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| 576 THE mfOJSBGMOUND RAIL ROAD. involutions and tergiversations in regard to this ease, produce no possible effect upon die judicial mind, bat that which is unfavorable to themselves. Impartial men, are they? How do they appear before you? They appear under cover from first to last; standing upon their right to resist inquiries legitimately propounded to them; burning up letters sinoe they have arrived, calculated to ehed light upon this subject; and before they come here, corresponding with and deriving information from a man, an evidebt kidnapper, who dare not eign his name and gets his wife to sign hers. This is the character these men exhibit here before you; clandestinely meeting together at the tavern, and that to consult in regard to the identity of a person about whom they know nothing. Can they refer to ajiy marks by which to identify this person? Nothing at all of the kind. Do they, with the exception of the first witness examined, state even the time when she left? Have they produced the letter written by this kidnapper, showing how he described her ? Why, let me ask, is not the full light allowed to shine on this case? But even with the light they have shed upon it, I would have been perfectly content to have rested it, relying upon their testimony alone, for a just decision. ******** Now, what man among them, professes to have seen this woman for twenty-one years ? Not one. The learned gentleman attempts to sustain his ease, because one of our witnesses, certainly not more than one, has not seen this •woman for about the same length of time: but don't you perceive, that in this case they all lived in the same State, if not In the same county— they had intercourse with persons mutually acquainted with her, and three out of four of them, met her for several months at the same church ; and one witness, who had long been in her society, and in close association with her, knew she bad a mark upon her forehead corresponding to the one she bore on her own. And by dint of all these matters, this long continued acquaintance only reviving the impressioos received in early life, they had no doubt, of the identity of the person. Was there ever a more perfect train of evidence exhibited to prove the identity of a person, than on the present occasion ? ******** We have called witnesses on this point alone, and have more than counterpoised tbe evidence produced upon the opposite side. And we have not only made it manifest that she \vas a free woman, but we have confirmed her charter by separate proof. What does the gentleman say further? Do I understand him to say we have no right to determine this matter judicially? { Now what is all this about? Why is it before you, taking your time day after day ? According to this argument, you have nothing to do bat to give the master the flesh he claims. But you are to be satisfied that you hav* sufficient reason to believe that these claims are well founded. And |