The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1873-12-13

three Baptist preachers who were ar
raigned as "disturbers of the peace"
before magistrates who were determined
to convict them. Patrick Henry rode
fifty miles to defend them, and the fol-
lowing account is tiven of his perform
ance-it was more than speech ON
that occasion.
He entered the court house while the
prosecuting attorney was reading the
indictment. He was stranger to most
of the spectators, and being dressed in
the country manner, his entrance excit-
ed no remark. When the prosecutor
had finished his brief opening, the new
conner took the indictment, and glanc-
ing at it with an expression of puzzled
incredulity, began to speak in the tone
of man who had heard something too
astonishing for belief.
"May it please your worships, think
heard read by the prosecutor, as 1
entered the house, the paper now hold
in my hand. If have rightly under
stood, the Kings attorney has framed
an indictment for the purpose of ar.
raigning and furnishing by imprisou-
ment these three inOffensive persons
before the bar Of this court for crime
of great magnitude disturbers OF the
peace. May it please the court, what
did hear read? Did hear it distinct,
ly, or was it mistake of my own? Did
hear an expression as of crime,
these men, whom your worshps are
anOut TO try for misdemeanor, and
charged with. wth-with what?
Having delivered these words in
hating, broken manner, as if his mind
was staggering under the weight of
monstrous idea, he lowered his voice to
the deepest bass, and assuming the pro-.
foundest solemnity of manner, answered,
his own question: preaching the Cos.
pei of the Son of Godl' .rg.fr.y
Then he paused. Every eye was now
rivited upon him, and every mind into
it for all this was executed a Kean or
Siddons wonld have performed it on the
stage-aye, voice, attitude, gesture, all
in accord to produce the utmost possi-
biity of effect. Amid silence that
could be felt, he waved the indictment
three times around his head, as though
still amazed, still unable to comprehend
the charge. aaqgy
Then he raised his hands to Heaven,
and in tone of pathetic energy wholly
indescribable exclaimed, "Great Godp'
At this point, such was the power of
his delivery, the audience relieved their
feelings by burst of slghs and tears.
The orator continued: ....r...
"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 natu-
raj and inalienhble rights, when the
yoke of oppression that has reached the
wilderness of america, and the unnatu-
raj alliance of ecclesiastical and civil
power are about to be discovered at
such a period, when liberty, liberty of
conscience, is about to awake from her
slumberings, and inquirelnto the reason
of such charges as | find exhibited here
to-day, in this Indictment" Here oc.
Cured another of his appalling pauses,
during which he cast piercing looks at
the judges and the three clergymen ar
raigned. Then resuming he thrilled
every hearer by his fayorite repetiton:,
"If | am not deceived--according to the
contents of the paper l now hold in my,
hand, these men are accused of preach,
ing the Gospel of the Son of God?" lie
waved the document three times around
his head as though still lost in wonder,
and then with the same electric attitude
of appeal to Heaven, hegrsped, "Great
God" .-.- .-.'.- .r..
This was followed by another burst
of feeling from the spectators; and again
this master of effect plunged into the
tide Of his discourse: ..s5e
"May it please your worships, there
are periods in the history of man when
corruption and deprayity have So long
debaSed the humn caharacter, that man
sinks under the weight of the oppres-
sor's land, becomes his servile, his
abject slave. He licks the hands that
smites him. lie bows in passive obedl-
ence To the mandates OF the despot; and,
in the This state of servillty be receives
his fetters of arpetual bondage. Bnt,
may II please your worships, such a
day las passed. From that period when
our fathers left their nativity for these
American wilds, from the moment they
placed their feet upon American con-
tlnent. from that moment despotism vas
crushed. the letters Of darkpess weTe