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

sef and which, since the world began, down 70
the prsaent time, has made the inferior sabordi.
nate to the superior whenever and wherever two
unequal races have been brought together, Let
this faot 70 forth 10 the country. Let II bs fully
understood BY those mon and women who lenguish
and sigh over the condition Of your institutions
that thoir sympathy 10 repudiated. and that they
tho%.el's: them" are ds.pised BY bath races in the
Is there anything lett 10 be done by your verdict
in peremptorily taking tho life OF the prisoner,
aud Offering IL . sacrifice TO heal the wrongs Of
your State Ihumbly conceive that Virginia in no
respect needs suoha sacrifice. This much think
/ havo shown.
And now let US turn 10 the prisoner. II vir-
ginia, through you. can afford 10 be clement your
inquiry will then be 10 the object on whom you
are asked 10 bestow your clemensy worthy TO ro-
ceiveit? know tho field on which now snter,
filed with preconoeved ideas, but In the spirit
Of truth shall explore It, and by tho truth Of
ont may DO judged by you. and moreover, BY that
dod In whose presence no hidden things sxist
and before whom, ut no distant day. you and
shall stand with him and soc him and know him
as ho s. and not as we see him and know him
now, encompassod by the dread aud awful oalam-
tiles of tho present hour.
"Who is John Il. Cookf He has the right him.
self to he heard before you; but will answer for
him. Sprung from an ancestry Of loyal attach
ment To the American Government. heinherits 40
blood Of tnintcd imputiiy. His grandfather an
officer of tho Revolutionary which your liberty a.
we'll Ms mine wis achieved, aud his gray.haired
father. who lives to weep ovcr him, q soldier Of
| tho war Of 1912. he brings no dishonorod lineage
into your presoncc. II tho blood which flows In
his voins has been offered against your peace, the
same ood In tho veins Of those from whose lons
ho sprang has bccn offered in Reroo shock Of bat
to and foreign invasion in behalf Of the people Of
Virginia anl tho Union Bon OF q parent stock
A. IL. ~..I
of all those tender and domestic virtues which es-
cape tho contamination Of those vices that dwell
ON the frozen peaks. or in tho dark and decp cav.
crns of society. hc would not have been here had
precept aud example been remembered in the
prodignl wandcrinvs Of his short and cheQuered
lie. Poor deludcd boy! wnyward msled child
! An evil star presided over thy natal hour. and
smolo It with gloom. The hour in which thy
mother boro thee and blessed thee ~ her blue.
eyed babe upon her kneO, s 10 her now one Of
bitterness ns she stands near the bank Of the chill
river OF death, and looks back on a name hitherto
ms nnspoted md rs pure as the unstalned snow.
| Mny Gnl atand by and sustain her, aud preserve
tho mothers of Virginia from the waves of sorrow
TINT now roll over hcr!"
Not only the ancestry of John r. Cook, but oil
with whom his life is now bound up. stand before
the country nv your friends. and the friends Of
Of the Constitution M tanded down to uS by the
vnlor md wisdom Of Washington ! will not
shrink from the full and absolute recognition Of
my position. You and /. gentlemen Of the jury
can have no secrets IN tins case from ono another
We will withdraw tho curtains. and look each
other fully in the face. citizen of the State IN
which ! live, who. hy virtue Of his brilliant and
commanding intellect. and because of his sound
md national principles. has been placed ct on
early period ol his life in tho highest position in
tho power Of q State 10 give. ia here beside me,
and wears near his heart q sisters likeness 10 this
boy. And there is not in the wide world. on the
broad green face of tho earth, man, whose heart
is net wholly abandoned to selfish deprnvty, who
will not sny that his presence here is commended
by honor, love. duty, and fidelity to oil that enno-
bles poor fallen race. Let poor, miserable,
despised, loathed. srurned and abhorrsd mis-
crrants cavl and revit at this proud act Of pain
ful duty. Tho true and eternal impulses Of the
human henrt the world over, constitute our ap-
| pellate court
But tho Governor of tho State of Indiana needs
neither" vindicaton defence rs u statesman
| of catholic opinions. nor as o man fully appreciar
ting the duties of domestic life. Rather do | al
nde To his presence here and his position on the
agitnting questions of the day. to show that some
thing clsc besides ancestral inheritance or the
teachngs of family connections. has given the fa-
tai bins t, the prisoners mind, which led him y
| way from the worship Of his own household gods,
and into the communion Of idolators. aliens and
enemies to the pure faith Of an American citizen.
And it .e"ms to me, in Wow Of the services which
"
country. and in Wow OF their devotion to the true
construction of the Constitution and the injunc-
tons Of cur fathers might rchearse aud quote to
/ you with pr0Priety passage from the history Of
tho latter years Of the wisest king Israel ever
had
"Fur il came to pnss when Solomon was old that
his wives turned away his heart after other gods;
and his heart was not perfect with the Lord his
God the heart of David, his father. For
Solomon wont after Ashtorotb, the goddess Of the
Ioninns, and after the abomination Of the Ammo
| Mites
"And S ,lornon did evil in the sight Of the Lord
and wont not fully after the Lord as did David his
father.
And tho Lord was argry with Solomon because
| his heart turned from the Lord God Of Israel
which hal appeared to him twice: ..,.
Aud had commanded him concerning this
! thing that ho should not 90 after other gods
but he kept not that which the Lord command
Wherefore tho Lord said unto Solomon foras-
much ns this is dono unto thee and thou hast not
kept my covenant and my statutes which have
commanded thee, will surely rend tho kingdom
from thee, and will give it to thy servant
Notwithstanding, in thy days will not do II
f,r David thy fathers sake"
| Tho King, WAS forgiven. and spared not merely
| his life, but his kingdom aso and his glory dur
ing his lifetime. because Of the loyalty Of bis IA
ther who had gone before him. was old and v>ry
wise, and full Of experience. The prisoner before
| you has dono no more than to disobey your cove
nants ard statutes. ard pleads 1t has been done
| in the early morning Of life, his first offence, and
under the laneful influence Of school of philoso-
ply which he once thought sincere and right, but
| which he now here, and forever to you; and
before TIE world renounces NJ FALSE perhicious,
| aud pestilental Shall man be moro intolerant
than God! Shall you be less mcrcful than He,
In whose presence your only plea will bs mercy
mercy mercy Will You say you dare not re-