The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1858-05-11

Of the case he had undertaken to defend.
The orator now took up the doctrine Of
homicide; and although he had never o.
pened book, save the great volume Of
nature, his definitions and statements were
in strict accordance with the principles laid
down by the lawyers of the old world
He rested his defence on the ground Of
killing by necessity, nicely drawing the
distinctions between malice prepense, chance
medley, justifable and excusable homicide.
Ho pictured in the most glowing colors,
and with lively gesticulations, how his
brother warrior, then On his first trial, fed
from his blood thirsty assailants; and how,
to save his own life, in moment of ter
ror and alarm, he asserted the great natu.
raj right of self-preservation. But the Pc
roration of the chieftain was grand and af-
fecting beyond description. His stature
seemed to grow and expand with his burn
ing theme; his noble bosom swelled and
laborcd with the mighty emotion strug.
| Cling within; his arms swept over the
heads Of his auditors, whilo his dark, pierre
ing eyes, kindling and sparkling with the
effulgence Of genius, seemed to flash on
all surrounding objects.
"Aha" said the mighty orator, point
ing his finger in whitening scorn at the
thronging multitude around him, "when
you first crept ashore from your great
winged canoes, you were little mice, tim
id and startled at the cracking of every
twig. We red men, the progeny of the
sun, were the strong lion, roaming majes-
tically in wide forest all our own. You
crouching low, begged for shelter; and
you had it. We warmed you in our lair,
and covered you with our mane. Now
have you become the strong lion, and ws
the little mice. When we ask protection,
how do you grant it9 You cover us with
your paw; ont zoe neOer come out alive!
TIL, waves of the white popu-
lation, coming from the suns rising place,
have set over us, floating on their surface
the broken fragments of our wigwams, the
mangled corses of our young men, the
fractured skulls and bleached bones of our
slain warriors; while the walings of dis
tress from our terrified women, mingled
with the babblings of the water floods, are
heard above the forest storm, as they flee,
like frightened deer, to hide themselves
in the caves of the Rocky Mountains. We
call on the name of Biglog, and no ans
wer. We inquire for Blue-sky, and Echo
mocks us. We ask for Corn -tassel, and
his spectre comes in tho mountain mist to
tell us he is not of earth. By and bye
Red Jacket GO too. He stands like
blighted tree in the midst Of the plain
and he stands alone. The lghtnings of
adversely have scathed him, and the storms
of seventy winters have beaten through
his branches and withered his verdure.-
The worm is in his trunk, and soon must
he fall; then, who shall stand up and speak
for red mon i-Not oneF
Thus the orator s? ept on from topic to
topic, from climax to climax, illustrating
and giving point and power to the the de-
scription of Indian wrongs by tho most
bold and symbolic figures, such as none but
an Orientalist or an American Indian can
employ, and he must be inspired with an
almost superhuman genius.
A lad, as l was at the time, it is impos-
sible for me to retain at this late day more
than the substance Of that mighty speech;
and but for knowing the language in which
it was delivered, never could havo car
ried it in my mind until now.
The effect OF this speech upon tho inter-
prefers, who could feel its full, incommu.
nicable spirit, was often overwhelming, ir-
repressible, and sobs and sighs mingled
with their translation. It's delivery occu-
pied six hours; and no sooner had the
chicftain sat down, than the jury without
leaving their box, pronounced a verdict of
Not Guiltyi The chieftain was cheered
by tho multitude as he walked from the
court, side by side with the acquitted war
rior.
On the same evening the bar gave din
ner to the Judges. John Greig appeared
tactiurned and thoughtful on the ocsation.
At length it became his duty to reply to
toast complimenting him as the champion
who had measured swords with the great
orator Of the Six Nations. He felt this
as but left-handcd compliment, and it
annoyed his keen and sensitive mind.
He responded in substance as follovs:-
"My sword is but short and fragile
reed in comparison with tho mighty weap-
on SO successfully welded by my illus
trious opponent. have received the ad-
vantages of the best schools in Scotland,
and graduated at its proudest university.
Logic and elocution were the branches in
which most excclled. read law in this
country, as you know, with one of its pro-
foundest masters, and have been in its
practice now for eight years; but here
comes an untamcd savage from the western
forests, who in law, logic, eloquence, and
mastery perception of human character, so
far tranccnds my feeble powers as tho bla-
zipg glory of the sun eclipses tho sheen of
the glow-worm. 1t must be that this chief
tain holds in his hands mightier volume
than ever found in the libraries of Europe
His premises are derived from the elements
Of nature; his deductions are clear as un-
erring light; and his mastorly descriptions
and delineations cast brilliancy and glo.
ry over his speech, miraculous and heav-
en.born. Men trained IT to be lawyer
but God made Red Jacket greater than
me! From this moment shake hands
with my profession: leave tho bar for
everp
"Nol-nol" loudly replied the chief
who was an invited guest at the dinner,