The Wilmingtonian., 1824-01-29

ne poor man naH nv i""ye'o '" w
his story he pleaded his own cause ana
he pleaded not to the fancy, but to th' :
heart. The jury found him not guilty
The court was cnraged but the sur
rounding spectators, gladdened to exnlta'
ton, uttered a shout Of applause. lhtl'
Judge told the jury they must 20 back 7"
their iury-room and reconsider the mat
ter adding "he was surprised they could
presume to return so infamous vrrhict
The jury bowed, went back, and IN quar-
tier OF an hour returned when the foreman,|
Ia venerable old man, thus addressed thel'
bench: "My lord, in compliance With
|your desire, we went back to our Jnry-l
room but as we found no reason to altrr
our opinions or our verdict, we return ''
lin the same words as before-not guiHgI
We heard your lordship's extraordinary
language of reprool, but we do not accept
iii as properly or warrantab'y applying tol
us. 1t is true, that we, ourselves, indlvl-
|lually considered in our private capaci-
ties, may be poor insignificant men; there.
.Ifore, in that light we claim nothing out on
|Ithis box above the common regards OF ourl
lIhumble but honest stations; but, my lord,t
assembled here as jury, we cannot BE-
to the great and constitutional
importance of the department we now flll;l
, we feel, my lord, that we are appointed
as you are, by the law and the cons'l'u-
:! ton, not only as an impartial tribunal t"|
: Judge between the king and his subjects,
+ the offended and the offender, but we actl
, in a situation of still greater confidence i
for we form, as jury the barrier OF thel
: people against the possible influence, pre-
[ iudice, passion or corruption of the bench
e "Tn yuu nv lord, meeting you within
: these walls. for my own part, might pos
Y sbly measure my respect bv your private
4 virtues but the mament ! am enclosed
/. in this place vonr private character is in
{ visible; for it is in my eyes, veiled w
V your official one, and to open conduct IN
, that only can we look.
| "This jury my lord, does not in this bu-
| sines, presume to offtr to that bench the
, smallest degree Of ,lisrespect. much less
/ of insult; We pay it that respect one trlbu-
, nal should pay to another, for the com
mon honor of both. This jury my lord.
did not arraisn that bench with partality,
prejudice, infamous decision, nor yet with
e influence, passion. corruption, oppression
$ or tyranny; no. we looked to II as the
| .mercy.seat Of no atty, as the sanctuary
n of truth and justice. Still my lord, we
/. cannot blot from our minds the records ot
t. our school. books, nor Grace the early IN
descriptions written on our intellects and
n memories. Hence we must be mindful
that monarchs and judges are but feeble
e mortals, that tyrants have sat on thrones,
4 and the sanctuaries of justice have been
polluted by 1hessiIlian, Scra?gs and
i Ia Jeffries. Here was Jrown from the
y Ibench.1
J. "Nay my lord, am a ponr man. but
P am free born subject Of the kingdom o.
: ireland, free member OF the constitution
,e nay, | am now higher, for you must know
h, that am the representative thereof
k .ltherefnre claim for myself and fellow iur
Ir lors, the liberty of speech: and it am re
fused it here, shall assume it before thu
ID Ipenplp at the door of this courthouse, ant
to|tell them whv | deliver nv mind there
re instead of deiveringit at this place. Her
le tht bpnch rp-assumed compiacency.
" 81 say, my lord, we have nothing to d'
t : with your private character; we know yol
n here only in that of Judge and as sucl
n, we respect you: you know nothing of u'
ty ibnt as Jury; and in that situation WI
a. should lnok to you for reciprocal respect
r. because we know Of no man, however higI
orlhis titles or his rank, in whom the law 0
he the constitution would warrant the pre-
sumption of an unproyoked insult toward
he the tribuoal in whom the people have vest
III ed the dearest and most valuable privilrg
he they possess. before said we do mt as
pm lsume pre.eminence but, in the sacrp,
re character of jury, we should be wanting
H. in reverence to the constitution itself, j
,lf we did not look for the respect of ever
Nh, l,man who regards it. We sit here m
,e- lord, sworn TO give verdict accordin
to our conscenccs, and the best Of our q
he pnions, on the evidence before us. w
athave, in our own minds, acquitted our tlu
atty as honest men. If we have erred W
be- Iare answerable, not to your lordship no
pr- to that bench, nor TO the king who place,
sr. YOU there. but to higher power, the Kin,
ou OF KINGs!"
ou The bench was dumb, the bar silent
he but appreciation was murmured throug
20 the crowd: and the poor man was order
IA ed TO be discharged.
is To illustrate the extraordinary virtue