“My lords—­I have no imputation to cast upon the bench, neither have I anything to charge the jury with, of unfairness towards me.  I think the judges desired to do their duty honestly as upright judges and men; and that the twelve men who were put into the box, as I believe, not to try, but to convict me, voted honestly, according to their prejudices.  I have no personal enmity against the sheriff, sub-sheriff, or any of the gentlemen connected with the arrangement of the jury-panel—­nor against the Attorney-General, nor any other person engaged in the proceedings called my trial; but, my lords, I consider that I have not been yet tried.  There have been certain formalities carried on here for three days regarding me, ending in a verdict of guilty:  but I have not been put upon my country, as the constitution said to exist in Ireland requires.  Twelve of my countrymen, ‘indifferently chosen,’ have not been put into that jury-box to try me, but twelve men who, I believe, have been selected by the parties who represent the crown, for the purpose of convicting and not of trying me.  I believe they were put into that box because the parties conducting the prosecution knew their political sentiments were hostile to mine, and because the matter at issue here is a political question—­a matter of opinion, and not a matter of fact.  I have nothing more to say as to the trial, except to repeat that, having watched the conduct of the judges, I consider them upright and honest men.  I have this to add, that as to the charge I make with respect to the constitution of the panel and the selection of the jury, I have no legal evidence of the truth of my statement, but there is no one who has a moral doubt of it.  Every person knows that what I have stated is the fact; and I would represent to the judges, most respectfully, that they, as upright and honourable men and judges, and as citizens, ought to see that the administration of justice in this country is above suspicion.  I have nothing more to say with regard to the trial; but I would be thankful to the court for permission to say a few words in vindication of my character and motives after sentence is passed.”

   Baron Pennefather—­“No; we will not hear anything from you after
   sentence.”

   Chief Baron—­“We cannot hear anything from you after sentence has
   been pronounced.”

Mr. Martin—­“Then, my lords, permit me to say that, admitting the narrow and confined constitutional doctrines which I have heard preached in this court to be right, I am not guilty of the charge according to this act.  I did not intend to devise or levy war against the Queen or to depose the Queen.  In the article of mine on which the jury framed their verdict of guilty, which was written in prison, and published in the last number of my paper, what I desired to do was this—­to advise and encourage my countrymen to keep their arms, because that is their inalienable