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EDWARD D, WORRELL. 89

The vindication and the eulogy are both wrong—both hurt-
ful—both illegal—both disturbing elements which the law
earefally shuts out from the consideration of Court and jury.
T have no word to utter against the deceased—none. The law
puts his character out of the reach of an assailant here—out
of the reach of eulogy also. His character is not in issue in
this cause. If that character was good, the law will not per-
mit you to hear it, lest the memory of his virtues might
awaken undue indignation; if bad, the proof of his crimes
is also shut out, lest they might render you more insensible
to justice.

Jurors, I may not deal with the motive which prompted my
friend in his opening appeal, but I must deal with ita
effect. That effect was to kindle in your breast feelings un-
favorable to a faithful discharge of duty—to lessen the weight
of obligation, by rendering yon less sensible of ita claims—
to make passion dictate a verdict which justice only can ever
lawfully write. It is not for me to say what success attended.
the effort, but it is my duty to advise you against such influ-
ence. By every obligation you are under to God and man, it
ia your duty to resist every influence not sanctioned by the
law you are sworn to administer. You hold in your hand
the issues of life and death today as the peers of the pris-
oner; on another day, twelve other men, as your peers, may
be clothed with the same awful power; or it may be your
children shall hereafter stand to a jury of the country as the
prisoner now stands to you; in each case the power held is a
trust—an awful truet—sacred to Justice, to Justice only! If
passion may usurp the power now, it may usurp it hereafter,
so that the only security in the futare, is fidelity now.

T cannot suppose my friend to be insensible to the immense
stake humanity has in excluding passion from this tribunal;
yet in the spirit—let me rather say, in the tendency—of his
previous appeal, he exclaims: ‘‘Gordon had not 2 moment
for preparation—not a minute; but was sent at once ‘with all
his imperfections on his head,’ before the great tribunal of
Judgment !’?

Gentlemen, Mr. Coalter has not studied in vain the speech

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