and supposed he had let himself out by the day as a catcher
of fugitive slaves. I know something of the feelings of Southern
gentlemen as to this class of men. They are necessary evils. They use
them as we use spies, informers and deserters in war; they use them, but
they despise them. I remember being in one of the chief cities of
Virginia, and passing a large, handsome house, when my friend said to
me, "There lives perhaps the richest man in our town, but he visits
nowhere, nobody notices him. He is looked upon with aversion. He is a
dealer in slaves! He keeps a slave-market, and pursues fugitives!" They
look upon this occupation with as much contempt, aye, with more contempt
than we seem to now; for there is a higher spirit in their aristocracy,
than in the ruling classes of our Northern cities at this moment. This
was the feeling of Mr. Davis, when he spoke to Sawin. This is the
feeling of every man of honor. He wished a man whom he knew, to be
engaged in a more respectable business. I have said the same. I saw a
man I knew in Court the other day, letting himself by the dollar a day,
in slave catching. I begged him, if he could find any honest mode of
getting a living, to abandon it.

_The Commissioner._ Did you know him to be engaged in his legal duties?

_Mr. Lunt._ A very improper remark!

_Mr. Dana._ I venture to suggest not. The remark was with reference to
the future, and not to the present.

_The Commissioner._ I see no distinction between attempting to deter men
from executing the law and assisting in violating it.

_Mr. Dana._ I am sorry I cannot see the impropriety of it. Perhaps I
have not made myself clearly understood. Mr. Davis expressed his opinion
that the man had better be in better business.

_The Commissioner._ It was equivalent to saying to the officer that the
execution of the law was a mean business.

_Mr. Dana._ That I propose to argue.

_The Commissioner._ On that point, the defendant himself intimated in
his cross-examination, that the expression was not used as an
observation in general. On being asked whether the remark was not said
with regard to his business, he replied, yes.

_Mr. Dana._ I did not so understand it. He intended to say this--Mr.
Sawin, you and I are old acquaintances. You are not obliged to do this
business. It is mean business. Why do you volunteer in it? This is what
I myself have said, and what every high-minded man must feel.

_Mr. Lunt_ here intimated that