SPEECH OF PATRICK HENRY. | | MR. PRESIDENT, It is | natural to | man in- | dulge in the il- | lusions of | hope. apt to shut our eyes We are | against a | painful | truth, |◄ and listen to the | song of that | syren, transforms us into beasts. 1111111 | | till she Is this for en- | gaged in a great and | liberty? |111| Are we the part of wise | men, arduous | struggle disposed to be of the | number of | those who | having | eyes | see not, and | having | ears | hear not the | things which so | nearly con- | cern our | temporal sal- | vation? For my part, | anguish of spirit it may | cost, know the whole | truth; what- ever | and that is the lamp of ex- | perience. I know of | no | way of | judging of the | future past, I wish to | know | what there has been in the | conduct of the British | ministry, to justify those | hopes for the last ten years, with which | gentlemen | have been pleased to solace them- | selves and the house? Is it ❘ that in- | sidious | smile | 117 with | which our pe- |tition has been | lately re- | ceived? | Trust it❘ not, sir; it will prove a | snare to your feet. Suffer not your-selves to be be-trayed with a kiss. ||17| Ask yourselves | how this gracious re- ception of our pe- | tition | com- | ports with those | warlike | prepa- | rations which | cover | our waters and | darken our | land. | | | | Are | fleets and | armies | necessary to a | work of | love and | reconciliation? |17|17| Have we | shown ourselves | so un- | willing to be | reconciled, that | force | must be called in to win | back our | love? Let us not de- ceive ourselves, | sir. | 1771 These are the implements of | war | and | subju- | gation; | ar- ray, mission? the last arguments to which | kings re- | sort. | I ask | gentlemen, | sir, | what | means this | martial if its | purpose | be not to force us to sub-| 111 Can | gentlemen as- | sign | any | other possible | motive for it? | Has | Great | | Britain any enemy | in | this | quarter of the | world, | to call for all this ac- | cumu- | lation | of | navies and armies? No, sir, | she has none. | | They are meant for | us: | | they can be | meant for no other. 171 They are sent over to | | | bind and rivet upon us | those | chains, which the | British | ministry have been so | long | forging. 1711 Shall we try | argument? | | have been trying | that Sir, we | |17| Have we | anything | new to offer upon the | | subject? Nothing. 111111 We have | held the subject | up in every | light of | which it is | capable; but it has been | all in | vain. 1771 Shall we re-sort to en- | treaty | and | humble | suppli- | cation? What | terms shall we find which longer. Sir, | have not | been al- | ready ex- | hausted? |77|77| Let us not, I beseech you, sir, de-ceive ourselves | we have | done | everything | to a- | vert the storm | ◄ which is now coming on. 17111 We have pe- | titioned, | | | we have re- | monstrated, we have supplicated, that could be | done, 177 we have prostrated our selves be- fore the | throne, and have im- | plored | its | interpo- | sition to arrest the ty- | rannical | hands of the | ministry and parliament. 1977 Our pe- | titions | have been | slighted; our re- | monstrances have | | and | insult; | disre- | garded; | with con- tempt, | from the foot of the throne. In vain, 771 after | these | things, | may we in- | dulge the | fond | hope of peace and reconciliation. 1991 | There is no longer | any | room for hope. 1771 If we wish to be | free, if we | mean to pre- | serve we have been so long con- | tending, for | which not basely to a- | bandon | the | noble | struggle | in | which we have been | so | long en- | gaged, | and | which we have | pledged ourselves | never to a- | bandon, | un | til the glorious | object of our | contest | shall be ob- | tained, we must | fight: |77|77|I re- | peat it, sir, we must fight! | An appeal to arms, and to the | God of | hosts, is all They tell us, sir, that we are weak, to cope with so | formidable an | adversary. | | But when shall we be | stronger? be the next week, it be when we are | or the | next year? totally dis- | armed | that is and | when a | British | guard | shall be stationed in | every | house? | | 177777 Shall we | gather | strength | by | irreso- | lution and in-action? Shall we ac- quire the | means of ef- fectual re- | sistance, | by | lying su- | pinely on our backs, and hugging the de- | lusive | phantom of | hope, un- til our enemies shall have bound us | hand and foot? we are not weak, if we | make we are a | proper use of those | means which the | God of | nature hath | placed in our | power. Three | millions of people, || armed in the holy | cause of | liberty, and in | such a | country as ❘ that which | we Besides, sir, lone. we shall not | fight our | battles a- | There is a just | God, sides over the destinies of | nations; | | raise | up | friends to fight our | battles The | battle, sir, is not to the who pre- | and who will sire it, it is now | too late | | to re- | tire from the | There is no re- | treat, but in | || and | slavery. | 7717717Our | chains on the plains of | Boston. Their clanking may be | heard 177The | war | ▼ is tlemen may cry | peace, | peace! || but there is no peace. The war is actually be- | gun! | | 77777 The | next | gale that sweeps from the the clash of re- | north will bring to our | ears sounding arms!|77|7|7 Our | brethren are al | | ready in the | field!|77|77| Why | stand | we | here | What is it that gentlemen | | idle? | be | purchased What so | dear, would they have? | or peace | so | sweet, | as to at the price of | chains and | slavery? | 17|77|1 For- | bid it, | Al- | mighty | God! | I know not what | course | others may | take; | ◄ | give me | death!|77|77/ or |