. strenu-
ously, but not only did they lose the fight but
also their leadership, for from that moment
Patrick Henry dominated the House.
Modern historians seem determined to make
the American Revolution a mean and sordid
tnng. All emphasis is. put upon economic
causes, and, as If in love with mud men and
motives are grin1ed over with charges of self
interest Granted that the chief grievances of
the commercial class were burdensome laws
what had sugar bills and navigation acts to
do with Patrick Henry and Samuel Adams
the one poor Virginia lawyer and the other so
careless of gain that friends had to buy him
clothes? Or with the ragged, starving COM
moners they drove into rebellion? Propertied
men, for the most part, fled at the first gun,
praying for British victory from their safe
refuge behind the redcoat lines; those who left
bloody footprints in the snow at Valley Forge
were humble souls
Had the quarrel between England and Amer
lea concerned itself merely with restrictive
legislation, compromises would have been
effected Just the stamp act was repealed,
SO would tax laws and revenue measures have
been adjusted and amended
Not only were Pitt, Burke. Camden and Barre
at the head of q vigorous liberal following, but
down to the very Declaration Of Independence
Washington, Franklin, Jay, Dickinson and John
Adams stood like iron against q rupture with
the mother country. Only two men-landless