Page:Sketches of the life and character of Patrick Henry.djvu/309

 sheriffs, to be ground to dust: on this subject he drew such a vivid and affecting picture of these ojflicers, en- tering: in succession the cabin of the broken-hearted peasant, and the last one rifling the poor remains which the first had left, as is said to have drawn tears from eveiy eye.

IV. The power of raising armies and building navies, and still more emphatically, the controul given to the ge- neral government over the militia of the states, was most strenuously opposed. The power thus given, was a part of the means of that aggrandizement which was obvi- ously meditated, and there could be no doubt that it would be exercised: so that this republic, whose best pohcy w^as peace, was to be saddled with the expense of main- taining standing armies and navies, useless for any other purpose than to insult her citizens, to afford a pretext for increased taxes, and an augmented public debt, and finally to subvert the hberties of her people: her militia too, her last remaining defence, was gone. " Con- gress," said Mr. Henry, " by the power of taxation — by that of raising an army and navy — and by their con- troul over the militia — have the sword in the one hand, and the purse in the other. Shall we be safe without either.^ Congress have an unhmited power over both; they are entirely given up by us. Let him (Mr. Madi- son) candidly tell me, where and when did freedom exist, when the sword and purse were given up from the people.^ Unless a miracle in human affairs shall interpose, no nation ever did or ever can retain its liberty, after the loss of the sword and the purse."

The unlimited controul over the militia was vehe- mently opposed, on the ground, that the marchmg militia from distant states, to quell insurrection,. and repel in- vasions, and keeping the free yeomanry of the countiy

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