The Sun.
London, England, 1840-01-07 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, TUESDAY, JANUARY 7, 1840.

sewed him that the fifth point—the distribution of property
—was not one of the articles professed by the Chartists]
—I am glad to hear it, I was only going' to mention it for
the ptirpoee of making one remark.
Mr. Frost here spoke aloud for the first time during the
trial.. He said, in .a firii tone, and with that collected air
which has never iicleiied bite dnripg the proCeeditigs,
" Such a thing was never contemplated, Sir Frederick
Pollock ithere never was any talk about a distribution of
property, otherwise than as it now exists."
Sir F. Pollock—Gentlemen, the idea is SO chimerical,
that I was only going to eapreie my utter disbelief of a
person of Mr. Frost's ability and talent entertaining such
an opinion. That such a notion has been ditsernmated
amongst the lower classes, with a view to produce comnao-
tion and disorder; there can be no doubt; but as was said
on this subject by one of the most eloquent men that ever
were at the Irish bar, I mean Mr. CUrtan, and in naming
hire, I may say one of the most eloquent bxen that
ever lived, " That new distribution might make many
persons poet, but it could make no man rich." The
scheme would not dutlive the day on which it was
carried into effect. It is contrary to the laws of God
and of nature. Inequality in wealth and station, and in
that strength and those talents with which it has pleased
God to bless us, must, in the nature of things, exist ;
and tke idea of producing such an entire level, although I
believe It has existed in the wild vagaries of that system
called " Socialism," distinguished, as it is, by its impieties
and its impurities, I believe sever entered into the mind
of any sane and reasonable man. Accepting, then, this
correction, Gentlemen, which I cheerfully and gladly do,
it appears that Chartism has a fifth article, that Members
of Parliament should be paid. Now, do not understand
me tie laying that, because during the progress if the Re-
form Bill, that was done in many parts of the country
which fifty years ago would have been considered treason,
and done without punishment or reproof, nay, even, en-
ceuraged—do not understand me as saying, that for that
reason any man can promote Chartists by any act
directed against the peace of the country. Nor do I
put the defence of Mr. Frost on the ground that these
men were armed and assembled for the purpose of
enforcing, in the remotest degree, Chartist opinions.
Nothing of the kind. I claim, however, as I did at the
outset, a lenient, a favourable, a merciful, nay, am I
not entitled, after all that has taken place, to say a just
construction of these demonstrations of force ; and that
when they do take place, they shall not be considered as
indicating any of those wild, dangerous, and desperate de-
signs, of which they might be the tokens in former times,
before we had the experience of the present day. Mr.
Frost became a Chartist, and like every matter upon which
he entered, he became zealous, devoted, and sincere, in the
pursuit of his objects. He frequented meetings, and I be-
lieve if we could get the history of those meetings, some of
them we have—if we had had enough to enable us to see
what were their principles, their doctrines, their precepts,
their practice what was enforced, what enjoined there—
we should find no appeal to physical force ;_ no wish at any
time, according to the cipreasion of one of the witnesses,
"of breaking the old law in order to get a new one." I
believe with respect to a community, such as that to which
we have the honour to belong, mere ttleet,:without either
the reality or the appearance of kindness of feeling, can
hardly ever obtain for the possessor an extensive influence
over the minds of men. Mr. Frost possessed that kindness
of feeling which is necessary, in addition to talent, to
procure such influence. The Chartists undoubtedly con-
sidered him as one well calculated to advise them, and
keep them from harm. It occurred at the last Summer
Assizes that Vincent was convicted of sedition and sen-
tenced to imprisonment, and his situation and treatment
attracted mush discussion in the country. Tke Chartists,
regarding Vincent has a victim, and feeling a desire to
testify their sympathy and ameliorate his condition in
every possible way, asked Mr. Frost to take an active part
in these proceedings. He addressed the Lord Lieutenant
and the Niagistrates, and attended Chartist meetings on the
subject. I think I shall be able to give you reason to
suppose that when it was proposed to resort to physical force,
Mr. Frost, es well as Z. Williams, discountenanced any
such attempt. I believe it will appear—it does appear in
evidence, that Mr. Frost, far from assembling these troops
—if they may so be called—with a view to a hostile move-
ment, consented to join them for the purpose of pre-
venting anything of the kind. lam not here to de-
fend that act. Mr. Frost may learn a lesson, that
"they that sow the wind will reap the whirlwind," a
piece of advice which ought not to be thrown away on
many persons in higher station than Mr. Frost. I admit
that his joining the multitude, even for the prevention
of mischief, was a grave and serious offence. All I say is,
that it was not treason ; for it had no character or purpose
belonging to treason connected with it. Mr. Frost was
with them openly, and from his expression—his expres-
sion to Brough and Watkins—" I hate your politics, but
smhyowosbjetchtatis
heto wdoashanromt
ctoonsnceiomusano,f abnedi
ngyoeungmaagyedgoin"
any enterprise which required concealment from those
from whom he entirely differed in point of politics. It
appears that Mr. Frost was, on Friday, the Ist of No-
vember, at the Coach and Horses. My Learned Friend
says that was the period when this was fixed. I do not
know how that may be, but the Mayor said he had made
preparations on the Thursday. But it appears, and no
doubt there was an arrangement made, that one party
should proceed from Blackwood, a second from Nantyglo,
and a third from Pontypool ; the second being led by Zc.
phaniab wucsme, and the third by Jones. At midnight
Mr. frost is stated to have been seen at the Welsh Oak,
and that he was thea away till an early hour of the morn-
ing. Barnabus Brough saw him at break of day, and Mr.
