1. _The Testimony of the Government's Attorney._ The Government itself is his client, and he gives such a statement of the law as suits the special purposes of the rulers and his own private and particular interest, selects such statutes, customs, and decisions, as will serve this purpose, and declares, Such is the law. Nay, he makes inferences from the law, and thereby infers new customs, and constructs new statutes, invents new crimes. He treats the law as freely as he treats the facts--making the most that is possible against the party accused. You have seen already what tricks Government attorneys have played, how they pervert and twist the law--making it assume shapes never designed by its original makers. He gives his opinion as to the law, as he gave an opinion as to the fact. This is not necessarily his personal and actual, but only his official and assumed opinion--what he wishes the Jury to think is law in this particular case. 2. _The Testimony of the Defendant's Attorney._ The accused is his client. He is to do all he can to represent the law as favorable as possible to the man on trial. He gives an opinion of the law, not his personal and actual, but his official and assumed opinion--what he wishes the Jury to think is law in this particular case. 3. _The Testimony of the Judge on the Bench._ But in the English courts, and the Federal courts of the United States, he is commonly no more than a government attorney in disguise; I speak only of the general rule, not the exceptions to it. He has received his office as the reward for party services--was made a judge because he was one-sided as a lawyer. In all criminal cases he is expected to twist the law to the advantage of the hand that feeds him. Especially is this so in all Political trials--that is, prosecutions for opposition to the party which the judge represents. The judge may be impartial, or partial, just or unjust, ignorant or learned. He gives an opinion of the law,--not his personal and actual, but his official and assumed opinion--what he wishes the jury to think is law in this particular case. For the court also is a stage, and the judges, as well as the attorneys, may be players, "And one man in his time play many parts." Of these three classes of witnesses, no one gives evidence under special oath to tell the law, the whole law, and nothing but the law--or if it be so understood, then all these men are sometimes most grossly and notoriously perjured; but each allows himself large latitude in declaring the law. The examples I have already cited, show that the judge often takes quite as wide a range as the attorney-general, or the prisoner's counsel.