Weekly American. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1858-1858, 1858-02-20
URTEE NT H DAY
WEDNESDAY,, August IL, 1857.
SPEECH OF
ROBERT T B. SEQ TT, ESQ.
[FRoM suTToN's REPORT
IN THE DEFEGCE

~ II i'S'fsaiga. Il
[FROM SUTTON'S REP0RT.] n I'D
I'VE have so many calls for SCOTS speech, that
we have concluded to repubish 10 in small PORTIONS
Ii il the most important document that can place
in the hands of readers at the present time. II
shows up modern Democracy t. Ale life, proving,
that 70 obtain the spols" they will shed innocent
biood-brutally shoot down, in the public streets,
their fellow because they dare to say they
are, and dare to act like, Americans.l
The indictment is a general one, and Of course
gave no notice to the parties accused Of the pre-
else offence for which they were TO be tried.
They learned that for the first time, from the
witnesses who were examined in court. ltis gen
eral charge Of riot and disturbance fthe peace.
I,haye attempted to explain 10 you, and trust
succeesfuIly. that under this indictment which
charges one offence, it is not competent for the
United States to inquire into, or prove, or submit
to your consideration any other offence; and that
whilst latitude of choice is permitted amongst
various offences, whenever the prosecution makes
its selection and it does that by the first witness
he calls TO the stand; whenever he makes an cleo
ton TO prove against the party charged a special
offence, he is confined afterwards to that, and he
is not at liberty to 60 into an Investigation OF any
other offence, having no connection with the first;
SO that If be right Ia that proposition Of law, and
ifit be contested, you may call upon his Honor to
pass upon the question. l say if be right in that
proposition of law, unless some connection is es-
tablished by the evidence between the morning
disturbance, and that which occurred upon the
marching Of the Marines, as he first undertook to
give evidence of the morning ARRAY, he selected
that as his case for prosecution and It was trans
cendng the legitimate privileges of the prosecu-
ton to 20 further and enquire into those other
matters of subsequent occurrence 1t may be said
that the counsel for the defence if this was the
law, might have interposed and arrested the ex-
animation of witnesses, and made the point to the
court Ny answer is, that We had no right to
suppose that gentleman ofexperience and learning
who has so long exercised the Office OF prosecutor
in this court, would have attempted in case like
this, to uyge.agaiast these parties considerations
that didnot properly belong to the ease--and UNI
til the case of the United States was Enough
till he declared it. ended on his part, we had
right to expect that he would introduce some evil
dence 70 show q connection between the various
disturbances, about which he had made his wit
nesses testify. 1t not for us gentlemen, after
he had introduced that evidence 70 seek to skulk
from that enquiry. After the United States had
given evidence on its part of the occurrence in tho
afternoon, and sought to make its impression of
the bloody tragedy that marked that day, 1t was
not for the defendants, or those who represent
them, to seek an avoidance of full investigation.
Il was their duty to meet 1t, and to answer the
allegations and aspersions, 70 protect themselves
against the consequences of what was alleged
sgslnst them, and il possible, fix the crime at the
door of it, responsible authors. His Honor has
said, 10 the course of some discussion on ques-
ton of evidences, that stranger coming in
oourt might suppose that Che city authorities were
on trial here. How fair and impartial exami-
nation can be made into the occurrences of the
afternoon of the LIST of June, without putting the
city authorities on trial passes my comprehension
70 understand gulA homicide was committed.
1t was felonious or not. ezn IL was felonious,
q crime was pcrpetrated. If crime was per-
petrated, there was q criminal that did II;
and II b impossible TO investigate the history Of
that transaction without developing evidence
enough 70 show who were the parties who perpe-
trated the crime. But what connection, gentle
men, has the disturbance Of the morning with the
disturbance in the afternoony do not know
whether understood my learned friend rightly.
lido not know that ! understood him to maintain
that thsse Il any proof exhibiting a connection
between these two disturbances; yet 1t is only
upon the hypothesis that there was such connec-
tion-that there was any color Of authority %
lug the occurrences of the second transaction
into this case - legitimate subject of enquiry.
have stated 70 you, gentlemen that the ARRAY in
the morning was directed 70 one purpose. and WAS
participated In BY one set Of persons; that the
sfFfay n the akefnoon ~as directed to otite an
other purpose, and conducted BY a different set
ofpersons. The evidence probably implicated
sone Of these parties IN sach but not ell Of them.
Nov, the purpose Of the morning affay was, II
you please, 70 break that column Of Irish voters,
% Interfere with their right 70 vote, 70 disturb the
election; but what connection had Il with the
ARRAY in the aftemooni The Irish were mot there
mustered mp again 70 vote Capt. Tyler did not
bring his Marines up under arms TO vote. They
had IN voted perhaps atthe Navy Yard. So then
the parties 70 the afternoon ARRAY were entirely
different from the parties to the forenoon ARRAY.
u WiKipstSd out of smother matte4--thst b con-
CD Tia sfsrnoon sfrtay odginsted ont Of the
masohfng ofths Marines from the barracks It
Ym participated IN BY persons from the Navy
Yard, dopofibed ~ boys and young men Of one u
two 6nd twenty, eight, ten, or dozen in number,
a The hrthesk Il had iss origin at the Navy
Yard. ahd ~ - ~ Arst precinct Of the Fourth
Ward, IT. capss was the marching Of the ha-
rines-because Tie PROF. y that - soon ~ Il was
known q TIE Navy Yard tbat the Marines were
going 20 st fhs escton these boys got out
this old swivel, unloaded - II was, lame Of q
wheel ID proved 70 BE- and dragging u after the
Marines, trailed Il 10 the Fourth Ward; say
then that the appearance q The Marines at the
place Of voting IN thD Fourth Ward, was the hrss
intmsGlon shers 81 tbs disturbance IL b impos-
sibls thsrsfere for any connection TO have sistsd
between the morning shindy and this treubee wish
the swivel Tie first IL you please, w. WIN the
Plug Ughes from baltimore, and their aesociates
here, armed against the 1rish while voting fhe
second was by the boys from the Navy X ard,
armed agsinst the Irish Marine corps. They had
di6ersntpuvposes they were drscfsd against differ
entpeeoo4s5 they occurred a. different times, and
tNe1e co1l1 hatebeen no connection betw 6en them
They weFe q dIpconnectcd Is II one had occurred.
IA okJ.or. voufo~ds~ No. % Dr.