“Your Honour, and gentlemen of the jury—­It would be an easy matter for me to-day, to play the role of a lunatic, because the circumstances are such as to excite any ordinary man subject to natural excitement after what has transpired to-day.  The natural excitement, or may I add anxiety, which my trial causes me is enough to justify me in acting in the manner of a demented man; but I hope, with the help of God, that I will maintain a calm exterior and act with the decorum that suits this honourable Court.  You have, no doubt, seen by the papers produced by the Crown, that I was not a man disposed to think of God at the beginning.  Gentlemen, I don’t want to play the part of a lunatic.

“Oh, my God, help me through the grace and divine influence of Jesus.  Oh, my God bless me, bless this Court, bless this jury, and bless my good lawyers, who at great sacrifice have came nearly 700 leagues to defend me.  Bless the lawyers for the Crown, for they have done what they considered their duty.  God grant that fairness be shown.  Oh, Jesus, change the curiosity of the ladies and others here to sanctity.  The day of my birth I was helpless, and my mother was helpless.  Somebody helped her.  I lived, and although a man I am as helpless to-day as I was a babe on my mother’s breast.  But the North-West is also my mother:  although the North-West is sick and confined, there is some one to take care of her.  I am sure that my mother will not kill me after forty-years life.  My mother cannot take my life.  She will be indulgent and will forget.

“When I came here from Montana, in July, 1884, I found the Indians starving.  The state of affairs was terrible.  The half-breeds were subsisting on the rotten pork of the Hudson Bay Company.  This was the condition, this was the pride, of responsible Government!  What did Louis Riel do?  I did not equally forget the whites.  I directed my attention to assist all classes, irrespective of creed, colour or nationality.  We have made petitions to the Canadian Government, asking them to relieve the state of affairs.  We took time.  Those who know me, know we took time with the object of uniting all classes, even if I may speak it, all parties.  Those who know me know I have suffered.  I tried to come to an understanding with the authorities on different points.  I believe I have done my duty.  It was said that I was egotistical.  A man cannot generalize himself unless he is imputed with the taint.  After the Canadian Government, through the honourable under-secretary of state, replied to my letter regarding the half-breeds, then, and not till then, did I look after my private affairs.  A good deal can be said of the distribution of land.  I don’t know if my dignity would permit me to mention what you term my foreign policy, but if I was allowed to explain or question certain witnesses, those things would have looked different.  My lawyers are good, but they don’t understand the circumstances.  Be it understood that I appreciate their services.  Were I to go into details, I could safely say what Captain Young has told you regarding my mission, to bring about practical results.  I have writings; my career, is perhaps nearly run, but after dissolution my spirit will still bring about practical results.”