My Lord, it is with great regret, and very
painfully to my own feelings^ that I stand up to
ask your Lordship for a judgment against a
Gentleman whose character stands so unques-
tionably high as the Gentleman who now stand^l
upon your Lordship's floor for judgment, 8ut
your Lordship knows it is a law of stern poli-
tical necessity — that where the Author of a
libel of this kind cannot be found, the Pubr
lisher must answer for it ; and if Mr. Patcfaard
is to be made a victim^ according to the phrase
used by his learned Council torday, let it be
recollected, he is not mad^ the victim of the
Prosecutors, but the victim df those persons ill
whom he has reposed confidence, and vtrho



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hare deserted him inthehour of necessity; but
who in a single moment can relieve him^ by
giving up the Author of this Libel. That is all
we ask; and we pray for no vindictive judg-
ment against Mr. Hatchard, if that can be
done.
My Lord, it is not my intention to go into
the subject of the Slave-trade at all ; but those
who entertain an opinion different from that
which had long prevailed — those who think
that the ^lave-trade ought to be abolished — af-
fect to be persons of purer morality.than others.