Frost on being applied to, then liberated Brough and Wat-
kins. Mr. Frost is bound onwards to Pye-corner, where I
say, he did not and could not have met Hodges. He is seen in
Tredegar.park on his way lo Newport. One saw him
last at the Roman Catholic chapel ; another on the pave-
ment by the anchor shop, where he said, " Turn round
and and show your appearance in front." The firing then
began, and he is next seen about 10 o'clock with his handker-
chief up to his eyes, as if he bad been crying., some mile
or two miles from the town of Newport, and going into a
wood. Gentlemen, the conclusion to be drawn from this
appears to me to be that Mr. Frost so little expected any-
thing that occurred in the town of Newport, or that those
lamentable occurrences would have taken place which he
had expressly forbidden, that he retired from the spot
afterwards with feelings of sorrow, regret, and, I trust, of
shame also. He is next seen at the house of Mr. Part-
ridge, where he is taken by Mr. Phillips; and the frank, fair
and manly manner in which that gentleman gave his evi-
dence, entitles him to, and, as far as I can I offer him,
my thanks, and that meed of approbation which he de-
serves. Clearer favour, more honourable testimony
against an individual to whom he was opposed
I never heard given in a Court of Justice. Mr. Phil-
lips responded most fai:iy and freely ;to every ques-
tion put to him. He was asked, " was Mr. Frost ac-
quainted with your voice ?" " I think he must have known
the sound of my voice." " Was any attempt made to es-
cape?" " No." " Did not the back of Mr. Partridge's
house communicate directly with the back of Mr. Frost's
house?" " Yes." " Hearing the sound of your voice
was any attempt made to escape?" (I do not;mean that
these were the exact words, but the import and effect pro.
duced by them). " None—l called at Partridge's to open
the door, and I made an effort to get in, and forced my way
in with another person, and there we found Frost, Waters,
and Partridge, Frost having three loaded pistols about him,
and Waters four, and no al tempt of any sort was made to
escape by either, far less to resist by means of the deadly
weapons that they had." Indeed, so little force er re-
sistance was used, that it was not once suspected they
had any weapons at all, till they were brought to the
Westgate and searched, and then they were found
upon them. There can be no doubt, therefore,
from all those circumstances, that so far as
Frost was concerned, they indicate an intention of doing
anything but that which occurred, at least so far as the
shedding of blood is concerned. I cannot say the same
with regard to the peace of the country ; because it ought
to be fully understood that such an assemblage of person,
so armed—however few of them might be armed—so
marching for whatever purpose, is a gross and aggra-
vated violation of the peace of the country. But in addi.
tion to these circumstances, can you, Gentlemen, believe
it possible that this Mr. Frost, who is supposed, on the
Friday, to have formed a scheme for throwing the whole
country into confusion, had actually on that very day
made provision for a bill of his own, which was coming
due on the following Monday, and that on the very
day, Monday, the 4th of November—that important and
wonderful day—that bill was actually paid; and those
expressions, as to the taking and keeping the town of
Newport, blowing up the bridge, stopping the mails—
eating up Newport—all which are ascribed to Mr. Frost
and his companions—he having a wife and five daughters
and a son living in that very town upon which he was
supposed to have been dirt cting an hostile attack ?
You are asked to believe what fell from hint at this
moment, that he was actually paying one cf his own shop-
bills in Newport amounting to 180/. Gentleman, taking
all these circumstances into consideration, can you believe
that Mr. Frost ever dreamt of commencing a Chartist re-
volution on that day, of directing a hostile and bloody at-
tack on a town in which was the house of his family, his
children, and all that was dear to him ? I now come to a
part of the evidence to which I eught to have called your
attention earlier. Mr. Watkins spoke to having seen
rockets going up in the air on the night of the 3d of
November, and said it was impossible that he could have
mistaken for rockets the lights of the iron and tin works.
It was to me impossible that there could have been any
rockets fired on that night, because, if there had they
would have been seen not by one but by dozens of persons
—not by dozens but by hundreds. My impression is there
could have been no such thing. There is not the slightest
evidence except Watkins, to show that anything like a
rocket was fired. The movements of the people, too, were
watched by the Mayor, who sent out scouts, who returned
every half hour, and gave him information, and not one of
these speaks to seeing rockets, nor was a single rocket, or
rocket-stick, or fragraent found any where on the line of
march. I cannot, therefore, help imagining that Mr. Wet-
kn's impression is to be attributed to mistake or alarm,
anidstohis imperfect recollection of circumstances since. I
am the more anxious to call your attention to this point,
because nothing can be more unsafe than to get a great
number of little circumstances, such as the mistake of Wat-
kins, the false reasonings and conclusions of Captain Grcv,
and the false and absurd statement of Hodges, and to mix
them up to support a charge—a charge which is war-
ranted by no substantial fact on the part of Mr. Frost.
It is proved in evidence that the moment the military
showed themselves the mob dispersed. The very impres-
sion made by the military is the strongest and most Co-
gent argument that the mob never intended to attack the
military, and you must suppose that the moment they
met the soldiers, and found themselves checked in their
attempt to get possession of the prisoners, they were as
much astounded as if they found themselves surrounded
by a whole army of troops. It was what could not he
calculated upon or dreamt of. and I think it will be bes
lieved. It is for you to say whether, if there had been nn
prisoners there whose release they were determined to
effect, the (lay would not have passed without a drop of
blood being shed. I believe that the evidence before 3ou
will satisfy you that the conflict arose from the demand
which was made for those prisoners ; that when the
military appeared Mr. Frost immediately retired from the
scene ; and that the instant the nilitary :fired—and they