The Sun.
London, England, 1807-01-09 00:00:00

the several classes of the peeple, I care not. In :in-
quire. If the principles of christianity prevail —if
the sense el obedience to a Supreme Ruler otit the
world—if the convOien of the existence of a future
state, in which reward.: and punishments are distri-
buted, be kept alive in the minds of the people,
they %%ill never become the instruments for the com-
Mission of abominable crimes. lint if these Senti-
ments be extinguished—if they shall be taught to
cast off all regard for a flume world, the ties which
bind them to earth as well as to heaven arc rent
asunder.
" Gentlemen, we have had a miserable example
in our own. time. You may recolleet that not many
yearS back,, in a neighbouring country, the most
dreadful atrocities were committed ; you reColleft
the overthrow of an ancient monarchy ; that over,
throw, deplorable as it was, was not the dismal
scene of the tragedy.. The horrors of that unfortu-
nate revolution, in which the hands of the Either
wese imbrued in the blood of the son—in which all
the :literal and social relations were raised in mutual
warfare, could not be perpetrated until the senti-
ant: of religion were previously extinguished in
the minds of the people. Human nature was out*
raged by gross. and unexampled crimes?, until a so-
lemn decree was framed, 'declaring that there was
.no God in Heaven ! What the consequences were,
every man knows. But this I state, that as soon as
a settled forM of Government was established, it
was found that atheism and infidelity,- which .were
the ready instruments to throw down an ancient
throne, were an insecure foundation tir a new one ;
and one of the first alts of the founder Of the new
dynasty was to restore the consolations of religion
to his thirsty and supplicating Subje6.ls.
Gentlemen, it is no wonder that those who
watched after democratival equality should be the
foes of religion ; religion is the genuine equality of
mankind; it is the poor man's friend ; during the
troubles of this life, it renders him content with the
lot of inferiority, which is the condition of his na-
ture—and in the last awful hour of existence, it
puts him upon a level with the highest and most
exalted.

Gentlemen, it. is a melancholy and dishearten.
ing thing, that our. wretched peasantry can be de-
luded by snail arts, and that they should be thus
imposed upon after such miserable examples. For
half a century attempts have been made upon the
infatuated people Of this country,—Wlyat has been
the consequence ? Disgrace to the perpetrators in
failure of their plans--ruin and death to themselves.
--Yet what is the Coritiition of the .poor utihappy
people of this country ? As soon as any disaifeeted
mountebank appears; proclaiming his laws and
imaginary benefits, they become the willing instru-
ments of his scheme, and their own destrUdion.—
Is it possible they can for a moment imaaine, that
a great empire like this—armed with the raw.--pro-
teaed by an army—with a regular administration of
justice--are they so infatuated as to imagine, all
those will yield to a few miscreants like those under
whom they have enlisted themselves ? It is there!,
fore principally to undeceive these miserable
wretches---to rescue them from the grasp of fiends,
who are working their destruCtion, that the law is
sent down here, at this unusual season---to speak
its emphatic language. What the law is, I will tell
you. What the censequence of infringing it is,
you, Gentlemen, will tell and I cannot help feet-
ing,. that in' the consequence of this Commission,
we may look to an end of the coulusVi
anarchy which has prevailed, and that the vicious
may again be brought within the ordinary channel
of subordination.

" gentlemen, in speaking as I do, with indigna
tion for these crimes, 1 feet cOmpassion from time
very bottom of my heart for the vidims of them.
Seeing the mischiefi which have been,spreading in
the country by the artifices of miscreants, it does
not surpr* me at all,, that many persons should be.'
of opinion, that measures more summary should
have been adapted, for tlie purpose of at once ex-
tinguishing these mischiefs.—l am satisfied that the
opinion of these meet was diLlated by a feeling of the
truest regard for the interests of•their countryof
genuine compassion and mercy towards the unfer-
tenate delinquents themselves. But yet, my Lords,
and Gentlemen of the Jury, 1 trust that the Govern-
ment- of the country will ultimately acquire credit
trout thesewho entertained the opinion? havepsen-
timed, for the course which has been adopted in/the
present instance. The feeling of the Government
has been, that the insult which has been given to
the laws oldie country is best Vindicated by those
laws themselves. The persons whom we are now
called upon to cope whim do not compose multitudes
too strong for .the arm of the law. It is not an as-
sembly daring to stand before the exertions' of the
magistracy, but :it is a 1aw1413 233deilltion of men,
who find their safety in their obscurity ; and 1 can-
not help feeling a confidence, that when the , Vic-
tims of delusion shall have been•nruleceived—when
they find that the Laity Make a common cause
with the Clergy.-..when they sae atonement. made to
the laws by the speedx and energetic administra-
,tirm of justice, now %in progress amongst you---I
say; I feel confidence, that after they have seen the
array of this county drawn ,up for the investigation
of their crimes—after they have seen the assemblage
this day, of every man of rank, charaetee, and pro 7
petty, feeling their interests united with those' who
have been the subject ef,lawless attack7-that the
most salutary consequences will be experienced, and
that these people will at length .be convinced that
when they dare to raise their hands against the
laws of their Country, those laws will be found to.
have weight enough to •fall down upon and crush
them. What, Gentlemen, would it not be a
tniserable•stato of our country, to suppose that armed
as we are by the. law—supported as we arc by the
aid of every Gentleman in the country, and with an
armed force, if such be necessary—that associa-
tions of men, whose names are not known—of "no
rank, property; .or 'station, could not be put-doWn,
without, doing away, for . a time at least, the
erdinary constitution of the land. If the time
,should unfortunately come, when, what is now tit.
multuons rising, shall assume an aspe(t of .a diffe-
rent pature—if ever, Which God forbid, those scenes
•shall be renewed which we formerly witnessed, if
treason shall rear its head in the .country and su-
persede the law, these wretches will sink under the
ruin which will be let in upon them. But, -1 trust,
• no visitation' of that kind will occur; but that. with