hope the truth may be of benefit to him."

[Illustration: JANE JOHNSON]

[Illustration: PASSMORE WILLIAMSON.]

JANE [her X mark.] JOHNSON.

It might have been supposed that her honest and straightforward
testimony would have been sufficient to cause even the most relentless
slaveholder to abandon at once a pursuit so monstrous and utterly
hopeless as Wheeler's was. But although he was sadly confused and put to
shame, he hung on to the "lost cause" tenaciously. And his counsel,
David Webster, Esq., and the United States District Attorney, Vandyke,
completely imbued with the pro-slavery spirit, were equally as
unyielding. And thus, with a zeal befitting the most worthy object
imaginable, they labored with untiring effort to convict the colored
men.

By this policy, however, the counsel for the defense was doubly aroused.
Mr. Gibbons, in the most eloquent and indignant strains, perfectly
annihilated the "distinguished Colonel John H. Wheeler, United States
Minister Plenipotentiary near the Island of Nicaragua," taking special
pains to ring the changes repeatedly on his long appellations. Mr.
Gibbons appeared to be precisely in the right mood to make himself
surpassingly forcible and eloquent, on whatever point of law he chose to
touch bearing on the case; or in whatever direction he chose to glance
at the injustice and cruelty of the South. Most vividly did he draw the
contrast between the States of "Georgia" and "Pennsylvania," with regard
to the atrocious laws of Georgia. Scarcely less vivid is the impression
after a lapse of sixteen years, than when this eloquent speech was made.
With the District Attorney, Wm. B. Mann, Esq., and his Honor, Judge
Kelley, the defendants had no cause to complain. Throughout the entire
proceedings, they had reason to feel, that neither of these officials
sympathized in the least with Wheeler or Slavery. Indeed in the Judge's
charge and also in the District Attorney's closing speech the ring of
freedom could be distinctly heard--much more so than was agreeable to
Wheeler and his Pro-Slavery sympathizers. The case of Wm. Still ended in
his acquittal; the other five colored men were taken up in order. And it
is scarcely necessary to say that Messrs. Peirce and Birney did full
justice to all concerned. Mr. Peirce, especially, was one of the oldest,
ablest and most faithful lawyers to the slave of the Philadelphia Bar.
He never was known, it may safely be said, to hesitate