106 



TRINIDAD : THEN AND NOW. 



illegality of the act." Pieton was neither fully con- 

 victed nor acquitted ; he was released from bail but 

 judgment was never delivered. 



Fullarton, the merciless calumniator of the 

 dauntless Picton, did not live to see the close of his 

 relentless prosecution — or persecution, was it ? — 

 having died of pneumonia on 13th February, 1808, 

 while the object of his great animosity lived to be 

 acclaimed a few years later one of the glorious heroes 

 of world-famed Waterloo. 



So much for Mr. M 'Callum and his accusations, 

 Picton 's name and fame remain an everlasting monu- 

 ment to his memory and his country, while Fullar- 

 ton 's and M 'Galium 's names are scarcely known even 

 to a few, and here I might leave the controversy, as 

 an eminent writer advised, " between these two 

 writers — M 'Callum and Robinson whom I have 

 quoted — leaving the public to judge for themselves. * 9 



Picton was nearly sacrificed to the emotional phil- 

 anthropy that accepts an overcoloured story as gospel, 

 and is ready to condemn a public servant too hastily, 

 on imperfect grounds. England's difficulties at the 

 time required his services. Wellington specially 

 applied for them and he cheerfully responded to the 

 call and as subsequent events in his life, and in the 

 history of his country proved, with such success as to 

 reflect glory upon his name and his country. 



It is no part of this short sketch of Picton 's life 

 to follow him through c< the battles, sieges fortunes," 

 that he " passed through 99 dn the Peninsular war ; 

 suffice it to say that he and his "fighting third," com- 



