Opposing Sides
Exerpts from The Case and Trial of John Peter Zenger both for and against Zenger
Crown"Mr. Zenger has offended in a most notorious and gross Manner in scandalizing His excellency our Governor, who is the King's immediate Representative... For can there be any Thing more scandalous said of a Governor than what is published in those Papers?"
What Zenger did was against the law at that time. It was illegal to criticize someone appointed by the king. By printing negative things about Cosby, Zenger was breaking the law.
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Zenger"...yet I cannot think it proper for me ( without doing violence to my own principles) to deny the Publication of a Complaint, which I think is the Right to every freeborn Subject to make, when the Matters so published can be supported with the Truth... He has committed no Crime."
Hamilton, Zenger's lawyer, argued that every person has the right to publish what he wants, as long as it is the truth. Zenger was publishing the truth, which was exposing the corrupt way in which Cosby was governing.
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