Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1859-11-18

Jo 0Vu VI ooT tatuoTe, anu tuo nneleNb AuFu 0ou
of fsraol. the Same yesterday to-day and forever,
were not on tho side Of aboitionism. Il there no
mitigation for his doom In the fact TINT he took his
lfo In his hands, and aimed NJ thai which e.,w-
ard taught him, but dared uot himself attemptf
Dnse pasillsnimous demagogues base led the pris-
oner to the bar; but while be suiers--if suffer he
must-they. too, shall have their recreant limbs
broken on the wheel. ] will not leave the anil OF
Virginia. will not let this awful occasion pass
into history. without giving . voice and IN utter
ance to its true purport a.'d meaning. without
heapngupon i,ssuthors the loadof execratiou which
they are to bear henooforsh and forever. Day sf-
tor day and year after year haa the balefal simeon
f revolution, anarchy. disoord, hostility to the
South aud her institutions, swept oyer,that section
o the country In which the lot Of tho prisoner he's
been cast. That he has been poisoned BY es breath
should not cut him OF from human sympathy;
wards him.-He never sought place or station. but
sought merely to develope those doctriass which
evil and traitorous persons had caused him h be-
lieve wore true. Ministers, editors. and politcisna
--Bsechsr. Parker. Seward, Gddings. Sumner,
Hale, and host Of lesser lights ofeach claas-who
in tho wide world who shall read this trial, bslis
ves them not guilty. as charged in tho indictment
in all the courts 10 deeper and far more fearful
extent than John L. Cooki Midnight gloom ID no.
more sombrs In contrast with the blnxing light OF
the meridian sun than is tho guilt Of such mon In
oner. They put in motion the maestrom which
has sngulphsd him. They started the torrent
which has borne him over the precpce. They cal
led forth from the cnvsrns the tempest which
wrecked him on sunkea reef Bsl"rs God, and
In the light Of Eternal TRUTH tho disaster st Har-
per's Ferry 10 their aot, aud not his.-May tho
ghost Of each victim to their doctrines Of disunon
and abomination sit heavy on their guilty sonic
May the fate Of the prisoner, whatever II may be.
disturb their slumbors and paralizs their arms
whom they arc again raised against the peace VI
the country and tho lives Of its citisensl
| know by the CLEAN IL each eve into which !
look In this iury-box. that if these men could
change places with young Cook. you would gladly
say 10 him. "0o. erring and repentant youth, our
Won gcance shall fall on those who paid their mon.
ey. urged on the attack, and guided the blow.--
Let mo appeal 10 yon, gentlemen OF the jury, In
the name Of EArnal truth and everlasting right,
il nothing 10 be iorgivcn TO youth. to incxperi.
encc to u gentle. kind heart, To- wayward and
peculiar though not vicious character, strangely
nTe to ho led by present Influences. generally and
specially. hnve been over tho mind OF the prisoner
! have shown you the maliyn influence OF his di.
rect leader have shown you. also. tho false and
malignant counscls" in behalf OF this sud enter
prise .en,anating from those In place, power, and
position. IL might hnys been your prodignl SON
borne AWAY and seducel by suoh counsels. -
well a. my young client. DO with him as you
| would have your own child dealt by under Ike
circumstances. lie has been stolen from tho prin-
| ciples Of his ancestors and betrayed from the
| teachings Of his kindred. Ii he was ytur own
handsome child repentnnt and confessing his
wrong to his country, what would you wish
jury Of strangers to do? That do yoursclvcs!-
By that rule guide your verdict; and the poor boon
of mercy will not be cut of from him.
He thought the country was about TO 10 con.
vulscd that the slave was pining for an opportu-
n,,y to rise against bis master that two.thiris If
| tho labprng population Of the country, North and
| A.. - r. II.
| n single day would bring ton, fiy--yea, hund
red thousand mon to arms in behalf of the insur-
,ection of the slaves. This Is IN evidence. Who
nre responsible i,r such terribly false views and
what kind of visionary and dreaming mind that
has 40 fatally entertained thems That the priso-
ners mind is plant to Impressions. whether for
good or evil. by which it is surrounded, let his
first interview in prison with Gov. Willard. in the
presence of your Senator. Col Mason. bear wit
| ness. His error Was placed before him, Ills
wrong to bis family AMI his country was drawn
hy patriotic, and, and, at the same time.au afec-
,nnate hand. lIsnatural being at oncc inserted its
sway. The influence Of good, and not Of evil
moro controlled him as in tho days nf his
childhood; and now hero. before you, he has the
merit at least Of loyal citizen making all the
atonement in his power for the wrong which he
has committed. That he has told strictly the
truth in his statement 10 proven by every word OF
evidence in this cause.
Gentlemen, you have this case. surrender In
to your hands the case Of life and death. As long
AN you live, . moro important case than this you
will never be called to try. Consider il, there
fore, we'll in oil ts bearings. / have tried 70 sh,w
you those facts which 70 To palliatc tho conduct
Of the prisoner. Shall go homo aud say that in
justice you remembered not marcy to him. Leave
the dnor Of clemency open; do not shut II by .
Wholesale conviction Remember that life 10 an
awful and u sacred thing; remember that death
~ tcrrbe--tsrrible at any time. anl in any
form.
"Come to the Bridal Chamber Death
Como when tho mother fees,
For the nrsi time, her ar.t.borh's BREATH
n. nsS ss~dsS sS;s i iiis. ss ss
ss ssSSa.ss! .Sses saSs:Sk Se:s"s :s. Storm
Come when The heart beats high and warm
With banquet song and dance, and wine,
The knel, the pail, The bier
Of agony are thine" n4a =.
But when to the frightfu. men of the grim
monster. whom to the chill vsage of the spirit of
the glass and scythe Is added Che hated. dreaded
spectre OF the gibbct. we turn shuddering from
tho accumulated horror. God spare this boy,
and those who love him from such an awful scene
Of woe.
part from you now and most likely forever.
When wo next meet-when next look upon your
faces and you on mine-it will no In that fand
and before that Tribunal where the only plea that
will save you or from worse fate than awaits
tho prisoner will be mercy. Charity is the para
tinkling cymbal. Charity sudsrsth long. and 10
kind. Forbid 1t not TO como into your delibers-
tions; and when your last hour comes, the memo- |
ry that you allowed IL to plead for your erring |
brother, John e. Cook. will brighton your pas-
sage the dark river, and rise by your side %
M interceding angel in that day when your trial.
MS we'll as his, shall 10 determined by a just but
II n /