The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1827-11-28
From the Saratoga Sentinel.
THE IMPULSE OF NATURE.

If1E lAP OLSE OE NATURE
Not long since, constable with two as
sistants proceeded to the house of a coun-
tryman in France in the execution of a war
rant. They had commenced an inventory
otthe defendants property, and we're very
1ndustriously engaged in selecting the
most valuable articles for the satisfaction
OF their demand, when they perceived at
a distance upon the plain the countryman
driving off his cow towards neighboring
wood. The constable sent his assistants in
pursuit OF the peasant; they soon overlook
MIN, and after an unequal contest of few
minutes the poor conntryman, insulted and
deprived OF his only means of support, saw
himself prisoner and his family reduced
70 want. He now gave himself up to
the agony of despair, he wept aloud,
and IN the bitterness of his grief and in all
she unlettered eloquence of rustic simplici-
~ ne implored the ministers of the law to
look with compassion upon the suffering
condition OF his household and not render
them the object; of immediate beggary.
But the officers were deaf to his entreates
and selling him by the collar were proceed
ing III triumph to his house with their pris-
oner and his property During these tran
sactlons, the son of the countrynan was re-
turning from his labor in the field. He
was deaf and dumb, ola vigorous, athletic
frame, and about 20 years Of age. His eye
tell upon the group and he recognized the
appearance of his father, he saw him strug-
Cling in the grasp of the assistant consta-
Bile, and beheld him, upon whom he bad
been accustomed to look with all the filial
tenderness of son, collared and abused
by stranger, The spectacle excited his
Indignation and his fury, and arming him
self with the first thing that fell in his way,
ne advanced with a hoarse and savage cry
to the astonished group, and with the first
blow levelled with the ground the man
who had struck his father. He then seiz-
ed the other by the throat and held him so
hrmiy that his eyes started from their sock
cts, his legs trembled and he fell upon his
knees. The constable himself had no
sooner come up to the assistance of his
companions than the enraged mute paved
him off in the same way.
The father and son, however, were final
iy overcome, and were arraigned before a
legal tribunal, accused of an assault and
battery upon the officers of justice, and OPP
position to their authority.
The poor deaf mute knew nothing of the
power Of Judge, the province of a jury,
the tormalities of a court of justice, and the
long rlgmarole of "whereases and where
tores, "saids and aforesaids," in the indct-
ments. 1t was in vain that the Judge point
ed out to him the rigor and severity of the
law, and explained the reasons which
would compel the court to extend it's arm,
TOR the protection and safety of it's minis
tiers in the execution of their office. His
conscience was at ease, and he felt proud
OF having discharged his duty towards the
author Of his being. He contemplated with
admiration the retinue of the court, the
spacious hall which he had never before
seen, and the immense concourse of spec
tators with which he was surrounded. He
thought 1t was "passing strange" that he
should be detained so long and that his
conduct so natural should excite so much
attention, but he supposed the assembly
collected together to applaud his filial and
generous conduct, and that all the phara-
phernalia of the court room were prepara-
tions for the celebrations of his triumph.
He looked around him with the most pla-
cid tranquility and satisfaction But in a
moment his eye flashed with fire and on
his countenance sat the vengeance of de-
mon, for he saw among the crowd the
thieves of his fathers property. The feel
ings of the court. however, were enlisted in
his favor, and the jury thought he ought not
10 be punished for he violation of law he
had never known. and pronounced towards
both, a triumphant acquittal.