he would, perhaps, serve the cause of his country more effectually, in the public councils than in the field.'

Immediately upon his resignation, he was elected a delegate to the convention of Virginia, which met in 1776, published a declaration of rights, established a plan of government, and elected him the first republican governor for the commonwealth. The palace of the late kingly governor was appropriated to his use, and suitably furnished at the public expense. His good sense taught him that it was now time to pay a little attention to his own personal dignity, and appearance; he put off, therefore, his bloodstained, oleaginous, leather breeches, and appeared in dignified attire. His far famed plainness, nevertheless, when he was the celebrated orator, must have rendered, in some measure, fashionable, that inattention to dress, and even that slovenliness, for which many of the gentlemen of Virginia have been censured. "Judge Winston says, that he was, throughout life, negligent of his dress: but this, it is apprehended, applied rather to his habits in the country, than to his appearance in public. At the bar of the general court, he always appeared in a full suit of black cloth, or velvet, and a tie wig, which was dressed and powdered in the highest style of forensic fashion; in the winter season, too, according to the costume of the day, he wore over his other apparel, an ample cloak of scarlet cloth; and thus attired, made a figure bordering on grandeur. While he filled the executive chair, he is said to have been justly attentive to his dress and appearance; not being disposed to afford the occasion of humiliating comparisons between the past and present government."" P. 407.

In the spring of 1777, and again in 1778, Mr. Henry was unanimously re-elected governor. In 1779, there was a disposition to re-elect him; but he declined the honour, because he thought the constitution of the republic rendered him ineligible. During this administration of public affairs he was firm, and remarkably faithful to Washington, against whom some evil spirits were continually plotting mischief. In the year 1780, we find him again in the assembly, and one of the most active members of the house. "During the winter session of this year, general Gates entered the city of Richmond from his southern campaign, where he had most wofully fulfilled general Lee's prediction. His total defeat at Camden, and a series of subsequent ill fortune, had left South Carolina completely in the hands of the victorious British; and to increase his humiliation, congress had not only superseded him in that command, by the substitution of general Greene, but had passed a resolution requiring the commander in chief to order a court of inquiry on his conduct. Under these accumulated disgraces, the unfortunate general entered the city of Richmond; when Mr. Henry moved a resolution, which displays in a most engaging light, the delicate and generous sensibility of his character: it was as follows:

Resolved, That a committee of four be appointed to wait on major general Gates, and to assure him of the high regard and esteem of this house; that the remembrance of his former glorious services cannot be obliterated by any reverse of fortune; but that this house, ever mindful of his great merit, will omit no opportunity of testifying to the world,

the gratitude which, as a member of the American union, this country owes to him, in his military character.'

"The author may be permitted to say of a state, which is his only by adoption, that to those who know the character of Virginians, it would be unnecessary to add, that this generous resolution passed unanimously." P. 227-228.

After the establishment of our independence, and the restoration of peace, Mr. Henry proved himself the friend of his coun try by advocating, the very unpopular, but highly useful, measure, of permitting the British refugees, commonly called 'the old tories,' to return and enjoy the blessings of a free country. On this subject, we hear him speaking with something like prophetic skill to the legislature of his native state.

"Sir, you are destined, at some time or other, to become a great agricultural and commercial people; the only question is, whether you choose to reach this point, by slow gradations, and at some distant period-lingering on, through a long and sickly minority-subjected, meanwhile, to the machinations, insults and oppressions of enemies foreign and domestic, without sufficient strength to resist and chastise them or whether you choose rather to rush at once, as it were, to the full enjoyment of those high destinies, and be able to cope, singlehanded, with the proudest oppressor of the old world. If you prefer the latter course, as I trust you do, encourage emigration-encourage the husbandman, the mechanics, the merchants of the old world to come and settle in this land of promise-make it the home of the skilful, the industrious, the fortunate and happy, as well as the asylum of the distressed-fill up the measure of your population as speedily as you can, by the means which Heaven hath placed in your power-and I venture to prophecy there are those now living, who will see this favoured land amongst the most powerful on earth-able, sir. to take care of herself, without resorting to that policy which is always so dangerous, though sometimes unavoidable, of calling in foreign aid. Yes, sir-they will see her great in arts and in arms-her golden harvests waving over fields of immeasurable extent-her commerce penetrating the most distant seas, and her cannon silencing the vain boasts of those, who now proudly affect to rule the waves. But, sir, you must have men-you cannot get along without them-those heavy forests of valuable timber, under which your lands are groaning, must be cleared away-those vast riches which cover the face of your soil, as well as those which lie hid in its bosom, are to be developed and gathered only by the skill and enterprise of men-your timber sir, must be worked up into ships to transport the productions of the soil, from which it has been cleared-then, you must have commercial men and commercial capital, to take off your productions and find the best markets for them abroad-your great want sir, is the want of men; and these you must have, and will have speedily, if you are wise. Do you ask how you 'are to get them?-Open your doors, sir, and they will come in-the population of the old world is full to overflowing that population is ground too, by the oppressions of the governments under which they live. Sir, they are already standing on tiptoe upon their native shores, and looking to your coasts, with a wishful and longing eye-they see here, a land blessed with natural and political advantages, which are not

