” weak and defenceless 
_ put the case of that Swi iss patriot, ; de- 
years ago, 
ed ineffectually to defend. 
_ were to come to this country, the 
_ only asylum now left upon earth; 
_ if he were here, to weep over the 
APPENDIX to the CHRONICLE. 
wicked and malignant intention to 
defame and vilify him? ‘The only 
| restraint upon great criminals was, 
in a great degree, to let loose the 
_ passions of the gerd; to prey on the 
1 will again 
scended from the hero of Switzer- 
Jand ; he, whose ancestor support- 
ed the liberties of his country ; who 
conquered that pile five hundred 
he of Jate had endeavour- 
If he 
ruins of his country, must he be 
told that he must deplore his fate in 
silence ; 
Better by far 
to a state of absolute barbarism, 
_ than thus have our feelings paralysed 
_ to all moral distinctions. 
and trust that a British jury will 
I hope 
never be a party to such purposes. 
_ They never had dene it, and, in for- 
' mer times, when all other parts of 
_ the state had been corrupted, juries 
yet maintained their virtue and their 
independence. In the days of Crom- 
' well, he twice sent a satirist upon 
his government to be tried by a jury, 
who sat where this jury now sit. 
The scaffold on which the blood of 
the monarch was shed, was still in 
their view. The clashing of the 
bayonets which turned out the par- 
liament, was within their hearing 5 
yet they maintained their integrity, 
and twice did they send his attorney 
general out of court with disgrace 
and defeat. 
What could be such a tyrant’s 
means of overawing a jury? As 
jong as their country exists they are 
girt round with impenetable armour ; 
till the destruction of their country, 
7 
that he might groan deep, 
but not be loud? 
_ would it be, that we should revert 
613 
no danger can fall upon them for’ 
the performance of their duty ; and 
I do trust that there is no Knglish- 
man so unworthy of life as to desire 
to outlive England. But if any of 
us are condemned to the cruel pu- 
nishment of surviving our country— 
if, in the inscrutable counsels of 
Providence, this favoured seat of 
justice and liberty, this noblest work 
of human wisdom and virtue, be 
destined to destruction, (which I 
shall not be charged with national 
prejudice for saying, would be the 
most dangerous wound ever inflicted 
on Civilization) at least let us carry 
with us, into our sad exile, the con- 
solation that we, ourselves, have 
not violated the rights of hospitality 
at we have not torn 
from the altar the suppliant who 
claimed protection as the voluntary 
victim of loyalty and conscience ! 
Gentlemen, I now leave this un. 
fortunate gentleman in your hands. 
His character and his situation might 
interest your humanity; but, on 
his behalf, I only ask justice ‘from 
you. I only ask a favourable con- 
struction of what cannot be said to 
be more than ambiguous language, 
and this you will soon be told, from 
the highest authority, is a part of 
justice, 
Mr. attorney general, in reply, 
said, notwithstanding the most bril- 
liant speech he had ever occasion to 
hear, had occupied his attention, and 
dazzled the understandings of the 
jury, for three hours, he did not find 
much to answer. Many topics were 
irrelevant: he said it without dero- 
gation: to the remainder he would 
reply. 
As to the prosecutor, my honour- 
able friend is wrong in attributing 
that to the first magistrate of France ; 
the prosecutor of this information 
3 is 
ro 
