APPENDIX TO CHRONICLE. 



273 



been labouring in this country in 

 favour of those principles which 

 produced the iiorrors of the French 

 revolution, and would rob us of our 

 Jaws and liberties. I think it is 

 time that the public, to whom this 

 libel is addressed, and whose minds 

 have been abused and misled by 

 misrepresentation, should be un- 

 deceived ; lest, seeing libels such 

 as these going unpunished, they 

 might think such atrocious impu- 

 tations would not be made if thev 

 were not in some degree true. 

 They will argue, that the faction 

 which promotes this system of 

 abominable and unexampled libel- 

 ing is become so strong, that the 

 government dare not wrestle with 

 it. It is to remove this prejudice 

 and error from the public mind- 

 it is to teach them that those who 

 publisii these libels are common 

 and ordinary, and contemptible 

 malefactors — that this prosecution 

 is instituted. They must see them 

 committed to prison to expiate their 

 offence, unpitied and unprotected; 

 and then they will feel they are 

 not altogether to submit them- 

 selves to the wickedness of this 

 faction. Before I have done, I will 

 suggest one happy consequence 

 which may result from this pro- 

 secution ; perhaps I am sanguine, 

 but I hope for it — and it is this, 

 that that young man, who has 

 rendered himself subject to this 

 prosecution, whom I see to be a 

 very young man, and who has, I 

 know, many very respectable and 

 creditable connections, that he, al- 

 though late, and before it is irre- 

 coverable, yet by spending one 

 day in the company of those who 

 understood the laws, and are in the 

 habit of respecting them, will feel 

 the nature of his situation ; that 

 Vol. LV. 



his eyes may be opened — that he 

 may seethe dangerous and wicked 

 faction into whose hands he has 

 committed himself, who are en- 

 dangering his liberty, injuring his 

 fortune, and bringing infamy on his 

 character — that he will learn, that 

 to be the kee[)er of a newspaper, 

 to receive the slander of every ma- 

 lignant ruffian or traitor, who 

 chooses to attack the government 

 of the country, is an occupation as 

 discreditable as if he were the 

 keeper of a house of ill fame, and 

 sought his livelihood by the basest 

 means that degrade the lowest of 

 the species. If this effect should 

 be produced, I think our labour 

 will not be lost. If this young 

 man shall rescue himself from the 

 hands of thisfaction.andnot seek his 

 gain and livelihood by a systematic 

 violation of the law, but conduct his 

 paper as a source of instruction 

 and amusement to the public, he 

 will become a good subject and 

 citizen; but he will learn, from 

 the experience of this day, that if 

 he will continue in the same course, 

 he is bringing imprisonment on his 

 person, ruin on his fortune, and 

 infamy on his character. 



" Gentlemen, if we shall prove 

 the publication, I have no hesita- 

 tion in anticipating what will be 

 your verdict.." 



The publication was then proved, 

 and the court adjourned, at half- 

 past five, until this day. 



Tuesday, July 27. 



The court sat this day at eleven 

 o'clock. 



Mr. O'Connell stated the de- 

 fendant's case. His speech em- 

 braced a great variety of topics, 

 and occupied three hours and three 

 quarters. 



T 



