The Arkansas advocate., 1831-04-27
From the Literury .Mngaxife. A LESSON FOR JURORS.

From tte Literury .Moga<ine.
 A LESSON FOR JURORS.
 4 Judge, who lately travelled the
 north west circuit of Ireland, came to the trial of a cause, in which most of the local consequences of certain dc,na-
 gogues in the neighborhood were con cerned; 1t was the case of landlord against poor man. his tenant, for assault and battery, committed on the person oi the prosecutor, by the defendant, in the preservation of his only child, an inno- cent and beautiful girl, from ravishment. When the poor man was brought into
 court, the prosecutor appeared and
 swore most maufully to every article in
 the indictment. He was cross-examin-
 ed by the jurors, who were composed oi
 honest tfs,,iestaen anu farmers. Tie
 poormanhad no lawyers to tell his story: he pleaded lis own cause, he pleaded.
 not to the fancy, bat to the heart. The
 jury found himnot gully. The court was
 enraeed: hutthe surrounding spectators.
 gladdened to exultation, uttered shout l of applause. The Judge told the Ju- l Y they must go back to their jury room
 and consider the natter; adding he was
 surprised they could presume 10 return
 SO infamous averdict.' The jury, how
 ever, went back, and in a quarter of an fhour returned, when the foreman ven erabIe old man, thus addressed the
 bench: Ny Lord, in compliance with your desire, we went back 10 our jury room; but as we found no reason to al- ter our opinions CT our verdict, we re turn in ttlhae same words as before mol gatlL ty. We heard your lordsllip's extraor- dinary language of reproof, but we do
 not accept it as properly or warrantahly applying to us. ltis true, my Lord, that
 we ourselves, individually considered in our private capacities, may be poor in l significant men, therefore, in that light, We claim nothing out of this box before the common regards of cur humble but
 honest stations; but, mylord, assembled here as a jury, we cannot be insensible to the great and constitutional impor- Itancc of the department, we now fill; :; we feel, my Lord, that we are appoint 1 ed, as you are, by the law and the con
 stitutiop, not only as an impartial tribu-
 nal to judge between the King and
 his subjects, the offended and the offend- Ter, but we act in situation of still great CT confidence; for we form, as a jury, the barrier of the people against the possible influence, prejudice. passion, or Ecorruption of the bench. To you, my Lord, meeting youwithin these walls, l., form own part, might measure my re- spccts by your private virtues; but the
 moment l am enclosed in this place, your private character is invisible; for it is, ii ny eyes, yelled in your official one, | and to open conduct in that only can we E look.
 This jury, my Lord, does not, in this
 business, presume 10 offer to that bench the smallest degree of disrespect, much less of insult; we pay it the respect one tribunal should pay pay te another fer the common honor of both. This jury, my
 Lord, did not arraign that bench with Ipartiality, prejudice, infamous decision,
 nor yet with influence, passion corrup- ton, oppression, or tyranny no, we look 1 ed to it as the mercy seat of royalty, as
 the sanctuary Of truth and justice. Still, my lord, we cannot blot from our minds lthe records of our school books, TOT
 erase the early inscriptions written on
 our inieiiects and memories. Hence
 wemust be mindful that monarchs and Judges arc but fallible mortais, that ty-
 rants have sat on thrones, and that the
 mercy seat of royalty, and the sanctua- Try of justice have been polluted by a
 IrcssiIlian, a Scraggs, and a Jeffries.- lTIIere was d frown from the bench.
 Nay, my Lord. l anna poor man, but 1 l am a free born subject of the Kingdom .lof Ireland, "a member oft the constitution: may, am now higher, for ] nm the re- T ipresentative thereof.a
 therefore, claim for Inysel and fcl- How jurors, tii1e ifiitberty off speech; and il T am refused 1t here, Ishan resume t al szs j. 5zSs a. A szE z.S