equalled by those of any other country upon earth-a land on which a gracious Providence hath emptied the horn of abundance-a land over which peace hath now stretched forth her white wings, and where content and plenty lie down at every door! Sir, they see something still more attractive than all this-they see a land in which liberty hath taken up her abode that liberty, whom they had considered as a fabled goddess, existing only in the fancies of poets-they see her here, a real divinity-her altars rising on every hand, throughout these happy states-her glories chaunted by three millions of tongues -and the whole region smiling under her blessed influence. Sir, let but this our celestial goddess, liberty, stretch forth her fair hand towards the people of the old world-tell them to come, and bid them welcome-and you will see them pouring in from the north-from the south-from the east, and from the west-your wildernesses will be cleared and settled-your deserts will smile-your ranks will be filled -and you will soon be in a condition to defy the powers of any adver

sary.

"But gentlemen object to any accession from Great Britain--and particularly to the return of the British refugees. Sir, I feel no objection to the return of those deluded people-they have, to be sure, mistaken their own interests most wofully, and most wofully have they suffered the punishment due to their offences. But the relations which we bear to them and to their native country, are now changed-their king hath acknowledged our independence-the quarrel is over-peace hath returned, and found us a free people. Let us have the magnanimity, sir, to lay aside our antipathies and prejudices, and consider the subject in a political light-those are an enterprising monied peoplethey will be serviceable in taking off the surplus produce of our lands, and supplying us with necessaries, during the infant state of our manufactures. Even if they be inimical to us in point of feeling and principle, I can see no objection, in a political view, in making them tributary to our advantage. And as I have no prejudices to prevent my making this use of them, so sir, I have no fear of any mischief that they can do us. Afraid of them!—what, sir, (said he, rising to one of his loftiest attitudes, and assuming a look of the most indignant and sovereign contempt,) shall we, who have laid the proud British lion at our feet, now be afraid of his whelps?” P. 234-236.

Mr. Henry's scheme of 1784, for rearing a red and white progeny to Pochahontas, and other Indian ladies, we have not time to describe; but think it ingenious enough. In November, 1784, Mr. Henry was again elected governor of Virginia; but in 1786, 'while yet a year remained of his constitutional term,' was compelled by poverty to resign his office. He was in the same year, appointed to represent the state, in the convention held in Philadelphia for revising the federal constitution, and was prevented from attending by the same unlucky want of money. Now, when fifty years of age, he was obliged by the wants of his family, to return to the practice of the law.

"Direful must have been the necessity which drove a man of Mr. Henry's disposition and habits, at his time of life, and tempest-beaten as he was, to resume the practise of such a profession as the law. He would not, however, undertake the technical duties of the profession; his en

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gagements were confined to the argument of the cause; and his clients had of course, to employ other counsel, to conduct the pleadings, and ripen their cases for hearing. Hence his practise was restricted to difficult and important cases; but his great reputation kept him constantly engaged: he was frequently called to distant courts: the light of his eloquence shone in every quarter of the state, and thousands of tongues were every where employed in repeating the fine effusions of his genius." P. 260-261.

It was impossible however, for such a man as Patrick Henry to keep long out of public life. In 1788, he was a member of the convention of the state of Virginia, which adopted the new federal constitution. We regret to say that, Mr. Henry vehemently opposed this instrument of national union, because he considered it an actual consolidation of the states: and we could have wished that Mr. Wirt had given us a shorter history of this hostility; for we love not arguments which militate against our excellent system of government. Experience has proved that Mr. Henry was erroneous in his judgment on this subject. Nevertheless, it is due to him to state, that he was the occasion of several valuable amendments to the magna charta of our representative government, and national glory. A portion of Mr. Wirt's history of Mr. Henry in this state convention is remarkably vivid and beautiful.

