Corpus, the right of trial by jury, the freedom of the Post Office, the liberty of speech, of the press, and of petition, and in short, to destroy all the constitutional rights of the North adverse to human bondage—and that for the purpose of effecting these outrages, they had formed a coalition with the northern Democrats—that if the rights of the North could not be otherwise pro- tected, the petitioners had acted properly, in asking for a dissolution of the Union.
The pubhc watched with intense interest the progress of this momentous trial, and it was quickly perceived on which side \dctory was inclining. Mr. Gilmer, anxious to arrest a process from which the slave interest was suflfering so severely, proposed a compromise—a nolle j^rosequi should be entered, provided the defendant would with- draw the petition he had presented. The proposition met with a positive and indignant refusal. Mr. Adams de- clared he would not, by withdrawing the petition, sanction the suppression of the right of petition, which was the real object of the prosecution ; he had done only his duty, he defied the House, and spumed its proffered mercy.
The trial continued to the 7th day, when, on motion of a southern member, all proceedings were