The Connecticut courant, and the weekly intelligencer — Hartford [Conn.], 1781-05-29 00:00:00, page 1

From the BOSTON CHRONICLE
MERICA has not only produced great mi
fl, litary characters, but exhibited many Strik
ing instances of humanity and generosity in the
present war. Among the lake we may pl ? ce the
treatment given to Major Ancre,- a British py, #
who came within our works with a design to
ruin our country. Judice was indeed executed,
and Andre died : But justice was executed with
humanity, and every alleviation afforded him
that the public falety would allo^ : lhe
rous Americans seemed to forget the nature o^j^s
attempt in the regard they paid to ms accompli n
ments as a man and a soldier : And he was tup
ported in his last feene, by feeing reipea and
companion towards him, in every countenamf,
and in every action of those into wliole harms he
had fallen. ' But while we pay the debt of numa
nity to our enemies, let us not forget what we
owe to our friends. About four years ago, Capt.
Hale, an American officer or a liberal education,
younger than Andre, and equal to him in teiiie,
fortitude and every manly accomplishment, tho
without opportunities of being so highly polish
ed, voluntarily went into the city of New-York,
with a view to serve his invaded country, lie
performed his part there with great capacity and
address, but was accidentally dncOyered. In this
trying circumftaqfe he exhibited all the firmnefs
of Andre, withput the aid of a Single countenance
around him^hat (poke either refped or compai
fion, and though every dung that ,^ la , or
done to him was adapted to in ike hiin ^ee^ that
he was considered as a traitor anj rebew hn^ie
appeared great in not contesting the dear grounds
upon which fie was condemned, and in leiuimg
to employ the absurd and frivolous pleas that
Clinton would have put into his mouth. Hale,
though not at all disconcerted, made no plea ±er
himfelf, and firmly rejected the advantageous of
fers made him by the energy, on condition of his
entering into their Service. Andre eainetuy
wished rhe mode of his death might have been
more like that of a soldier ; but condoled nftif
by observing, that in either way it would be
" but a moment's pang." Hole, otm^ and col
leaed, took no notice of either of those ciicum
fiurmes. Andre as he was going to die, with
great ryefence of mind and the molt engaging
air, bowed to all around him, and returned the
rcfpe& that had been and was dill paid to tun ;
and said, " gentlemen, you will bear witne^that
I die with the firmnefs becoming a soldier." —
Hale had received no Inch respects, and had none
to return ; but just before he expired,Laid, <pouu,
“ I am so fatisfied with the cause in which I have
engaged, that my only regret is, th^l have not
more lives than one to offer in itslervice.
Let justice be done to the character both of rue
Briton and American, and to the behaviour of
their refyeftive nations, upon this and fimnar
occasions.
" L O ND O N, February 6.
TRIAL of Lord GEORGE GORDON.
YESTERDAY being the day appointed for
the trial of Lord George Gordon, the
Judges took their feats in the court of king's bench
^bout eight o'clock. Great precautions were
used to keep the court from being unteafonabiy
crowded ; all the avenues to it were locked, and
written directions were issued by Lord Mansfield
to the matter of the crown-office, for the regu
lation ofthe proceedings. By this order, which
we .in the hand writing of the chief justice, the
Office of %, ^ur; wff exprefsiy comu^^
K@ o^4owo mire otti
WEEKLY INTELLIGENCER^
HARTFORD / PARTED KH UD SON AND GO6 DWI N, NEAR the G^tß^
TUESDAY, May 29, 1781.
hot to open the gate of Weftm'infter-Hall, ,° r
any of the doors that lead to the court, till eight
o'clock, at which time the court was appointed
to fit. At the fame time absolute orders were
given, that no money should be taken by the door
keepers, under pain of immediate dilmiffionkem
their places ; and that no person under any pre
tence should be admitted, till the Judges had
taken their feats,- and the court was opened.
This order was ftrialy complied with'; and,, be
fades the counsel, not mbre than thirtyor forty
Grangers were admitted, Lord Mansfield was
Ariel in the orders which he gave t'o flint the
doors after this time, and he ordered one or two,
young men who pushed in, to be taken into cut
'°The judges on the trial were Lord Mansfield,
Mr. Judice Willes, Mr. Justice Alhhurft, and
Mr. justice Buller. The Counsel for the prose
cution were, the Attorney General, the Solicitor
General, Mr. Dunning, Mr, Lee, Mr. Brar
croft, Mr. Howarth, and Mr. Norton, lhe
Counsel for the prisoner were, Mr. Kenyon, and
Mr. Erikinez Several alterations had been made,
in the court, for the better accommodation of
the neceflary officers and people concerned in
the trial; A box was made on the right hand of
the Judge's bench for the fherifts of Middlesex,
and a place on the right hand of the jury's box
for witnesses.. , ~
Lord George was brought to tie bar by the
Lieutenant of the tov/er about nine in the morn
ing. He was dressed in black velvet. H^Loid
flip was perfectly competed and collected in ms
appearance He took his place on the righthand
of Mr. Erskine, in the middle ofthe fecondoench,
commonly allotted to the counsel. Nr. nenyon
applied to the court, and requeued to know, l
their Lordfliips would indulge the prisoner
leave ro fit down ? To which Lord Manshem
answered, To E sure, by all means, lie was
attended by his Grace theDuke ot Gereon,^ol a [
William Gordon, and his icicle, Lord ^dam
Gordon. rirt
Mr. Norton, the youngest counsel ~: the
crown, opened the indictment in the utuai way,
reciting the allegation. , . , r
* The Attorney General then took up the cau,,
and entered into the nature and different kin,s
oftreafon, mentioned the repeal of the penalties
inflicted by the a^ofmerly passed ,ga,h the
Roman Catholics,(with the mikaie^S t,at ,1-
sued iaft year on the petition preiented again 11 the
aft, concerning this repeal, of which mrlchiets
he considered Lord George Gordonasthc aut .01.
