, 1860-12-14
NINETEENTH DAY
-NI-NEl lEENlu DA1.
MONDAY, Dec. 10, 1900
COSCLEsIOS or THE ARGUMENT FOR TUE CON
rLAINAST DY JOHN VAN IHMAN. ESQ

MONDAY, Dec 10. 1900
CONCLUSION or THE ARGUMENT FOR TIE CON-
rLAISAST IL John VAN AHMAS, ESQ.
GENTLEMEN OF THE JrRT:-I made an
apology 10 You TN Saturday afternoon for
speaking much longer lhnn had intended IL
III this cass, But IL is quite unnecessary for
1nc to ex4'lain to yon the reasons why COUNSEL
in case like this, whatever may be his feel
ings or desires relative to the result, would be
anxious to fulfil Ills duty In the case. lie
him il he did not Ny responsibility, howev-
cr, is much lighter than yours. When shall
have finished my argument, provided shall
have said all that seems to be right aud ncccs-
tary for me to say before the world, in tho cs.
timation OF my employer, aud TO my own con-
science, ! shall luve done all to secure the
rights Of MY client That am required to do.
And, whatever may be your verdict, sl,all
lave done my duty.
With you It ia somewhat different. Tou have
the duty of judsment-final judymcnt-be-
tween these parties. The length to which this
trial has been protractcd; the unusual excite
1nent In the public mind; the Interest that has
bccn taken The sympathy which has ucccssa~
rily been aroused, aud the peculiarly imrrcssi-
bic nature or the human miud, aud OF the hu-
1nnu hear-dor We oil, as by conta. ion, caicl,
the synl'athies that float in the mir around lie,
| md the influences that circle about us-thuse
CAUSES being allowed their operation, which,
tile to the exercise of sound, unbiased judg
,ncnt- Public opinion Is never safe guide !;
especially the first opinion formed under cx-
! element How has It been here! A man
comes In and listens to half q days tesii-
1tlony, aud goes away satisfied one way or the
other. Another man comes in md hears As
much on the other side, and lie also goes AWAY
| satisfied. And thus Is public opinion formed
II is a tyrant, aud the man who submits to it il
! the slave Of rcmorstlcss and yctlal monster
, What it approves to-day, it will condemn to-
morrow; 1t Is never Of even, consistent tenor;
| it is vain and fTvolous-foundcd upon small,
| and often changed upon the slightest and most
! trl,ial, considerations y
.'valn ~ the leaf upon The stream,
| And tickle as \ changcful DREAM
| Trust it not; beware Of it. The public are
! not responsible for your verdict You are re.
! Bronsiblc to the parties, to your countrymen,
! for the Just administration Of the law; but
! higher and above all, are you responsible to
| that Being who is the personlacation Of justice
! and Of right, and who hates a lie and Letcsts
iniquity. feel myself warranted in making
! these remarks In any case in which similar out
/, side circumstances prevail. ask no aid frnm
| public opinion. expect nothing from public
| lady involved in this case shall have all that !;
! moi sympathy, natural, human sympathy alone,
| but that principle Of manly honor and ehival-
| ~ which shoMld dread to sec cxtinguishcd in
the human heart, warrant her the public sym
l.athy. But if tho lady had been the wife Of
| III your midst, and had been guilty Of the same
| thing. or II the same proof hadexisted against
( her-had the wife Of one Of yonr ncighboriug
farmers, in the first place, gone to the verge Of
alu tcry with one lover, uld then, after a two
years intimacy with nnothcr lover, carried on
by stolen interviews, letters, meetings, sought
In the absence Of her husband|f, aiter nil
that, she had then repeatedly confessed hersel.
guilty Of adultery, / submit to You that she
! could scarccld have appeared before you Will,
the imposing front presented by this dctcace.
For never have seen, in tho course Of long
practice, party appear in court will, 80 high,
handed, audaclous, aggressive front. Instead
Of apologiEing for her own conduct. which she
must admit to have been almost as rcpfeAensi
lie in any erent Us actual anultery-conduct
which is admitted before you instead Of Of
fcring any apology for that, or admitting ever
the slightest humiliation or o0ntIitiOn ON nc
count OF it. her counsel have assumed the az
cressive, and stand here dealing every species
Of anathenln and insult upon the injured hus
band. The position Of the accused and OF tls
accuser arc reversed. they assume the often
sivc, and in the most high. insulting and
criminal. Would not q little more humilit,
. become themy Would not lower tone hayt
been more In tastcs If your nciyhbor's wifi
had been In slmIlar circumstances, how woult
she have appeared before youy How
would 1t become her mud thesn to ap
pcars But we have no s1ch per
son here for i defendant, By no means.
nplate Sin in gold and the strong lance Of Jussic
harmless breaks;
c1o'he 49, l. + !7c'' and the p'sns ''raw wi
So 1t Is always when you Aa7e th
wealthy, and high, and powerful for partic
In court. They come like the feudal baron
OF old, when men were bought and sold lik
chattles in the market They come with thei
bands Of setainers at their heels, aud With
; show OF power and influence seek to oyercom
US, VIII that do? will 1t serrc2 That is Z
be tested. 1t has boon supposed. perhaps vair
IL. that the classes in our country from whic
Jurors are principally drawn, especially IN tn
country, where each is sovereign OF his owl
little kingdom, dependent upon no man for a
nut he needs, for the support Of himself an
fa1nily,-it has been supposed that men thu
cIrcumstnnccd, could be trusted, tha
! neither Inc brbe Of wealth, the frowI
i Of power, nor my alluFemcnts that Nigh
be held ont to them. would nWay thet
from the Just exercise ofthose functions WING
the law lns entrusted in their hands. kno'
quite well the culosies that have been Pr
nounced upon thls lady and her conduct Bp
/; at the bottom Of them all lies this fatal reeor
+, which cannot be gainsayed, cannot be dcniet
Fisat, the intimacy with Boyd running to th
- ~ - 1A-