Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1876-03-11

.vr re- OF DAVID PAUL BROWN

= the wear 1885. case of the Gem
,onwealfb against Starg, was tried
il was murder The death was clearly /
proved, attended by circumstances in
dicating malice and no incOnsiderable /
deliberation. The only deficiency 10
the proof was in regard to the person |
by whom the offence was perpetrated- |
After all the other testimony was
closed, the hospital physician was
called.
Mr.. Brown demanded what the doc
tor was 20 prove.
Dying declarations, was the i'm
mediate reply.
Before we come to that, said Mr..
Brown, II have something to say /
am prepared to prove that the deceased
was an atheist-an avowed inhdel
who denied a future state of rewards
and punishments-who denied the
truth ofthe Holy Bible, and declared
it to be romance and who disbe-
lieved in the existence of the Al
mighty
This proof was accordingly made,
and it resulted ia the exclusion of the
declarations and the acquittal OF the
prisoner. Upon the argument OF TINS
question, Mr. Brown contended that
dying declarations were admissible
only, when they were founded on con-
seriousness of and approach to the
Judgment seat of God the solemnlty
of that moment being equivalent to an
Oath-nay, more than equivalent to an
oath. for no &c parfe oath could be
received. But how, said the coun-
IL hlr tor Ffn1n
lives as a beast and dies as a beast,
looking to no hereafter? Such a man
If living, could not be allowed to be a
witness he would not be permitted to
contaminate the Book of Eternal
Life with his unhallowed and sacrile-
gious lips. If,theR, he could not &c
sworn-acknowledging no obligation
which binds him 30 the truth-how
can his declarations, living or dying,
be received in a court of justice, in a
case involving human life =? An
avowed or admitted infdel is Invested
of all his franchises the Constitution
tolerates all religions, but does not
tolerate no reLigiOH-does not sanction
blasphemy or a blasphemer. No man
can hold a public office who is an in
fidel from the President of the
United States down to a tipstaff in
this court, every officer is compelled
10 be sworn. No atheist can be sworn
and therefore no atheist can hold ar
office. however high or low. There is
no injustice in this-the man who de-
MES his God, should be prepared to be
denied by his fellow man.
Such was the general course OF thu
argument. A few months after this
a minister of the Baptist church called
upon Mr.. Brown, and impaired to hin
the following gratifying intelligence
tending to show that, while saving tn,
neck of one man, he had prObabl,
saved the soul of another. Las
week" said the clerical gentleman, =
person applied to be received into GU
church-Our rules require that prio
to such reception, the candidate o
applicant shall relate his experience
AZ it is ealled-that is to say, commu
nieate the course of his life-his fault
and his omissions. have, said tn
candidate, until some few months age
lived a very irregular life, and endeav
ored to relieve myself from its penal
ties, by arguing myself into the MOTTO
that there was no hereafter TO fear
no Almighty power to punish l
short became confirmed infde
1t happened, however, that | was pre-:
ent at the trial of William Starg, fo
homicide, and upon that occasion tn
perils of infdelity were so forcibl
D lrtIayed by the counsel, Mr.. Brow
AS connected with this world and tn
next, that my eyes were at once S
opened to my lost condition, as
bring about an almost instantaneoU
reform. From that period | date II
conversion to thorough faith in til
truth of the gospel.
This communication" said NJ
Brown, lis most gratifying, iudee
/ trust the convert was sincere. b.
there were two positions in my arg
ment ; one was that infdelity kept
man out of heaven, and the other wa
that it kept him out Office; to whiC
consideration do you suppose the CO..
version. was most to be imputed
he was not an office seeker, he l
doubt became Christian"