The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1859-11-16
WEDNESDAY MoaNlNc. NOV. 10. 1859.
,Rc,.wENT OF HON. DaN'L ". VOORHEES,
OF TFRRg HArTE, INDIANA,
"A al CharleSi0wn, Va. Nov. 5,

polyerea al CharleSi0wn. Va, Now 5, 80,
49,. ,bs g,,ia. Of IoHN f. Cook, iadie;sd for
'Tc,oy NsY5fs 6sd fHcttsHg StaCes 10 Rs'e'
=, ibt Haggfr'S FffTg fassrrsef'en.
,,,,r,, TIVE PERMISSION or Tug CovRT--
g,2.,nen Of lat .ltrg The place L occupy
81, standing before you ~ this time is one
hal with a responsibility as weighiy and
a. delicate a was eHeFassigaed 10 an advocate
-, h,hau Of an unfortunate feiiow-man, No
's,rlaSr hat can eIapioy could give any ad-
',,,,I force 10 ta4 circumstances hy which
., surrounded and which press SO heavily on
w., o,blic mind sS wen as GA my owa. come,
- = stranger "a each enc of you. Your
80. know cRly by the common image we
- 10 our Maker: bui, ia your exalted cha
rs-ter Of citizens of the ancient and proud
.",s,monyv wealth of Virginia. and OF the Ameri-
[.oT mon. bear - VOC passport of friend
rt, aud a letter of Introduction.
-aIae from the sunsei-Side OF your West
-a toaEntaiuS-from beyond the rivers that
I'M skivt the borders of your great State but
7 r..1,s ut Is an alien 10 4 foreign Iaud, but
>, thrr ~ one who returns to the home OF his
sr-.,'ar> and 10 the household from which he
..-.nk. | conae here not as an enemy, 6ut as 4
si. w,ih Interests common with your.
s..tgs aoPsn& tor your hopes. and praying that
size prosperity and glory OF Virginia may he
1,tryetual. Nor do forget that me very soil
e. w4JCh l live in my Western home was
,,r... a(yaed by this venerable Commonwealth
as much the soil on which now stand.
1Isr lN,s> there once prevailed, and all her in-
sIfufinns were there established as they are
ns-r Not only my own State OF Indiana but
as, f5ur other great States in the Northwest
sand as enduring and lofty monuments OF
I.rssuiA's maGuanimi;y aud priHeely liberali-
rs Her donation to ihs general Government
N sje 1hem sovereign States and since q cd
cs,r the fruitful land ot otCaRaan 10 Moses and
/, set such gtft OF present and future en-
fs4re has never been made 10 any people Com
.as from The bosom OF one of these States, can
! f.rgrt The ieai.y and duty which / owe 10
.ha sgureulacv OF your laws, the sacredness of
yru- eitIlcushlp, or the sovereignty of your
S4-el Rather may the child forget its parent
and sYnite with unnatural hand the author of
h-lugt
rAa mission On which have visited your
Stl.e Is 10 me. and 20 those who are with me,
enc !uli OF the bitterness and poison of ca
I.,aIty aud grief The high, the sacred, the
h5lv dnty OF private friendship for 4 family
f3utIy beloved by al who nave ever wit
messed their illustrations of the purest social
virtues commands. and alone commands NV
urr-aGce here. And, while they are over
waeinsed by the terrible blow which has fall
e, upon ihem through the action of the mis-
gaided young Haan nj the bar, Yet speak their
sPat!meugs Well as my own when | say that
Que qualification. pure and unalloyed, has been
atl1ded since our melancholy arrival IN
v,ur midst II has been To witness the pro-
eress OF This Court fIom day TO day, sur
rtuGded by all that Is calculated 10 biaS the
mluds of men, bnt pursuing with caimness
with dignity, and impartiality, tie true course
OF the law aud the even pathway of justice.
heart aud Judgment, did not bear voluntary
and emphatic witness 10 the wisdom and pa
t!ent kindness OF his Honor the bench; The
manly and generous spirit which has charac-
t,riZed the counsel tor the prusecu tion; the
true devoted. and highly professional manner
OF t local counsel here for the defence; the
scruuu!ous trutbiulness OF the witnesses who
have testified, ana the decorum and uStBess of
The ,urieS who have acted their parts from the
iirsJ hour OF this CuuTl 10 the present time--I
speak in The hearing OF the country. An I'M
portant aud memorable page In history Is be-
ing written. Let Il -lot b" omitted that II
clnia hiss thrown around Il band OF deiuded
nea. who invaded her soil with treason and
murder, all the safeguards of her Constitution
aud laws, and placed them ia her Courts upon
an equality wIth her own citizens. / know OF
what | speak, and my love of truth and sense
Of right fuI bld Ine 10 be silent this point.
