m. The testimony to this effect he pronounced
conclusive.]

"The United States (said the District Attorney) have
laid before you the clearest possible case. I have just
gone through a pretty long term of this court; I see
several familiar faces on the jury, and I rely on your
intelligence. In fact, the only point of the defence is,
that the United States have offered no proof that
Drayton seduced and enticed these slaves to come on
board the Pearl; and that the prisoner's counsel are
pleased to call a gap, a chasm, which they say you can't
fill up. It is the same gap which occurs in every
larceny case. Where can the government produce positive
testimony to the taking? That is done secretly, in the
dark, and is to be presumed from circumstances. A man is
found going off with a bag of chickens,--your chickens.
Are you going to presume that the chickens run into his
bag of their own accord, and without his agency? A man
is found riding your horse. Are you to presume that the
horse came to him of its own accord? and yet horses love
liberty,--they love to kick up their heels and run. Yet
this would be just as sensible as to suppose that these
slaves came on board Drayton's vessel without his direct
agency. He came here from Philadelphia for them; they
are found on board his vessel; Drayton says he would
steal a negro if he could; is not that enough? Then he
was here some months before with an oyster-boat,
pretending to sell oysters. He pretended that he came
for his health. Likely story, indeed! I should like to
see the doctor who would recommend a patient to come
here in the fall of the year, when the fever and ague is
so thick in the marshes that you can cut it with a
knife. Cruising about, eating and selling oysters, at
that time of the year, for his health! Nonsense! He was
here, at that very time, hatching and contriving that
these very negroes should go on board the Pearl. But the
prisoner's counsel say he might have been employed by
others simply to carry them away! Who could have
employed him but abolitionists; and did he not say he
had no sympathy with abolitionists. So much for that
hypothesis. Then, he in fact pleads guilty,--he says he
expects to die in the penitentiary. Don't you think he
ought to? If there is any chasm here, the prisoner mu