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 Battles of Great Lawyers: Patrick Henry of trial to go to the last iota of human right? The Romans fought for their altars and household gods. By these terms they meant everything dear and

valuable to men. Was not our stake as important as theirs? But many other nations engage in the most bloody wars for the most trivial and frivolous causes. If other nations who carried on war for a mere point of honour, or a punctilio

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And just as he had pictured England a little speck of an island, almost be neath contempt, he swept on to such an overpowering picture of the im mensity of her power and the mighti ness of her resources, that his audience

responded with a startled murmur to the thrilling vehemence and sheer force of his description. Brieﬂy summarized, Patrick Henry's

of gallantry, were warranted in the exer cise of this power, were not we, who

argument was that debts were subject

fought for everything most inestimable

they were much more so in a war like

to conﬁscation in common wars;

that

and valuable to mankind, justiﬁed in

that of the Revolution;

using it? Our ﬁnances were in a more distressing situation than theirs at this awful period of our existence. Our war

as an independent nation, could exer cise the right of eminent domain in

that Virginia,

was in opposition to the most grievous op pression. We resisted, and our resistance

enemies; that she had done this, legally discharging the debtors of all obliga

the sequestration of the debts of her

was approved and blessed by Heaven."

tion;

The wonderful power of Patrick Henry's oratory was shown in a par

violated the treaty of 1783, the treaty did not revive any claims of the English creditors; that these debts did not come within the scope of the treaty in any

ticularly vivid and striking manner by two contrasting portions of his speech. “The consent of Great Britain was not necessary to create us a nation," he asserted. “Yes, sir, we were a nation

long before the monarch of that little island in the Atlantic ocean gave his

puny assent to it." He drew himself up to his full height, motioning away as to an inﬁnite dis tance.

that, since Great Britain had

event; and that the court had full j urisdic tion upon the subject of the treaty.

He had been speaking three days be fore he ﬁnished his argument and re buttal, and during all that time the court room remained crowded with legislators, lawyers, business men and society women. Not until he had

For an instant it seemed as

ﬁnished could a quorum of the House

if he were trying to catch a glimpse of

of Delegates be collected to transact

some minute, faint object far off in space. His lips curling with contempt,

oﬁicial business. The case was argued again before

he uttered the words “puny assent" with such emphasis that in the minds of his auditors Great Britain was reduced to the merest shadow of a nation. Later on he had occasion to show the power of England.

Chief Justice Jay and Judges lredell and Grifﬁn in 1793.

Jefferson, who was not prone to praise Patrick Henry, said: "I believe he never distinguished himself so much as on the question of British debts."

“The fact was," he contended, "that

This, the most brilliant of his legal

we were attacked by one of the most

battles, came practically at the end of his career, although he was afterward

formidable

nations

under heaven,

a

nation that carried terror and dread with its thunder to both hemispheres."

offered the position of Chief Justice

by Washington. He declined this honor.