ful in the district schoolhouse, or an ex-President of the United States, in Carnegie Hall, defending the national integrity in words carried by the press to the attention of millions, ought not to be disparaged in any sane estimate of the forces which control the national life.

HISTORICAL MASTERPIECES

AMERICAN

PATRICK HENRY

LIBERTY OR DEATH

Patrick Henry, the distinguished orator of the colonial South, was born in Studley, Va., May 29, 1736. His father early established him in the business of a country store, but he failed after a short time. He married at eighteen, and after several commercial failures began to study law, and eventually took up practice at Hanover. A brilliant speech of his attracted notice, and secured his election later to the Virginia House of Burgesses. Here he seized the occasion to introduce the first resolution relative to the British imposition of stamp duties and thus initiated the American Revolution. He was one of the first to see the inevitable necessity of armed resistance to Great Britain, and to advocate war preparations. He was successively governor of his state for three years, and member of the House of Burgesses, where he made his presence chiefly felt in his opposition to the new Federal Constitution. He declined the offer of Washington of appointments as secretary of state and of chief justice of the United States, but would have acceded to Washington's appeal to reënter the state legislature had not death, which came to him June 6, 1799, put an end to his activities. His speech before the convention of delegates, the most famous of all his orations, was made at Richmond, Va., in 1775.

MR. PRESIDENT:-No man thinks more highly than I do of the patriotism, as well as abilities, of the very worthy gentlemen who have addressed the House. But different men often see the same subject in different lights; and, therefore, I hope that it will not be thought disrespectful to those gentlemen, if, entertaining as I do, opinions of a character very opposite to theirs, I shall speak forth my sentiments freely and without reserve. This is no time for ceremony. The question before the House is one of awful moment to this country. For my own part I consider it as nothing less than a question of freedom or slavery; and in proportion to the magnitude of the subject ought to be the freedom of the debate. It is only in