’’裏’’’’
(Patrick Henry)’第’次維’尼’’’’’’說
Speech to the Second Virginia Convention
我不’’’’’’麽做’’’’對’我’說’不’由’毋寧’’
’’裏’’’’ (1736-1799) ’革’’’中’’’’國’’’生’維’尼’’’維’尼’殖民’’最成’’’’之’’’’機敏’’說技巧而著稱’1763’’’’選’維’尼’議’’’言不諱’鼓’殖民’’’’’1765’’’反對’’’’’’’’說中’’’說’”凱撒有’’布’圖’’’’’有’’’’’爾’喬’’’有’’” (那’’’’’“’’不’!’’不’!’’不’!”’’喊’打’’)
“’’’我們’’’們’’’中獲’’’’’’’’不’’那’’分’用它’”’
’日’’’’’立’動中’’’’揮’’’’’用’’’第’’維’尼’’’’Ⅸ’’成Ⅸ’’’1774’’1755’’陸議’’’’’’’’錄’’’最著’’’說’’’’’1775’3月23日’維’尼’裏’滿’’翰教堂裏’’’第’次維’尼’’’’’’’’講’’’’說爲給’’國’戰鬥’維’尼’民團提’裝備’’議提’’有’’論據’
’’’維’尼’’第’任’’’’’’裏’國’裏還擔任’’’’’公’職務’不’’’永’’’還’’’’’1775’’’’’’’’’’說’’結’’’’’’’’’
’’’’幻’’’’天’’我們’’’’視’’’’實’而’聽蠱’’心’’妖莎’’’’’’’’把我們變成’’爲止’難’’’’我們那’爲’由’’偉’’’鬥’’智’們’’部分嗎’難’我們’’那’有眼’不見’有耳聽不’那’’快’關’’’們’’’救’’情’’爲伍嗎’’我而言’不論’精’’’’成什麽樣’’’’我還’’’’’’部’’’’解最’’情’’防備’’生’
我’有’盞’引我走路’’’’’’’驗之’’我’’’’’’未’’’’’’據’’’’歷’’’’’’’’’’歷’’’我’’’’最’’’裏’’國內閣’’爲中有什麽’’證’’’’生們’’望’對’’’’’生們’’樂’’’’’望’慰藉’們’’’議’’難’’’們最’接’我們’請’’’那種陰’’’’嗎’’生們’請’’’’種’’’’’證’’’’’們’’’陷阱’’’’’’’’’’’個親’’’賣’’問問’們’’’’種親切’接’我請’’’動’那’’我們’陸’’’’’’’戰’準備’麽’稱’’個’示’’調’’’’需’艦隊’’隊嗎’難’我們’’’示’’不’調’’’’’用’’’贏’我們’’嗎’’生們’我們不’’欺欺’’’’’’戰’’’’’手’’’國’們’諸’最’’由’’生們’我問那’’生’’’’種戰’部’不’’迫’我們’’’那’’什麽’’’對’’’生們’’提’任’’’
’’’動機嗎’難’’不’’’’’’’個’區有什麽敵’需’’’’裏集結’’’陸’嗎’不’’生們’’’有敵’’’們’’對我們’’’們不’’’’對’’’’’們’’’’給我們’’’’’’國內閣’期’’’’’鑄’’鎖鏈’我們有什麽’’用’反對’們’’’有’我們’’’盡辦’’’楚’個問’’’都’用’難’我們’’’們’尾’憐’’’’膝嗎’那我們應當找什麽’有’用盡’條件’’生們’我’’’們’不’’欺’’’’’’生們’爲’避’’’’’’’風暴’我們’’做’’切’做’’’我們’’請’’’’我們’’抗議’’’我們’’’’’’’我們’’俯伏’內閣’議’暴’之手面’’’我們’請’’’藐視’我們’抗議’’’’對我們’暴’’’’’我們’’’’’不予考’’’’’’輕蔑’把我們’’’’’’趕走’’’’都白’之’’我們難’還’’’’’平’調’’’’’望之中’’’’有’望’’’’’’’我們’’’’由’’’我們’’’那’我們’期’’’’價’’’不’’犯’’’我們不’’懦’’棄我們’期’’’’高鬥’’’’我們不’’棄我們’’’不’’我們’鬥’應當’’’’目標’’不’休’’高鬥’’我們’必須戰鬥’’生們’我’說’’’我們必須戰鬥’我們’’唯’’做’’’’’’器’’’’’’幫’’
’生們’’們’’我們’我們’’’’’’’’’’’敵手對抗’’我們’’’’’’’’’個’期嗎’還’’’’’’’我們完’’解除’裝’’個’’都’’’個’國衛’’’候嗎’我們’’寡’’坐著不動’不’’’集’’嗎’我們’精打
’’仰’’那裏’’著虛’’’望’’敵’把我們’手’都’’’’’樣’’’獲’有’’’抗手’嗎’’生們’’’我們’當’用’’’我們’’’中’賦予’’種手’’我
們’不’’’’’百’’民爲’’由’’’’’裝’’’’’樣’個我們擁有’國’裏’’’敵’我們敵’’’’對’我們’任’’’’’而’’’生們’我們’不’’’’戰’還有’個’’’國’’’公正’’’’’’’集’友們爲我們’戰’’生們’打戰不’’’’’’’有警惕’’’’有’’’’’有’’’’都’打戰’而’’’生們’我們’有選擇’’’我們曾’’’
期望’場鬥’’那麽’’’’’’’’太遲’’除’’’’奴’’有’’’路’給我們’鎖鏈’’鑄’’’’’’’平原’’’聽’’’鎖鏈’’噹’’戰’’不’避’’’’讓它’’’我’說’’’’生們’讓它’’’
’生們’’解’’有用’’’生們盡’’喊’平’’平’’’實’不’’’平’戰’實際’’’’’’’’方’’’’’’’風’給我們’耳朵’’’’’’器撞擊’’我們’’’’’’’戰場’爲什麽我們還’’’裏不動’那’’生們’’’’什麽’’們’’’什麽’生’’’麽’’’平’’麽甜’’’’’用鎖鏈’奴’爲’價把它們’’嗎’’’’’’’’止’種’情’生’’我不’’’’’’麽做’’’’對’我’說’不’由’毋寧’’
Speech to the second Virginia Convention
..It is
natural for man to indulge in the illusions of hope. We are apt to shut our eyes
against a painful truth, and listen to the song of that siren, till she
transforms us into beasts. Is this the part of wise men, engaged in a great and
arduous struggle for liberty? Are we disposed to be of the number of those who.
