pose a case which may happen here and before
long. A woman flies from South Carolina to Massachusetts to
escape from bondage. Mr. Greatheart aids her in her escape,
harbors and conceals her, and is brought to trial for it.
The punishment is a fine of one thousand dollars and
imprisonment for six months. I am drawn to serve as a juror
and pass upon this offence. I may refuse to serve and be
punished for that, leaving men with no scruples to take my
place, or I may take the juror's oath to give a verdict
according to the law and the testimony. The law is plain,
let us suppose, and the testimony conclusive. Greatheart
himself confesses that he did the deed alleged, saving one
ready to perish. The judge charges that if the jurors are
satisfied of that fact then they must return that he is
guilty. This is a nice matter. Here are two questions. The
one put to me in my official capacity as juror, is this:
"Did Greatheart aid the woman?" The other, put to me in my
natural character as man, is this: "Will you help punish
Greatheart with fine and imprisonment for helping a woman
obtain her unalienable rights?" If I have extinguished my
manhood by my juror's oath, then I shall do my official
business and find Greatheart guilty, and I shall seem to be
a true man; but if I value my manhood I shall answer after
my natural duty to love man and not hate him, to do him
justice, not injustice, to allow him the natural rights he
has not alienated, and shall say, "Not guilty." Then men
will call me forsworn and a liar, but I think human nature
will justify the verdict.'"

"I should like to ask," he continued, "the reverend gentleman in what
capacity he expects to be punished for his _perjury_?" Gentlemen of
the Jury, I rose and said, "Do you want an answer to your question,
sir?" He had charged me with preaching murder and perjury; had asked,
How I expected to be punished for my own "PERJURY?" When I offered to
answer his question he refused me the opportunity to reply! Thus,
Gentlemen, he charged me with recommending men to commit perjury! Did
he think I advised men to take an oath and break it? On the other side
of the page which he read there stood printed:--

"Suppose a man has sworn to keep the Constitution of the
United States, and the Constitution is found to be wrong in
certain pa