blic meetings, and
political principles are to be charged as treasonable. Yes! political
considerations are brought to bear. We cannot tell what limit is to be
put to this. Therefore, not knowing what is before me, having no
ordinary rules of procedure to guide me, the Commissioner will allow me
to try to anticipate the attacks as well as I can. For having had it
intimated that the argument will not follow legal evidence, but extracts
from newspapers--

_Mr. Lunt._ That is very strong. I have offered you everything of that
kind that I have to say.

_The Commissioner._ The gentleman proposes to read as part of his
argument, an article from the newspapers.

_Mr. Dana._ He proposes to read it as evidence, to affect the mind of
the court on the facts. I cannot object to it now. When it is offered, I
have no doubt it will be properly met by the Commissioner.

I say, not knowing what is to come upon me, I must take a pretty wide
margin. In that view of the case, it will not be improper if I state
what I understand to be the true position of Mr. Davis, with reference
to the principles involved in this case.

May it please your Honor, we are not subjects of a monarchy, which has
put laws upon us that we have no hand in making. I do not hesitate to
say, here, that if the act of 1850 had been imposed upon us, a subject
people, by a monarchy, we should have rebelled as one man. I do not
hesitate to say that if this law had been imposed upon us as a province,
by a mother country, without our participation in the act, we should
have rebelled as one man.

But we are a republic. We make our own laws. We choose our own
lawgivers. We obey the laws we make, and we make the laws we obey. This
law was constitutionally passed, though not constitutional, we think, in
its provisions. It is the law until repealed or judicially abrogated.

Who passed this law? It was passed by the vote of the representative of
our own city, whom we sent there by our own votes. It was advocated by
our own Senator. It was passed by the aid of northern votes. Where is
the remedy? It strikes me that the statement of the case shows where the
remedy is. It is in the hands of the people. It is not in standing
behind and urging on poor men to put themselves in the cannon's mouth.
It is political courage that is wanted. Courage shown in speech, through
the pen, and through the ballot-box.

But be it known that all I have said is on the idea that this is a
repe