Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1941-09-18

Will come to Hanover now compriS-
ed of the little one-room court
house, an ancient tavern across the
road where CORVALLIS once had his
headquarters, and half dozen
weather-beaten cabins. The historic
interest of this place is due to the
fact that it was the scene of the IA
nous trial between the planters and
the clergy.
Claiming larger portion of sal
tuted test suit to determine the is
sue. Able counsel represented the
clergy, but the planters had difficult
ty in securing an attorney, first be-
cause the older lawyers thought
they had no case, and secondly, be-
cause they hesitated to antagonize
an aggressive clergy. But Patrick
Henry, resident of the community
just admitted to the bar, agreed to
take the case, although he had new
er tried law suit or made a public
speech.
1t was December /, 1863. Not
only the little court room was
crowded with partisan spectators,
OuL lhC COuI Oh u WClls llolCllAS
at the windows. Amazed and thrill
ed, the judges, the jury, the i'm
mense crowd even the clergy, lis
tened spell-bound, to the greatest
natural-born orator this country has
ever produced. Without training,
without education, without knee
breeches or powdered wig, at the
age of 27, although the law was
against him, and the facts were
against him, by the power of elo-
quent speech he carried the jury
with him to verdict for one cent
for the plaintiffs, and the jubilant
planters carried him out of the
court house on their shoulders.
The colored janitor who tends
this ancient temple of justice, points
with pride to the position of the
noted characters who participated
in that famous trial, and to the pic
lures on the wall of Henry Clay,
John Marshall, and other distin-
guished judges and lawyers who
once practiced at that bar. He will
tell you that in those days the
county was one Of the best in the
state, but look at it today, nothing
but wilderness of pine. In reply
to a question as to the market val
ue of the land. man. he said,
with five thousand dollars you
could buy all the land in sight and
all that adjoins it.
On the banks of the James river,
life size statues of John Smith and
Pocahontas keep silent vigil over
the site of the first settlement,
where the shackles were first put on
the black man, and where the rep
of the people first met
to make laws. OF the fourishing lit
tie city that was the capitol of the
colony for 172 years, only the little
church, with the graves beneath it's
dirt floor, remains. All else has dis
appeared, except gun pits and
breastworks thrown up by the SOL
diers of the Revolution.
At Williamsburg. John D. Rock
efeller has spent twenty-six million
dollars in restoring a little city that
reflects the glory and romance of
Colonial Virginia. and which in no
distant future was destined to dis
appear under the destructive hand
OF time. Here the tourist by the ex-
ercise of little imagination can see
a panorama of history made up of
armies, major generals,
and statesmen of high and low de-
gree. The seat of an historic col
lege, it was also the capitol of Co
lOnial Virginia from 1899, until
1879, and was the scene of many
stirring events.
On a day in May, 1868, the House
)f Burgesses had been called into
session on account of the Stamp
Act. Washington, in his regimen
als rides down the main street to
he state capitol; also comes Lord |
Fairfax in powdered wig and knee !
staggering Peyton Ran
!olph appears in the crowd; Rich
,rd Henry T,oa orap6fathQr of R0h- |