"The convention had been attended from its commencement by a vast concourse of citizens of all ages and conditions. The interest so universally felt in the question itself, and not less the transcendent talents which were engaged in its discussion, presented such attractions as could not be resisted. Industry deserted its pursuits, and even dissipation gave up its objects, for the superior enjoyments which were presented by the hall of the convention. Not only the people of the town and neighbourhood, but gentlemen from every quarter of the state, were seen thronging to the metropolis, and speeding their eager way to the building in which the convention held its meetings. Day after day, from morning till night, the galleries of the house were continually filled with an anxious crowd, who forgot the inconvenience of their situation, in the excess of their enjoyment; and far from giving any interruption to the course of the debate, increased its interest and solemnity, by their silence and attention. No bustle, no motion, no sound was heard among them, save only a slight movement when some new speaker arose, whom they were all eager to see as well as to hear, or when some master stroke of eloquence shot thrilling along their nerves, and extorted an involuntary and inarticulate murmur. Day after day, was this banquet of the mind and of the heart spread before them, with a delicacy and variety which could never cloy. There every taste might find its peculiar gratifications-the man of wit-the man of feeling the critic-the philosopher-the historian-the metaphysicianthe lover of logic-the admirer of rhetoric-every man who had an eye for the beauty of action, or an ear for the harmony of sound, or a soul for the charms of poetic fancy-in short every one who could see, or hear, or feel, or understand, might find in the wanton profusion and prodigality of that attic feast, some delicacy adapted to his peculiar taste.

Every mode of attack and of defence, of which the human mind is capable, in decorous debate-every species of weapon and armour, offensive and defensive, that could be used with advantage, from the Roman javelin to the Parthian arrow, from the cloud of Eneas, to the shield of Achilles-all that could be accomplished by human strength, and almost more than human activity, was seen exhibited on that celebrated floor. Nor did the debate become oppressive by its unvarying formality. The stateliness and sternness of extended argument, were frequently relieved by quick and animated dialogue. Sometimes the conversation would become familiar and friendly. The combatants themselves, would seem pleased with this relief; forget that they were enemies, and by a sort of informal truce put off their armour, and sit down amicably together to repose, as it were, in the shade of the same tree. By this agreeable intermixture of colloquial sprightliness and brilliancy, with profound, and learned, and vigorous argument-of social courtesy with heroic gallantry, the audience, far from being fatigued with the discussion, looked with regret to the hour of adjournment.

"In this great competition of talents, Mr. Henry's powers of debate still shone pre-eminent. They were now exhibiting themselves in a new aspect. Hitherto his efforts, however splendid, had been comparatively short and occasional. In the house of burgesses in 1765, in the congress of 1774, and the state convention of 1775, he had exhibited the impetuous charge of the gallant Francis the first; but now, in combination with fiery force, he was displaying all the firm and dauntless constancy of Charles the fifth. No shock of his adversaries could move him from his ground. His resources never failed. His eloquence was poured from inexhaustible fountains, and assumed every variety of hue and form and motion, which could delight or persuade, instruct or astonish. Sometimes it was the limpid rivulet, sparkling down the mountain's side, and winding its silver course between margins of moss-then gradually swelling to a bolder stream, it roared in the headlong cataract, and spread its rainbows to the sun-now, it flowed on in tranquil majesty, like a river of the west, reflecting from its polished surface, forest, and cliff, and sky-anon, it was the angry ocean, chafed by the tempest, hanging its billows, with deafening clamours, among the cracking shrouds, or hurling them in sublime defiance, at the storm that frowned above.

"Towards the close of the session, an incident occurred of a character so extraordinary as to deserve particular notice. The question of adoption or rejection was now approaching. The decision was still uncertain, and every mind and every heart was filled with anxiety. Mr. Henry partook most deeply of this feeling; and while engaged, as it were, in his last effort, availed himself of the strong sensation which he knew to pervade the house, and made an appeal to it which, in point of sublimity, has never been surpassed in any age or country of the world. After describing, in accents which spoke to the soul, and to which every other bosom deeply responded, the awful immensity of the question to the present and future generations, and the throbbing apprehensions with which he looked to the issue, he passed from the house and from the earth, and looking, as he said, "beyond that horizon which binds mortal eyes," he pointed-with a countenance and action that made the blood run back upon the aching heart-to those celestial beings, who