Litchfield enquirer., 1844-10-31
Z THE INTREPID JURYMAN.

Extract of late publication, entitled An ex.
cursion from Sidmouth, in DeyOnshire, to Chester,
by Rev. Edmund Butcher.l s9Isj. ..r
1 cannot help congratuirting our country upon
the nestimabie value Of trial by Jury; have late
ly met with proof Of it's excellence, which oogh,
not to be forgotten. 49,. -
A Judge on the northwest circuit of ireland tri.
ed cause, in which much of the local consequence
of gentleman of the neighborhood was implicated.
1t was landlords prosecution against one Of his
tenants for assault and battery, committed on the
person of.the prosecutor by the defendant, in
cuing his only child, an innocent and beautiful girl
from personal violation. When the defendant was
brought into court, the prosecutor also appeared,
and swore to every thing in the Indictment The
poor defendant had no lawyer to tell his story-he
however, pleaded his own cause effectually, ap-
pealing to the judgment and the heart. The Jury
found him not guilty. .e
The Judge was enraged, and told the Jury they
must go back and reconsider the matter, adding
that he astonished at their giving such an in
famous verdict. The jury bowed, went back, in a
quarter of an hour returned, when the foreman, a
venerable old mar, thus addressed the Bench:
My Lord, in compliance with your desire, we
went back to our room; but as we found then no
reason to alter opinion our verdict we return
it to you in the same words rs befocessot guilty.
We heard your Lordship's reproof-but we do not
accept it as properly applying to US. Individually
and in our private capacity, it is true, we in
significant men; we claim nothing cut Of this box,
above the common regard due to car humble, yet
honest stations; but, my Lord, assembled here as
Jury, we cannot be insensible Of the great impor-
lance of the Office we now sustain.
We feel that we are appointed, as you are, by the
Law and the Constitution, not only to act impair
TALLY between the King and his subjects, the often
der and the offended but to form the barrier of the
people against the possible influence, prejudice or
corruption Of the Bench, to which we do not wish
to offer the smallest degree of dsrespect, much less
OF insult; we pay it the respect which one tribunal
should pay to another, for the common honor OF
BOTH This Jury do not accuse the Bench of par
TALLY or oppression-no, we looked upon it the
sanctity of truth and justice; still, my Lord, we
cannot erase from minds the words of our school
books. BY them we are taught, that Kings and
Judges but falihle mortals; and that the seats
Of Justice have been polluted by Trepulian, q
Scroggs,e and a Jefreys" The Judge frowned al
the words, but the intrepid Juror proceeded: My
Lord, am but poor man, yet I am free subject
and member Of the Constitution-nay, I am now
higher, for am one Of its representatives; there
fore claim for myself and fellow Jurors, liberty Of
speech" ..
The Judge here resumed his complacency, and
the orator continued his address: We have moth
ing to do, my Lord, with your private character in
this place, it is yelled by your official one; know
you here only in that Of a judge, and as such we
would respect you you know nothing of US but as
Jury and in that situation we look to you for re.
ciprocal respect, because we know of no man, how
ever high his title his rank in whom the law Of
the Constitution would warrant an unprovked in.
suit towards that tribunal in which they have in.
vested the dearest privileges they possess. We sit
here, my lord, sworn to give verdict according to
our consciences, and the best Of judgments, on
the evidence before us.
We have, in our minds, discharged our duty as
honest men. If we have erred, we are accountable
not to your lordship, nor to the King who appoint
ed you, but to higher power, the KING Of Kings
The Bench was dumb; the Bar silent; astonish.
ment and applause murmurpd thtouglsthe cresFd
and the poor man was discharged.