ceived by those who the next day saw his Honor the Chief-Justice come into court, with a look big with the greatest anxiety, clothed in a manner which would have excited compassion from the hardest heart, though his dress had not been strikingly contrasted by the other judges and bar, who appeared in their robes. Such a man in such a station, thus habited, with tears starting from his eyes, and a countenance which strongly told the inward anguish of his soul, — what must an audience have felt, whose compassion had before been moved by what they knew he had suffered, when they heard him pronounce the following words in a manner which the agitations of his mind dictated?
August Term, 3 George III. in B. R., &c. — Present: The Hon. Thomas Hutchinson, Esq., Chief-Justice ; John Cushing, Peter Oliver, Esqs., Justices.
The Chief-Justice, addressing the whole court, said, —
Gentlemen, There not being a quorum of the court without me, I am obliged to appear. Some apology is necessary for my dress : indeed, I had no other. Destitute of every thing, — no other shirt ; no other garment but what I have on ; and not one in my whole family in a better situation than myself. The distress of a whole family around me, young and tender infants hanging about me, are infinitely more insupportable than what I feel for my self, though I am obliged to borrow part of this clothing.
"Sensible that I am innocent, that all the charges against me are false, I can't help feeling : and though I am not obliged to give an answer to all the questions that may be put me by every lawless person, yet I call God to witness, and — I would not, for a thousand worlds, call my Maker to witness to falsehood, — I say, I call my Maker to witness, that I never, in New England or Old, in Great Britain or America, neither directly nor indirectly, was aiding, assisting, or supporting — in the least promoting or encouraging — what is commonly called the Stamp Act ; but, on the contrary, did all in my power, and strove as much as in me lay, to prevent it. This is not declared through timidity ; for I have nothing to fear. They can only take away my life, which is of but little value when deprived of all its comforts, all that was dear to me, and nothing surrounding me but the most piercing distress.
"I hope the eyes of the people will be opened, that they will see how easy it is for some designing, wicked man to spread false reports, to raise suspicions and jealousies in the minds of the populace, and enrage them against the innocent ; but, if guilty, this is not the way to proceed. The laws of our country are open to punish those who have offended. This destroying all peace and order of the community, — all will feel its effects; and I hope all will see how easily the people may be deluded, inflamed, and carried away with madness against an innocent man.
"I pray God give us better hearts ! "
