The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1859-11-02
Judge PaFker's Charge 20 the
Grand Jury in the InsurrectIOn

| UH"nU SuIy III ehC CAHSuNECCtAOh
Case. Eaka
Much fear has been expressed that in the
exasperAted state Of the public mind in The
immediate neighborhood of Harper'S Ferry
where the slaves were melted to murder thei
masters by Brown, Ksgi, aad their associ
ates, that the miserable wretches who sur
rendered would expiate their crimes upor
the gOllows by mob violence. After perus
ing the chsrge to the Grand Jury, delivered
at the opening of the Court, in Charleston n
the county town of Jefferson county, where
these outrsges were committed, that fea
Twill be found groundless. .'7
The Circuit Court. Hon. Richard Parker
Circuit Judge, being in session, after thu
Grand Jury were sworn, Judge Parker de
livered the following charge ''5 '.' ...
"GENTLEMEN OF THE jury I'm the state
OF excitement into which our whole commu
nifty has been thrown by the recent occur
renee in this county, l feel that the charge
which | usually deliver to q Grind Jury
would be entirely out of place. Those oc'
currences cannot but force themselves upon
our attention. They must necessarily occu
py considerable portion OF that time which
you will devote to your public duties as
Grand Jury. However guilty the unfortu.
nate men who are now in the hands of jus.
tice may prove to be, still they cannot be
called upon to answer to the offended laws
Of the commonwealth for any Of the multi.
farious crimes with which they are charged
until Grand Jury, after diigent inquiry,
shall decide that for these offences they be
put upon their trial. will not permit n.y.
self 10 give expression to any OF those fee |.
ings which at once spring up in every breas;
when rejecting upon the enormity of the
guilt in which those are involved Who invade
by force peaceful, unsuspecting portion OF
our common country, raise the standard OF
insurrection among them, and shoot down
without mercy Virginia citizens, defending
! Virginia soil against invasion. must re.
member, gentlemen, that ns minister oil
justice, bound to execute the laws faithfully,
and in the very spirit of Justice herself,
must, as 10 every one accused OF crime, hold
as the law holds, thst he is innocent until
he she'll be proved to be guilty by an honest,
independent and impartial jury of his coun-
uymen; and what is obligatory on me is
equally binding upon every one who may be
connected with the prosecution and trials Of
these offenders. In these cases as in all
others, you will be controlled by that oath
which each OF you have taken, and IN which
you have solemnly sworn that you will dill.
gently inquire into all offences which may
be brought to your knowledge, and that you
will present no one through i'll will, as we'll
as that you will leave no one unindcted
through fear or favor; but in all your pre-.
sentiments you shall present the truth, the
whole truth and nothing but the truth. Do
but this, gentlemen, and you will have ful.
filled your duty. Go beyond this, and in
place of that diigent inquiry and calm in.
vestigation, which you have sworn to make,
act upon prejudice or excitement or passion,
and you will have done a wrong to the law
in whose service youure engaged. As be.
fore said, these men ure now in the hands . (
justice. They are to have fair ard imp1r.
tia trial. We owe it to the cause OF Justice
as we'll as to our own characters that such q
trial should be afforded them. If guilty,
they will be sure to pay the extreme penal.
ty Of their guilt, and the ex mpIe OF pun.
ishment when thus Inflicted, by virtue Of
law, will be, beyond comparison, more rtli-
cacious for our protection than any torture
10 which mere passion could subject them.
Whether they be in public or private posi-
ton, let each one OF US remember that us
the law has charge of these alleged Offend
ers the law alone, through its recognized
agents, must deal with them to the last. 1t
can tolerate no interference by others with
duties it has assumed to itself. If true to
herself, and she will be, our commonwealth,
through her course OF justice, will be ss rea.
dy to punish the offence of such interference
as she is to punish these grave and serious
offenders with which she is now about to
deal, in case these offences be proved by le-
gal testimony to have been perpetrated-
Let US all, gentlemen, bear this in mind, and
in patience await the result, confident that
the result will be whatever strict and impair
tial justice shall determine to be necessary
and proper. 1t would seem, gentlemen, and
yet speak from no evidence, but upon
vague rumors which have reached me, that
these men who have lately thrown them.
solves upon US, confidently expected to be
Joined by our slaves and free negroes, and
uniurled the banner Of insurreclion end in
vited this class Of our citizens to rally under
it, and yet, as am told, they were unable
to obtain single recruit"
Considering the intense excitement, this
charge is model one for appropriateness,
and shows that no matter how great the
provoeation, justice, stern justice, will be
dealt out to all concerned.