The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1850-11-09

the bomielle had occurred Ia drunken
! hrwl when the wifnesses' minds were befog-
god with the fumes ofIiqu0r, 0nd ibelf recoI-
lections OF the incidents would necessarily b.
confused and contradictory Hence he ayailcd
himself Of the legal right 10 separate the wit
neases and allow none % bo present Ia court
except the one under examination. ln
this way he obtained ffnm them confused
medley Of iarts, sbouuding In Discrepancies
and contradictions
need not detail John Greig's forensic Of
forts on the oeolusioni suhige itthnt his speech
10 the jury was classical, neat, and legally
correct, while he questions 70 the Witnesses
were pertnrut and searching On tho third
day Of the trial IL was tlie cbiefain's province
b. put forth the prisoners lcfcnce--and
what defence Il was a highly intcllectu-
al treat The orator Gr,t raised tho' great
constitutional question, whcthcr AN alien peo-
pie could assume Jurisdiction over the abo-
i. rlg.nes Of tho conniry,aud-ir, then, for allog-
cd crimes committed 10 country b0si0Wed
upou ibem 10y he NlmiEIy, I0 discussing
this be- said the Indians right to the country
was cocyal with creation tsclG whcrtas, tbe
pretended right of Europeans to any portion
Of the soil was acquired by fraud. force, or
aggression, aud thereby rendered nugatory
hy the paramount law of nature. This was a
/ plea 10 the jurisdiction Of tl- courtj on the
close of which, Red Jacket folded ha arms
upon bis breast, and came To sudden pause.
Thon,ihstcning his piercing eyes on the chief
justice as if he would rive his very soul with
scrutiny, he asked lnconically, "What SAYS
= tl's great iass iaaa 10 this ?"
Chief Justice Kent replied that the ques,
tion raised was very grave one, involving
the highest principlcs OF constitutional law
and he would reserve It for the consideration
Of full bench of Judges io the meantime,
the triak might proceed a. il the question
were ovorrulcd. The orator then applied
itimyTtf IN the -n,rritr-uf -iviitiris
/ ~ did he group, separate, and then contrast
the various witnesses bringing ont their dis
crcpancics in such clear and scarchn light
/ that even John Grcig hung down his head ,as
/ ifmhamcd of the ease lac had undertaken TO
dci,'ud The orntsr nov took.up hadoatrinc
Of honicdcand although he had never OPEN
cd q book, save the great volume Of nature,
/ hi definitions aud statements were in strict
accordance with the principles laid down b,
/ the lawyer, of She old world lie rested hi.
defence on thc ground of killing by necessity,
nicely drawing tho distinctions between mai.
'.o ''~a',ansp rhnnre medley. iustifialle mud
most glowing colors, aud with lively gcsticu-
. 1. Al. a..
frat trial.a from hi, blood-thirsly assailants;
nnd how, 10 save his own hfr IN moment
! Of terror aud alarm,hc asserted the great nat
/ ural right Of -oli-prcscryation. But the pc
rqrnton of Ia cmcFaiH WIFE Era1I,i- -nI,,l -silee
/ ting beyond description, His statue seemed
10 grow and expand with his burning theme;
his noble bosom swcllcd and laborcd with
mighty emotion struggling Within his arms
swept over the heads of his auditors, while his
dark, piercing eyes, khulng and sparkling
the cfnlgc6cc Of genius, seemed to fash on
/ all surrounding Objects.
! "Ah !" said the mighty orator, pointing his
finger in wrthiug scorn at the throngiug
multitude around him, "wicn YOU first crcpi
| ashore from your great winged canoes, sou
were little nice, timed and startled nt the
vackling of every twig. We rcd-mcn, the
progeny of the sun, were the strong lion,
roaming maiecuoally in the wide forest all
our own lou, crouching low, begged Tor
shelter; aud you had it, We warmed you in
our lair and covered you with our name
Now have you become the strong lion, aud
ttrs the little niece When we ask protection,
how do YOU grant itY You cover us with
your paw; 6m ,re norcr come om diirc
The waves of tho white population,
coming from the suns rising place, have set
over NJ, floating ON their surface, tho broken
fragments 81 our wigwans, and ihangled cor
SEES of our Young men, the fractured skulls
aud bloachcd bones OF bur slain warriors;whic
thC waitiuUs ut titstry--ir-,t+i t,ttt-t+'tllpil
women, mingled with the babblings OF the wa
tcr-hoods, are heard above the forest storm,
, as they flee, like frightened deer, 10 hide
themselves ia the caves or the Rocky Noun
y tains We call ON the name of Biglog,' aud
, no answers We inquire for Bue-sky, and
, Echo mouks MS. We ask for Corn -tasscl
. and his spectre comes in the mountain mist
10 tell us hc Is not at Garth "a rnl u, i''ri-
. Jacket 10 too lie stands like a blightcd tree
I Ia the midst of the plaIn-and nc stands "A
+ lone. The lightniugs of adversely have scath-
ed him. aud the storms OF seventy wIutrrs
" have beaten through his branches and with
cred his verdurc. The worm Is IN his trunk,
: and soon must hc fall; then who shaft stand
$ Thus the orator swept on from topic 10
r topic, from climax to climax, illustrating and
/ giving point and power to the description of
r irtiis,t, ,rrenesb 10y the mest bold and symbol
4 ic figures, such as none but an Orientalst or
z an American Indian can cmploy,and he must
n be inspired with an almost superhuman geni-
!. us.
q A lad ms was at the time, it is impossible
j. for ne to retain al this late day more than
d the substance OF tbat mighty speech; and but
+ for knowing the language in whichit was de
o liYercd, never could have carried Il in my
+ mind until now
It The effect OF this speech ON the interpre-
n tcrs, who could feel its FULL incommunicabl'
spirit, was often overwhelming irrePressble
,e and sobs and siglis mingled with their trans
(, lation Its delivery occupied six hours ant