having eyes, see not, and having ears, hear not, the things which so nearly
concern their temporal salvation? For my part, whatever anguish of spirit it may
cost, I am willing to know the whole truth; to know the worst and to provide for
it.
I have
but one lamp by which my feet are guided; and that is the lamp of experience. I
know of no way of judging of the future but by the past. And judging by the
past, I wish to know what there has been in the conduct of the British ministry
for the last ten years to justify those hopes with which gentlemen have been
pleased to solace themselves and the House? Is it that insidious smile with
which our petition has been lately received? Trust it not, sir; it will prove a
snare to your feet. Suffer not yourselves to be betrayed with a kiss. Ask
yourselves how this gracious reception of our petition comports with these
warlike preparations which cover our waters and darken our land. Are fleets and
armies necessary to a work of love and reconciliation? Have we shown ourselves
so unwilling to be reconciled, that force must be called in to win back our
love? Let us not deceive ourselves sir. These are the implements of war and
subjugation; the last arguments to which kings resort. I ask gentlemen, sir,
what means this martial array, if its purpose be not to force us to submission?
Can gentlemen assign any other possible motives for it? Has Great Britain any
enemy, in this quarter of the world, to call for all this accumulation of navies
and armies? No, sir, she has none. They are meant for us; they can be meant for
no other. They are sent over to bind and rivet upon us those chains which the
British ministry have been so long forging. And what have we to oppose to them?
Shall we try" argument? Sir, we have been trying that for the last ten years.
Have we anything new to offer on the subject? Nothing. We have held the subject
up in every light of which it is capable; but it has been all in vain. Shall we
resort to entreaty and humble supplication? What terms shall we find which have
not been already exhausted? Let us not, I beseech you, sir, deceive ourselves
longer. Sir, we have done everything that could be done to avert the storm which
is now coming on. We have petitioned; we have remonstrated; we have supplicated;
we have prostrated ourselves before the tyrannical hands of the ministry and
parliament. Our petitions have been slighted; our remonstrances have produced
additional violence and insult; our supplications have been disregarded; and we
have been spurned, with contempt, from the foot of the throne. In vain, after
these things, may we indulge the fond hope of peace and reconciliation. There is
no longer any room for hope. If we wish to be free--if we mean to preserve
inviolate those inestimable privileges for which we have been so long
contending--if we mean not basely to abandon the noble struggle in which we have
been so long engaged, and which we have pledged ourselves never to abandon until
the glorious object of our contest shall be obtained, we must fight! I repeat
it, sir, we must fight! An appeal to arms and to the God of Hosts is all that is
left us!
They tell
us, sir, that we are weak; unable to cope with so formidable an adversary. But
when shall we be stronger? Will it be the next week, or the 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 by lying supinely on our backs, and
hugging the delusive phantom of hope, until our enemies shall have bound us hand
and foot? Sir, we are not weak, if we make a proper use of the means which the
God of nature hath placed in our power. Three millions of people, armed in the
holy cause of liberty, and in such a country as that which we possess, are
invincible by any force which our enemy can send against us. Besides, sir, we
shall not fight our battles alone. There is a just God who presides over the
destinies of nations; and who will raise friends to fight our battles for us.
The battle, sir, is not to the strong alone; it is to the vigilant, the active,
the brave. Besides, sir, we have no election. If we were base enough to desire
it, it is now too late to retire from the contest. There is no retreat but in
submission and slavery! Our chains are forged! Their clanking may be heard on
the plains of Boston! The
war is
inevitable--and let it come! I repeat it, sir, let it come!
It is in
vain, sir, to extenuate the matter. Gentlemen may cry peace, peace--but there is
no peace. The war is actually begun! The next gale that sweeps from the North
will bring to our ears the clash of resounding arms! Our brethren are already in
the field! Why stand we here idle? What is it that gentlemen wish? What would
they have? Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price
of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others
may take; but as for me, give me liberty, or give me death!
’ |