wrote up the interest of the Indigo planters for fee and reward, and certainly if it implied nothing further, it was no libel. Mr. Peterson had given the jury his interpretation of the passage, but they must not on those grounds take it as a libel. They must judge for themselves. If they thought it implied no more than he had said, it was not a libel, because everyday there were newspapers, books and pamphlets written to advance a particular interest, as Mr. Brett had himself allowed in his evidence. Was it not a fact that every section of the community had its particular organ in London, from the highest conservative to the lowest radical? Some among them favored the interests not only of the Established Church but of a hundred other sects. Some advocated the interests of the Law, some those of the Government, some those of the merchants, in short, every phase of life was represented by men who advocated its interests for money, and not for money alone, but for a livelihood, and the learned Counsel considered it a fair, legitimate, and honorable profession. It was this that was implied by the passage he had read and nothing more. The learned Counsel did not know if Mr. Peterson meant to compare editors with Judas Iscariot, and if the Jury believed his argument. They would see that this reference to Judas Iscariot was an illustration and not a comparison, which were very different. He would thus leave that portion of the case to them, first stating that if Mr. Brett thought that passage reflected on him, he was quite justified in bringing the matter into Court, but they must be quite satisfied on the question of libel or no libel before they gave a verdict.
Before proceeding to the consideration of the second Count, which referred to the general body of Indigo planters, the learned Counsel must observe that it was a most unusual thing of a case to connect a private individual with one of a large body of men like the Indigo planters, and this method was calculated to embarrass Mr. Long in his defence. He would now consider the second count in the indictment. It alleged a libel upon the Indigo planters of Lower Bengal, and he must say that his learned friend Mr. Peterson had delivered himself of a good deal of indignation on the subject of those grievances. And more so than the planters themselves. Several friends of his connected with the Indigo interest were in Court, and he thought they looked very cheerful, and not at all like
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