Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1859-10-25
THE TRIAL or ms CoNsPIRAroRs

The following is the charge of Judge Parker to the
Grand Jury of Jefferson county, with reference to the
affair at Harpers Ferry:
GsstsweH of the .glTv:
In the state of excitement into which our whole com
muniiy has been thrown by the recent occurrences in
this county, / feel that the charge which / USUALLY deliver
to 4 Grand Jury would be entirely out of place.
These occurrences cannot but force themselves upon
your attention. They must necessarily occupy a consid.
cradle portion of that time which you will devote to your
public duties As a Grand jury. However guilty the I'M
fortunate men who are now in the hands of Justice may
prove TO De, still they cannot be called upon to answer
TO the offended laws of our Commonwealth for any of the
multilarious crimes with which they are charged. until a
Grand jury, after "~dilisent' inquiry shall decide that for
these offences they be put upon their trial.
| will not permit myself to give expression to any of
those feelings which at once spring mp in every breast
rejecting upon the euounity of the guilt in which those
are involved who invade by force a peaceful. unsuspect.
ing portion OF our common country, raise the Sandard
OF insurrection amongst Us, and shoot down without mer-
CIV Virginia citizens defending Virginia soil against their
invasion. must remember, gentlemen, that as a minis.
ter of justice, bound TO execute our laws faithfully, and
in the very spirit of justice herself, | must a. to every
one accused OF crime hold, as the law holds, that he is
innocent until he shall be proved guilty by an honest. an
independent, and an impartial jury of his countrymen.
And what is obligatory upon me, is equally binding upon
you, and 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 has taken, and in which you have
solennly sworn that you will diligently enquire into all
offences which may be brought TO your knowledge. and
that you will present no one through ill-wil" as well as
that you will leave no one unpresented through fear or
favor, but in all your presentments you shall present the
truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth" DO
but this, gentlemen, and you will have fulfilled your
whole duty. TO beyond this, and, in place Of that dill.
gent enquiry and calm investigation which you have
sworn to make, act upon prejudice or from excitement
of passion, and you will have done a wrong TO that law
IN whose service YOU are engaged.
As ! before said, these men are now in the hands of
Justice. They are to have . fair aud impartial trial.
We owe it to the cause Of justice as we'll as to orr own
character, that such a trial should be afforded them. II
guilty, they will be sure to pay the extreme penalty Of
their guilt-and the example OF punishment, when thus
Inflicted by virtue Of law, will be beyond all comparison
more eficacious for our future protection than any tor.
ture TO which mere passion could subject them.
Whether then we be in public or private position, let
each one Of " remember that as the law has charge of
these offenders, the law sloue, through its recognized
agents, must deal with them TO the last. IL can tolerate
no interference by others with duties it has assumed TO IT,
self. If true TO herself, and true she will be. our com
monwealtb, through her Courts Of Justice, viii be az
ready TO punish the offence OF such interference as che il
to punish those grave and serious ufeuces with which she
is now about to deal-in case these offences he proved
by legal testimony to have been petpetrutcd. Let W. all.
! gentlemen, bear this in mind, aud 10 patience await the
result-conhdent that that result will he whatever
strict and impartial justice shall determine to be necessa-
ry and proper.
II would seem, gentlemen, land yet / speak from no
evidence, but upon vague rumOrs which have reached
mel that these men, who have lately thrown themselves
upon NJ, confidently expected 10 he joined by our slaves
and free negroes, and uniurled tho banner Of iusurrcc.
ton, and invited this class Of our citizens to rally under
t. And yet, as am told, they were unable to obtain a
single recruit.
HARrEE's FrnRY. Oct. 2Ist.-Everythinr here contia.
ues quiet A citizens guard has been established, Of 20
men at the Perry, - at Shepard. town. aud 80 at Charles
town, where the pfisouers-fye in number-are con.
fined. Brown has made no disclosures, aud the Others
apparently have none 20 make. They will be indicted
for treason, murder. and melting the slaves to insurrec.
ton. The Court has appointed, as counsel for the dc.
fence, Robert y. Conrad, Of Winchester. Andrew Hun.
Ter, Ia. will assist the prosecution. The trial viii tax,
place next week.
jane. w Lynch has been arrested at Cumberland
and confined ia Romney jail, on the charge Of conspi
raCy.
Richardson and Dorsey, reported killed, are still alive
and improving.