Speech of John Hossack, Convicted of a Violation of the Fugitive Slave Law / Before Judge Drummond, Of The United States District Court, Chicago, Ill.

The defendant, convicted for aiding a fugitive, addresses the court with a personal plea that frames his actions as moral, constitutional, and religiously compelled. He recounts immigrant origins and years of labor building his community, declares himself an uncompromising abolitionist, and argues that the Fugitive Slave Law violates both the letter and the spirit of the Constitution. He condemns political and religious complicity in slavery, appeals to principles of justice and human dignity, and urges the court to withhold punishment that would enforce an unjust statute.