hows the excessive weakness of the defence. And
how did the slaves behave after they were captured? If
they had been running away, would they not have been
downcast and disheartened? Would not they have said, Now
we are taken? On the other hand, according to the
testimony of Major Williams, on their way back they were
laughing, shouting and eating molasses in large
quantities. Nero fiddled when Rome was burning, but did
not eat molasses. What a transition, from liberty to
molasses!

"Then it is proved that the bulkhead between the cabin
and the hold was knocked down, and that the slaves went
to Drayton and asked if they should fight. Did not that
show his authority over them,--that the slaves were
under his control, and that he was the master-spirit? It
speaks volumes. [Here followed a long eulogy on the
gallantry and humanity of the thirty-five captors. One
man did threaten a little, but he was drunk.]

"The substance of the law, as laid down by the judge, is
this: If Drayton came here to carry off these people,
and, by machinations, prevailed on them to go with him,
and knew they were slaves, it makes no difference
whether he took them to liberate, or took them to sell.
If he was to be paid for carrying them away, that was
gain enough. Suppose a man were to take it into his head
that the northern factories were very bad things for the
health of the factory-girls, and were to go with a
schooner for the purpose of liberating those poor devils
by stealing the spindles, would not he be served as this
prisoner is served here? Would they not exhaust the
law-books to find the severest punishment? There may be
those carried so far by a miserable mistaken
philanthropy as even to steal slaves for the sake of
setting them at liberty. But this prisoner says he did
it for gain. We might look upon him with some respect
if, in a manly style, he insisted on his right to
liberate them. But he avowedly steals for gain. He lies
about it, besides. Even a jury of abolitionists would
have no sympathy for such a man. Try him anyhow, by the
word of God--by the rules of common honesty--he would be
convicted, anyhow. He is presented to the world at large
as a rogue and a common thief and liar. There can be no
other conception of him. He did it for dishonest gain.

"