Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1858-07-24
And not q wave Of trouble roll
Across Your peaceful breast':

be happy in heaven forever, while wicked masters
are turned into hell and damned forever :"
On the day after this extraordinary sermon. DR..
Frederick Dorsey, DR.. William Hammond aud
David Il. 1ost, prominent citizens of Washing
ton County, went before two Justices of the
Peace, Christopher Buckhardt and Jacob Schneb.
", and made oath that Mr.. Gruber did fclonious.
ly consult, conspire and attempt with certain free
negroes, mulattoes and slaves. unknown to the
affants, to raise insurrection and rebellion in
the State of Mary land contrary to the act OF As.
sembly in such case made and provided where.
upon warrant for his arrest was made out and
served upon him two months thereafter on the oc.
casion of his return to the county in the discharge
of his duties. lie gave bail to appear at the
County Court held in uagerstown on the
Sd Monday of the following month In due time
q true bill was found indIcting him for intending
and endeavoriug to stir up, provoke, nstigate aud
incte certain negro slaves to commit mutiny and
rebellion against their respective masters aud
lawful owners, and to break the peace of the
State &C., &c. As great pains had been taken
to infame the public mind against him in Wash
ington County, the changed to Frede'
rick County Court, at the instance Of his counsel
to be tried at the March term, 1919.
The case having come OH, Mr. Anderson, the
Attorney for the State, reminded the Jury thai
liberty of opinion and speech was the privilege of
every citizen; that if Mr.. Gruber had no crimi.
nal intent in his sermon, he had committed no
offence, and that it was their province to judge
of this question What an honorable example for
prosecutors under the slave laws nowadays to
follow
Counsel for the accused, Mr.. Taney, now Chief
Justice of the United States, Mr. Pigman end
Mr.. Martin, the latter Methodist preacher.
The evidence on behalf of the State, as well
as that on the part of Mr. Gruber, substantially
sustained the preachers report of his own sermon.
Not particle of proof was adduced to show a
criminal intent, while all the testimony in his
behalf went to establish its utter absence The
States Attorney did not asgue the case, but
told the Jury that "he never could consent
trary to his conscience and the best light of his
own Judgment, TO any effort to convict any
man of an offence charged against him, when he
thought, from the evidence that there was no
crime committed"
Mr.. Martin, Mr.. Pigman and Mr., Taney, how.
ever, each addressed the jury, when they retired
for a few moments, and returned with verdict OF
Not gully. The speeches of Messrs. Martin and
Pigman have been preserved, but Mr.. Taney's
closing address was never written out owing, II
appears, to i'll health.
We have however, his OF ening speech to tht
Jury on the part of Mr. Gruber, and, as trequen
reference has been made to it since the bred Scot
decision, propose to give such parts OF it entlr
as will throw light upon his early opinions on tn
slavery question.
! The prosecution, said Mr.. fancy, was withou
precedent in the judicial annals of Maryland
The right Of conscience and the freedom of speec
were fully protected by the liberal and happy in
situtions of the State. No man can be prosecuted
for preaching the articles of his religious creed
unless his doctrine is immoral. and calculated +
disturb the peace and order of the society. Sub
jects of national policy may at all times be freel
aud fully discussed, in the pulpit or elsewhere
without limitation or restraint. II Mr. Gruber'