False Hope of the Colonists
Throughout his speech Patrick Henry refers to the fact that looking back at the past is the only way to gain experience so one can properly deal with the future. He states, "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?" The fact that the Colonists have been issuing complaints with the British for the past ten years concerning the maltreatment of the Colonies. The Colonists are fed up that the British government has yet to seriously acknowledge the complaints made by the Colonists who are supposedly British citizens but are usually not treated with equality and respect.
However, by taking a closer look at the words used by Henry, it is clear that he is urging the Colonists to no longer be under the false impression that the situation will improve. Henry proclaims that the Colonists must realize that the past dictates the future. The past clearly shows that Britain has set a precedent for mistreating the Colonies. To get his point across, Henry asks why they have repeatedly allowed false hopes become their solace in such dire circumstances. It is the last sentence of that quote, "Is it that insidious smile with which our petition has been lately received?" that exemplifies the feelings circulating through the Colonies during that time. The imagery used by Henry to describe the deceitful British government giving the complaints of the oppressed Colonists a sly smile before brushing them aside, is a great description of the image the Patriots had of the British.
Henry again alludes to the false sense of hope possessed by the Colonists when he asks, "Shall we acquire the means of effectual resistance by lying supinely on our backs and hugging the delusive phantom of hope, until our enemies have bound us hand and foot?" With this statement Henry blames the "delusive phantom of hope" for giving the British continued opportunities to take advantage of the Colonists. Henry does not simply mention the false hope of the Colonists, he refers to it as a "delusive phantom of hope". The statement paints a picture for the audience of the diminutive Colonists holding on to the supreme power, Britain, in fear of being an independent nation. This is obviously not an image that is thought of when someone mentions American Patriots of the Revolution. This is why the statements made by Henry more than likely fired up the Colonists and contributed to the sense of rebellion and independence that was already being conjured up.
Henry seems to take a more sarcastic tone when he asks, "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 Colonists had, without a doubt, done their share of rebelling against the authority of Britain. However, events like the Boston Tea Party and Boston Massacre could have been avoided if the wishes of the Colonists had not been ignored. Henry claims that the Colonists should not deceive themselves. They should realize that the troops sent to the Colonies are in fact there to invoke force on the Colonists if necessary. This is not something people of one nation do to one another. Henry urges citizens to take this fact into consideration. The way in which he gets this point across in his speech is interesting. He begins by asking what the Colonists have done to perturb Britain so much. This makes the Colonists, his target audience, take pity upon themselves. He makes the Colonists come across as loving servants of a motherland that has taken them for granted. Then Henry hits them with his main point that they should not allow themselves to be deceived and that they should realize that Britain is ready for war.
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