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Show PATRICK HENRY. Thomas Jefferson's Opinion of the Orator Ora-tor and Patriot. When William Wirt wns engaged in wrltiug the memoirs of Patrick Henry he turned for Information to Thomas Jefferson, who had been nssoclatcd with the orator for many years, asking ask-ing his aid In furnishing biographical material for the work. Tho correspond' ence between Wirt nnd Jefferson, published pub-lished in the Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography, from the manuscript collection of John tirlbbel. has a decidedly Interesting passage showing tho opinion Jefferson held nbout his famous colleague. In nnswer to Wirt's first request Jefferson replies re-plies with an assent and adds a general gen-eral nnd unfavorable summary of Henry's character: "Ho wns certainly the man who gave th tlrst Impulse to the hall of revolution, revolu-tion, were 1 to give Ills character in general 'erms. It would be of mixed aspect. I think he was the best humored nuui In mtclety I almost ever know, nnd the greatest orator that ever lived ho hail n cuiisuinate knol edge of the huniaii heart, which directing di-recting the efforts of his eloquence enabled him to attain n degree of pop ii la city with iln people at large never perhnps puiiied his judgment In other ina Hern was itmivuruto in mnt-tew mnt-tew of luw li was not worth a copper: he was avaricious ,v lotten hearted his two grei'i piKslmis worn tlm love or monev .v of famo; lint when these , cuno Jnto competition the former predominated pre-dominated if tho work you proposo is not destined to como out speedily I will endeavor to recollect what may be i of usu to it." ' |
