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Untitled Article
retire in dudgeon , as long as there is reason to believe that a large portion of the population of our great towns is composed of men like these . They truckled not to the ruling power , neither have they in any way sanctioned brutality on the part of the populace . The conduct of the Foreman * noble , sensible , and manly throughout , and he will not be lightly forgotten by a grateful nation . The calm and dignified mode in which he put down
the insolent , intrusive , and false-shuffling Mr . Gude , the friend of the Coroner , must have been most impressive . We owe him more than thanks , we owe him deep gratitude for the example he has set . The drivelling anxiety of the Coroner to secure a verdict that might be agreeable to the Government , was somewhat remarkable , as well as the pertinacity with which he clung to his point ; but as remarkable was the plain and simple eloquence of the Foreman in his reply , when the Coroner proposed to strike out a portion of the verdict .
Before God and our country , on . our solemn oaths , we have given the subject all the consideration in our power ; and that paper , which I have handed to you , contains the judgment in which we are unanimously agreed . If you strike out any part of that , it is not our verdict . -If you will not take our verdict , the sooner you dismiss us the better . We are fatigued to exhaustion ; we have done our duty laboriously and faithfully ; and our country can expect no more from
us . If proper measures had been taken * either by reading the Riot Act , or a proclamation , or any other means , we would not bring in a verdict to justify the homicide . Therefore , to let this verdict go abroad alone , would be very dangerous ; and it might be thought that we justified the stabbing a policeman who was legally employed . We have as strong an impression of the importance of our duty as any men can have , and we have agreed to that verdict , and we will agree
to none other . We are all of us men who have families , and some stake in the country . Indeed , I think there is none of us but has some little property . We all of us are of one opinion about the impropriety of that meeting , and we are far from liking mob meetings . If the police had acted with propriety , we would all of us have turned out to assist and protect them at any risk . The Government certainly prepared means of dispersing the meeting , but how were those means
employed ? We blame the Government and the police , because they made no attempt to prevent the meeting . One hundred men upon the ground in the morning , or the expostulation of a magistrate , would , in our opinion , have prevented any meeting . In the name of my brother jurors , I have to repfat , that we have considered our verdict , and that it is the only one in which , upon the evidence , we
should feel ourselves justified , It has been proved in evidence that the conduct of the police was brutal and ferocious , and that of the people was peaceable . We will say no more , Sir ; record our verdict , or dismiss us . We have told you , Sir , we will not alter a letter . In regard to our oaths , and our duty to our God f our country , and our king , we can give no other verdict . Let us not pass any more time i + Samuel Stockton j Cromer Street , baker *
Untitled Article
On the Conduct of the Police . 483
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), June 2, 1833, page 433, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2616/page/73/
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