Martinsburg gazette and public advertiser. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1826-1833, 1831-07-14
From the Illinois Monthly Magazine.
THE PATRIOTS GRAVE.

lie the year 1910, business called IRE into
the lower part Of the State of Kentucky
that part which lies south of Green river,
and which, at that time, was but little advsn
eed in improvement or population One day
and very hot day it was-the rapid ap.
proach Of thunder storm induced me to rein
up my steed at log tavern, in the town of
-. Though stranger in the country,
! could at once discover by the "signs," that
something more than common was going on
in the village. A large number of people
were crowded round the door of the inn -
Horses, of all sizes, colors, and conditions,
whose equipments were as various as them
selves, were tied TO the branches of the for
est trees that still grew upon the public square
The occasional discharge of rifle indicated
that some Of the company were "cutting the
CENTRE" for half ptnts; while others, who had
"the best quarter nags IN all kentuck' were
prancng them up and down the streets. The
conversation of those around me, induced me
to believe that the court was holding its usu
al session, in this seat of backwoods justice,
and had a doubt remained, the stenloiIan
voice of the sheriff, issuing from the door Of
a log school house, with the usual s.Oh yes!
oh yes. oh yeS." must have satisfied me that
a general settlement of the rights of ,neuB4
and tanlnl, was about to take place. felt
curiosity to witness this scene; and having
disposed OF my portion of corn bread and
bacon, which | found at table surrounded
BY . promiscuous throng OF jurors, witnesses,
suitors, lawyers. indictees, spectators, and
county officer, concluded to spend the little
time had to remain, IN personally viewing
the dspensatlon OF justice IN so rude tenn
pie.
The house was Of single story, built of
logs unhewed. The judge was elevated on
a small, plank frame, little raised above tho
puncheon floor The clerk was placed at
small table, directly before him. The mem
bers of the bar were seated around on teD
porary benches, made Of rough planks, pla
ced upon blocks of woodruff could not be
distinguished, by their appearance, from the
people who sat with, or stood around them.
The usual forms and ceremonies of opening
a court were gone through with a CELEBRITY
and precision that would have astonished "a
Westminster lawyer. The first
ease on the civil docket was an action of
Islander, brought by father--an old soldier
and early settler-as guardian and next
friend" for words ''falsely and aallclously
uttered, published, and spoken" by the de-
PENDANT, "of and concerning" the plaintiff
daughter, lovely girl Of about seventeen
On the calling of the cause, persons name
was mentioned which | did net distinctly
hear: there was a hustle in the crowd; and
after few minutes of pushing and Glowing,
an individual appeared who announced that
he was ready to proceed, as counsel for the
plaintiff. He was tall, athletic man, eli a
bout thirty five years OF age-wlth fine,
nixr iuta a
hunting shirt of deep blue, trimmed with vel
low fringe His face bore those indubltable
marks of genius and those traces of study
and reflection, which cannot be mistaken;
while his fine form bore evidence equally
strong, of habitual fatigue and exposure to
The elements.
pass ever the incidents Of the trial-the
evidence, which fully sustained the plaintiff,
and left the pretty client of the buckskln law
yer, pure and spotless as the driven snow;
and several speeches, which, though strong
and forcible, did not strike me as eXtraerdl-
nary. During all this, the manner 81 the
stranger in the hunting shirt was distinguish
ed by little else than an appearance OF IndIt-
ference: but when he arose to make the con-
clGdiag address TO the jury, every eye was
fixed on hm-while the deep silence, the
suppressed breathing, and the eager looks OF
the audience attested that sense OF the pre-
sence of a superior mind pervaded the whole
assembly. Even that rough and mlscellane-
Gus crowd, composed Of men, some sober,
some half sober, and some not sober at all
was at oace awed into silence. The orator
commenced in low tone Of voice, and reca-
pitulated the evidence, in style OF csLoqui
al brevitv and plainness-yet, even IN dolns
this, there was something about him that
convinced the spectator that he was more
than an ordinary man. But when he began
to warm and rise with his ubject-when the
fire began to illuminate his eye, and his voice
swelled ont in lis fullest tOnes-when every
senterce was filed and rounded with rich
thought and richer languaSe-when argu
rnent and satire, persuasion and lnVecuVe,
burst from him in rapid alternative, the ora
TOR stood confessed in all his powers He
spoke Of the beauty, the delIcacy, and the a
INABILITY of his fair clIent--of the helpless
ness Of woman, and the sacredness OF female
characterize described her parent as an a
ged warrior, aow trembling on the BRINK OF
the graye-and of the traducer he spoke
eannot tell how-but all who heard him
shrunk and trembled, under the fierce, and
bitter, and overwhelming philippe Of the IN
dignant advocate. When he finished, the
success Of his effort was shown by triuln-
phant verdict from the jury, and by the M
dignation. the tears, and the acclamatlons o
81. trftfs. fha hA. a