Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1872-08-07
Patrick Henry in COurt--HiS Brilliant
Defense Of the Indicted Preachers.

The intolerance of the Established
Church Mr.. Parton illustrates by the
case of three Baptist preachers who
were arraigned as "disturbers of
the peace" before magistrates who
were determined to convict them
Patrick Henry rode fifty miles to de-
fend them, and the following account
is given of his performance-it was
more than a speeeh-on that ocea-
sion: s - -.
HE entered the court house while
the prosecuting attorney was reading
the Indictment. He was a stranger
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 conner took the in
dictment, and glaneing at it with an
expression of puzzled increduiity, be-
gan to speak in the tone of a man
who has just heard something TOO
astonishing for belief. ~.
May it please your WOrships, 1
think 1 heard read by the prosecutor.
as entered the house, the paper I
now hold in my hand. If L have
rightly understood, the Kings attor-
ney has framed an indictment for the
purpose of arraigning and Furnishing
by imprisonment these three inOfen-
sive persons before the bar of this
Court for crime Of great magnitude
-as disturbers of the peace. May it
please the Court, what did l hear
read2 Did 1 hear it distinctly, or
was il a mistake of my own? Did l
hear an expression as Of crime, that
these men, whom your Worships are
about to try for misdemeanOrs, are
charged with-with WHAT?
Having delivered these words in
halting, broken manner, as if his
mind was staggering under the weight
of a monster idea, he lowered his
voice to its deepest bass, and, assu-
ming the pIofOuBdest solemnity of
manner, answered his own question:
preaching the Gospel Of the Son Of
GodI"
"Then he paused. Every eye was
now Tivited upon him, and every
mind intent; for all this was executed
as a Kean or a SiddoDs would have
performed it on the stage eye, voice,
attitude, gesture, all in accord, to
the utmost possibility of effect. Amid
a silence that could be felt, he waived
the indictment three times around his
head, as though still amazed still una
BILE to comprehend the charge.
''Then he raised his hands and his
eyes to Heaven, and, in tone of pa
thetic energy wholly indescribable ex-
claimed: Great God !
"At this point, such was the power
of his delivery, that the audience re-
lieved their feelings by burst of sighs
and tears. The orator continued:
"May it please your Worships. in
day like this, when truth is about
to burst her fetters, when mankind
are about to be aroused to claim their
natural and inalienabie rights, when
the woke of oppression that has reach /
ed the wilderness of America, and
the unnatural alliance of eeclesiasti-
cal and civil powers are about to be
dissevered-at such a period. when
liberty, liberty of conscience, Is about
to wske from herslumberings and in |
quire into the reasons of such char |
ges as / find exhibited here to-day !
Here occurred another OF his appalling |
pauses, during which he cast piercing |
looks at the judges, and at the three |
arraigned. Then resuming, |
he thrilled every hearer by his favor
ite device of repetition. "If am
not notwithstanding to the con-
tents of the paper / now hold in my |
men are accused of
the Gospel of the Son of
God = He waived the document three /
times around his head, as though still |
lost in wonder, and then with the /
same electric attitude OF appeal to 4
heaven, he gasped-'Great GOdp
"This was followed by another
burst of feeling from the spectators;
and again this master of effect plung
ed into the tide of his discourse -.
MAY it tLlease your Worskips, there
are periods in the history of man
when corruption and depravity have
so long debased the human character,
that man sinks under the weight of
The oppressor's hand-becOmes his
lbjeet slave. He Iicks the hand that
,mItes him. He bows in passive obe-
lience to the mandates of the despOt;
md, in this state of servility, he re
eeives the fetters of perpetual bon
1age. But, may 1t please your WOr-
ships, such q day has passed. From
sudl huCn Oul ACAL TIE
and of their nativity for these Ameri-
IAN wilds, from the moment they
placed their feet on the American con-
inent, from that moment despOtism
vas crushed, the fetters Of darkness
we're broken, and heaven decreed that
nan should be free, free to worship
God according to the Bible. In vain
we're all their sufferings and blood
he'd to subjugate this New World, if
We, their offspring, must still be Op-
pressed and prosecuted. But, may it
please your Worships, permit me to
inquire once more-for what are these
nen about to be tried? This paper
ays-'for preaching the Gospel of
he Saviour to Adams fallen raceP
Again he paused. For the third
ime he slowly waved the Indictment
Iround his head; and then turning to
he judges, looking them full in the
ace, exclaimed with the most impress
i've effeet-'What laws have they VIC
ated p The whole assembly was
low painfully moved and excited
rhe presiding judge ended the scene
,y Observation-Disclosures these
nen pp -J - r-r .r.- i,