Show t I I I p Patrick Yf e. e k H. H Henrys Henry's I a enry s. s oI o t S. S Stirring C Call II Alen the Virginia Patri Patriot t I Delivered His Immortal a i Give Me Liberty or Give i Me D Death e a th and nd Thus M Moved ved the Old Dominion on to Arm for t the e Coming g j Revolution I I i 0 fx i iOne One hundred and and fifty years ago In Bt fit Johns John's church Richmond Va Patt Patr Patrick Pat Pat- t r rick ck Henry stood before the now I i famous convention and delivered hiss his lil Immortal give me liberty or give me meC C death ath speech Virginias Virginia's laB delegates Shad had convened to consider wh whether ther or or not Dot to organize an armed force forc to re- re the soldiers of the British king Revolution was In the air The Declaration Declaration Dec Dec- of Independence was little ti v more ore than a year away But opinion I ru I as divided among the planters of the Old Dominion Some Som would a ar armin m m i ln defense others' others trust to ills his Bris Bri- Bri t. t t s J i r r f flab r- r ish lab majesty to right the wrongs they were suffering If It came cam to revolution I Lion tion and the revolution failed toned their R S heads were at t stake rr There er peeled needed r r- r the the Impact of eloquence ce to move tho the convention to Join with the patriots of ot other colonies That That impetus a was given given gl en ln when Patrick Henry arose and addressed ad- ad dr dressed s ed the convention W When el he lie had ad l t the convention ad adopted r reso- reso so- so calling for foe the he 0 or a anti tion atI of at I militia and the lie Lakin faking l o of 01 such uch other steps as would put the colon colony l In a l state of ot def defense nse The speech follows Mr Ir President It Is natural to man ma to Indulge In Illusions of We Weare Weare are ore apt to shut our eyes against a n painful truth and listen to the song of that siren till she transforms u ua us Into into- beasts Is this the part of ot wise m men men n engaged In a great grent arduous struggle struggle struggle gle for liberty Are we disposed to tobe tobe tobe be of the number of those who Having having hav Hav- ing eyes see not and having ears hear not the things which so nearly concern their temporal sal salvation QUon For Formy Formy or ormy I my part whatever anguish of spirit It may may cost I am willing willingto to know w the whole truth to know the worst and provide for ItI itI It I 1 have ha but one ona lamp by which my I feet are guided and that I Is the lamp I of experience I know of no way of j Judging of th the future but by the past I And Judging by the past I wish to toI know ow what there he e has been In the conduct conduct conduct con con- I duct of the British ministry for the thelast thelast last ten years year to justify those hopes hope with which gentlemen have bave been pleased to solace themselves and the h house houses house's Is s It t smile with which our petition has lately been received received received re re- 2 Trust Crust rust It not sir sit It will prove a snare to your feet Suffer Sutter not l yourselves ourselves s to be betrayed with a kiss I e An Arr Appeal to Arms I Ask yourself how this gracious reI reception re re- I c in ot of- our p petition comports with warlike preparations v which cover sr nf r at r and darken our land Are I fleets and armies necessary to a n work of ot love and reconciliation Have we shown shown ourselves so unwilling to be reconciled that that force must be called In to o win back ck our cur love Let us not riot deceive ourselves sir These These are ae Implements of war and rind subjugation the last arguments to which kings re re- re- re sort I ask gentlemen emen sir what what- means this martial martinI array if it Its purpose be benot benot benot not to force us to submission Can gentlemen assign any other possible motive for U Has Has Great Britain any enemy hi In this thus quarter of ot the world to call for all nil this accumulation of ot navies and armies No sir she has none They are meant for us they can cnn bo meant for no other They are sent over o to bind and rivet upon us those chains which the British ministry have been so long forging And what have have We Y to oppose eto to them them Shall e 1 hall we ve try argument Sir we ire have been trying that for the Uie last f ten ten years e rs Have Have we we anything f new w i to offer upon p th the subject subject sub sub- Nothing We Wo h have ve held held the subject up In every light of which It Is capable but It has been fill all In vain Shall we we resort to entreaty and humble supplication What terms shall we find which have not been already exhausted exhausted ex ex- ex- ex hausted d Let us not riot I I. I beseech you sir deceive ourselves longer We Must Fight Sir we have done everything that could be done t to avert the storm which is now w coming on We have p petitioned pe petitioned pe- pe v we have remonstrated 0 we have supplicated we have prostrated d ourselves before the throne arid and h have ve Implored Its Interposition to arrest the hands hand of the ll ministry and parliament Our petitions have been slighted our have produced pro du ed additional violence and Insult our have Been disregarded disregard disregard- ed a and and we d we have been spurned with contempt from the foot of ot the throne 1 I In vain after those th things may we a r y i l lu a u I a 4 b I f tP t r NN Y y interior Inferior of St. St Johns John's Church Indulge the fond hope of peace and reconciliation There Is li no longer any room for hope bope If It we wish to be free If If we mean to preserve Inviolate those Inestimable privileges for tor which we have been so long contending If If we ve mean not basely to abandon the noble struggle In which we have bave been I so long engaged find and we have pledged ourselves never to abandon until the glorious object of o our r con- con f c V 11 test test obtained obtained we we must fight 1 An appeal to arms and to the God of oft Hosts Is all that Is left us I Liberty or Death 1 S sir that we we weare are weak unable to cope cope with so formidable an adversary But when shall we be stronger Will It be next week or thA next year Will It be when we are totally disarmed and when a British guard shall be stationed In every house Shall we gather strength by irresolution and inaction Shall we acquire the means of effectual resistance resist resistance ance by lying supinely on our back and hugging the delusive phantom of hopel until our enemies nemi shall have bound us hand an ana foot Sir we are are not weak if we make a proper use of these means which the God of nature hath placed In our power Three millions mil mu- lions of people armed In the holy cause of liberty and In such a country as that which we possess are ins int In- In s 0 t w N a eb y yr r Tomb of Patrick Henry at Red Virginia by any force torce which our enemy enemy en en- emy my can send against us us Besides sir we e shall not fight our battles alone There Is a Just God who presides s over the destinies of nations and who will raise up friends to fight our battles for fen forus forus us The battle sir is not to the strong alone it Is to the vigilant the active the thoe brave Besides sir we have no noele ele election it if we were base enough to desire It It Is ts no too l late to retire tk from the contest Th There re Is n no no retreat retreat but In s submission and slavery lOur Our chains are forged I Their clanking maybe maybe may be heard o on n the plains of Boston 1 I The war Is inevitable inevitable and and let It come cornel I 1 repeat repent sir let it come It It is In vain aln sir to extenuate the the matter Gentlemen may cry Peace peace but there is no peace The war warIs warIs waris Is actually begun I The next gale that I sweeps from the North will bring to our ears the clash of resounding arms anus I I Our brethren are already In the field I Wily Why stand we here idle What is it the gentlemen wish 1 What would they have Is life so BO dear or peace so 80 sosweet sosweet sweet as to be purchased at the pr price ce of ot chains and slavery Forbid It it AlmIghty Almighty Al Al- mighty God I know lenow not what course others may take but as for tor me give me liberty or give me death I In |