Page:Sketches of the life and character of Patrick Henry.djvu/302

 278 SKETCHES OP THE

left him, and his mental powers, Hke the members of the body, are decayed. If, sir, amendments are left to the twentieth, or to the tenth part of the people of America, your Hbert)^ is gone for ever. We have heard that there is a great deal of bribery practised in the house of commons in England; and that many of the members raised themselves to preferments by selling the rights of the people. But, sir, the tenth part of that body cannot continue oppressions on the rest of the people. English liberty is, in this case, on a firmer foundation than American liberty. It will be easily contrived to procure the opposition of one- tenth of the people to any alteration, however judi- cious.^^

Mr. Pendleton had repelled the idea of danger from the adoption of the constitution, on the ground of the facility with which the people could recall their dele- gated powers and change their servants. — " We will assemble in convention,"" said Mr. Pendleton, " wholly recall our delegated powers, or reform them so as to prevent such abuse, and punish our servants."" In reply to this, Mr. Henry said — " The honourable gen- tleman wlio presides, told us, that to prevent abuses in our government, we will assemble in convention, recall our delegated powers, and punish our servants for abusing the trust reposed in them. Oh, sir, ive should have fine tunes indeed, if to punish tyrants, it ivere only riecessa^^ to assemble the people! Your arms, wherewitli you could defend yourselves, are gone! and you have no longer an aristocratical, no longer a democratical spirit. Did you ever read of any revolution in any nation, brought about by the punishment of those in poiver, inflicted by those who had no poioer at all? You read

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