The Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1859-1865, 1864-07-14

deathly silence pervaded the vast audience,
and in clear and moderate tone began
his argument. Slowly and carefully he
reviewed the testimony, pointing out the
hitherto unobserve9 discrepancies in the
statements of the principal witness. That
which had seemed plain and plausible, he
made to appear as crooked as serpent's
path. The witness had stated that the
affair took place at a certain hour in the
evening, and that, by the aid o. the
brightly shining moon, he saw the pris-
oner inhict the death blow with slung-
shot. Mr.. Lincoln showed that at the
hour referred to the moon had not yet
appeared above the horizon, and conse-
quently the whole tale was fabrication.
can Observation-Disclosures change SEEM
ed to have been wrought in the minds
of his auditors, and the verdict Of Not
Guilty was at the end of every tongue
But the advocate was not content with
| this intellectual achievement. HIS whole
being had for months been bound up In
this work of gratitude and mercy, and, as
the lava of the overcharge1 crater bursts
from It's imprisonment, so great thoughts
and burning words leaped forth from the
soul of the eloquent Lincoln. He drew
picture of the perjurer SO horrid and
CHASTITY, that the accuser could sit under
it no longer, but reeled and staggered
from the courtroom, whilst the audience
fancied they could see the brand upon his
brow. Then, in.words ofthrilling pathos,
Lincoln appealed to the jurors as fathers
of sons who might become fatherless, and
as husbands of wives who might. be wild
ows, to yield to no previous impression,
no ill-founded prejudice, but to. do his
debt of gratitude he owed to the boys sire,
tears were seen to fall from many eyes
unused to weep.
'It was near night when he concluded,
by saying that If justice were done-and
he believed it would be-before the sun
should set, it would shine upon his client
a free man. The jury retired, and the
Court adjourned for the day. Half an
hour had not elapsed when, as the officers
of the Court and the volunteer attorney
sat at the tea-table of their hotel, a mes
senger announced that the jury had re-
turned to their seats. All repaired at
once to the courthouse, and, whilst the
prisoner was being brought from the jail,
the court room was filled to overfowing
with citizens of the town. When the
prisoner and his mother entered, silence
reigned as completely as though the house
were empty. The foreman of the jury, in
answer to the usual inquiry from the
Court, delivered the verdict of Not Gull
ty.' The widow dropped into the arms of
her son, who lifted her up and told her to
look upon him as before, free and inno-
cent. Then, with the words, Where is
Mr. Lincoln p he rushed across the room,
and grasped the hand of his deliyerer,
whilst his heart was too full for utterance.
Lincoln turned his eyes towards the west,
where the sun still fingered in view, and
then, turning to the youth, said: 1T IS
not yet sundown, and you are free [
confess that my cheeks were not wholly
unwet by tears, and [ turned from the
affecting scene. As 1 cast a glance BE-
hind, [ saw Abraham Lincoln obeying
the divine injunction by comforting the
widowed and fatherless."