The Lincoln County herald., 1872-07-10
Patrick Henry In Court.
His brilliant Defence of the Indicted
Preachers.


church Mr.. Parton illustrates by the
case Of three Baptist preachers, who
we're arraigned as disturbers Of tn peace
before magistrates who were determined
to convict them, and the following ac
count is given of Patrick Henrys per.
formancs--it was more than u speech
on the occasion:
He entered the court house while the
prosecuting attorney was reading the
indictment. He was q 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 indictment, and glancing at it
with an expression of puzzled ircredu.
lity, began to speak in tho tone of mau
who has just heard something too aston.
ishng for belief.
iMay it please. your worships, think
heard read by the prosecutor, as | en-.
tered the house, the paper now hold iu
ny hand. If have rightly understood,
the kings attorney has framed au in
dictment tor the purpose of arraigniug
and puuishins by imprisonment these
three inotfensive persons before the bar
OF this court for crime of great mag.
nitude- as disturbers of the peace May
it please the court, what did hear read :?
Did | hear it distinctly, or was it mis-
take Of my own? Did hear an ex
preston as of a crime, that these men
whom your worships are about to try for
misdemeanor, arc charged with--with
wHAT?'
Having delivered those words IN a
haltinS, broken manner, as if his mind
was staggering under the weight of
monstrous idea, he lowered his voice TO
its deepest base, and assuming the pro.
foundest soemnity Of manner, answered
his own question preaching the gos
pei of the Son of God !"
Then he paused. Every eye was now
rivited upon him. and every mind intent /;
for all this was executed as a Kean or u
Siddons would have performed it ou the
stage-aye, voice, attitude, gesture, all
in accord to produce the utmost posi-.
biIity Of effect. Amid 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 IL tone of pathetic energy
wholly indescribabe, exclaimed, Great
God |"
At this point, such was the power of
his delivery, the audience relieved their
feelings by burst Of sighs aud tears.
The orator continued:
MAY it please your worships, in day
I like this, when truth is about to burst
her fetters, when mankind are about to
be aroused to claim their natural and
inalienable rights, when the yoke Of
oppression that has reached tho wilder
ness of America, and the unnatural
alliance of ecclesiastical and civil power
are about to be dissevered-at such pc
riod, when liberty, liberty Of conscience,
Is about to wake from her slum behring's
and inquire into the reason of such
charges as | find exhibited here to day
in this indictment" Here occurred
another Of his appalling pauses, during
which he cast piercing looks at the judges
and at the three clergymen arraigned.
Then resumiug he thrilled every hesrer
by his favorite device Of repetition "If
am not deceived according to the
contents of the paper | now hold in my
hand--these men are accused of preach
ing the gospel Of tho Son of God !" He
waved the document three times round
his head, as though still lost in wonder
and then with the same electric attitude
of appeal to Heaven, be gaspsd, "Grsat
God |"
This was followed by another burst Of
feeling from the spectators; and again
this master of effect plunged into the
tide of his discourse
inlay it please your worships. there
are periods 10 tho history of men when
corruption and depravity have SO long
. debased the human character, that man
sinks under the weight Of the oppressors =
hand becomes his servile, his abjec,
slave, He !icks the hand that smitss
, him. He bows in passive obedience to
the mandates Of the despot; and in this
state Of ssrvility he receives his fetters
of perpetual bondage. But may i,
please your worships, such day has
assed. From that period when our
fathers left the land Of their nativity for
these American wilds. from the momsn,
they placed their feet on the American
continent. from that moment despotism
was crushed. the letters Of darkness were
broken, and Heaven decreed that man
, should DO free, free to worship God
, according to tho Bible. In vain were
all their sufferings and bloodshsd to sub
! jugate this New World, it va, their of
spring, must still be oppressed and per
. secuted. But, may it please your wor
, ships, permit me to inquire once more
for what are these men about to be tried
, This paper says for preaching the gospel
] Of the Savior to Adams fallen race I"
Again be paused. For q third time
, he slowly waved the indictment round
, his head and then, turning to the judges
+ looking them full in the face, exclaimed
witht he most imnrassivs offoct ,.Wh.