The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1872-07-05
PATRICK HENRY IN COURT.
His Brilliant Defence Of tae Indicted
PreRchoEs.
from the Atlantic for July.l

II
church Mr. Parton illustrates by tn,
case of three Baptist preachers whC
were arraigned as "disturbers of tn,
peace" before magistrates who wer'
determined to convict them. Pa
trick Henry rode fifty miles to defenC
them, and the following account Ii
gwen OF his perfOrmance-it wal
more than a speech-on that occa
sion.
Ho entered the courthouse while
the prosecuting attorney was read
ing the indictment. He was str 4n-
ger to most of the spectators, and
being dressed in the country manner
his entrance excited no remark
When the prosecutor had finished
his brief opening, the new-come.
took the Indictment, and glancing al
it with an expression of puzzled in
credulity, began to speak in the tone
of man who has just heard some
thing too astonishing for belief.
May it please your worships,
think heard read by the prosecutor,
as entered the house, the paper ]
now hold in my hand. If I have
rightly understood, the Kings attor-
ney has framed an indictment for
the purpose Of arraigning and pun
ishing by Imprisonment these three
inoffensive persons before the bar OF
this court for a crime ofgreat mag
nitude-as disturbers of the peace.
May it please the court, what did I
hear read? Did l hear it distinctly,
or was it mistake of my own? Did
1 hear an expression of a crime, that
these men, whom your worships are
about to try for misdemeanOr, are
charged With-with-with WHAT?
Having delivered these words in a
halting, broken manner, as if his
mind was staggering under the
weight of a monstrous idea, he low
cred his voice to its deepest bass,
and, assuming the prOfoundest So
lemnity OF manner, answered his own
question: preaching the gospel of
the Son of Godl"
"Then he paused. Every eye was
now riveted upon him, and every
mind intent; for all this was execu-
ted as a Kedn or a Siddons would
have performed it on the Stage-eye,
voice, attitude, gesture, all In accord
TO produce the utmost possibility of
effect. Amid a silence that could be
felt, he waved the indictment three
times round his head, as though still
amazed, still unable to comprehend
the charge.
"Then he raised his hands and
eyes to heaven, and, In tone of pa
thetic energy wholly indescribable,
exclaimed Great God?'
cat this point, such was the pow
er OF his delivery, the audience re
lieved their feelings by burst of
signs and tears. The orator cOn'in-
ued:
"May it please yonr worships, in
day like this, when truth is about to
burst her fetters, when mankind are
bout to be aroused to claim their
natural and inalienable rights, when
the yoke of oppression that has
searched tho Wilderness of America,
and the unnatural alliance of eccle-
siastical and civil power are about to
be dissevered-at such a period,
wbea liberty, liberty of conscience,
is about to wake from her slumber-
ings and inquire into the reason of
such charges as find exhibited here
to-day in this indictment oc-
Cured another of his appalling
pauses, during which be cast pierc-
ing looks at the judges and at the
three clargymen arraigned. Then
resuming he thrilled every hearer by
his favorite device of repetition: If
[ am not deceived - according to the
contents of the paper l now mold IN
my hand-these men are accused of
preaching the gospel OF the Son of
Godl' He waived the document
three times round his head as though
still lost in wonder, and then, with
the same electric attitude of appeal to
Heaven, he gasped, Great God
"This was followed by another
burst of feeling from the specta ors;
and again this master of effect
plunged into he tide of his dis
course:
MAY it please your worships,
there are periods in the history of
man when corruption and depravity
have so debased tho human charac-
ter, that man sinks under the weight
of tho oppressor's hand-becomes
his servile, his abject slave. He hcks
the hand that smites him. He bows
in passive obedience TO the mandates
of the despot; and, IN this state oil
serYiEty, he receives his letters of
perpetual bondage. But, may it
please your worships, such day has
passed. From that period when our
fathers left the land of their nativity
for these American wilds, from the
moment they placed their feet upon
thc American continent from that
moment despOtism was crushed, the
fetters of darkness were broken, and
Heaven decreed hat man should be
free, free to worship God according
to the Bible. In vain were all their
sufferiDgs and bloodshed to subju-
gate this New World, if we, their off
spring, must still be oppressed and
prosecuted. But, may it please your
"oA5Aip6J pSALA'0 AlS " - i'NN'O
more, for what arc these men about
to be tried? This paper says; For
preaching the gospel of the Saviour
to Adams fallen race!'
Again be paused. For the third
time he slowly waved the indictment
round his head; and then, turning to
the judges, looking them full in the
face, exclaimed with the most i'm
pressive effect. What law have they
violatedY The whole assembly was