The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1845-11-05
MISCELLAN EOUS.
From the Buffalo Pilot.
PATRICK HENRY.


We find in the Baptist Register the following
aud; to as, IL rs tiew Il appears that, soon alter
Henry's noted Of tobacco and the Pre-
serves" as it was sometimes called, he Heard OF
case Of oppression for, conscience sake. The En-
glish church, having been established by law IN
Virginia, became, as all such establishments are
wont to do exceedingly ntolersnt towards other
sects In prosecution Of this system of CONVEX
sion three Baptist cergymen had been indicted, at
Fredericksburg for preaching the gospel Of the
Son Of God contrary TO the statute Henry, hear
ing of this, rode some fifty miles to volunteer his
the court, being unknown to all present save the
bench and the bar, while the indictment was being
read by the clerk He sat within the bar until the
reading was finished, and tho Kings attorney had
concluded some remarks IN defence OF the prosccu-
ton, when he rose reached out his hand for the pa
per, and, without more ceremony, proceeded win
the following speech:
..May il please your worships: think l heard
read by the prosecutor as entered this house, the
paper now hold in my hand. III have rightly un-
derstood, the Kings attorney OF the colony has
framed an indictment for the purpose OF arrslgn,ns
and furnishing by Imprisonment, three inoffensivc
persons before the bar Of this court, for crime Of
great magnitude--as disturbers Of the peace. May
Il please the court, what did / hear read Did
hear il distinctly, or was it mistake Of my own !
Did hear an expression, as If a crime, that these
men, whom your worships are about to try Tor mus
demeanor, are charged wth-what" and, continuing
in low, solemn, heavy tone, preaching the gos.
pei Of the Son Of Cody Pausng amidst the most
profound silence and breathlcss establishment, he
slowly waved the paper three times around his
head, when, lifting his hands and eyes TO heaven,
with peculiar and impressive energy, he exclaimed,
"Greai Cod" The exclamation--the burst OF feel
ing from the audiencc--were all ovcrpowering. Mr..
Henry resumed:
"May il please your worships: in day like this
when truth is about to burst her fetters-when
mankind are about to he aroused 10 claim their nat
ura and inaenable rightsl-when the yoke of OPP
preston, that has reached the wilderness of Amerl-
ca and the unnatural alliance of ecclesiastical and
civil power are about to be dissevcred-at such a
period, when lberty-liberty of conscience-is about
to awake from her slumberings and inquire into the
reason of such charges as find exhibited here to-
day in this Indictment" Another fearful pause,
while the speaker alternately cast his sharp piercing
eyes on the court and the prisoners, and resumed:
the paper now hold in my hand, these men are ac-
cused Of preaching the gospel Of the Son Of God
Great Coli" Another long pause, while he again
waved the Indictment around his head-while a
deeper impression made on the auditory. Re
Stunning his speech: "May il please your worships;
there are periods in the history of man, when cor
ruption and depravity have so long debased the hu
man character, that man sinks under the weight OF
the oppressor's hand--bccomcs his servle, his abb
ject slave; he ticks the hand that smites him he
bows IN passive Obedience to the mandates OF the
despot and in this Of servilty, he receives his
letters of perpetual bondage. But, may it please
your worships such day has passed away! From
that period when our fathers left the land Of their
nativity for settlement in these American wildsfor
libcrty--for civil and religious liberty-for lib
erty of conscience to worship their Creator ac-
cording TO their own conceptions of Heavens re-
veaed will-from the rnoment they placed their feet
upon the American continent, and, m the deeply
imheddcd forest, sought an asylum from perse-
cu,ion and tyranny,--from that moment, despot-
ism was crushed-the letters Of darkness were
broken, and Heaven decreed that man should be
free free to worship God according to the Bible.
Were il not for this in vain were all their sufcrings
and bloodshed to subjugate this New World, if we,
their offspring, must still he oppressed and perse-
cuted. But, may it please your worshps, permit
me to inquire once more, for what are these men
about to be <ricdl This paper says, for preach
ing the gospel Of the Saviour to Adams fallen
race" And, in tones of thunder, he exclaimed:
"Whai ias hare they rioiafed? ?" While the third time,
in low, dignifed manner, he lifted his eyes to
heaven, and waved the Indictment around his head.
The court and audience were now wrought up to
the most intense pitch Of excitement. The face of
the prosecuting attorney paid and CHASTITY, and
he appeared unco conscious that his whole frame was
agitated with alarm; while the judge, in tremuous
voice, put an end to the scene, now becoming ex-
cessively painful by the authoritative declaration,
"shcrif, discharge those men,"