Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1809-06-03
From The South Garozina State Gazette.
ELOQUENT AND IMPRESSIVE.

AT the COlTrOI general SeSSlono "a ~ +
holden at Union Court House. in March
term last, before the hon. judge Wilds,
Tohn TioAison was tried and found gull
~ of the wilful murder of John Mathis,
and when the unhappy criminal was bro't
to the bar, to receive the sentence OF the
law, the following eloquent and impress
siye address was delivered by the judge
the serious impression that it made on all
who were present, the faithful, correct,
and forcible view it exhibits of the awful
and terrific situation of the wretch, who
abandoned to the feelings OF humanity,
imbrues his hands in the blood OF his tel
Low creatures-induced the members OF
the bar, attending that court, earnestly to
request the honorable Judge to commit 1t
to writing and favor them with a copy
which request he politely complied with,
and by those members of the bar 1t IS
now offered to the public.
IoHS Johnson,
The duty which yet remains to be per-
formed towards YOU, of all others to me the
most unfortunate and distressing, it is my
misfortune to be obligedto perform alone.
The laws of our common country have
commissioned me to announce to you your
doom. 1 hold your death warrant IN my
hand.
Death, the great destroyer Of man, is
terrible even in its mildess forms. Though
we behold its destructive ravages spread
wide around US though we behold the
rich, the poor, the old, the young, the vlr-
tuous, the vicious, fall unfortunately be-
fore its deadly scythe, and feel our own fate
inevitable, still we cannot contemplate It's
fightful approaches but with the most fear
full apprehensions. The awful uncertainties
of a future state, the untried vicissitudes OF
an unknown world whence none who have
gone have ever returned, appal the stoutest
hearts; and like towards, we g~roanunder
the pressure of life's many ills, fearful to
draw aside the veil which hides the future
from us. But tho death be always dread
full, it is not always equally SO. To yield
our.lives to him who gave them to wait
the dread morneneon our beds OF sickness,
surrounded by those we love, whose aztec
tionate concern, whose syrnpathizipg tears
soften the anguish of expiring nature !; to
die for our native land, to guard its honor
In the field Of danger, and meet the grim
tvrant in the ~cannon's mouth, though not
enough to make him welcome, robs him OF
half his terrors.
But unfortunately for you, these are con-
solutions which will not support you in your
approaching doom. The life which God
hath given you,youhave yourselfmostwlck-
edly DESTROYED the tender love, the SYM
pathetic tear which would have cleaved to
your departing spirit, and winged it for its
flight you have banished by your public dis
grace, to pine In hopeless solicitude over
Your untimely fate and to the offended
Justice of that country for whose honor to
have died, would have been heroic, you
fall a victim. Hung up between the hea-
vens and earth, heavens eldest, greatest
curse stamped on the deed you have done
no friendly so.te to bid a long farewell ;
no friendly hand to close your eyes in death,
you will exhibit an awful, but ~instructing
spectacle to the world, and prove that the
arm of ~avenging justice is swift to overtake
him who sheds a brothers blood.
I need not remind you, for YOU cannot
have forgotten the circumstance which led
to this fatal catastrophe. Your hands yet
smoke with the blood of murder, and Ma
this new raised grave makes an impressive
appeal to your memory II not to find
a paliasion of your offence, in the intoxica-
ton under which it is said you labored nor
hope 10 extenuate Its horrors IN the lrrlta-
ton of passion which you endeavored to
establish-the diabolical fury which drove
you on to perpetrate this fatal deed, seems
not to have had any existing cause /; and the
insidibus cowardly manner in which you