ALEXANDER WILSON. 
31 
borne away with the prevailing liberty of sentiment 
expressed at this crisis of our nation’s history, when 
the revolution in the French empire was at its 
height, and our own executive was scarcely able to 
restrain and repel the torrent which menaced the 
social order of Great Britain. 
Wilson unfortunately entered keenly into the 
stories of oppression then supposed to be inflicted 
upon the operative classes, and was the author of 
many political squibs condemnatory both of men 
and measures, even the names of which it is now 
unnecessary to enumerate. Suffice it to say, for one 
of these he underwent a trial, was found guilty, and 
sentenced, not only to imprisonment, but farther, 
was subjected to the ignominy of publicly burning 
tbe obnoxious production with his own hands, be- 
sides finding security for his future good conduct. 
His confinement was the means of satisfying him 
of having inflicted injuries by the conduct which led 
to his punishment, although at the same time, when 
again set at large, he distrusted his own power to 
abstain from wounding others upon the next op- 
portunity which might unfortunately present itself ; 
whilo an honourable fear of ruining those friends who 
had interposed their bail, together with golden ex- 
pectations of being more fortunate in the Western 
Continent, determined him to try his fate in Ame- 
rica, that land of boasted freedom and liberty. 
Ho was enabled to set out on this new ocean of 
life by the kind assistance of friends, together with 
his own extraordinary exertions at his loom ; and 
