The North-Carolina standard., 1845-11-12
VOLUME xII.-NUMBER SIS
1FERMS-S 8 FER ANNUM,
7 PAYABLE EW .4DYaypcE.
; FSsnahs Rb1AAlO. PfiSfs
RATRICK HENRW

" vs. new. II appears tn0t, soon 0fteF
Henrys noted case Of Tobacco and the Pre-
serves" as twas sometimes called, he heard of a
case OF oppression for conscience sake The En-
gllsh church, having bren established by law iTr
Virginia, became, as all such Embellishments are
wont 10 do, exceedingly mtoleEant' towards other
sccts In prosecution Of rhis system of conver.
sion, three Baptist clergymen had been indicted,
at Frederic icksburg, for preaching the gospel oflhe
Son of God contrary To the statute. Henry hear
ing of this, rode some Gfiy miles to volunteer his
services in defence of the oppressed He entered
the court, being unknown to all present save the
bench and the bar, while the indictment was Be-
ing read by the clerk. lie sat within the bar un-
til the reading was finished, and che Kings aitor-
ney had concluded some remarks in defence Of
the prosecution, when he rose, reached ont his
hand Tor the paper, and, without any more cere-
mony. proceeded with the following speech: -
:" May please your worship: think l heard
read by the prosecutor Rs EenteTed this house, the
paper now hold in my hand IF have rightly
understood, the Kings attorney of the colony has
framed an indictment for the purpose of arraiRn-
ing and pHnishing by imprisonment, three inof.
fensive persons before the bar of this court for
crime of great magnitude-as disurbers of the
peace May it please the court what did hear
rfTld2 Did hear It distinctly, or wasit mis-
take Of my ownf Did hear an expression, as
If a crime, that these men, whom your wofShips
are about TO try for misdemeanor, are charged
with-what?" and continuing in low, solemn,
heavy tone, preaching the gospel of the Son Of
God !" Pausing amidst the most profound 81
lence and breatb4ess astonishment, hesslowly wav-
ed the paper three times around his head, when,
lifting his hands and eyes TO heaven, with pc
culiar and impressive energy, he exclaimed,
" Great God" The exclamaion-the burst Of
feeling from the audience-were all overp0wer-
ing. Mr.. Henry resumed r ifa
{" May it please your worships: in a day ike
this-when truth is about to burst her feilers-
when mankind are about TO be aroused to claim
their natural and dinalienable.rght ghts-wheRthey yoke
Of oppression that has reached the wilderness Of
America, and the unnatural alliance of ecciesias-
tical and civil power are about TO be- dissevereda
at such d period, when lberty-Alberty Of con-
science-is about to awake from her slumberings
and inquire into the reason of such charges asI
find exhibited here to-day in this indictnentp p
Another fearful pause, while the speaker alternate
ly cast his sharp piercing eyes on the conrtand
the prisoners, and resumed: !" If am notdeceiT-
cd; according to the contents of the paper j now
hold in my hand, these men are accused of
preaching the gospel of the Son Of God Great
God ~ Another long pause, while he again
waved the indictment around his head--whilgA a
deeper impression was made on the auditory Re
suming his speech: MAY it please your wOr-
ships: there arc periods in the history OF man
when corruption and depruvity have 50 long de-
der the weight of the ioppressor's haRd--be-
comes. his serTiIe. his abject shave; he licksthO
hand that smites him he bows in passive obedi-
ence Lothe mandates of the dcspot and. inrthis
state of seryility he receives his aters of pcFpciIs
al bondage But, may it please your woEshipS,
such a'day has passed awayl from that period
when fathers left the land of their nativity for
settlement in these American wilds-for liberty
for civil and religious ibeny--for liberty of con-
science to, worship their Creator according9tO
their own conceptions of Heavens revealed will
from the moment they placed their feet upon
the American continent and, in the deeply imbed.
ded forest, sought an asylum from persecution and
tyranny,-Srom that moment, despotism was
crushed--4he frtters of darkness were broken, and
Heaven decreed that man should be free-free to
worship God according to the Bible WcreH
not for this, invain were all their sufferngs and
bIoodshed TO subjugate this New World, il we,
their offspring, must still be oppressed and perse-
cutcd. But, may it please your worships, permit
me to inquire once more, for what are these men
about TO be tried 2 This paper says, for preach
ing the gospel Of the Saviour to Adams fallen
raceH And, in tones of thunder, he exclaimed;
What lam haze they vi0IdtcdT' While the
third time, in low, dignifed manner, he lifted
bis eyes 10 heaven, and waved the indictment
around his head. td The court and audience were
now wrought up to the most intense pitch of ex.
element The face of the prosecuting Attorney
was paid and ghastly, and he appeared uncon.
scious that his whole frame was agitated with
alarm; while the Judge; in tremnlous voice. put
an end 10 the scene, now becoming excessively
painful, by the authoritative declaration, Sheriff,
discharge those men" 5as ..sss 1tsai
Ar;sioerGeg Inthe course Of an oration in the
French Chamber Of Deputies, General Foy chancr
ed to use the word aristocracy. A voice from
the ministerial side asked for a definition of H.
ATiStocTacy said he, in the nineteenth century, iS