ing his brother to
freedom?"

This is riddling No. 2; other "good men and true" are rejected, but
some are found "faithful" to the purposes of the court; and the judge
puts his next question,

(3.) "Will you accept for Law whatever the court declares such?"

This is riddling No. 3. Still the judge finds three-and-twenty men
small enough to pass through all these sieves. They are to be "the
jury." All the men who deny the constitutionality of the wicked
statute; all who have such reverence for the unalienable Rights of man
and for the Natural Law of God that they would not prevent a Christian
from aiding his brother to escape from bondage; all who have such
respect for their own manhood that they will not swear to take a
judge's word for law before they hear it--are shut out from the "grand
inquest;" they are no part of the "Country," or the "Body of the
county," are not "good men and true."

Gentlemen of the Jury, consider the absurdity of swearing to take for
law what another man will declare to be law, and before you hear it!
Suppose the judge should be drunk and declare the fugitive slave bill
in perfect harmony with the Sermon on the Mount, those noble words
"Whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you, do ye even so unto
them,"--are jurors to believe him? What if the judge should be sober,
and declare it a "misdemeanor" to call the fugitive slave bill a
wicked and hateful statute, and all who thus offended should be put in
jail for twelve months! Are honest men to take such talk for American
law?

The jurors then take this oath which the clerk reads them:--

"You, as a member of this Inquest for the District of Massachusetts,
shall diligently inquire and true presentment make of all such matters
and things as shall be given you in charge; the counsel of the United
States, your fellows', and your own you shall keep secret; you shall
present no man for envy, hatred, or revenge; neither shall you leave
any man unpresented--for love, fear, favor, affection, or hope of
reward; but you shall present things truly as they come to your
knowledge, according to the best of your understanding. So help you
God!"[114]

[Footnote 114: See other forms of Oath in 8 St. Tr. 759, 772.]

Then the judge appoints the most pliant member of the jury as
"foreman"--selecting, if possible to find him, some postmaster or
other official of the government, or some man marked for his injustice
or venality, who may have the desirab