Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1860-03-07
Railg gir9iaiaa.
Anecdote of patrickH onry.


brought against them was, bFar preaching the
Gospel OF the Son of God contrary to tbs statute
in that case provided. and therefore disturbers of
the peace The clerk was reading the indictment
IN slow and formal manner, and he pronounced
the crime with emphasis, For preaching the
Gospel of the Son of God" when plainly dressed
man dismounted from his horsc. entered tho
COURTHOUSE. and took his seat within tho bar
lie was known to the court and lawyers. but
stranger to the mnss of spectators who had gath
eeed on the OCCASION This was Patrick llenry,
who On hearing Of this prosecution, had rode
some fifty or sixty miles from his residence in
Hanover county. to volunteer his services in tho
defence OF tho prisoners. lie listened TO the fur.
ther reading of tho indictment With marked At
tcntion, the first sentence of which that Ind
cnught his enr was. "for preaching the Gospel of
the Son of God.' When The indictment had been
read, md the prosecuting attorney had submitted
n few remarks. Henry arose, stretched out his
hand md received the paper, and then addressed
the court.
May it rlease your worships | think | heard
read by tho prosecutor IA entered this house, the
paper TINT now hold in my hand. If hayn
rightly understood, tho kings attorney OF this col.
ony has framed an indictment for tho purpose If
arraigning and Furnishing by Imprisonment three
~inoiFensiye persons bcfre the bar Of this court,
for crime of great magnitude-as disturbers of
the peace. May ii please tho court. what did |
hear read Did hear it distinctly, or was it
mistake Of my own? Did hear mn expression,
as if crime. that these men, whom your wor-
ships nre about 10 try for misdemennor. nre
charged witli--what ?" and continued in low.
solemn. heavy tone, For preaching the Gospel oi
the Son Of God!' Pausing, amidst the most pro-
found asionishment of his hearers, hn slowly
waved the paper three times around his head.
then lifting up his hands and eyes 10 heaven with
extraordinary and impressive encgy, he exclaim-
ed; "GRE.T Con- The exclamation. the action,
the burst of feeling from tho Guidance. were all
oyerpowering. Mr.. Henry resumed:
MAY it please yonr worshps: In u day like
this, when truth is about to burst her fe,ters-
when mankind are about to be raised to claim
their natural and inalienable rights when the
the yoke Of oppression which has reached the will
derness Of America, mud the unnatural alliance OF
ecclesiastical and civil power is about to be dis
severed nj such period when liberty -liberty
of conscience is about TO awake from her slum-
behring's and inquire into the reason Of sneh carecs
ms find exhibited here to-day in this Indictment"
Another fearful pnuse, while the speaker alter
nately east hiSkharp, piercing eyes on tho court
and the prisoners, and resumed "lf nm not
deceived, according To the contents of the paper
| now hold in my hnnd, these men aro accused of
| preaching the Gospel of tho Son of God Great
God" Another long pause, during which he
again waved tho Indictment around his head,
! while a deeper impression made on the au-
ditory. ReSuming his speech:
May it please your worships: There are Pc
RODS in the history Of man, whnn corruption md
! deprnyity have no long ,leha,cd the human char
| acter, that man sinks under the weight o the OPP
pressor's hand, and becomes his serviie, his alb
eat slave; be licks the hand that strikes him; ho
bows in passive obedience TO tic mandates of the
depot, and, in this Stale OF smylity. he receives
his faters If perpetual bondage. But may it
please your Worship. such n dnv has passed
away! From the period when our fathers left the
| l,,I tl,uir I,p IN, tl4nao
American wids--ir Libe,ty--ior civil and re-
lgous liberty-ior liberty of fnnscience II, wpr.
ship their Creator according fheir conceptions ot
heavens revealed will frnm the moment they
placed their feet on the American continent, aud
in tho deeply imbedded forests sought nn asylum
from persecution and tyrannI from that moment
despniism was crushed. her letters Of darkness
were broken, and heaven detrecd that man should
lc free ice 10 worship Gi1 according to the
Bible. Were it not for this, in vain have been ta
ken the eforts and sacrifices of the colonists; in
vain were all their sutfrrings and bloodshed to
subiugae this new world, il we, their offspring,
must still he oppressed and prosecuted. But,
may it please your worslips permit me to en-
quirc once more: for whnt urc these men nb'.t to
he tried? This paper says, For preaching the
Gospel Of the Son of God Great Gtd for
preaching the Savior to Adams fallen race
After another pause in tones Of thunder he
inquired-"What law have they yolatcd?' Then.
for the third time, in slow, dignifed manner, he
lifted his eyes to heaven and waved the indct-
ment around his head. The court and the audi
ence were now wrought up to the most intense
pitch of excitement. The face OF the prosecuting
attorney was pale and gAas'ly. and he appeared
unconscious that his whole frame was asitated
with alarm and the udge, in a tremulons voice,
put IN end to the scene, nov becoming extreme
ly painful, by the authorize command -'Sher-
if, discharge those men y
JosEPu SMITH, JR.-Epors 10 Place HIM al the
Head Of Mormonism.A correspondent of the st
Louis Republican. writing from Nauvoo, under
date of the 18th ult. says Joseph Smith Jr.,
Of the late Prophet is here. as also the other
members of tho family. Joseph is understood
among the Saints to be the successor of his father
in the prophetic Office, and II is limited among the
would be-wsc ones. thnt he Is about to assume the
robes of the sacred office BE that it may, it is
true that he is now entertaining delegation from
Salt Lake who are using every pnrsufs on in their
power to convince the youa prophet that he is cal
led Of God forthwith to assume the Office and pro-
coed to Salt Lake, and take the head of tho MOI
mon Council Joseph is man of good stron sense
ard should he undertake !he station, have no
doubt, would endeavor to make reform among
hispe"ple. IIs is decidedly against polygamy in
favr Of obedience to law, Ind opposed in any form
to milking the Gentiles. 1t is to be hoped that he
will undertake the task, and succeed in making
Salt Lake the homo fupight,law.abidingc citizens
instend of den Of thieves Joseph, however is be-
set on the other side by an organization of Nor.
mons in this State, who will meet in Council at
Amboy. on the 9th of April next. to become their
head, and call aronnd him all the faithful 1t is not
known that he will listen to any of their proposals
but Gel tain il is, If he refuses exercise the pow
er within his control, he has n quality nogven to
common men to resist when tempted with the GER
aiqty of power. equal to that Of any other living
man, a,powerthat needs not the armies of Frunce
or Russia to enforceit, but power that is over