The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1873-03-20
Descriptive.
rApnlcK HESRY's ELoouEScE.

virginia In those days had an establish
ed church, and the spirit of persecution
was abroad amongst the most ignorant
classes of her population. The Baptists
were particularly obnoxious. Three Bap.
list preachers had been arrested as " dis.
turbers Of the peace and imprisoned by
local magistrate. At the next session
Of the County Court at Spottsylvania
they were arraigned for trial, and Patrick
Henry rode fifty miles to defend them,
But for the account I'm Used by Writ
which has been preserved Of Patrick Hen.
rvs performance on this occasion, we
should not have understood the secret OF
his power over an assembly. The resist
less magic Of his oratory was greatly due
TO article, management extreme aud sud-
den changes ia tone, adroit repetition Of
telling phrases. lie entered the Court
House while the prosecuting attorney was
reading the indictment. lle was u stran-
geer to most Of the spectators, and being
dressed in the country manner his en-
trance excited no remark. When tho
prosecution had finished his brief opening,
the new conner took the indictment, and
glancing OF it with an expression Of pug
zled increduliiy, began to speak in tho
tone eff man who has just heard some
thing too astounding for beliefs
I" May II please your worships, think
! heard read by the prosecutor as | enter.
ed the house the paper now hold in my
hand. If have rightly understood the
King, attorney has framed on indct-
nent tor the pupose OF arraigning and
Furnishing by imprson ment these three
inoflensiye persons before the bar Of this
court for crime of great magnitude, as
disturbers of the peace. May it please
the court what did hear? Did hear ii
distinc ly, or was IL mistake of my own
Did | hear an expression as Of crime,
that these men, whom your wofshi p is
about to try for misdemeanor are charged
with --with--with what?
Having deliv ,red these words in halt
ing, broken manner as il his mini was
staggering under the weight Of q mon
strous idea, he lowered bis voice, and, as
suming the profoundest scemnity Of man
ner answered his own question; g Preach.
ing the Goapel Of The Son Of God"
Than he paused. Every eye was now
firmly riveted upon him, and every mind
intent; for ~ This was executed as a Kean
or Siddon. would have performed it on
the stagc---cye, voice, attitude, gesture, all
in accordance to produce the utmost pos
sibility OF effect. Amid silence that
could be felt, he waved the indictment
three times around his head, as though
/ AL Ia IN nnu,nraka,,t |, Ia
charge. Then he raised his eyes and
hands to heaven, and in a tone Of pathetic
energy, wholly indescribable, exclaimed
"Great God
At this point, such was the power in his
delivery the audence relieved their feel.
ings with burst of tears. The orator
continued.
"May it please your worsbips, in day
like ;his, when truth is about TO burst her
letters, when mankindoare about to BIO
aroused to claim their hatural-and inal-
ienable rights, when the yoke. Of oppres-
sion that has reached the wilderness Of
America, aud the unnatural alliance Of
ecclesiastical power is about TO be discov-
eted--at such period, when liberty, lib
| CITY VI CUUeCltUCt, 10 hbuht w NHho ihut
her slumberings md inquire into the reas
son OF such charges as we iind exhibited
here to-day in this indictment" Here
appeared another OF his appalling pauses,
during which he cast piercing looks at tho
Judges and the three cergymen arraigned.
Then resuming, he thrilled every bearer
with his tavorite device of repetition; ut
| y.I n.l iuv 4 Tim 40
tents of the paper nov hold in my hand
- these men are accused of preaching'the
Gospel Of the Son OF God lie waved The
document three times above his head, as,
| If lost in wonder; md then, with the same
electric attitude Of appeal TO heaven, he
gasped, "Great God y
This was followed by another burst Of
feeling from the spectators and again this
master of effect plunged into the tide Of
his discourse
MAY it please your worships there
are periods in the history of man when
corruption and depraviiy have so long de-
based the human character that man sinks
under the weight Of the oppressors hand
become his servle, his abject slave. He
ticks the band that smites him. He bows
in passive obedience TO the mandates Of
despois; and in this state of servility he
secures his letters OF perpetual bondage
From the hour that our fathers left the
land of their nativity for these American
wilds-from the moment they placed iheil
feet upon the American continent--fron
that moment despotism was crushed, The
letters OF darkness broken, and Heaven
decreed that man should be frec--free t
worship God according to the Bible. ID
vain were all their sutferings and blood
shed to subjugaie this New world, IT we
their offspring, must be still oppressed
aud prosecuted. But, may It please your
worships, permit me to inquire once more
for what are these men about TO be tried
This paper says for preaching the Gospc
of tn Savior Of Adams fallen race.
| Again he paused For the third time
he slowly waved the indictment arodn'
hi, head, and then, turning to the judges
looking them full in the face, exclaimed
with the most impressive effect, /" Wha
laws have they violatei2' The whole as
sembly were now painfully moved and OK
cited. The presiding Judge ended th
see ne by saying, "Sheritf, discharge thes
men," 1t was triumph of the damati