Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1853-12-28
PATRICK HENRY VS.. INTOLER-
ANCE.

= Soon after Henrv'S noted case of To
bacco and the Preserves. as it was called.
he heard OF a case of oppression for con-
science. The Church of England ha-
wing been established by law of Virginia,
became as such establishments are wont
to do, exceedingly intoleraut to other
seCAs. In the prosecution of the system
of conversion, three Baptist clergymen
had just been indicted at Fredericksburg
for preaching the Gospel of the Son ol
God, contrary to the statute. Henry,
. hearing of this, rode some fifty miles to
volunteer his services in defence of the
oppressed He entered the Court, being
un- nown to all present save the bench
and the bar, while the Indictment was be-
ing read by the clerk. He sat within the
bar until the reading WIS flushed and
the Kings attorney had concluded some
remarks IN support of the prosecution.
when he arose, reached out his hand for
the paper, and &ithout ceremony pro-
ceeded with the following speech:
{" May 1t please your worships, 1 think
heard read by the prosecutor, as we en-
tered this house. the papers L now hold
III my hand. 1t l have rightly under
stood. the kings attorney OF the colony
has framed an Indictment for the purpose
of arraiguing and furnishing by impri,on-
ment, three lnofenSive persons befofe-t he
bar of this court for crime of great
maguitude-as disturbers of the peace-
May 1t please the court, what did | hear
read Did | hear it distinctly, or was
1t mistake of my own? Did | hear
au expression as of crime, that these men
whom your worship's are about to try
for 3msdemeanor, are charged with
what % and continuing in a low, So
lemn, heavy .v.ice, preaching the
gospel OF the Son of God !"
Pausing amidst the most profound 81
lence and breathess aStonishment, he
slowly waved the papers three times
round his head, when lifting his hands
and eyes to Heaven with peculiar and ex-
PressIve energy, he exclaimed:
Great God - The exclamation, the
burst of feeling of the audience were all
empowering: Mr.. II. resumed May
1t please your worships. IN p day like
this, when truth is about to claim its Ma.
tural and inaItenable rights when the
yoke of oppression that has reached the
wilderness of America, and the natural
alliance of ecclesiastical and civil power
are about to be discovered; at such peri
cd when liberty of conscience is about to
break from her slumberings, and to in
quIre into the reasons of such charges
e as find exhibited here to-day in this in
dictment."
Another fearful pause, while the
speaker alternately cast his sharp, pier
cling eyes on the court and the prisoners,
and resumed:
elf am not now deceived, according
to the account of the paper l now hold
In my hand, these men are accused of
preaching the gospel of the Son of God!'
Another long pause, while he again
waved the Indictment around his head
while a deeper impression was made ON
the auditors. Resuminr his speech
May 1t please your worshlps, there
e are periods in the history of man, when
corruption and depravity have so long
debaSed the human character, that man
sinks under the weight of the oppressor's
hand ; becomes his servile, abject slave
he llcks the hand that smites him he
bows in passive obedience to the COM
mands of the despOt; and in this state Of
servlIlty, receives his letters of perpetual
bondage But may it please your wor-
ships, such a day has passed away.
rom that period when our fathers
lett the land of their nativity for settle
-meht In these American wilds for liberty,
Tor civil and religious liberty, for liberty
OF conscience 10 worship their Creator
according to their own conceotion of
Heavens revealed will, from the mo-
ment they placed their feet upon the
American continent, and in the deeplv
embodied forest. they sought an asvlnm !
from persecution and tyrany from: tho+
moment'despotism was crushed the fet.
ters OF darkness were broken, and Heaven
decreed that such should be free to wor
ship God according to the Bible.
" Were it not for this, in vain were all
the suffering and blooIshed to subiurate
this new world, it we, theiroffsprinr must
still be oppressed and persecuied. But
may it please your worships, permit me
to inquire once more, for what are those
men about to be tried =? This paper says,
Tor preaching the gospel of the Saviour
ot Adams fallen race" And in tone
VI thunder he exclaimed
nat laws have they violated ?"
me the third time, in low, dirnifi-
cd manner, he lifted his hands to heaven
ana waved the Indictment around his
head. The court and nndianoa uara
wrought up to the most intense excite
ment. The face of the prosecuting ar
torney was pallid and CHASTITY. and he sn m
peared unconscious that his whole frora
was agitated with alarm; while the ;ndga !