Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1850-09-03

whilst The testimony was lreSn III li!e
minds ofall. Now for the first time
heard Mr.. Henry make anything of a
speech. and though it was short, ii salis-
Grd me Of one thing, which | hal par
iicularly desired to have decided namely,
whether, like player, lie merely assumed
the appearance of feeling. His manner
of addressing tile court was profoundly
re pee ful. lie would be willing TO pro-
reed with The trial, but, said he, My
heart is so oppressed with the weight Of
responsibility which rests upon me, hav-
ing the lives of three fellow-ciuZens de-
ipendlng, probably, on the eXertion which
may be able to make in their behalf, (here
he turned to the prisoners behind him. }
that do not feel able to proceed tonight.
hope the court will indulge me, and
postpone the trial till morning" The
impression made by these few words was
isuch as assure myself no one can ever
conceive by seeing them in print. In the
Icountenance. action, and intOnatlon of the
speaker, there was expressed such an IN
tensity Of feeling, that my doubts were
dspeiIed; never again did | question
whether Henry felt, or only acted feel
ing. Indeed, exp renced an instanta-
neous sympathy with him inthe emotions
which he expressed; and have no doubt
the sane sympathy was felt by every
hearer.
As matter of course, the proceedings
were deferred till the next morning. |
was early at my post; the Judges were
soon on the bench and the prisoners al the
bar. Mr.. CarlingtOn--aiterward Judge
Carrington--opened with clear and Dig
niGed speech, and presented the evidence
to the Jury. Everything seemed perfectly
plain. Two brothers and brother-ln-law
met two other persons IN pursuit OF
slave, supposed 10 be harhonred by the
Ibro,hers. After some alteration and mu-
lual abuse, one Of the brothers, whose
name was John Ford, raised loaded gun
which he was carrying, and, presenting ii
to the breast Of one OF the other pair, shot
him dead in open day. There was no
doubt about the fact. Indeed, 1t was not
denied. There had been no other provo
cation than opprobrious words. Ii is pre-
sumed that the opinion of every Juror
was made up from merely hearing the
testimony; as Tom Harvey, the principal
witness, who was acting as constable on
the occasion, appeared to be respectable
man. For the clearer understanding oi
what follows, it must be observed that the
said constable. in order to Distinguish him
from another of the name, was commonly
called &" Buterwood Harvey" as he lived
on Butterwood Creek.
As he descanled on the evidence, he
would often turn TO Tom Elarvey--a large,
ibold-looking man--and with the most
sarcastic look would call him by some
name of contempt; g this Bulerwood
Tom Harvey" slhis would-Je-COnsfa6le.'
etc. By such expressions, his contempt
for the man was communicated to the
hearers. own | felt it gaining on me,
in spite Of my better judgments; so that
before he was done, the impression was
strong on my mind that Buuerwood liar-
vey was undescrving Of the small st cred.
| it. This impression, however. l found
could counteract, the moment had time
for reflection. The only part of the
speech in which he manifested his power
of touching the feelings strongly, was
where he dwelt on the irrupton OF the
company into Ford house, in cIrcnmStan-
ces so periIous to the solitary wife. This
appeal to the sensibility of husbands
and he knew that all the jury stood IN
this rclation-was overwhelming. If the
verdict could have been rendered imme-
Liately after this burst of the pathetic,
every man. at least every husband IN the
house, would have been tol cjecung Har-
vev's testimony. il not for hanging hIm
forthwith. It's fortunate that the illusion
of such eloquence is transient, and Is soon
Idissipated bv the exercise of sober reason
I confess, however. that nothing which |
then heard so convinced me Of the adro'
Gates power, as the speech of five min
utes wi ich he made when he requested
tha, the trial might be postponed I'LL the
next dav.
In addition to this, it so happened that
heard the last speech which Mr.. Henry
ever made. Ii was delivered at Charlotte
from the portico of the courthouse, to an
assembly IN the open air. In the Amerl-
can edition of the New Edinburgh Ency-
Iclopedia. an account Of ihis speech and lis
fleets is given, so charged with exagger-
alton as to be grossly incorrect.
There is more truth in the statements
contained in Mr.. Wirt's memoir. In
roin, of fact the performance had h''e
impression beyond the transient pleasure
afforded to the friends Of the admlniSira'
rion. and the pain inflicted on the anu-ied'