His Lordihip, he said, was the president of the
association. He called by public advertrfement
20,000 men together, and declared that he would
not present the petition without chat number ;
for he was in parliament, and knew, p,haps,
that without violence his ends could not be pro
cured. He ordered them to come with blue
cockades, that he might know the extent of his
force ; he arranged them into divisions ; he met
them on the ground, and to inspire toe, ,itn
confidence, he told them " to recone,
the Scotch had done, and what they had gained,
by their enterprise and firmnefs ; and that be in
vited them to no danger which he was unwilling
to Share, and he would support them in their at
tempts, at the hazard of his life ; he would at
tend them, though he fnould be 1,11;, c on u,
gallows." He considered the whole of the Suo
fequent outrages as flowing from this caule; for
a man who turns loose a wild bean, he consider
ed to.be answerable for all the raanneiw tnat the
creature Should commit. He then read the ad
vertisement beginning with the U ords, " Where
as no hall in London will hold 40,000 men." —
And he read it witlyeommonts, Rating that the
invitation of the civil magistrates was matter of
mere mockery. The noble prisoner appeared,
or came along with the body to the home of
commons. He had them under his management.
They called upon him to know whether they
Should quit the lobby, as a division was about to
take place in She house, and it could not be done
unless they left the lobby. He gave them toun^
derftand, “ That the division would be agaroft
them, if they left the place, but they would
know what to do.' He reminded them or the
conduct of the Scotch ; told ther. that when
they pulled down the mass-houses, Lord Wey
mouth sent them a message, afiuring them that
the aft fliould not be repealed ; and why fliould
the Scotch be better than you ; he added, that #
when his majesty heard that the protestants were
coming from every place within ten mi.es ok
London, he would fend nis ministers to ,fTure
them that the aft Should be repealed. All tins
proved that he had the contrdul, and manage**
ment of the whole mob.
The learned gentleman then said he meant to
adduce evidence of these fa^s, and tru'ned, that
the jury would find the prisoner guilty of thG
crimes laid to his charge.
The firft evidence called was V m. Dav.
swore that he saw Lord George Gordon five or
fix times as president of the protestant associa
tion, at Coachmaker's Hall, Greenwood sßooms
the Crown and Rolls, and St. Margaret s Hill^
The last time which he saw him, on the 29th ok
May, at Coachmaker's Hall, he heard him an
nounce, to a very numerous aTemoly, that the
associated proteftahts amounted to 40,000 1a
number ; that the 2d of June was the day hxecr
upon for presenting the petition , that they were
to meet in St. Gcorgt's-Fields in low ,pa,i,
divisions or columns, arrayed or drefied 111 their
left clothes, with bide cockades in their hats, as
he himfelf fliould wear one, to distinguish them
frow c diet pe^fiho were papists, or friends to
oa; ihs. Ilegave orders how these four Several
l)cdies fliould take their ground, &c. what fields
they Should afftmble in. Some days before that
the noble Lord had, at the Crown and Rolls,
after reading over feme preambles and chutes 0
ads, said that his Majesty, by affecting to the
Quebec and the late aft, his coUnfedors had
broughthim to that pass or Situation, in which
James fid. was after his abdication. He read
his Majesty's coronation oath. It was his opi
nion that his Majesty had made a breach of, or
had broken that oath. He observed, that the
people of his country did not mince the matter,
they spoke out, or spoke their minds freely, and
he avowed it to betrue. Lhe witness faid,that he ?
Avent to St. George's Fields on the Second of
June ; he saw a very great multitude; he never
saw so many before, with cockades and banners
leered. “ Protestant Affiliation, No Popery,
&c." He saw the noble Lord at a distance ha
ranguing the body. He saw the multitude come
through Fleet-street. He fawthem also thefame
day at the house of commons. He wenfintothe
lobby, and the principal noise and uproar that he
heard was in chiming Lord George Gordon's
name. There was such confufion and noise that
he could hardly hear any thing. Lord George
crime outand told them " to adhere ftedfaftly
tofo glorious a cause." He promised to perfe
\€ie in ithimfyi; anghe hoped, although theie
(No. 853.)