speech-virginia

P a tr ick Henry’s Speech Addressing the
V irginia House of Burgesse s
R ichmond, Virginia; March 23, 1775
N o man th inks more highly th an I do of th e pa tr io ti sm, as we ll as abili ti es, of th e very wor th y gentlemen who have jus t addressed th e House. But different men of te n see th e sam e
s ubject in different lights; and, th erefore, I hope th at it wi ll
n ot be th ought disrespect fu l to th ose gentlemen, if,
en te rtaining as I do opinions of a charac te r very opposi te to th eirs, I sha ll speak for th my sen ti ments fr eely and wi th ou t r eserve.
Th is is no ti me for ceremony. Th e ques ti on before th e House i s one of aw fu l moment to th is coun tr y. For my own part I
c onsider it as no th ing less th an a ques ti on of fr eedom o r
s lavery; and in propor ti on to th e magnitude of th e subjec t ought to be th e fr eedom of th e deba te. It is only in th is wa y
th at we can hope to arrive at tr u th, and fu lfill th e grea t
r esponsibili ty which we hold to God and our coun tr y. Should I k eep back my opinions at such a ti me, th rough fear of givin g offense, I should consider myself as guil ty of tr eason to ward s m y coun tr y, and of an act of disloyal ty to wards th e majes ty o f
of heaven, which I revere above a ll ear th ly kings.
M r. President, it is natural to man to indulge in th e i ll usion s of hope. We are apt to shut our eyes against a pain fu l tr u th, and lis te n to th e song of th at siren, till she tr ansforms us in to beasts. Is th is th e part of wise men, engaged in a great an d arduous s tr uggle for liber ty? Are we disposed to be of the
n umber of th ose who, having eyes, see not, and having ears, hear not, th e th ings which so nearly concern th eir te mpora l s alva ti on?
F or my part, wha te ver anguish of spirit it may cost, I a m
w i ll ing to know th e whole tr u th—to know th e worst and to
p rovide for it. I have but one lamp by which my feet ar e
g uided; and th at is th e lamp of experience. I know of no way o f judging of th e fu ture but by th e past. And judging by th e past, I wish to know what th ere has been in th e conduct of the
B ri ti sh minis tr y for th e last te n years, to jus tify th ose hope s
w i th which gentlemen have been pleased to solace th emselve s and th e House?
I s it th at insidious smile wi th which our pe titi on has been la te l y r eceived? Trust it not, sir; it wi ll prove a snare to your feet.
S uffer not yourselves to be be tr ayed wi th a kiss. Ask yourselve s
how th is gracious recep ti on of our pe titi on comports wi th th es e w arlike prepara ti ons which cover our wa te rs and darken ou r land. Are fleets and armies necessary to a work of love an d
r econcilia ti on? Have we shown ourselves so unwi ll ing to b e
r econciled th at force must be ca ll ed in to win back our love?
L et us not deceive ourselves, sir. Th ese are th e implements o f w ar and subjuga ti on—th e last arguments to which kings resort.
I ask gentlemen, sir, what means th is mar ti al array, if it s
p urpose be not to force us to submission? Can gentleme n assign any o th er possible mo ti ves for it? Has Great Britain an y enemy, in th is quar te r of th e world, to ca ll for a ll th i s accumula ti on of navies and armies?
N o, sir, she has none. Th ey are meant for us; th ey can b e
m eant for no o th er. Th ey are sent over to bind and rivet upo n u s th ose chains which th e Bri ti sh minis tr y have been so lon g f orging. And what have we to oppose to th em? Sha ll we try argument? Sir, we have been tr ying th at for th e last te n years.
H ave we any th ing new to offer on th e subject? No th ing.
W e have held th e subject up in every light of which it i s
c apable; but it has been a ll in vain. Sha ll we resort to en tr ea ty an
d humbl
e supplica ti on? What te rms sha ll we find whic h have not been already exhaus te d? Let us not, I beseech you, sir,
deceive ourselves longer.
S ir, we have done every th ing th at could be done to avert the sto rm which is now coming on. We have pe titi oned; we hav e r emons tr a te d; we have supplica te d; we have pros tr a te d ourselve s before th e th rone, and have implored its in te rposi ti on to arres t th e ty rannical hands of th e minis tr y and Parliament.Ou r
p e titi ons have been sligh te d; our remons tr ances have produce d addi ti onal violence and insult; our supplica ti ons have bee n disregarded; and we have been spurned, wi th con te mpt, fr o m th e foot of th e th rone. In vain, af te r th ese th ings, may w e indulge th e fond hope of peace and reconcilia ti on. Th ere is no longer any room for hope.
I f we wish to be fr ee—if we mean to preserve inviola te th os e ines ti mable privileges for which we have been so lon g
c on te nding—if we mean not basely to abandon th e nobl e
str uggle in which we have been so long engaged, and which w e have pledged ourselves never to abandon un ti l th e gloriou s object of our con te st sha ll be obtained, we must fight! I repea t it, sir, we must fight! An appeal to arms and to th e God o f
H osts is a ll th at is left us!
Th ey tell us, sir, th at we are weak—unable to cope wi th so
f ormidable an adversary. But when sha ll we be s tr onger? Wi ll
it be th e next week, or th e next year? Wi ll it be when we ar e to ta ll y disarmed, and when a Bri ti sh guard sha ll be sta ti one d in every house? Sha ll we ga th er s tr eng th by irresolu ti on an d inac ti on? Sha ll we acquire th e means of effectual resistance, b y lying supinely on our backs, and hugging th e delusiv e
p han to m of hope, un ti l our enemies sha ll have bound us han d and foot?
S ir, we are not weak, if we make a proper use of th e mean s
w hich th e God of nature ha th placed in our power. Th re e
m i ll ions of people, armed in th e holy cause of liber ty, and i n s uch a coun tr y as th at which we possess, are invincible by an y f orce which our enemy can send against us. Besides, sir, w e s ha ll not fight our ba tt les alone. Th ere is a just God who
p resides over th e des ti nies of na ti ons, and who wi ll raise u p
fr iends tofight our ba tt les for us.
Th e ba tt le, sir, is not to th e s tr ong alone; it is to th e vigilant, th e ac ti ve, th e brave. Besides, sir, we have no elec ti on. If w e w ere base enough to desire it, it is now to o la te to re ti re fr o m th e con te st. Th ere is no re tr eat but in submission and slavery! Our chains are forged! Th eir clanking may be heard on the p lains of Bos to n! Th e war is inevitable—and let it come! I
r epeat it, sir, let it come!
I t is in vain, sir, to ex te nua te th e ma tt er. Gentlemen may cry, “P eace! Peace!”—but th ere is no peace. Th e war is actua lly begun! Th e next gale th at sweeps fr om th e nor th wi ll bring to our ears th e clash of resounding arms! Our bre th ren ar e already in th e field! Why stand we here idle? What is it th a t g entlemen wish? What would th ey have? Is life so dear, o r
p eace so sweet, as to be purchased at th e price of chains an d s lavery? Forbid it, Almigh ty God! I know not what cours e o th ers may take; but as for me, give me liber ty, or give m e dea th!
P a tr ick Henry – March 23, 1775。