Slavery -- United States; United States -- Politics and government -- 1849-1853
Mr. CARLISLE here rose, and, for the space of ten or fifteen minutes,
with the crowded audience hushed to a grave-like silence, he
interspersed resistless logic with noble sentiments, in a strain of
eloquence rarely, if ever, surpassed. He vindicated every word his
colleague had said, both as to matter and manner, and obtested Heaven
to preserve American tribunals of justice from following the examples
of the worst times of English judicial tyranny, when the basest
minions of the crown were elevated to the bench, that they might
overawe and abash counsel in their defence of prisoners whom the king
had foredoomed to punishment.
Judge CRAWFORD. (Trembling with emotion.) Mr. MANN’S course of
argument was perfectly legitimate. It was the inflammatory language
that I objected to. It was the language, and not the argument, that
was objectionable.]
Mr. MANN. Gentlemen of the jury, as the interdict against the line of
argument I was pursuing,--now acknowledged to be just and proper,--has
been withdrawn, I take it up where I left it, and proceed.
Mr. KEY, district attorney. I demand to know from what paper the
gentleman reads.
Mr. MANN. (Holding up the paper and pointing to its heading.) From Mr.
Ritchie’s Washington Union, of April 20th. Isn’t that good authority on
this subject?
Mr. KEY. From whose speech does the gentleman read?
Mr. MANN. From the speech of the Hon. Henry S. Foote, a senator in
Congress from the State of Mississippi.
Mr. KEY. The gentleman cannot read a paper to the jury, unless he
expects to prove it.
Mr. MANN. I deny that as a principle; but, if required, will call Mr.
Foote to swear to his speech.
Judge CRAWFORD. Mr. Mann knows Mr. Foote did not mean his language for
_our_ slaves. (A suppressed laugh around the bar.)
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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