Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1859-04-12
aailg Siroinian.
From The washiugton States ot Saturday shcrnoona.
Trial ofHon Daniel Z. Sickles.


prisoner was brought in. The room was moro
crowded. II possible. than has heretofore hecn the
case. We noticed Hon. John Kelly. e. member
ct Congress and now sheriff of New York.
=, ne names Of the nrors having been called.
Mr. "ra'inm rose and spoke ns follows:
May II please the court nnd gentlemen Of the
jury. this il 10 me time for solemn thonghts mud
r'sc to adlressyou laboring from u severe strug-
glng feeling. 1t is a beautiful sentiment better
expressed IN the Latin than IN tho translation,
dm'cos res cp'mG porinnt. ddrermr rrobank"
Prosperity Is the parent Of friends: bud fortune is
the lire IN which they are tried. Friendship is
the most sacred of all artificial. Ms distinguished
from our natural. attachments. IL stands ncxt
to those which, by tho hand Of nature. have been
interwoycn with tho objects which she herself
creates tpon the alter of this relation cast my
present Offering. II carries with il the JUNCTION Of
nwarm heart. May it prove to he cilcnoous
tribute in favor of my client. have been the
companion al his sunshine, aud am now called
here to participate in the gloom oi his present
aifcton.
Trouble is u mysterious visitor it seems to bc
the unshunable doom of man. II has beon we'll
said that
although affection comch not forth Of the dust
neither doth trouble spring np out Of the ground:
that man is born unto trouble MS the sparks fly
upwards"
That same great influence which has impressed
laws upon all the departments of creation which
his studded the heavens with their fires, and or
dained the boundary limo between the day and
the ngt TINT same great influence which stretch
the face of nature virtues green nantcl
and ngain supplants it for the less pleasing
dress of winter TINT Same grca, influence which
has designated the time for the dropping ot the
leaves and the falling OF the sparrow, is the will
which guides and the hand that holds the rod with
which in this liic punished.
As we pas through the Proceedings in which
....IA
reneat over their result. which confidently nm
ticpate. as n congratulntion 10 this defendant for
the ordeal through which he has passcl--
"Bchod happy is the man whom God cur
rcrted therefore dcsnisc not thou tie Christening
Of the AIM shty--hc makrili sorr and lac Mndcth
up--he wounlcth and his hand, mnkcih wholc
he shall deliver thee IN SIX trouble YEA. in seven
there shall no evil touch thee"
A few weeks since tho body Of n human being
was found III Tia" thr"rS ul heath IL ou" oi the
streets of yonr city. 1t proved ip lac the body OF
confirmed and hnbltual adnlicrer. On day tao
sacred to he rroian"d bv worldly tnIl on day
when he was forbidden Ia muis'rn his brow with
the swent Of homes, labor. ou II day when he should
have risen ahoye the .tro,snc~s If his nature. nul
aud though ollrr dals hc had sent his MS
pirations heae eenwa,ds he should hnye allowed
them then to pass III that direction. we tiHd him
bo-ieging with the most evil intentions ihut castle
where for their security and rcposc the law had
placed the wife and child "f his eighh"r. Had
he observed the solemn prccept :"Rememlcr the
sabbath day To- keep it holy he might mt this
moment have formed ono oi the living.
The injured father and hushaal rushcs upon
him nt the moment ol hIs guilt, and under rhe
influence of frenzy, executes upon him judy
ment. which was rs nst us it WAS summary
Tho issue which YOU are TO decide s whether this
net renders it's author anennl,lo To the laws of the
land. In the decision of this issue. gentlemen of
the jury. you have n deep and solemn interest;
you are here t" fix the price of the marriage bed;
you aro here To- see in what estimation that red
urh is held by an honest aul Intelligent Ameri-
can jury. i"n are favored citizens; yon live IN
city which constitutes the seat "t our federal gov
ernment; a city consecrnted 10 liberty above all
nthcrs. hut not to the liberty Of the llcrtinc;
city bearing the name OF the llluslrous Washing
TIN, the father nf his country, of whom it has
been emphuticaly and truly said that he was
First in first in peace and first in the hearts
of his countrvmen.
You NAV feel n pity. in review ,ng this occur
renee for the lite which has been tukcn--you
may regret the necessity which constrained that
event hut while you pity the dead, remember al-
that you slnnll extend comm sernton to the
living. That life taken away ns it was may
prove To be your and my gain. You know not
how soon the wife or dnug glltcr # one If you
would have bccn--in fact, you know not but what
it had been marked by the same cycs which de-
stroyed the marriage relations Of this defendant.
Nou know not how the gardens of lovcincss,
which You now preside, had that life been
spared would hnye boon called up to supply their
flower. to satisfy the Unsuitable appetite of the do
ceased.
An interference with the marriage relation
must strike every releeting mind the greatest
wrong that be committed upon human be-
ing 1t has been we'll said that atiictun, shame.
poverty, captivity are preferable: and do not
know that can express the sentiment more hap
PLY than in rcciting the lines which the great
drsmatist has placed in the mouth of the Moor
over the supposed discovery of the Inconsistency Of
IT, Desdcmona:
Had 4 pleased heaven
All kinds of and shames any bare head
sicepd me- in poverty to the very lips
Give" captivity me and my u'nos, hopes:
4 drop Of raiicnce bn alas to make
A fsed figure, for tn" time Of se"rn
TO point his slow unnoviDg nneer at
Yet rrn'd hear that too: well, very wcr;
But there, whore I have garnercd NJ my heart;
Where either must live. bear no iift:
The f'untan from which my current rnns.
Or else dries mp; 10 be discarded thence
or keep ~ = cistern for foul toads
70 knot and gender iD-iurn thy cumpc xion there!
Patience th III young aud rose lpd chorublm
Ay, there, look grim as he'll
You are here to decide whether tho defender of
the marriage bed is Il murderer. Whether he is
to be put upon the same footing with the first
murderer, and is to be presented in his moral and
legal aspects with the sam" hue If aggravntion
about him. Gentlemen, the murderer is most
detestabe character. Far be it from me to defend
him before this any other jury. S'ciety can
not---it ought not to contain him. Calm, cold
and celebrating he saves his malice as the miser
saves his treasure. His bosom is the vault in
which hc deposits Usage possesses no claims up
on his consideration nor does sex interfere with
them in the execution of his bloody purpose In
the very air he sees hiS weapon, and it marshals
him the way he was going; he selects some object