The Ripley advertiser. [volume] (Ripley, Miss.) 1843-1897, 1845-07-05

llshod hierarchy Their ministers we're penet.
ally poof men, warm hearted, and ailsc iunair,
and spent much time IN RfAtilunus sef,eea IN
promoting The spiritual welfare VI their 10 low
nch, II "a not certain that there was ever nn
existing Law w The colony u Virginia that au.
lhofz n the imprisonment Of any person for
ltfehchii 4 The eoepol The law Tor preserving
peace aud order, aud 10 "pftsefve the purity Of
doctrine, and unity Of the church." Vas 40 cons
sirued, and whenever preachers we're appfe.
Blended aud Imprisoned, 1t was done by virtue
OF peace warrant.
The first convention and actua imprisonment
under this construction OF law, was IN Soottry.
yania county, on The fourth Of June, l765 when
John Waller, Lewis Craig, Jas. Chds, aud 9th.
ors, were dragged before The magistrates and
bound over for trial as "disturbcrs of,hc peace"
The prosecuting attorney made this formidable
charge, "May II please your wofships, these
men are greas distutbers of the peace; they can.
moi meet man in the road, but they must ram
a text at scripture down his throat" Elder
Waller made an ingenious aud able defence and
perplcNed the Judges to know what TO do with
these singular criminals. They tffsred to re.
lease them lf'they would pledge themselves to
preach no more IN that county. O:course they
reused this pledge and were sent TO jail, and
closely imprisoned forty.three days, aud finally
liberated by The authority Of the deputy Cover.
nor, Hon John Blair. Others were imprisoned
IN other counties, and at various tlmee, from
lI0S to l7i3 From the time that Patrick Hen.
ry drove the clergy from the court house IN
Hanover, TO the revolutionary war, he was not
only the friend Of liberty and foe TO every form
OF oppression, but also firm friend of the perse
cuted Bsptisis. Mr. llinde in his sketches,
says, "The parsons case had but recently been
disposed Of; when Horny discovered that others
also felt the heavy hand of oppression, that the
rights Of conscience, as well as OF property, had
been invaded by those who held the authority
Of law. that the BaptistS, (called by Others An.
abaptsis,) were afflicted, and that for preaching
The gospel contrary to the established church,
many were prosecuted, arrested, Imprisoned,
and some almost starved to death on bread and
walter" Mr HIDE did not learn from his in-
formers WHISTLER the successful defence Of Mr.
Henry was al the liberation from prison Of Wal.
Ter, Craig, and Ch,ids, before referred, to or on
another similar occasion. Mr.. Fjcklin'S &C
count, who lived near Fredericksburg, and was
present on the occasion, gives the names OF
"l.ews Craig, Joseph Craig, & Aaron Bledsoe."
Mr.. Bennett, who also was present, and gave
from memory the Speech" did not give the
names of the prosecuted preachers, butstales
Nthree Baptist preachers" Be this as n may,
preaching he gospel Of he yeaa sFa E i9sm fsr
~ to the statute in that case provided, and
therefore dsturte's of the peace. The clerk
was reading the indictment in a slow and lorna!
manner, and as he pronounced the crime with
emphass-"For preaching the gospel OF the
Son of God" plain dressed man. who hadJus'
rode up to the courthouse, entered and took
his seat within the bar. He was known to the
court and lawyers, but stranger 10 the mass OF
spectators who had gathered on the occasion
This was Patrick Henry who on hearing OF THIS
prosecution, had rode some fifty or sixty miles
from his residence in Hanover county, to volun.
tear his services in their defence. lie listened
to the further reading of the indictment with
marked attention., the first sentence OF winch
that had caught his ear. was, 'FoF preaching
the gospel of the Son of God" When 1t was
finished, and the prosecuting attorney had sub
mit,ed few remarks, Henry arose, reached
out his hand and received the paper, and ad
dressed the court.
Patrick Henrys Speech.
May il please your worslps-l think heard
read by the prosecutor, as entered this house,
the paper now hold IN my hand. II have rightly
understood, the kings attorney oil his colony
has framed an indictment for the purpose OF ar
reigning aud Furnishing by imprisonment, three
inoffensive persons before the bar IN court, Tor
crime of great magni ude--as dlsturbers OF the
peace. Nav it please the court, what did hear
Iread1 Did hear it distinctly, or was 1t mis-
take of my own! Did hear an expression, as
If a crime, tina, these men, whom your worships
are about to try for misdemeanor, are charg-
cd with, what?"--and continuing low, solemn,
heavy tone, "for preaching the gospel oil the Son
of God" Pausing, amidst the most profound ST.
lence and breathless astonishment, 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
uGreat God" The exclamatlon--the action
The burst of feeling, the audience, were all over
towering. MIR. Henry resumed.
Nav il please your worships-ln day IKE
this. when truth is about to burst her letters
when mankind are about TO be arorsed 10 claim
their natural and ihalienabe rlghts-when we
woke Of oppression that has reached the wilder.
moss Of America, and the unnatural alliance o.
ecclesiastical and civil power, are about 10 o.
ldseevered-at such period, when llberty--ho
ertv of conscience, is about to awake iron mel
,,,nbernos and inquire into the reason OF such
sha,oes as find exhibited here To-day IN thu
;na;ctmeni?" Another fearful pause; while ths
sneaker alternately cast his sharp, piercing eye
! op the court and the prisoners,-andr resumed
.,If am not deceived, according to the CONT nj
:; Of The paper | now hold in my hand, these ne
~ gro accused of preaching the gospel OF The So
J Of Of God-Great God!"--Anotber long paus
while he again waved the ipIaictment around h
! bead--while deeper oppression was made Q
s the auditory ~
!. Resuming bis speech SHAY it please 70,