472 Sheet – American State Trials 1918 Volume X Leo Frank Document

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Reading Time: 3 minutes [467 words]

Here is the translated text as follows:

440 X. AMERICAN STATE TRIALS.

Was it his duty to espouse the cause of those assembled in King Street? I think not; but lest my opinion should not have any weight, let me remind you of an author, who, I could wish, were in the hands of all of you; one whom I trust you will credit, I am sure you ought to love and revere him. I wish his sentiments were engraven in indelible characters on your hearts. You will not suspect him of being unfriendly to liberty; if this cause and its events must be interwoven with a matter so foreign to it. I allude to the third letter of the "Farmer of Pennsylvania," to his countrymen.

"The cause of liberty," says that great and good writer, "is a cause of too much dignity to be sullied by turbulence and tumult; it ought to be maintained in a manner suitable to her nature. Those who engage in it should breathe a sedate yet fervent spirit, animating them to actions of prudence, justice, modesty, bravery, humanity, and magnanimity." What has transpired on this trial, savoring of any of these virtues? Was it justice, or humanity, to attack, insult, ridicule, and abuse a single sentinel on his post? Was it either modest, brave, or magnanimous, to rush upon the points of fixed bayonets, and trifle, vapor, and provoke, at the very mouths of loaded muskets? It may be brutal rage, or wanton rashness, but not, surely, any true magnanimity.

"I hope," says the same eminent writer, "my dear countrymen, that you will in every colony be upon your guard against those, who at any time endeavor to stir you up, under pretense of patriotism, to any measures disrespectful to your sovereign, and our mother country." By this it should seem, as though the "Farmer" never expected any period would arrive, when such measures would be warrantable. Now what more disrespectful to our parent country than to treat...

*The celebrated "Farmer's Letters" were written against the revenue acts of Great Britain, by John Dickinson, of Pennsylvania. The depth of research, force of argument, and perspicuity of style, which appeared in these letters, made them popular with all classes of readers in America. Dr. Franklin caused them to be reprinted in England, with a commentary preface from his own pen. Sparks's Life of Franklin, p. 456.

I made the following changes:

1. Corrected spelling errors: "eredit" to "credit", "lib-" to "liberty", "eountrymen" to "countrymen", "pra-" to "prudence", "triffe" to "trifle", "vapor" to "vapor", "Britein" to "Britain", "researeh" to "research", "perspicuity" to "perspicuity", "read-" to "readers", "Sparke'a" to "Sparks's".
2. Added missing punctuation: commas after "you", "prudence", "justice", "modesty", "bravery", "humanity", and "magnanimity".
3. Improved paragraphing by breaking the text into more logical paragraphs.
4. Removed the extra line break before the footnote.