State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1831-1836, 1836-09-26
from The TIerald OF Freedom.
TRIAL OF REV. GEORGE STORRS.


TRIAL OF REV. GEORGE STORRS.
Our readers have not yet forgotten the
infamous outrage on law and Justice and
common sense committed against Mr. Storrs
ut Pittsfield last March. 1t will be remem-
bered that he was charged, on the OATH
Of SHERBURNE GREEN, with being ga COM
mon railer aud brawler," and, on the mise
rable and ridiculous testimony of two men,
who, out of Seventeen witnesses summoned,
were chosen as the most supple tools, and
after speech, worthy only of Jack Cade,
from MOSES NORRIS, JR. ESQUIRE,
a member of the Bar,-was convicted by
REUBEN T. LEAVITT, of Pittsfeld, as
sisted byi ROBERT KNOX, of Epsom
and HENRY ROBY, Of Chichester, pub
lie magistrates of New Hampshire, and sen
fenced to 'be committed to the house of
correction and 'put to hard labor for the
term of three months!
The case came up last Monday afternoon,
by appeal, before tile Court of Common
Pleas now sitting in this town, concord,
\. ILL., His Honor, Judge Richardson,
called Tor the prosecuting party, but no one
responded. He called again. He inquired
Of the Attorney Gencral--he knew nothing
Of the matter. A member of the Bar re-
fered the Judge to Moses Norris who
was prescnt-he shook his head while
every eye in the room was bent on him
with piercing Chances. Another member
remarked that he had repented.' No one
appearing to conduct the prosecution, the
Judge ordered it to he discharged. During
all this time, Norris sat among his brother
lawyers like a branded villain. Had he
a., g
he would have sIIrunk from the scornfui
and contemptuous looks of all around him
he would have sought refuge from his
degrading notoriety among the woods of
his disgraced town. Political Office can
never repay him for the chagrln and bitter
reproaches of last Monday.
The proceedings at Pittsield, in their
contempt of morality and religion, in their
proiane Eruption into the sanctuary in the
midst of an act of solemn devotion, their
bold mocLery Of the first principles of JUS
tice, their outrageous invasion of constitu-
tional and inalienable rights, their reckless
trampling down of statutes, and fatuous
disregard of all social and civil laws-their
perversion of the iudiciary,--the wanton
and fearful PERJURY which attended
theni--cXceed every act of pro slavery vio-
ence and aggression which has taken place
in the Northern States. We have had riots
and mobs-but they have not manifested
that bold and naked and startling hostility
to free principles, and justice, and right,
which the trial Of MIR Storrs evinced Out
breakings Of popular fury, though blood
flow and life be taken, are not so dreadful.
do not show SO deep a depravity, are not
so fatal to our liberties, us the corruption
OF the Judiciary. the violation of law bv lis
ministers. Mobs are the ebulit:Jrs of
sudden and excessive passion, but the NAL
administration Of law IL cold and calculating
vilany. Mobs, too, are one kind of evils
against which constitutions and statutes
are to protect liz, and when those restraints
are wHtOnly taken away or turned aside
| by those whose especial duty it is to uphold
| them, the last safeguard of our rights is
destroyed. Public assemblies may be bro
ken up, citizen of Boston may be dragged
through its streets amid the howlings Of the
mob, presses may be demolished and houses
pulled down--but they do not equal the
enonni'y of those acts by which freeman
OF New Hampshire, born and educated in
the State and always resident here, and
who never was accused of a violation OF
| law, till The madness of pro-slavery burst
out upon him,--by which minister of the
gospel is dragged from his knees in the
house Of God, by mock trial sentenced to
IA prison, veXed with law suits detained
put TO expense compelled to travel extra
miles forced to leave an Ecclesiastical
Conference, where important business was
pending, and hurry Hundred miles TO he
present ut Court, or forfeit his bonds All
this for daring TO expose the denominations
of slavery, and its inconsistency with the
institutions of a free, republican, and chris
tan country.
But the transaction, Infamous as il is, is
closed. The public will decide who most
| de)cNes TO be All inmate of "thc house of
correction" and to suffer the infections al
violated law, GEoRcE SrORRs, or MosEs
NoRRIs, JR., and his company of Justices
and Sherifls.
This whole matter is passed off hy the
leaders OF the Van Buren, party in New
Hampshire as jocoso affair." scarcely wor-
thy of being noticed in their NEWSPAPERS
except by way Of dorision!