tisnlieneu / am here on behaifof ihis pale
ftced, f1Ir- haired wanderer from his home and
the Eal lhs Of Gu1y, 10 talk To you about legal
I-Chuica4ities oi law born OF labUrious anaiy-
IS 10y the sight of the midnight lamp. place
hun before Won on no such ground. He is in
ile hands OF friends who abhJr the conduct OF
which he has been gniity. But does that fact
deuaT HIM OF human sympathy ! Does the
snpie act smIte The erring brother with le-
pTpsY " men forblus the toucn OF the hand ol
affection Is his voice of repen tance and ap.
pe.l for forgiveness stuffed III his mouth Ii
So liIe meek Saviour OF the world would have
retoiIrd with horror from Mary Magdeieae
ald sPurned the repentant sorrow of Peter
who betrayed him. Fer my client ayoW
every sympathy. Fallen and undone; broken
sGd ruined as he is by the fall, yet, from the
depths Of the fearful chasm in which he lies
/ hear the common call which the wretched
make for sympathy more clearly than If it is
sued from the loftieSt pyramid of wealth and
power. IT He who made the earth and hung
the sun and moon anu stars on high 10 give i
light and created man a joint heir OF eterna
wealth, nAd put within him an Immoral
spark OF celestial flame which surrounds His
throne, could remember mercy III executln!
}Gs tice when Ills whole plan of Divine gov
erument was assaiied and deranged; when Hi
law was set at defiance aud violated; when tn
purity of Eden had been deficd by the pres
euce and eounsels of the seTpent-Why, so car
]. and can YOU, when the wrong and the Grim
stand confessed, and every atonement is mad
10 the majesty OF the law which the prisone
has in his power TO make.
Let US come near to each other and have
proper understanding. | am laboring wit
YOU for an object. | think l know something
Of the human heart and of the leading attri
butes by which it is governed throughout tn
world. BY virtue of those attributes, L fee
that we may annihiate the distance that sepa
rates our homes, sweep away all biludlng ex
element, and sit down together and reaso
upon this most tragic and melancholy affair n
becomes citizens of the same goyerninen
proud of The same lineage actuated by IN
same interests, and forever linked TO the sam
destiny. 1on are not merely empanneled Il
Your capacity as jurors to pass upon the III
Of this erratic youth before you, but the ma
ton cannot be divorced from a deep and per
crime for which the law claims his life as foI
felt is one connee ted with q question OF IN
weighiiest national import-a question "hicl
without any fault of yours, has rudeiy strain
e2 and shaken the bonds which embrace an
hold together fhe States of this Union. III
trial is incident To that question. and must |
met in the face of the whole nation, ana IN III
view of the entire American people. as q ma
ter Of universal in nterest and concern. IN
very nature OF the offence now under discus
sion lifts us all to a point of observation
which states men and patriots have long bef
their anxious looks. And the pressing, eve
present and determined question of the hou
which now sits with you in the Jury-box, an
will retire with YOU to your deliberations
yaur verdict is How shall you most fully met
the requirements of the American people q
large best conduce 20 the peace and fepose
the Union; allay the rushing winds that AT
abroad en- the face OF the great deep say peae
be stii 10 the angry elements OF passion an
reasonable agitation, and at the same tiine
all ycur duly a. honest and conscientious me
administering the laws OF your State II
shall be in my power, IN some measure, !
point oat The course by which these grea. OF
iects NAV be- attained. / shall mark this, otheI
wise sad dav on which / address you, as tn
brightest 10 me in the calendar OF time. Ant
further if these objects are 10 be attained o
your part by invoking INTO your miost, un
following the winnl z counseis OF the heeh
eyed and gentle angel OF mercy-if you ca
faithfully discharge Your oaths rs jurors aht
at ihe same tiae. best meet the opilgaioh
which rest upon you as American citlzehs
iempering the bitter cup which jus s,ica com 10
Inends 10 the lips of the prisoner Win ihe IN
gredient of clemency, know you, by the uni
versaI law of the human heart, wiiI feJolce 4
such ali opportunity, and JOIN IN ine puoil
and private happiness which viii HOW Iroi
your verdict By the help of God, ana appear
ing u, Him for the purity of the motives vnic
animate nay breast, l now proceed 10 demon
strate snch a course as both just and wise Il