“Madam,” said the judge, when the cheering had ceased, “you have heard the verdict of the jury, acquitting you of the charge made against you by Mr. Swartz, although in your defense, it is acknowledged you did take the money, and the jury is cognizant of the fact.  While your acquittal, in face of the evidence given, and your own acknowledgment as well as the acknowledgment of your counsel, may be somewhat deviating from the letter of the law, it is nevertheless in strict accordance with its spirit, and with pleasure I inform you that being acquitted you are no longer held a prisoner, but are free to go where you will.  But before you leave, let me make a few remarks on this case, which in my judgment are called for by the circumstances, and which may appear again, in consequence of many parties being similarly situated.  Although the jury has acquitted you, such acquittal must not be considered a license for others to go and do likewise.  Where your case is one of necessity, another of a like nature may be caused through dishonesty.  Your act is not applauded by thinking minds, nor did the jury intend to convey the impression that in acquitting you they considered you had performed a very meritorious act.  To the contrary, they deplore the performance of a deed which cannot be thought of but with regret; at the same time they took into consideration the deplorable position into which you were placed, and declare you innocent of theft.

“Before closing my remarks,” he continued, “I would call the attention of those present, as well as the people in general, to this case.  Like this unfortunate lady, many refugees are sojourning in our midst.  They should be received with welcome by those who are fortunate enough to live in peace and quiet in their happy homes.  But such, I fear, is not always the case.  Many respectable families who had been accustomed to all that wealth could afford, are now living, if not in absolute necessity, in very poor circumstances, and could have their position materially improved if the people of this State would offer them that assistance they need.  It is not an act of charity to lend a helping hand to the refugee.  We are bound together by a sympathy formed on the battle-field by the gallant men of every State now struggling side by side for our independence, and it is a matter of duty that the wives and children of the soldier shall not suffer during his absence.  It is a sordid spirit that refuses to aid a helpless woman because she happens to be a refugee.  This Confederacy is a home for all its sons and daughters, and when they abandon their native State, and, fleeing from a brutal enemy, come into our midst for safety and protection, we should welcome them as suffering patriots and cherish, them as they deserve.  It is a hard struggle for a woman to abandon a home, surrounded by all the luxuries of life and in which happiness reigns dominant, to incur hardships and privations.  In doing so her patriotism is severely tested, and nothing but the most exalted devotion to our country triumphs over her fears.