New-York tribune., 1842-01-31

marking upon The great ard important chaIac.ei
oil me trial! Blood has been spilled ana 'he
question is whether So are prepared TO o:chalgs
onr dnty and 10 fulfil our oaths IN rs Ih'esusA-
non issue7 have been mace IN t,lis M
10, jnsta.d az seeking to decide #"he',i'1z ...0
prisoner IS guilty of the great c!i,ie Co. c. ~ 1
cb,,o. Ihave been put upon nal; / nave oceh
ii.'lI-l', irst counsel 10 De worthy OF IN
,t.,,,aa, an9 by The last have been charged
- naljerant spirit which would prompt
means 10 compass the he OF the un-
- nr5soner Il furnishing the counsel tor the
defrncs with ccpies OF all papers put INTO my
lsnds relative TO MS transaction Is worthy OF I'M
ncqohrnent, then am worthy: II not having
looked al a paper containing the alcgedlnlama-
,ory articles aga..izt Mr.. Colt be evidence OF a
design to tocrcunyen: the life OF the prisoner, then
am guilty And now appeal TO the twelve
honeyt hearts see before me, whether anything
have donc in this cause be in conflict with the
oroner search after truth and the aim to serTe the
cause OF justice.
Permit me 10 tel the gentlemen that thcy are
mistaken Permit me 10 tell the last gentleman,
who,a!luded 10 my desire for popular favor that
# ever placed FIv that favor in the Halls OF Leg
islation, shaso endeavor 10 discharge my du-
ties there that may return TO the bosom OF my
constituents wiihevery promise fulfilled and every
oath fully redeemed And permit me to tell the
Aforementioned who declared me worthy OF I'M
peachment that there is no terror IN his threats
Ent they say this trial has been conducted with
a love Of lriunph love OF =trlumpti-IrluHph
IN what? If know my own heart have no de-
sire Cor the life ot#any man. And were 1t IN my
mower III tulf;lment Of my oath, to say TO this
unhappy man, 90 and sin no more gladly, JOY
fully would ] DO so. And lnow hope that "hen
stter this trial shall have been hnlshed, ! snail
he ,,zrioi,,ed 10 take this man by the hand shall
hear from has own lips no blame or accusation.
How mas this trial been uronguly conducted
Was It admitted on the llrst day, that Jonn =.
Colt killed Samuel Adams Was 1t admitted
on the second, the fourth. or the NTH days was
i,n0, conceaIed that such was the intention OF the
deioo..zuo,iI a SUCCESSION of days had passed in
Ire eff0rr 10 prove it And yet there Is now
charoe agaipst the prosecution that they have
proved tlieir case The counsel Tor the defence
havino in their pockets the admission OF this nm
i,,r,anl fact wentthrough long and labo-ed cross
tyamjnati ona OF persons who they knew from the
bottom of their hearts told the truth, TO dsprove
il. and then abuse me for dong my duty in the
case. Let me warn them how they trlilc with
the lie OF tber client! Let me tell them that
fms confession has not been made IN the right
tiimp or IN the proper manner Suppose lth had
been said, when The tIial commemorative admit
the killing of Samuel Adams, and you need not
labor 10 prove it--how much Tune would have
been saved!
This is a case depending upon clrcumstanual
evidence, and circumstances never lie /! lhey de-
pend no. on The will OF man, but are stamped by
the finger of God@And this Is circumstance
Of fearful import 10 the dcience that this con
i.ssion was not made until they had had ample
,,f,r,,I had ht.DI
heard. And after all ii is found at variance with
ruth. ut variance with the evidence of their own
witnesses and conttadicted by the testimony OF
her who is the Iaston Gods foolstool that has
reason to love this unhappy man.
Would TO God 1 cogd this day look INTO the
testimony and ask you TO pronounce this man
5uiltless But we live ina community where Jus
tice must be administered or society ls dead
Are we 10 have no iaw-no convictions because
the punishment is greater than men can bear :
Your office is simply to pronounce whether John
c.. Colt took the life of Adams, and il so, under
what circumstances, and ii what temper
If Samuel Adams went TO his room armed and
made such an attack upon John c. Colt that he
had no other means of defending his lite, then
was the killing jusiablc. But this was done
with a design to take his llte--stern necessityre-
quires at your hands, IN accordance with yeur
oaths. IA verdict of Guilty. And this You are to
do. regardless of excitement without or within
this Court
A great oucry has been made by these gen.
rlemen against foreign influence, and yet these
very.papers were exposed TO you for etfectby the
gentlemen themselves.
We aedge that this ac was committed with
design. and if rot this, that comes under the
provision of the Statute that killing under CIR
cumstapceS which show Il disregard tor the lite
of any human beng shall be accounted murder
Now the fact that Il man has been killed without
excuse is evidence OF a murderous design Inns
- established bv a law which has existed for
more than three thousand years, more psriect
and more beautiful than any man can make
From Statutes enacted more than tour thousand
wears ago | read that he who comes presumptu-
ousiy upon his ncighbor 10 Stay hlm with gulle-
even from ,ap ahQrS shall c#br taken TO be slam!
Now noint me TO that land where blood is not
wiped away. and / will show you a laHd whance
innocence runs and slre<s IN despair ButeNe
me that land whcre=Llberty and Law are ENJOY
ed-where theone is well maintained and the
other faithfully yadinnislered-and lwlll give you
q land where peace and prosperity relgh
consider tins statement OF the prisoner TIE
most dangerous testimony that could be lnrodu-
ced in his behalf Il you can excuse HIM with
ont it--for / Shall show You that you cannot eN-
cuse him with tit you can find hiln guilty OF
less crime than that LAID 10 his charge, do SO.
But look well at the testimony On the l7th Of
September, Samuel Adams, a worthy mechanic,
leaves hishome for MS place of business: "a man
of an irritable temper under certain clrcums;an-
ces-an lnfrmity which God seems 10 have mn
planted in the breasts OF majority of hIS=crea-
tnreS; thence he goes 10 M.. Wells-speaks OF
the shipment OF some bookS--ls Informed that he
NOT n rsc
the gentlemen will have il So Nay, give the
prisoner the benefit of the ,ernl--mger. Sup
pose him angry. He tells Mr. Wells ! II 90
a..G -, ANas tlIS sa,a ,;.,l...,.l.. H..