An Essay on Professional Ethics: Second EditionSharswood, George
Philosophy
An Essay on Professional Ethics: Second Edition
Sharswood, George
Legal ethics -- United States
You will ask me here whether I contend on this principle for the right
of doing that of which I am accused, namely, casting the guilt upon the
innocent? I do no such thing; and I deny the imputation altogether. You
will still bear in mind what I have said before, that I scarcely could
have dared to do so under the eye of Baron Parke and in the presence of
Mr. Clarkson. To act so, I must have been insane. But to set this matter
at rest, I have referred to my address as reported in the "Times"--a
journal the fidelity of whose reports was never questioned. You will be
amazed to hear that I not only did not do that of which I am accused;
but that I did the very reverse. Fearing that, nervous and unstrung as I
was, I might do any injustice in the course of a lengthened speech, by
even an ambiguous expression, I find these words reported in the
"Times,"--"Mr. Phillips said the prosecutors were bound to prove the
guilt of the prisoner, not by inference, by reasoning, by such subtile
and refined ingenuity as had been used, but by downright, clear, open,
palpable demonstration. How did they seek to do this? What said Mr.
Adolphus and his witness, Sarah Mancer? And here he would beg the jury
not to suppose for a moment, in the course of the narrative with which
he must trouble them, that he meant to cast the crime upon either of the
female servants. It was not at all necessary to his case to do so. It
was neither his interest, his duty, nor his policy, to do so. God forbid
that any breath of his should send tainted into the world persons
depending for their subsistence on their character." Surely this ought
to be sufficient. I cannot allude, however, to this giant of the press,
whose might can make or unmake a reputation, without gratefully
acknowledging that it never lent its great circulation to these libels.
It had too much justice. The "Morning Chronicle," the "Morning Herald,"
and the "Morning Post," the only journals to which I have access, fully
corroborated the "Times," if, indeed, such a journal needed
corroboration. The "Chronicle" runs thus:--"In the first place, says my
friend Mr. Adolphus, and says his witness Sarah Mancer--and here I beg
to do an act of justice, and to assure you that I do not for a moment
mean to suggest in the whole course of my narrative that this crime may
have been committed by the female servants of the deceased nobleman."
"The Morning Post" runs thus: "Mr. Adolphus called a witness, Sarah
Mancer. But let me do myself justice, and others justice, by now
stating, that in the whole course of my narrative with which I must
trouble you, I beg you would not suppose that I am in the least degree
seeking to cast the crime upon any of the witnesses. God forbid that any
breath of mine should send persons depending on the public for
subsistence into the world with a tainted character." I find the
"Morning Herald" reporting me as follows: "Mr. Adolphus called a witness
named Sarah Mancer.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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