I don't think anyone will say this so I will. John Adams defended soldiers that were involved in the Boston Massacre. He did so on principle, the same principle that underlies the Declaration, that it is the rights that matter and not who is claiming them or how other people feel about the claimants. The first version of the Declaration is clear about this (too clear!!! since it was censored).
A new book makes the case most eloquently: John Adams Under Fire: The Founding Father’s Fight for Justice in the Boston Massacre Murder Trial
