Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1855-12-26
From the Baptist Register.
Patrick Henry.


The English Church having been estab-
lished by law in Virginia, became, as all
such establishments wont to do, exceed
ingly intolerant towards other sects. In pros
ecuton of this system of conversion, three
Baptist clergymen had been indicted, at Fred
ericksburg, for preaching the Gospel of the
Son of God contrary to tie statute. Henry,
hearing of this, rode some fifty miles to vol
unteer his services in defence of the oppressed
lie entered the court, being unknown to I'll
present save the bench and the bar, while the
Indictment was read by the clerk. He sat
within the bar until the reading was finished,
and the kings attorney had concluded some
remarks In defence of the prosecution, when
he arose. reached out his hand for the paper,
and. without more ceremony, proceeded with
the following speech:
May it please your worships Il think
heard red by the prosecutors, as [ entered this
house, the paper | now hold in my hand. If
1 have rightly understood, the Kings attor-
ney of the colony has framed an Indictment
for the purpose of arraigning and Furnishing
by Imprisonment, three inofensive persons
before the bar of this court, for crime of
great magnitude-as dsturbers of the peace
He here read.-Did hear an expression as
if a crime, that these men. whom your wor-
ships are about to try for misdemeaner, are
charged wth-what p and continuing in
low, solemn tone, preaching the gospel of
the Son of God r' Pausing amidst the most
profound silence and breathless astonishment,
he slowly waved the paper three times around
his head, when, lifting his hands and eyes to
heaven, and impressive energy. he exclaimed,
'' Great God" The exciAmation-the burst
of feeling from the audience-were overpow-
ering. Mr.. Henry resumed:
g May it please your worships: In day
| like this-when truth is about to break her
fetters-when mankind is about to be aroused
to claim natural and inalienable rights-when
the yoke of oppression, that has reached the
wilderness of America and the unnatural alll-
ance of ecclesiastical and civil power, are about
to be dissolved-at such a period, when liber-
ty-liberty of conscience-is about to awake
from her slumberings, and inquire into the
reason of such charges as | find exhibited here
to-day in this indictmentP Another fearful
pause, while the speaker alternately cast his
sharp piercing eyes ON the court and the pris-
| oners and resumed: :" If am Dot deceived,
according to the contents of he papers | now
| hold In my hand, these men are accused for
preaching the gospel of the Son of God,
Great God1' Another long pause, while he
again waved the Indictment around his head
while deeper impression was made on the
auditory. Resuming his speech: :. May it
please your worships: there are periods in the
history of man when corruption and deprayity
have so long debased the human character,
that man sinks under the weight of the OPP
pressors hand-5ecomes his seryile, abject
slave; he licks the hand that smites him he
bows in passive obedience to the mandates of
the despot; and, in this state of servility, he
receives his fetters Of perpetual bondage. But
may it please your worships, such day has
passed awayl From that period when our
fathers left the land of their nativity for set
tlement in these American wilds-for liberty,
for civil and religious liberty-for liberty of
conscience to worship their Creator according
to their own conceptions OF Heavens revealed
will from the moment they placed their feet
upon the American continent, and in deeply
inbedded forest sought an asylum from per-
secution and tyranny-from that moment des-
potism is crushed-the fetters of darkness
were broken, and heaven decreed that man
should be free-fIee to worship God according
to the Bible. Were it not for this, In vain
were all their suferings and bloodshed to sub
jugate this New World, if we their offspring
must still be oppressed and prosecuted. But,
may it please your worships, permit me to
enquire once more, for what are these men to
be tried2 This paper says, :. for preaching
the gospel OF our Saviour to Adams fallen
race" And in tones of thunder, he exclain-
ed What la,o hare they Uiolated? While
the third time, in low, dignifed manner he
lifted his eyes to heaven, and waved the in
dietment around his head The court and
audience were now wrought up to the most
intense pitch of excitement. The face of the
prosecuting attorney was pallid and ghastly,
and he appeared unconscious that his whole
frame was agitated with alarm. while the
Judge, in tremulous voice put an end to the
scene, now becoming excessively painful. by
the authoritative declaration: 'Sherif. dis
charge those men,"