Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1859-11-22


thai abroad on the f,ce Of tho great deep; say
peace bs still to the angry elements Of passion
and reasonable agitation. and at the same time
do all your duty ~ honest aud conscientous men
administering tho laws Of your State lit shall
he in my power, in some measure. to point out
tho course by which tLese great objects may be
attained, shall mark this, otherwise sad day on
which address you, as tho brightest to me in the
calendar Of time. Aud. further. il theso objects
are ~ be attained ON your part by invoking into
your midst. nd following the winning counsels Of
tho meek eyed and gentle angel Of mercy--if you
can faithfully discharge your oaths as jurors and.
nj the same time, best meet the obligations which
rest upon you as American oitixeus by tempering
tho bitter cup which justice oommends 10 tho lips
of the prisoner with the ingredient of clemency,
know you, by the universal law of human heart,
will rejoice in such an opportunity, aud join IN
the public and private happiness which will flow
from your verdict. by the help of God and mp
pcaling t, him for the purity of the motives which
animate my breast. now proceed to demonstrate
such course as both just and wise in the case OF
Jehn +. Cook
First of nl things, gentlemen of tho jury, ia
your duty to Virginia Whatever she requires Mt
your hands, that you are to give. Your first love
belongs to her; size is the matron who hns nurscd
aud the Queen Mother to whom you owo nllegi-
ance. As nn advocate and defender Mt home of
the doctrines ci thu State rights mon Of tho school
Of lIoS. do not come here to ask you 10 ahntc
one jot or title oi your affection and jealousy for
the honor and interest of Virginia. Indeed. were
such nn invocation necessary, which | know 1t ~
not, would invoke y"u hy the great names ol
your history, by The memory o your ancient
rcnown, hy the thrilling associations Of the classic
soil on which we stand. and by the present com
mandinE attitude which your commonwealth
holds before tho world, to bo true and loyal to
what shc has been. what she is and what she
hol ~ to lr
But how stands Virsini, in reference t, the as
sauIt which was made upon her citizens and hor
soil at llarncrr Ferry on the l7h dny of Oct 1889
aud what ,lndi NJ .on does she need NJ your hands
for the outrage? Are the circumstances such ~
to requir, the re-eaacimen Of tho Mosaic Law, re
pcnlod hy thc lcnign teachings Of tho Nazal enc
on the shores of;Aiilcc. Ia she required t, say iii
n stern and i"xorable spirit:
And il any mischief follow, then thou shalt
give lille for lie.
Eye for eye tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot
for foot
nurning for burning, wound for wound stripe
for stripe?'
Not ~. Sac asks nothing of tho kind Mt your
hands. Punishment has nlrcady been swift aud
sure Tho measure Of her vengeance for the great
wong committed against her is full, aud her vim
d,ca,ion is ample before tho world She met hrr
invaders on he spot and those who lifted their
hands against her are, most o them, in the graves
to which \uL,nians consigned them; few bound
in her pIisoii0 aud few others wanderers and
iugityes o. the laee Of tho earth. The Executive
nul citizens ot your Sinte guided the blow which
fell upon ~ mad offspring "i - loaths1me innali
cisin, and the invasion pcrished ut single blow.
And, in the spirit of the answer of Cnshi to King
David, l would say to you. the enemies OF the
State of N,rsiun, aud nil that rise against her To
do her hurt. hc these men are, But ~ the
great King "l Israel rose up and went to his cham
ber, and w"pt over tho untimely full Of Absoi"m.
the son OF his own loins, who bad li!tol his pnrr
ci nl hanl against The life Of an ndugent lnher.
may not the world Commend n similar emotion i'll
the breast of Il Jury of Nirsinans over the sorrow
fu fate OF The youthful prisoner - the Lnrl You
will probably snj that the lives of your citizens
b we been sacrificed. | answer that it is lnmen.a-
bly, true but il i~ ais, truc that life has been taken
already b. for life; that the blood oi murder
err older AID visor than tho prisoner has been
poured out in response to the cry Of the blool Of
your citizens from the ground. You will say that
the soil Of your State IS bean polluted by The OF
of the traor. | answer that the footstep rested
but fora moment on Your border, and was swept
away by II whirlwind of patriotic Indignation
Yuu will say that your law has been violated your
dignity and honor as n free people insultci. |
answer. that. alas. it is ton true; but answer, III
81. that it equally trne that your laws have been
fully, thoroughly, and justly yindicaed. Hero in
this court. again and again, the sword Of Justice.
welded 10y an oven hand has fallen up m the mis-
cradle remnant Of the coniedcrated band who i'm
pipusly Mocked the integrity of the American
Union by as>niling tho institutions Of Virginia.
The leader stands Mt the fout Of the gallows. and
en- its height will expiate many crimes against the
l,c,ce and laws Of this country least amongst
which is the crime Of cnsting Young men, such
ns the prisoner. i'll II cruise Of piracy against you
nnl |. aud all law abiding citizens Of this happy
Union Let the leader Of the nutny on ship board
perish, but if it appears that Young men hive fol-
lowed false guidance, and bcen bound in the des
po'sm Of an iron will order them back to duty.
AID give them one mure chance to show whether
they are worthy Of life or death. Virginia can
thus afford to act. 1t is of tho chief blessings
of power that it can extend mercy to the weak and
the crown jewel ol courage Is ma3naniu,lty to the
fallen
But there is another point which Virginia.
though mourning for the death of her citizens, has
triumphanlly met the aspersions aud caIumnies
Of tha enemies of her domestic ins itutipns by
reason of the late outbreak Mt lIarpcr's Ferry
The institution of domestic slavery to-day stands
before the world fully justified than ever be-
fore in the history OF this or, indeed, perhaps, Of
any other country. The liberator, urged on by u
false and spurious philanthrophy. deceitful and
sinister in its origin. and selfish and corrupt in its
practice, came into your midst to set tho bonds
men free, and though violence tore him from his
master, though liberty was sounded in his ear,
though leader proclaimed ~ lead him to the
promised land, though an impiously selfstyed
Moses Ut deliverance came in the might of the
sword and placed arms Of bold attack and strong
defense in his hands, yet, what spectacle do we
behold The bondsman refuses to he free; drops
tho implements OF war from his hands; is deaf to
the call of freedom. turns against his liberators,
aud, ty instinct, obeys the injunction of Paul by
returning to his master. Shall this pass for moth
ingf Shall NJ note be made of this piece of the
logic Of our Governmentf Shall the voice of the
African himself die unheard or the question of
his own freedom9 No! 1t shall be perpetuated
1t shall be put in the record. The slave himself.