The Union flag. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1865-187?, 1867-03-29
that tie rudest peasant could compro-

that tie rudest peasant could cOnprc-
hvnd il without al effort.
Anon he came 70 the dazzling wit
of the poet.lawyer Pike. Then the
curl Of his lips grew sharper, his
smooth face began 10 kindle up, aud
bis eyes to open--dim and dreamy 10
longer, but vivid as lightning, red us
fire globes, Rs glaring rs twin moteors.
The whole soul was in his eye, tho
full heart streamed out of his face.
In five minutes, Pixies wit scemed
like foam Of folly, and his finest sat
ire, horrible profanity, when compared
with the inimitable sallies and exter-
minating sarcasm Of the stranger, In
tcrspersed with jeste and anecdotes
that filed the forum with laughter.
Then, without so much as bestow-
ing an allusion upon Prentiss, he
turned round short at the peJured
witnesses Of Hopkins, tore their tes-
timony into atoms, and hurled into
their faces such invectives thnt all
trembled as with ague, and two of
them actually fed in dismay from the
Court House.
The excitement of the crowd was
becoming tremendous. Their united
life aud souls seemed to hang upon
tho burning tongue Of tho stranger.
He inspired them with the power of
his own passion. He saturated them
with the poison of his own malicious
feelings. He seemed to have stolen
natures ng-bidden secret of attrac-
tion. He was the son TO the sea Of
all thought and emotion, which rose
aud fell, and toned in the billows rs
he chose. But his greatest triumph
was to come.
His eyes began to glance furtively
at the assassin Hopkins, as his lean
taper fihger assumed the same direc-.
tiOn. He hemmed the wretch with
circumvallation of strong evidence
and impregnable argument, cutting
off all hope of escape.
He piled up large bastions of insnr-
monntnblu fncts. Ho dug beneath
the murderer and slanderer's feet,
bitches If dilemmas, such as no So
phi.Iry could overleap, and no secrets
Of ingenuity Ovadoj and thus hay
ing as Que might say, impounded bis
victim, and girt him about like scor-
pion in u circle of are,. he stripped
himself TO tho work Of massacre.
Oh then it was u vision both glo-
riOus and dreadful to behold the ora
tor. His notions before graceful as
the waves Of tho golden willow in
the breeze, grew impetuous rs the
motion of an oak in hurricane.
His voice became u trumpet filed
with wild whirlpoOls, deafening
the ear " tn tho crashes of power,
and yet intermingling oil the whilo
with sweet undorsoag of The soft
est cadence.
His face was as red US q drunkard's
his forehead glowed like a heated
fnrnace-his cOuntenanGe was hag-
gard like that of maniac-and ever
and anon he flung his long and bony
arms on high, US if grasping utter
thnndeFbOlts. aat ''''
He drew u picture of murder in
such APPALLING oJlors, that IN eompari-
son, hell itself might be considered
beautiful. Ho painted the slanderer
80 black, that the sun seemed dark ut
monday, when shining on snch an
Aeeursed monster, aud then fixing
both portraits on the shrinking Hop
kins, he fastened theA there forever.
The agitation of tho audience amount
cd almost TO madaess.
All ut once the speaker descended
ftOal bis perilous height. His voice
vailed out Tor the murdered dead and
living-the beautiful Mary, more
beautiful every moment as her tears
aowed fa,tor-tlli all wept and sob
bed like children.
He closed by a strange exhortation
10 the jury, and through them TO the
bystanders He advised the panel af-
ter they should bring in verdict for
the plaintiff, not to offer violence to
Che defendant, however richly he
might deserve it, In other words, not
TO lynch the villiaR, but leave his pun
isbmoIk te God. ,i-.
This was the most artful trick Of
all, and tho best calculated 10 insure
vengeance.
The jury rendered a verdict OF
twenty Thousand dollars, and the
night afterwards Hopkins was taken
out of his bed BY lynchors and beat
eu almost 10 death
AZ the court adjonrned the strang.
or made known bis name, aud called
the attention Of the public with The
uoanccment = John Taylor viii
preach this evening ut early candle
light. .,
The crowd all turned out, and Tay-
lor'v sermon eqhalled II il did not sur
pass tie splchdor Of his forensic Of.
ioit. This Is not exaggeration. have
listened to Clay, Webster and Cal.
hoan-to DeweV. Tyuu aud Bascom-