Patrick Henry, one of the greatest statesmen had a gift for oratory and he maximized his talent, first as an attorney, then as a young firebrand member of the Virginia House of Burgesses, and later as a leader in Virginia politics, both during and after the American War for Independence.
Patrick Henry railed against congressional power over the militia and by default the potential for the central authority to disarm the people, and against the executive, an office he considered to be little more than a thinly veiled monarchy.
He hoped “that the spirit which predominated in the revolution is not yet gone, nor the cause of those who are attached to the revolution yet lost.”
Patrick Henry warned that according to the Constitution, “the preservation of our liberty depends on the single chance of men being virtuous enough to make laws to punish themselves.” Time has proven his fears were justified.
Patrick Henry emphasized that the Constitution without amendments violated the principles of 1776, and he feared that even with amendments the people and the States would not be sufficiently protected against centralization and tyranny.
“To those who fight for the Principles of ’76, present and future, and to the eternal principle of liberty.”
“Liberty Ought to be the Direct End of Your Government”
-Patrick Henry
