Staunton vindicator and general advertiser. (Staunton, Augusta County, Va.) 1858-1860, 1859-11-25

and reason upon this most tragic and mel
ancholy affair as becomes citizens of th,
same government, proud ofthe same lineage
actuated by the same interests, and forever
linked to the same destiny. You are mo-
merely empahneled in your capacity as j.
rors to paes upon the life Of this erratit
youth before you, but the nation cannot Be
divorced from deep and permanent inter.
est in your delibel ations. The crime fol-
which the law claims his life as forfeit is one
connected with question Of the weighties1
national import question which, without
any fault Of yours, has rudely strained and
shaken the bonds which embrace and hold
together the States Of this. Union. This
trial is incident to that question, and must
be met in the face of the whole nation, and
in the view Of the entire American people
4 as a matter Of universal interest and concern.
The very nature Of the ofsnce now under
! discussion. lifts us all to point Of obsarva-
ton on which statesmen and patriots have
long bent their anxious looks. And the
pressing, ever present and detesiAined cues
ton Of tie hour which non sits il the jury
box, and will retire With you to Jour dehb-
eratichs en- your yetdsst, is, How shall you
most fully meet the requirements Of the A.
merican people at largo; best conduce to
the peace and repose of the Union; allay
the rushing winds that are abroad oil the
face Of the great deep say peace be still to
the ;hgry elems is of rassionand treasonab Z
agitation, and at the same time do all your
duty as honest and conscientious men ad-
ministering the laws Of your State If it
shall be in my power, in some measure, to
point oft the cotrse BY Which these great
objects may be attained, | shall MARI this,
otherwise sad day on which / address you,
as the brightest to me in the calendar of
time. And further, if these objects are to
be attained on your part by invoking into
your midst, and following the winning coun-
sells Of the meek eyed and, gentle angel Of
mercy-if you can faithfully discharge your
oaths as Jurors, and, at the same time, best
meet tie obligations which rest upon you
as american citizens BY tempering TIE bit-
ter cup which justice commends to the lips
of the prisoner With the ingredient Of elem
ency, know you, BY the universal law Of
the human heart, will rejoice in snch an OPP
portunity; and join in the public and private
happiness which will flow from your verdict.
| By the help Of God, and appealing to Him
for the purity of tie motives which animate
my breast, now proceed to demonstrate
such a course as both just wise in the case
Of John E. Cook
First Of all things; gentlemen Of tie jury,
is your duty to Virginia. Whatever she
requires at your hands, that you are to give.
Your first love belongs to her; she is the
matron who has nursed you, aud the Gneen
Mother to whom you owe. allegiaus5. As
an advocate aud defender at home of the
doctrines of the State-rl,hts men of the
school Of 1898, do not come here to ask
you to abste one jot or title Of your atfac-
ton and jealousy for the honor and Interest
I Of Virginia. Indeed, were such an invo-
cation necessary, vhish I Eno# it is not. I
would invoke you BY the great names Of your
history, by the memory Of your ancient re
nown, by the thrilling associations Of tile
classic soil on which we stand, and by the
present commanding attitude which your
Commonwealth holds before the :sorla, to
be true and loyal to shat she Las been, what
she is, and what she hapes to be.
But how stands Virginia in reference to
the assault which was made upon her citi-
zens and her soil at Harper's Ferry on the
18th day Of October. 1859, ard Nkat viz
dication does she need at your hands for the
outrage? Are the circumstances such as
to require of her the re-enactment Of the
Mosaic law, repealed by the benign teach
ings of the Nazarene on the Shores Of Cali
lee Is she required to say in stern and
inexorable spirit:
'sAnd if any mischief follow, then thou
shalt give life fot life
Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for
hand, foot for foot.
Burning for burning, wound for wound,
stripe for stripe p
Not SO. She asks nothing of the kind
at 70 ar hands Punishment has already
been swift apdssure The measure Of her
vengeance for the great wrong committed
against her is full, and her yindication is
ample before the world She met her IN
yaders on the spot, end those Who lifted
their hands against her are, most Of them.
in the graves to which virginians consign-
ed them, few bound in her prisons and
a few others wanderers and fugitives on the
face of the earth. The Executive ard cti-
LIENS Of your State gdiided tie BOLT which
fell upon this mad offspring Of a loathsome
fanaticism, and the invasion persisted at
single blow. And, in the spirit Of the an
swer of Cushi to King David, I would say
ito you: 1.-The enemies Of the State of Vir-
GINA, and all that rise against her to do
her hurt, be as these men are' But as the
great King of Israel rose up and went. to
his chamber, and wept over the untimely
fall of Absolem, the rebelious son of his
own loins, who had lifted his parrieidal hand
against the life of an indulgent father, may
not the world commend simil ar emotion
in the breast Of a jury Of Virginians over
the sorrowful fate of the youthful prisoner
at the bar! You will probably say that
the lives of your citizens have been sacri-
feed. l answer. THAT il is Iamentablv true
but it is also true that life las been taken
already to atone for life that the blood 81
murderers. older and wiser than the pris-
oner, has been poured out ii response to
the cry of the blood Of your citizens from
the ground. You will say that the soil of
your State has been polluted by the foot of
the traitor. T answer that the frctstep rest
cd hit nc for q moment on vour border and