Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1859-11-19
Speeches Of Coppic and Cook.

The Courtroom on Thursday morning,
vas denselv caowded. An APPLICATION
vas made on bel kalf of Cook, through his
ounsel, for an aEest Of judgment. The
,apers were recrT fed aud placed with 9TH
rs of the same cl laracIer. The prisoners
we're then dmeclf fd To be brough, into
court. TO receive heir sentence. Ii was
scence of much solcmnily, and caused
mite thrill in evary heart that was sensi-
,le 10 feeling. The prisoners were direc-
ed 10 stand up, wien the clerk read 10
hem each, the crnies for which they had
,een convicted, vizl: Coppic, for treason,
,dvising and conspjring with slaves and
,,bers 10 rebel, andI for murder in the first
legree. Cook, CIR Zen and Copeland, no,
ruirv Of treason, bit of advising and con-
.ri, mo with slaves and others 10 rebel and
or murder in the II 81 degree.
The clerk then addressed The prisoners
;everalv, To know Ef they had anything
% saw why scnter ce according 10 ihe
erms OF The verdict should not now be
passed
Edwin Corpic q ose with much COM
,osnre and in a Gle dr and distinct voice,
declared his nnoce hce of any intent 10
nlent to commit treasOn, murder or ToU-
)erc. lie said be bad been induced 10
,ome here at the I'M lance OF Capt. Brown.
under the Impressi pm that The negroes
" ere anxious To csc hpe from bondage and
his whole purpose when starting from
home was TO lIberatt the slaves. Previous
10 rhe day of the niA int upon which Il Q at
tack was made on | arper'S Ferry, he had
40 know ledge Of any Constitution or By
Laws for a Provisional Government, and
lad never signed it Up TO that period. lie
bad shot no one, ana had done no man
any injury, but he / new he had violated
.he laws Of tie Sta he. and must be held
lhereforI If those who desIr-
ed his life sought iiI he had nothing more
10 say.
Coppic having Cd included The clerk pro-
pounded the same hterrogatory io John
t.. Cook If he had anything To say wheth-
or sentence of dealh should no, be passed
upon him Cook. though apparently
youth Of some 2G years Of age, Of femla-
me, rather than masculine appearance.
arose without end lion and said in sub
stance as follows 4
Ill itmav pleas the Court. have but
a few words 10 say, and should scarcely
express that. did Anot think some Of our
Dwn Cimzpus havd testified against mo
though without intention,
have no doubt deny ever having como
INTO your community as Spy: had no
such intention od design. Having net
" wiIh John BrOWnFn Kansas, scme Two
years or more agol was induced lhrough
him to locate here TO ascertain If posi-
Die the extent 10 wt ich the exposition OF
Forbes in his (BroYn's) favorle scheme
10 lbeIare the slavcS o! Virginia, had et-
ected Browns ul4 rior objects. With
one solitary excepr3 3n. 10 which he had
eferred in his con(e essiOn, he had never
attempted or coerced any slave TO leave
lis or her master. lie admitted lhat he
lad been deceived ab 10 the desire of tho
laves for freedom, Or whilst he had been
lmost a pro-tlavery| man up to his visit TO
ansas, yet there hf had been induced ,o
,elieye the slaves OF Maryland and Vir-
,inia were eager an anxious for liberia
ion. lie solely ca fHe for that purpose,
nd no other. As tb the relics which bad
een taken from Col. Wsshlnglon's
v hich he now reg1 1eicd,) they were Ia
EN- only as the mo al prestige OF success
n the cause Of freedom. as our fathers Of
he Revolution hadJdO before us. That
ley were not iakfh by bis command. az
as been stated, buiby the express orders
{ Captain Brown. lie had neither cou-
lifted or connyed IT any violation Of law,
Ut he supposed il Eas f6r the good OF hu-
,aniy and The besd ends OF the Govern.
rent. have dOnel
The negroes, Green and Copeland,
sde no response, hen Judge Parker,
VdenIIy lsbOriug under much feeling,
roceedeJ to announce the sentence.
Two MoDRL &. vERS"Rs -Governcr
Wise Of lhis STATE, and Governor Packer
PennsS lgsnia, have each recenily ex-
lbued devotion 10 their cOuDU,'s csuse
hich should not only be read Of them by
] men but should be spoken in their
raise by every one Who sckno Wledges
mself TO be an American. So long as
Ich men sre elevated to posts of aulhori-
D., the Union. despite all he cries Of
sdmen and disunionlsls will be safe. The
,hle conduct of The one can be ,ummed
, in The readiness which lie displayed in
pairing 10 the scene Of The IDsuneciiOn
ID his noble. dignifed bearing whIlsten-
'ged IN ils suppression and afterwards.
he o,her will be remembered for the
Omprness with which he has delivered