M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1858-02-11
Western EIOquence.

western ElOquenCe.
"Gentlemen of the jury" said o
Western lawyer, "it is with feelings
Of no ordinary commotion that | rise
to defend my injured client from the
attacks that have been made on his
heretofore approachable character.--
| J. feel, gentlemen, that though a good
deal smarter than any OF you; even
the Judge himself, yet | am utterly
incompetent to present this case in
that magnanimous and heart-rending
light which its Importance demands,
and trust, gentlemen, that whatever
| lack in presenting the subject, will
be Immediately made up by your own
natural good sense aud discernment if
you have got any.
"The counsel for the prosecution,
gentlemen, will undoubtedly heave
dust in your eyes. He will tell you
that his client is -eminently man
OF function that he is a man Of undonb-
ted and implacable veracity-that. he
would scorn to fetch an action against
another merely to crafty his own per-
sonal corporosity; but, gentleman, lei
me continuate you howto rely upon
such spacious reasoning Ike this. ],
myself, apprehend that this suit has
been willlully and maliciously fOcht,
gentlemen, Tor the sole and only pur-
pose of brow beating my client here
and in an eminont manner grinding,
the face of the poor; and lapprehend,
also, ifyou could but look into that
mans heart, and read there the motives
that have impelled him to fotch the
suit, such a picture Of MORAL turpen:
tine and heartfelt gratitude would be
brought to light as has never before
been exhibited since the Falls Of Ma
CARA.
"Now, gentlemen, | want to make
a brilliant appeal to the kind syme-
tries ofyour nature, and see if can't
wrap your judgment little in favor
of my unfortunate client here, and
then ! shall fotch my arguments toa
close.
Here, gentlemon,is poor man, with
a numerous wife and child depending
upon him for their daily bread and
butter, wantonly fotched mp here and
arranged before an Intellectual jury
on the charge of ignominiously hook
ing-yes, hooking six quarts ofnew
cider. You, gentlemen, have been
placed in the same situation, and you
know how to feel for the unfortunates
of my client, and | humbly calculate
that you will not permit the gushings
of your symphathizing hearts to be
squenched in the bud by the surrup-
tions and supererogating arguments of
my ignorant opponent on the other
side.
"The law expressly declares, gen.
tlemen, in the beautiful words of
SHAKESPEARE, that where no doubt ex-
lists Of the guilt Of the prisoner, it is
your duty TO lean upon the side OF
justice, and fotch him in innocent. If
you keep this fact in view in the case
of my client gentlemen, you will have
the honor of making a friend Of him
aud all his relations, and you can al
lers look upon this occasion and refict
with pleasure that you did as you
would have been done by; but if, on
the other hand, you disregard this
great principle of law and set at
naught my eloquent remarks, and
foch him in guilty, the silent twitch-
es of conscience will follow you over
every fair cornfeld, | reckon, and my
injured and down-trodden client will
be pretty apt to light on you some Of
these nights, as my cat lights on sar-
ser of new milk"