Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1860-05-04

And those shadows in the valley,
Dim the sunshine Of my heart.
Home Journal,
Patrick Henry.
Three Baptist preachers were brought to
trial in about l775, for preaching. The in
dictmcnt brought against them was, "for
preaching the gospel of the Son of God. !"
and therefore disturbers of the peace. The
clerk was reading the indictment in a slow
and formal manner, and he pronounced the
crime with emphasis, I" for preaching the gos-
pei of the Son of God" when plain dressed
man dismounted his horse, entered the court
house, and took his seat within the bar, He
was known to the court and lawyers but a
stranger to the mass of spectators who had
gathered on the occasion. This was Patrick
Henry, who, on hearing of this prosecution.
had rode some 6fty or sixty miles from his
| residence in Hanover county, to volunteer
his services in the defence of tn. prisoners.--
He listened to the further reading of the in
dictment with marked attention. the first
sentence of which that had caught his ear
was, !" for preaching the gospel Of the Son Of
God" When the indictment had been read,
and the prosecuting attorney had submitted
few remarks, Henry arose, stretched out
his hand and received the paper, and then ad-
| dressed the court:
May it please your worships: think
heard read by the prosecutor as entered this
house, the paper now hold in my hand. If
| have rightly understood, the kings attorney
OF this county has framed an indictment for
the purpose of arraigning and furnishing by
imprisonment three inoffensive persons before
! the bar of this court, for crime of great mag
nitnde--as disturbers of the peace May it
please the court what did hear read? Did
| hear it distinctly, or was it mistake of my
own? Did hear an expression, as if crime,
that there rnen, whom your worships are
about to try for misdemeanor, are charged
with-what?" and continuing in low, sol
elnn, heavy tone, for preaching the Gospel
OF the Son of Godp' Pausing amidst the
profound silence and breathiess astonishment
Of his hearers, he slowly waved the paper
three times around his head, then lifting up
his hands and eyes to heaven. with extraor-
dinary and impressive energy he exclaimed,
GREAT GoDr' The exclamation, the act
ion, the burst of feeling from the audience
were all overpowering. Mr.. Henry resumed !:
May it please your worships: In day
like this, when truth is about to burst her
fetters-when mankind are about to be raised
to claim their natural and inalienable rights
when the yoke Of oppression which has reach
ed the wilderness of America, and the unnat-
ural alliance Of ecclesiastical and civil power
| is about to be dissevered-at such period.
when liberty-librty of conscience lis about
to awake from her slumberings and inquire
into the reason of such charges as find ex-
hibited here to-day in this Indictment r'-
Another fearful pause, while the speaker al
ternately cast his sharp piercing eyes on the
court and the prisoners, and resumed:
"If I am not deceived, according to the
contents Of the paper now hold in my hand.
these men are accused Of" preaching the COS,
pei of the Son Of God" "GREAT COB Z
Another long pause, during which he again
waved the indictment around his head, while
deeper impression was made on the audit
ory. Resuming his speech:
MAY it please your worships, there are
periods in the history Of man, when corrup-
ton and depravity have SO long debased the
human character, that man sinks under the
weight Of the oppressor's hand, and becomes
his servilc, his abject slave; he licks the hand
that smites him he bows in passive obedi.
ence to the mandates of the despot and in
this state Of s9viity he receives Ills letters of
perpetual bondage. But, may it please your
worships, such day has passed away!
From the period when our father left the
land Of their nativity for settlement in these
American wilds-for iberty--fof civil and
religious iiberty-for liberty Of consciencc-to
worship their Creator according to their con-
ceptions of Heavens revealed will-from the
moment they placed Their feet on the Amer
ican continent, and, in the deeply embodied
forests, sought an asylum from persecution
and tyranny-from tfat moment despotism
was crushed, her fetters Of darkness were
broken, and Heaven decreed that men should
be free-free to wrship God according to
the Bible. Were it not for this, in vain have
been taken the efforts and sacrifices Of the
colonists; in vain were all their sufferings
and bloodshed to subjugate this new world,
II we, their offspring, must still be oppressed
and persecnted. But, may it please your
worships. permit me to inquire once more for
what are these men about to be tried? This
paper says, for preaching the gospel Of the
Son Of God! Great God! For preaching
the Savior to Adams fallen race"
After another pause. in tones Of thunder
he inquired, What law have they violated r.
Then TOR the third time, h slo,N. Aisnifed
manner. he Hfted his eyes - heaven, and
waved the indictment around his head. The
court and the audience were now wrought
up to the most intense pitch Of excitement.
The face Of the prosecuting attorney was pale
and ghastly, and he appeared unconcious that
his whole frame was agitated with alarm !;
and the judge in tremulous voice, put II,
end to the scene, now becoming extremely
painful, by the authoritative command, "Shefs
i6 discharge those men |"