Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1857-01-23

each one 10 Tell MS own Story. WltnOut
interruption, though he contrived to
make each one tell it over twice or three
times. He put few cross questions,
which with keen witnesses, only serve to
correct mistakes; and he made no notes,
which, in mighty memories, always tends
to embarrass.
The examination closed, he should have
had the opening speech as well as the
cluse but 10 the astonishment of every
one, he declined the former and allowed
the defence TO lead of. Then a shadow
might have been observed TO fit across
the fine features of Pike, and darken
even the bright eyes of PrentiSs. They
saw they had caught Tartar but who
it was or how it happened, it was impossi-
BILE to guess.
Col. Ashley spoke first. He dealt the
jury dish of that close dry logic, which,
years afterwards, rendered him famous
in the Senate of the Union.
The poet, Albert Pike, followed with
a train of wit. and a hail torrent of coStic
ridicule, in which you may be sure neither
the plaintiff, nor the plaintiff ragged at
torney, were either forgotten or spared.
1t was then the strangers turn. He
remained apl arently distracted during all
the previous speeches. Sill and straight
and motionless in his seat, his plain,
smooth forehead scared up high, like a
mountain cone, covered with snow b; but
for that eternal twitch that came and went
in his 'sallow cheek. you would have
taken him for mere man of marble, or a
human form carved in ice. Even his
dim dreamy eyes were invisible beneath
those grey, shaggy eyebrows.
But at last he rises-before the bar
railing, not behined it-and so near to
the wondering jury, that he might touch
he foreman with his long, bony fingers.
With eyes still half shut, and standing
rigid as pillar of iron, his thin lips curl
as if in measureless scorn, slightly part
and the voice comes forth. At first it is
low and sweet, inSinuating itself through
the brain as an artless tune, winding it
way into the deepest heart, like the
melody ofanincantation, while the speaker
proceeds without gesture or the least
sign of excitement, to tear to pieces the
argument of Ashley, which melts away
at his touch, as the frost before the sun
beam. Every one looked surprised. His
logic was at once so brief, and so lumin-
Ously clear, that the rudest peasant could
comprehend it, without effort.
Anon he came to the dazzling wit OF
the poet lawyer, Pike. Then the curl ot
his lip grew sharper. his salIow face
kindled up, and eyes began to open dim
and dreamy no longer, but vivid as light
ming, red as fire globes ond glaring like
twin meteors. The whole soul in his eye
the full heart streamed out in the face
In fine. he pictured Pixies wit as the ex.
/ treme of folly. and his finest satire, hor
rible profanity, when contrasted with the
inimitable sallies, and exterminating sar
casms of the stranger, interspersed with
Jest and anecdote that filled the court will
roars of laughter.
Then without so much as bestowing al
allusion on PrentiSs, he turned short OF
the periured witnesses of Hopkins, tort
their testimony into atoms, and hurlet
into their faces such terrible invective
that all trembled as with ague, and TIVE
of them actually fed, dismayed from tn,
court house.
The excitement of the crowd was be
coming tremendous. Their united lifi
and soul seemed 10 hang on the burning
tongue of the stranger. He inspired then
with the powers of his own passion. II,
saturated them with the poison of his owl
malignant feeling. He seemed to hav'
stolen natures long hidden secret of at
traction. He was the sun to the sea @
all thought and emotion, which rose an,
fell, and boiled in pillows, as he chose
:. But his greatest triumph was 10 come.
/ His eyes began to glare furtively a
the assassin Hopkins, as his lean tape
finger slowly assumed thesa direction
, He hemmed the wretch around with
circumvallation of strong evidence an
, impregnable argument, cutting off a
hope of escape. He dug beneat
. the murderer's and slanderer's fee
. bitches of dielemma's, such as no SC
phist=y could oyerleap, and no stretc
: OF ingenuity evade, and stripped himse
:, TO the work of massacre.
a Oh! then it was a vision both pIoriou
D and dreadful to behold the orator. hi
I action, before graceful as the wave of th
III H.. u