Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1853-06-17
For the Daily Evening Star.
WASHINGTON, .THnp Il 1S53

an editorial article grossly ibelous to-
wards us, we deemed it our duty to refute
it, and accordingly sent the accompany
ing communication to the editors Of that
paper, which they refused publishing
We beg Of you the kindness to insert it
in the columns Of your valuable evening
sheet, and thus afford us the means of
vindicating ourselves before those of our
fellow citizens who may have perused the
article referred to:
To the Editors of the Baltimore Sun:
GENTLEMEN Your paper of Monday
May 30) contains an editorial article
headed the sGardiner Case" which is
grossly hbellous towards us, and which
we cannot but suppose to be the produc-
ton of some volunteer scribblcr, whose
interests or passions you have incautious-
ly subserved by allowing him to speak in
your names and by your authority. Ger
tainly, so far as we know, it is without
any precedent in your paper or in any
other having any claim to public respect.
This language, however strong it may
appear to those who cannot appreciate the
obligations Of a jurors oath, who attach
no value to character, and who have
no regard for truth, will be felt bv all
other men to be warranted by the occa-
sion.
The article in question makes the gross
est imputatiens on men, who, we may be
excused for saying under such circum-
stances, are as well known in the COM
munity and enjoy full as much the conf
dencc of their fellow citizens as the
editors Of the Sun can claim, here or
elsewhere. 1t does this upon no better
grounds than the assumption that "nine-
ty-nine men out of every hundred" who
have picked up fragments of the evidence
in the streets, or heard them repeated
from the mouths of partizans, entertain
different view of the case from that
which, upon our solemn caths as Jurors,
and after most patient hearing of all the
evidence, and after mature elaboration
in our retirement we feel ourselves COM
peeled to adopt and adhere to. We have
no fear that any such out-of-door opinion,
if it existed, would be received by any
sane and considerate man, to discredit
the calm and deliberate Judgment Of
sworn jurors.
The gentry who, as you say, are SO
clear about the matter, have probably
never in their lives seen a single one of
the witnesses whose testimony was ne
cessary to a conviction, nor a single one
OF those who supported the defence; much
less have they under oath listened to
their examinations and cross-examina-
tons, and thus applied that most essen
tial of all the tests Of truth in trial by
jury. They have not considered the ex-
traordlnary and unprecedented circum-
stances which have characterized this
case, and in our opinion made it no less
duty to ourselves, to the public and
posterity, than to the accused, to give it
the closest scrutiny. They have not
spent seventy days, nor perhaps a single
moment, in weighing and balancing all
the facts and circumstances presented to
us-factS and circumstances which it is
no part Of our purpose to discuss here
We are answerable to God and our con-
sciences, and if there be any ground for
the Infamous insinuation contained in the
article III question, we are answ era BILE
also to the laws of our country, for what
we have done Or left undone in this mat
ter. But We must remind YOU that we
are not liable to be attacked through
your columns and charged with corrup-
ton without responsibility, even though
we be nine jurors out of twelve refusing
upon our OathS to render a verdict against
an accused person, upon any evidence
short of that which should produce con-
vlction upon our own minds. And allow
us to add, for the information of the person
who prepared the article in question, that
he little knows the Independent spirit
which charactelizes the men of this Dis
trict, if he supposes that he is thus pre-
pairing the way for a subservient verdict,
not founded upon that free, thorough and
conscientious consideration of the evil
dence, and the whole evidence, upon
which we made up our judgments in the
past trial
We are human, like yourselves. While
we claim nothing approaching infalli
bllltv, we feel the value of an honest
name, and know that it is the property of
each and every one Of us. We trust that
it will survive us, and in our narrow
sphere, will be remembered and respected
when falsehood and calumny shah no
longer have the mower TO would rs