The Sun.
London, England, 1816-05-13 00:00:00

ETTO ;(7'?..41 SIR n. Wft,'sb to-ili.'itiPl'i,,,,,.

4' Prison of La Port:i, 18, 181 G.
PEAR:bliPlti-,011 the memorable day on
which you presented yourself before the Tribunal
as the champion of your clients,, the ilefender of
their national right's* and the. suliporter of the
laws of your countryl you nianag-ed your 'arms
-with au address, a vigour and a' nobieneSs of Cha-
racter, which haSe insured to yoli universal ad
miration and gratitude. Some observations, how-

ever, escaped you, which gave me pain:' Hurried
away by friendship, you will ask yourself, per 7
•-liaps, is it that I have been too prodigal in his
praise ?.ls it thit his conscience would reproach
tut tcith n too exaggerated recital of his services
" These questions are doubtless very natural,
:dear Dupin„ but the complaint which I have now
to make against
,you has another object. As to
Me former, I confess that vanity, or rather pride,
ictudari a lauda to viro, stifles all examination of the
justice of your apology, aild I cover myself with
your
,shield to preserve the honours with which
you have ennobled me. , To put an end to your

disquietude, 1 proceed to unfold my grievAnCe.

" When the Advocate-General said, flitting on
the trial that I had made an illegal protest, it
seethed twine that you Hot only did not contra-
' 'yea that assertion, hut that you were ready to
give it the confirmation of our assent.
" I did intend to advert to this point in my
Speccil, but upon maturer reflection, I determined
not to overload my tieence, and p irtieularly ay
there already existed in my answers to the iiter--
rogatorics before the Juge d'ln!truction sufficient
natter-to .open the iliscnit:ion before the public
trilninal of Europe. I am, nevertheless, too de-
bir of your esteem, not to wish to nvdte an
wteniat to erase this unlavourable illlpresiion
.fromyour tnind, and to juhtily in your eyes, it not
as a Pre4ich Lawyer, at least as an Eurtepean
rtibliefst, my conduct froth the first montcot of
my arrest, both as a'rnan and as a cititen of a
free nation,

" 1 affirm that, even in tlw first moments of

my.ari.est, I. never wished to resist the French

ntei.ely opposed myself to usages vrbieb
' I comidered aso. gloss abuse; I proles eel against
the tpirstiori, or the moral tot•itire, which appear•
et' to me to. he
.substitUted amongst you for the
material torture, although the abolition of both
systems had been solemnly prouoluteetl by die

French legislation,* and registered in 'the code
• of .Europe amongst the principles of civilization.
Imbued with tree principles of this legisla-
tion, I could not believe that there existed the
tight of taking away the liberty of an individual,
without having proof of toe crime imputed to,
him, still legs that lie. could by captiousquestions
added to the system of moral torture, be com-
pelled not only to confess himself guilty, but even
to criminate his friends.

" 1 know that the Code Napoleon. gave to ja-
41ieid proceedings the forms which they were to
follow, but I have sought in vain in that Code
for an article, by virtue of which the Ministry of
Polio; is aothOrised to put the accused to the pe-
nal mid physical question, and to keep hjut in its
prismo, tur an unlunited period—t.
1 have ahn sought in %aim Warily article that
authorizes, a 4 Juge Instruction, to exact from
an accused perion answers which may serve' to
betray his own intcresti, his friends, and his ho.
non r.

On looking, on the other hand, into the
great hook of reason of justice, and or the kw of
matio,rs, I have rer:id in characters not to, be effaced,
that every species of torture is ti crime against
mitnit y, the intelligence of civilizatiOn, and the
social pact..

I have read that even religion his rejected
Idris system of tin loquisition,l that every
lecture has voted its eternal extinction; and that
its non-resurrection is placed' under the safeguard
of all meo, and Of all nations.
" There are ac.s at partial legislation which
becotne acts rehpeCting which no re•action can
ever take place ; these are the tonnages rendered
tp civilization, and whitely no Government has the
Tight of revoking, particularly when its reelanta-
tions can only be made IA the prejudice of the
society to uhicit it.has aiready matte the sacrifice.
The result of a genet al ellort communicates itself
thi on ghoul §, and lit comes the property of the
cit iii zed world,' Such is the abolition of moral
mid physiatd, or toatelial torture ; and the duty of.
every Mall, native or foreigner,' being traced out'
according to the common Ayeltare, and act:ording
to the laws which civilization lia established, to
.serve as a rampat t against the return of barOarisrn.
" It is on the wound of thve priticiples that I
Made my proteit,, and had 1 only, been arbitrarily
detained a single hour, 1 should have betrayed
society if I lint not ,:emanded tts beittg received.
ES,'ou are per,haps ohligcd as a Frenchman to
3uhluit to toe usage,
_without examining the.! le-
gality of the power. The Spaniard also, who is
racited on the wned, has not thst means 1,4 niaking
'available, 'or hi eveu'catising his pi otestations to
be heard hi Europe.,
.but an liaAglidunan would he
Unwmthyof his country, and his country_ would
be. un wotthy. of her reputatioo, of. ber liberty,
und of, her power, it she did not incite common
cause to Auttibilate a system, I itAt outrages per-
salt ty, the principhts ofiustice and hopouri-
Co the law of iLitions.
It is to you as tin enlightened man, as a
"wy, c, Rod I ahallbe able Or add hi ti short time,
US a it'i that I submit those observationsl