Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1856-01-07

the painted beauties Of the air. and the radiant light
that beams from sun and star. His Dyes were
small wild, and softly tinted with the purity OF
heavens own azure. Indeed, his heart Was IN his
face, and any obseryer might have read truth,
goodness and unreasonable generosity. speak
of him as he then was and as his image remains
with me now sculptured forever in the sacred mar
be of memory. What his physical aspect may be
at the present hour know not whether time has
swept that lofty brow, the chamber OF philosophc
thought and humane emotions with kindly wing,
leaving no stan on its statuesque Wilderness, has
flrrowed il all with fingers Of steel care not,
for am certain of one thing that neither age nor
anguish, nor any force of misfortune, could have
the power TO damage one virtue or chill one fine
feeling that made their perpetual home in his mas
terly mind.
The stranger began in slow, calm, deliberate
voice, sounding every syllable, and even letter,
with delicate and careful distinctness: MAY IL
please the court, appear as amic,S c'trio, with
out fee or the hope of reward, to offer respectful
plea in lavorof humanity, mercy, and justice, in
the name of the law--for although the circum-
stances Of mournful meaning which accompany
this case are present TO our senses, and might
seem to justify an appeal TO every moral emotion
which raises man above the beasts that per-
ish and renders him alone, OF all the ANIMALS ere
ated by the Universal Father, worthy TO be judged
reverence for this tribunal, too much regard for
my own character, and too much love for the law
ITSELF and for its own sake, ever either TO seek or
10 receive any assistance from other sources than
the law, in the holy temple which is consecrated
TO It's service. Let property go--let life and lib
erty be lost--lct truth and justice writhe in the
dust and dic--carry away the free and the inno-
cent in chains--ct them bear the lash of the task
masters cruel whip till all the cotton-felds blush
with their blood, if the law cannot save them
The speaker paused for two or three minutes,
and commenced regular legal argument, dry, te-
'dious, and burde med with precedents quoted from
mere recollection, but thoroughly logical and ogi-
caly unassaable. He showed that the adjudica-
ton of the question to the validity of the tesla
tors WILL the pivot Of the whole controversy, be-
longed to another forum the constituted court of
probate He demonstrated, also, that tho proceed
ing by habeas corpus could not touch the matter
in issue, without ignoring all principle, and over
turning every authoritative case in the books, be-
cause it was not even pretended that any power
on the earth had sought to restrain or imprison
the defendants. He closed with this remarkable
sentences embodying in itself the force of his pre-
vious reasoning:
ssWhcn that sacred writ of right, inscribed by
the hand of the Almighty in the head and heart
OF every human being-wrestcd from the fingers
of PALE trembling tyrants at the swords point and
cannon's fiery mouth--taken away again and again
wherever and whenever the demons Of despotism
ruled the hour but still ever and reconquered
when the people ceased to be towards and dared
/, play with the coronals of kings-purchased with
the most precious payments Of blood that ever
flowed on field or scaffold--the main and immov-
able pillar Of every free constitution in the world
when that safe, speedy, and eficacious process,
devised expressly for the liberation of the OPP
pressed, aud to break into fragments the links Of
unlawful fetters shall be prostituted to the base
purpose of making men slaves, then it will be time
to dissolve all government, and, resorting to the
natural privilege Of revolution to seek some other
firm of civil polity that shall give us again the
great right which, lost all the rest must per-
i,h with it, and in the absence of which life is
disgrace to its possessor, and lying libel on its
very author"
The astonished Judge reflected few minutes
and discharged the defendants, amidst the loud
plaudits Of the bystanders During the utterance
of his speech, the stranger had been subjected to
several rude and insulting intcrrogations by the
leading counsel on the other side-a small bully,
who dsgvaced the military title OF colonel, SO
common in the country as to seem Indigenous
10 the soil itself The speaker did not choose
to answer any Of these humorous or offensive
saIlies. save by calm, dsdainful look-a cold,
,ebuking eye; and hence the general and inju-
rious impression prevailed that he was a non
combatant An opportunity was soon presented
to decide the question.
When the colonel and his client saw that their
victims had escaped from the cunning snares OF
the law, they Immediately determined to secure
them by the strong arm of violence. According
". they mustered in haste halfa dozen of the
most dangerous desperadoes, and after nenew-
ing their courage at neighboring country gro
cery attempted valiant coup-de-main upon their
transporting prey as the latter issued from the
courthouse But their strange friehd had divin-
ed the infamous purpose of the disappointed ty-
rants and instantly snatching from his bosom
huge bowie-knfe, he exclaimed, in terrible tones
q You shall not touch them, but by passing over
my dead bodyl"
Then il was most curious phenomenon to wit.
ness the sudden, the marvellous change in the
mans appearance. His features, the moment be-
fore placid as mountain lake, when winds and
waves are at rest, and beaming with their usual
sweet, sunny smile, now looked wrathful, iurid,
and menacing as the ocean agitated by the hurri-
cane his lips wrthed nervously like angry SER
penis; his mild blue eyes turned to fre-balls, and
flashed lightning at his foes and his face and head
seemed to Hatten out and expand as the rattle
snakes in the act of darting its fatal poison The
angel of gentle humanity had been transformed
into end, but still in defence of the right cause.
The banditi recoiled in fear and amaEement,
cooking their pistols, and retreating backwards
etep by STEP as the lone defender of the free ad-
vanced towards them with slow, steady and in
voluntary pace. As the colonel gradually edged
away from the cleaning blade, he continually
cried out, in his tremulous voice Of the most fem-
nine treble Stand off, Ill shoot III shoot :"
but vet he did not fire, or rather he could not for
in the mighty madness OF his panic he had
fixed his finger on the guard instead OF the
trigger and if he had been successful in dis
charging his weapon, his hand shook so strange
ly that he could not have bit any mark less
than tho court house In n short time the iudce
and sheriff. after the peril had passed, boldly inter
fered, and the affair ended without loss Of blood.
From that day the reputation of Lemuel ID. Ev-
ana. as hero of the first class was made in Ar