The Ripley advertiser. [volume] (Ripley, Miss.) 1843-1897, 1845-07-05
From the Baptist Memorial.
SPEECH OF PATRICK HENRY.


SPEECH OF PATRICK HENRY.
Sketches Of Colonial History in Vbgiaia-A
corrupt ecclesiastical hierarchy Persecution
and imprisonment Of Baptist Ministers Sin
guar indictment Ministers defended
by Patrick Hsny-Speech on the OCCASION
Their disc barge.
From venerable correspondent, the Rev.
Thomas s. Hnde, now Of houn, Carmel, Hi.
noise, we have obtained series OF interesting
facts AMI sketches of the Baptists OF the Golden
time" IN Virginia and Kenucky. Among these
IL the outline of speech made by the djstin
eul>hed Pdlrici Henry, at the trial of three Bap
t3I ministers at Fredericksburg, Spolsylvania
county, about l77D. Before we give the sta, e.
ments and The speech, 1t is necessary o adduce
III evidence 70 sustain this scrap OF history
Mr. tiinde is a native Vrginia, but emigrated
with his father, distinguished physician and
surgeon, to Kentucky, in his boyhood For
many years he has been connected win Inc
Methodist Episcopal church, licensed local
preacher, and one OF the earliest and principal
writers in the first periodicals established by that
connection. Some three or four years since he
obtained dismission from ha, church, with
view to occupy what he calls common protes-
tanl ground on evangelical principles" During
lobS hfu uGtiNe Ne III htlluChls ofif'i uiiu ~
linos, he has been most induslriou y engaged
in gathering materials relative to the early his
tory OF the West. With habits of singular in
dus'ry and care, he possesses most tenacious
memory. His writings and collections, por
tons OF which we have seen, are v1luminoue,
especially in the biography Of The early pioneers
of the Hest, amongst whom his personaIac
quaintance has been extensive. lie mas turn
Ished us wtJrrv,vt- 5haot IN III asiusvr'r. '-..'a
which we have selected the sketches we are a.
bout to lay before our readers, Some twenty,
five years since, he visited the 'old Dominion,
his native land, aud gathered the facts from the
old men then living. OF these, he refers partl
cularly to the statements of Mr Bartlett Ben
nett, and Mr.. William F,ckIin, who were IN me
cour, house and heard Henry, and narrated the
.peecb wfiichiMr Hinde has preserved IN manu-
script. Probably scme Of our Virginia cores
poudants may trace up the particulars. POSI-
h!y the very Indictment, which, with such thrii
INN effect, Patrick Henry waved around ms
head, may vet be fouud on file amongst the CO.
lunal papers of Spottsylvanla county. BON
Somple and Benedict narrate several instances
~ which Mr.. Henry, with patriotic ZEAL defen
ded the prosecuted Baptists, but neither men
lions this instance.
COLONIAL HIERARCHY.
II is known to our readers that The ecciesias'
tca hierarchy of Virginia, before the revolution
was excee dirgly deepoiic and oppressive. q
branch tf the English Episcopal hierarchy wa
first established in the colony Of Virginia in 1923
Each plantation or excitement was TO have 9
house for the worship of God, and supported By
t,thes priest. In 1851, the legal stipend wa:
ten pounds of tobacco and bushel OF corn from
each taxable inhabitant, with every twentieth
calf, kid, and pig. To preserve 'purlty OF doc
tyine, and unity of the church," it was enacted
that all ministers should conform to the Church
OF ENGLAND, and no other person were allowed
90 teach or preach publicly or privately AL
"nonconformists" were required to depart from
the colony.
la 1865, a lew was madsof fifteen pounds Q
tobacco ON each poll, and provision was made
for "pebes" and "parsonages." NO minlste
was allowed to preach unless he had received
ordination from some bishop in England. II
1921, the colonial legislature enacted that ever.
minister, received into any parish by the vestry
should have an annual salary of l6,OOO pound
of tobacco, and glebcs Of not less than 200 acre
were to be provided in each parish. In 1857
season of unusual failure in the tobaccocroE
the stape of the colony, it was further enacted
that the clergyman should receive, at his optlor
n substitute in cash, equal to eighteen shilling
per hundred weight This gave rise to the celt
brated lawsuit in which Patrick Henry made h
debut at the bar.
Most of the parish priests who occupied "
globes and enjoyed the profits OF the .oose !,
law, were anything else than ministers u ~ y,
gospel OF Christ. Many OF tnem were ,a'ne'
tally immoral. They were frequen.'y .ne =:
ond and third sons OF decayed English or lrl'
yo,,;,;o, ,,,bo in talents and moral cbaraCt
were unified for place in the army or nav
but through the influence of their friends al
some accommodating bishop, could obtain "ho
orders" on condition Of becoming chapans
the colonies; and accepting of the tobacco
pend. We need only refer to their own tae
ted and impartial historian, in the 'Contrlnut,o
TO Ecnlasiasiical History, for. proof Of the CHI