finally, in the autumn of 1774, an
able loyalist writer, looking back over the political history of the
colonies from the year of the Stamp Act, singled out the Virginia
resolves as the baleful cause of all the troubles that had then come
upon the land. "After it was known," said he, "that the Stamp Act was
passed, some resolves of the House of Burgesses in Virginia, denying
the right of Parliament to tax the colonies, made their appearance. We
read them with wonder; they savored of independence; they flattered
the human passions; the reasoning was specious; we wished it
conclusive. The transition to believing it so was easy; and we, and
almost all America, followed their example, in resolving that
Parliament had no such right."[82]

All these facts, and many more that might be produced, seem to point
to the Virginia resolutions of 1765 as having come at a great primary
crisis of the Revolution,--a crisis of mental confusion and
hesitation,--and as having then uttered, with trumpet voice, the very
word that was fitted to the hour, and that gave to men's minds
clearness of vision, and to their hearts a settled purpose. It must
have been in the light of such facts as these that Patrick Henry, in
his old age, reviewing his own wonderful career, determined to make a
sort of testamentary statement concerning his relation to that single
transaction,--so vitally connected with the greatest epoch in American
history.

Among the papers left by him at his death was one significantly placed
by the side of his will, carefully sealed, and bearing this
superscription: "Inclosed are the resolutions of the Virginia Assembly
in 1765, concerning the Stamp Act. Let my executors open this paper."
On opening the document, his executors found on one side of the sheet
the first five resolutions in the famous series introduced by him; and
on the other side, these weighty words:--

The within resolutions passed the House of Burgesses in May,
1765. They formed the first opposition to the Stamp Act, and
the scheme of taxing America by the British parliament. All
the colonies, either through fear, or want of opportunity to
form an opposition, or from influence of some kind or other,
had remained silent. I had been for the first time elected a
Burgess a few days before; was young, inexperienced,
unacquainted with the forms of the House, and the members
that composed it. Finding the men of weight aver