The Sun.
London, England, 1823-10-13 00:00:00

FOR. THE SUN.

ADMIRAL BYNCL
EDlTOR—ltthere is any one pnVilege we
enjoy in this country above any other in theworld,
it,is in the administration of equal and impartial
justice, accompanied by the spirit of humanityo
which would rather that ninety-nine guihy per.
sons should escape with impunity than `that
One innocent man should suffer ; and yet there
have,been times and still are instances (many of
which are published for the benefit of posterity),.
when the innocent have suffered by the verdict of
a jury ; and that too in the person •of a gal-
lava seaman who was condemned to death, not-
withstanding his innocence, either from the pre-
judice of ignorance or the selfish interest of a cor-
rupt faction, who were willing to conceal their
own infamy by the sacrifice of a man of honour,
instead of nobly standing forward to shelter the
Misfortunes of an able and honourable officer' in
their service—merely to save themselves from the
imputation of an error in judgment, to which the
best and most prudent must sometimes be liable ;
they shamefully suffered one of their most
splendid ornaments and strenuous defenders to
pay the penalty of their weakness, by a disgrace-
ful death, rather than be despoiled of one hair of
their precious head, or suffer the least tetiec-
tion upon its brains ; they scrupled not to de-
vote one whom they esteemed the most, and
would have honoured with the highest office, to
the chance of infamy and to certain destruction.
You may be wondering, Sir, to whom I more
particularly allude in these remarks, and may be
thinking perhaps upon more recent examples of
persecuted innocence, while I am intent upon one
of the most memorable and affecting examples re-
corded in our history of such a horrid persecution,
which must affect every man with the more horror
as he is the more innocent himself. The example
which I have in my mind is that of the gallant
and unfortunate BYNG, who was made a victim by
the Ministers of the day, to the animosity of the
people' against their ignorenee and 'misconduct.
He was sentenced to death, and recommended to
mercy by his judges—by which they thought to
appease the clamour of the populace, nod to save
un innocent life ; but when the popular clamour
could not be appeased, his Majesty referring the'
sentencelo.the twelve J-udges, who decided it to
be legal, he was finally condemned to sutler the
extremity of the law. Still there arose a chance for
him in one of his Judges at the Court-Martial,
who declared to the 'louse, that he with some of
his other Judges desired'a release from the oath
of secresy usually imposed in such a Court, that
lie might reveal the motives of the sentence which
they passed ; which the 'louse disregardiog, the
King, notwithstanding, granted a respite till the
scruples could be dissolved. But such was the
interest of Minister' that they were released from
their oath by a Bill passed in the Ilouse of Corn-
moos—it was thrown out in the Nouse of Peers;
and so the gallant Admiral fell, and displayed in
his fall the spirit of a hero,and,by the courageous
manner in which he !,cent forth to punishment,
proved the injustice of the sentence by which he
was condemned as a coward. If it were only the
Courage which he exhibited in his last moments-7
in the sentiments which he uttered from the place
of execution, and the hold and undaunted coon-
tenance which he bore in the presence of the
crowds .who were inflamed against him—there
could be no doubt that his heart revolted at the
crime of which they accused him, and'that he was
offered up to propitiate an indignant mob. "My
enemies themselves," he said ow that so-
lenm occasion, " must think me innocent, and
persuaded I am that justice will be done to my
reputation hereafter."

Bat if any thing can, convince those of sus.
piclaus minds who are always most to be sun.
petted, there is a'fact well attested by a French
author, in his account of au eccentric charac-
ter, ,the Chevalier de Lerenzit that must pro.
duce conviction that this Chevalier found in the
corner of a position which he had taken in Minor.
ca, the siguel-book of the English fleet ; and after
having examined it, he sent it to the Marshal
Richelieu, wbo,placed no confidence in it at first ;
but when the sett.fight ,began there Was reason
enough to ()Nerve that the English followed their
signals most exactly. By this means the French
could prevent all their maineuvres, and Ole Pmg.,
lisp fleet wits obliged'io retire ; the Admiral kept
aloof, astonished no doubt at the knowledge of
the enetny,andos the history says, usstgmug pru
dent reasons for his remisness in corning to action.'
This Chevalier was treated with the same ingra-
titude, though not to that extreme degree by his
Ministers, as the Admiral was in thitycoutory.
`f oo'alsent a mau'to remember the service which
he had done ihem, he forgot to call upon them
for a reward—and they in titer turn did not re-
member to give him any. Thfs seine iicceottic,
man during the siege of Minorca, when he foitud,,
the signal-book, used to 'go every evening to
the trenches, fortified with a telescope and other
astrobernical instruments, to make his observe.,
vutions ; one day he returned to his quarters, buy-
ing left his instruments behind, and whenle was
'told they 'would. be stolen, 44 Oh, no !" said he,
44 I left my welch by their side." The same
theitalier is said to have been very rich unhand.'
kerchiefs. As he lived in the upper garret, and
was alwaytt forgetting his handkerchief when be
went out, he need so find it the ,shorter 'way to
buy one then to have to go back again up so many,
stairs ; and near him lived a haberdasher, who
mighlt be said to live by him too---a ho kept ready
for him cue of his handkerchiefs regularly every
day:
There is avother carious anecdote of the gone
character.--W hen the Atobto.-autki from France

~ , .
was. c' tifillit.4 tWitriglftnti`hViviitqlOtett the, Ohe'Va - hum - ~„.- . •,.11114'...'4...4 . ~-i , .i' ,
lier, %lia) 'We 4'as very much pieasett Willi, (0
7
~leeollllVall
.11.it4 i uposti which it was fettled that
his baggye..:(:Sh on rd'aCtoiiiii'ini LO'''A 4:}ibit..a.4ol's,
13n0Y'iroin7:Very early in uric. morning in packing
up, be re celved a mes Sage front the Anilnissad or
i
to send hini his "packet; in his hurry, test lie
should forget ,sethething, he sent hilt) every,
thing, 'and liaCketrop..all his "clOthes. Just as All
14 get3tlS'ivete"inae, he perceiy,ed Plat hitt
~tra...,,,
vellirig dress, and 'every dresti but. just what is
fitted for his own ellittnlie'r,"was.packedl'botrod he '.,,
Could not Set off because he was nearlyonciteraface:— This same absent man, going down, a staircase of
his little apartment, his feet Slipped'and he (ell
upon his nose—no very convenient resting place
—and, hurrying back to see the cause of" hiss
:accident, he saw, it kind of . whitish liqtwr .agilt
upon "the staircase. lie then begat) to think it
time to, put himself into is passion ; callod tittAinr.
ter, and told hini it Ivan very wrong it) liimte drop
any soap upon the steps ; he replied that it was' iint
soap, but only sorne orgt,at that the servant lout
spilt by accident. Oh, then 1 anywrong, sahl
he, and returned to rest in peace :and perfeCt
tranquillity, with his nose broken .and his face
covered with blood. G.

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