The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1860-08-10
VOL 2.
Anecdote OF Patrick Henry.

indictment brought against them was ''for
preaching the Gospel Of the Sen Of God
contrary to the statute in that case provi
! ded, and therefore disturbers of the peace.
The clerk was reading the Indictment in
! a slow and formal manner, and be pro
nounced the crime with emphasis, for
preaching the Gospel Of the Son Of God"
when a plainly dressed man dismounted
/ from his horse entered the courthouse,
and took his seat within the bar. lie
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 fifty or sixty
miles from his residence in Hanover coun-
tv to volunteer his services in the defence
of the prisoners. lie listened to the fur
ther reading of the indictment with mark
ed attention, the first sentence Of which
that had caught his ear was "for preaching
the Gospel of the Son Of God" " hen
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 worslips think
| heard read BY the prosecutor as | enter
ell this house the paper | low hold in my
hand. fl have rightly understood, the
Kings attorney Of this colony. has fra
med this indictment for the purpose Of ar
raigning and punishing by imprisonment
three iuoffensive persons before the bar OF
this court for crime Of great magnitude
as disturbers Of the peace. May It
pease the Court, what did hear read >
Did hear it distinctly or was it a mistake
of my own? Did hear an expression, as
If crime, that these men, whom your
worships are about to try for misde
meanor, are charged with-what! z and
continuing iu low, solemn, heavy tone,
for preaching the Gospel Of the son OF
IGoI." Paueinc, amidst the profound 81
cnce and breathess astonishmeut Of his
hearers, he slowly waved the paper three
times round his head then, lifting up his
hands and eyes to Heaven, with eXtraor-
dinary and impressive energy, he eXciaim-
ed, " GREAT Corr The exclamation, the
action. the burst of feeling from the audi
erde, were all oveIpowering. Mr.. Henry
resumed:
Nav it please your worships, in a day
ike this, when truth is about to burst her
fetters-when mankind are about TO be
raised to claim tlcir natural and iHaIiena
be richts-when the yoke Of oppression
which las reached the wilderness OF
America, and the unnatural alliance OF &C.
cles1astical and civil power IS about to be
disseyeIed--at such period when liberty
liberty of conscience-ls aboat to wake
from her slumberlngs and inquire INTO the
reason Of such charges as ind exhibited
here today III tins Indlctmeht. Ahoth-
er fearful pause, "hlIe t"e speaker ailFF
nateIy cast his piercing eyes on the
Court and prisoners, and resumed: II /
am not deceived, according to t4e con-
tents of the paper l now hold IN my
hand, these men are accused OF preaching
the Gospel Of the Son OF God GREAl
GoDv Another long pause during winch
he again waved the indictment around his
head, while deeper impression was made
on the auditory. Resumlng his speech
A'if'I - I'iS''0N ''' 'O''--'- l." -
periods IN the history OF man when coFruP,
ton and dePraylty have SO long debaseo
the human character that man SINKS un
der the weight OF the 'oPpFe,ssor 5 nano' ano
becomes ms servl'e ms aCeGI Save ns
hicks the hand that strikes INN he BOWS IL
passive obedience to the mandates at: OF the
) deSpot, and IN tillS state OF SerViiiIy ne 10
) celyes his letters OF perpetual bohda5e'-
But, may 1t please your "orshiPs' Saen
day has passed away from 'ne PeFlod
when our fathers lett the lana OF the'F Ia
tlylty tor settlement IN these american ,e "
Whd3-Ior Liberty civil ana fe'l9'ou,
llberty-ior liberty OF consciehce-to "or'
ship their creator according TO tneir con
eepuons OF lieaVen revealed VIII; IRON
the moment 'hey placed tne,f 'seU Oh tn'
Amencan continent, ana III '1e 'eel'y l"l
: oedded forests sought an asylum non per
secution ana tyrr'hhy-lroi, Una. ii'o''e"
despotlsn was crushed, heI IetIe's .
darkness were broken. ana ieaFeh decrGel ::
that man snould De iregmiIee 70 Mo's" |
not for this, in vain have been the effort: