Worcester daily spy., 1851-06-19
United states District Court.

United states District COurts
Ifanything additional to the charge of Judge Sprague
in the Scott case, needed to bring the u s. Dis
trict Court of Massachusetts, into contempt, and to
destroy all confidence in its officials, appointed for the
administration of justice, certainly have had it in the
Of Robert Morris, trial. for alleged partic
patton in the rescue of Shadrach. Thwared in its e
forts the conviction of either of the defend
ants thus ar having raked the and groggeries
of the metropolis for witnesses in vain, and sub-p9ned
the unk-deaers and stable boys to no purpose; hav-
ing blackened the character of Commissioner Curtis
with still deeper stain, by encouraging his shameless
prevarcaons upon the witness stand the court seem
at last have determined to secure conviction in the
case of Morris by badgerng the jurors and preventing
men of generous souls and noble sympahles from hav-
ing seat in the box. The Commonwealth of We'd
nesday states, that Of the jurors called for the trial.
stated in reply to the question Of the court, that he
not sensible of any bias prejudice in this particular
case, but that he had general sympathy for the OPP
pressed and down-trodden and for this he ordered
to step aside, to make way for who was presum-
ed to be more able s'to conquer his prejudices.' %
After the jury had been empanelled and Lord of Sa
lem, had opened the case, Mr.. Lunt thrown into
state OF great excitement by the discovery Of mares
nest in the jury box and great the hullabaoo that
he raised about it. One would have thought that the
pillars of the Court House had fallen down. that ethe
everlasting bung loose;' that war had been levied
upon the pert little Attorney himselfso great the
vehemence Of his passion and dreul the picture Of
despair that represented in his and vsage
'tThe knight Of the rueful countenance could never
have approxmated the look, with which the District
Attorney announced that he had been informed that one
of the jury had formed unfavorable opinion of the
Fugitive Slave law and that it could be proved by ve
hundred ,ctnesSes If the juror did entertain opinions
and preudices which would prevent him from render
ing verdict against the prisoner, he wished to know
Of the court what was to be done after the trial had
progressed.
The Court replied that the proceedings would be
stayed, and the case tried over.
NJ. Hale said if the government had any reasons for
entertaining such suspicious he hoped they would be
given at once, and put in writing.
Mr.. Lunt stated that the only reason he had TO give
was, that he had heard from good authority that
of the urymen had expressed himself decidedly opposed
to the Fugitive Slave law.
The Court replied that that not going far enough
The uryman had receive and obey the nstruc
tons of the Court and he had no doubt those
x
cover the objections of the Attorney.
From the above details of the proceedings on Tues
day, the public may judge Of the odds against which
49, .-~-.~.- --s-s :. -eoO-Sis~6oe upon
the bench, ntructng ures, against the precedents Of
the highest tribunals and the opinions of the learn
ed judges in and in the mother country, that
they not to be judges of the law well the fact
and Lunt, with the other harpies of the government
watching with lynx-eyed keenness, lest with
heart less hard than the neither m-tone shall sit il
judgment upon in which the crime charged is The
aiding Of brother to regain his God-given birth
right Of personal freedom.
When men in official stations pursue such line o
conduct to bring the institutions with which they
connected, into dsrepute, when the Judicial ermne
snged by the heat of political partizauship, mel
like George Lunt keep conscientious citizens from
the jury-box because they will discaim the prompt
ings ofcommon humanity; and substitute their phi
ant instruments nstead,we think the preservation
that last bulwark of freedom, which still remains to tn
whte citizens Of this Commonwealth, he trial by jury
absolutely demands that such Offices shall be filled
the Votes Of The people, rather than by the appointment
of the one man pow er.