The Sun.
London, England, 1820-02-24 00:00:00

144.

THE REPUBLICAN.--No. V.

We have seen by what means Republican no-
tions and Republican ambition were first diffused
among the labouring, manufacturing, or profli.
gaiety idle classes of the community in this other-
wise happy countt y. The design of those who
instilled these doctrines was no less than that of
forcing themselves upon the Clown, by means of
the clamour and turbulence of the multitude. The
attempt failed, as it always ought to fail, but the
pernicious seeds remained to produce their harvest
on some futute occasion.

•• The French Revolution gave a new and most
powerful influence to these principles of mischief.
Every British heart beat with joy at the first
emancipation of a neighbouring Country, whose
Government we esteemed despotic, though it was

more so in principle than in practice ; in possi-
bility than in fact. But when the dangers of Re-
pnblican fury and•atnbition• were developed, all
friends to rational liberty turned from them in
disgust, while the •men in whom the poison of
Republican notion lay yet dormant, were agitat-
ed and almost driven to madness by its operation.
They corresponded with the French Desperadoes,
they fraternized with them, as the phrase then
was ; they imitated their proceedings and copied
their language; and had not Providence given us
a King as firm as he was amiable, and raised up
a Minister for him, whdsc talents and whose elia-
'racter bore down all Oppositivo, the m:seties oY
France would 'probably hive been renewed on ails
side of the Channel. •

It was at this period (1791) when all was ra-
pidly tending to the confusions Which. followed,
anti which 13uart6 so clearly foresaw, when the
unfot innate Louis, as his only hope for safe. y, wits
meditating that flight which, Fatally for him, was
intercepted,. that the great Leader of the IVhigs
dared to prononnee,in Parliament, that " he ad-
mired the neW Crin,ititn'ti'on of France, considered
,altogether,. as theinost stupendous and glorious
edi-
lice of Lib& ty which had been erected on the founda-
tion (f human integrity, in any agC or country." 7
Ann. Reg:l79l, p. 1.14. •
yet in th,it ConStituiion, even as it then stood,
the dr ini){. vatic had tilteatty swallowed op
et t-y other the decrees of the National Assem-
bly (ihat ilipg.riteeful assemblage of unfeOing mon.
stets, Colle'etcn from, the general dregs of -Ft'ance),
those wanton! and .rash decrees were irresistible ;
the King was made a mere cypher, and 'retained
only 'a:nominal superiority,- tot be, the more in-
sulted and disgraced. The approbation of this
vale of things, diet clove, .never could !give pro-
ceeded from the mouth of a Constitutional Eng-
lish IVhig ; end most haVe been uttered. by that
powerful Leader from whom it came, only in the
heat of opposition to his ancient friend, or wils
a view to conciliate those English Jacobins, by
whomlre hoped:tOlke forced up into power. Hot
these motives shad doubtless their, lull share of in.

!thence.

But 66.
,it die thought surprising, that after
such declarations from a man of sock poplar
influence, the 'Republican disease h u.ild have
spread itself mo'e and more among the populace;
or, that, 'even after •all'' the 't-rerrientLms lessons
which the progress of that itevoltrion held forth
to mankind, it should still 'be rankling in those
bot.onts, which had once received the poison ? No,
certainly, the infection remained, and still re-,
mains, and, inflamed by the. machinations Of.n
hew profligate and otherwise contemptible dema-
gogues, Mought on those alarming cumulits,
which so lately Obgriced all tl;e Northern parts
t hiatld

Yestetd-iy a'Nlecing of the Magistra.e; for the
County of Middlesex took place at the Sessions
House, -Clerkenweli, for the purpose of voting
an Address to his MAJEsTY 'upon his accession
to the Throne, which wits supposed to he the
most tiumerons ;fleeting of MagistrateS that ever
took place 01)011 tiny occasion, triere being :abhut
150 present. . Mr. BYNG and MI:. MELl.lifis the
Mt(nbers for the County, the Clituttn4n of the
Sessions, and a Committee, of fifteen, were ap-
pointed to draw op an Address, who %A w
por that pnipobe, and having teturned with a pre-
arednne, *es unaotwously agreed to
YeSteiday a Court nt'Dnectoßs was held at the.,
E ist House, when ihe under-mention!d
Captains were sworn into the command of their
respective ships, viz. t—Ca-ptain
Regent, and Captain A. 1.1. CAIgPBELL, Duke of
Icp• Madras and China ; •Cdpt. M. 1-lA:int-
ton, Dunira, and Captain •M'Leod, Margitts3 of
Huntley, for Bombay and China. '

LONDON JOURNALS.

FROM THE MORNING PLPERS OF THIS DAY.

[Morning Post.]

HORRIBLE PLOT OF RADICAL REFORMERS, TO AS-
SASSINATE HIS MAJESTY'S MINISTERS, AND
OTHER LOYAL SUBJECTS.
DREADFUL. .4N.D FATAL AFFRAY.
AUTHENTIC PARTICULAUS.

• We received late last night information, which
we communicate to the Public with the strongest
feelings of horror.

The existence of a Treasonable Conspiracy of a
most atrocious character bits, we understand, been
for some time known to ti:e Gover!lllient.
4111 blow was 'to have be.en struck yesterday, by
the Assassinatiou of hie itlAjesty's Ministeis, wbeti'
assembled at a Cabinet Dinner.

. About seven o'clock-in the-eveuing, Mr Birnie,
the 'Magistrate, under the directions of the Secre-
tary of State for. the Home Department, proceed-
etf to the rendezvous,,of the Conspirators,. oil the
Edgware-road, with a wet rant to apprehe

They were at the' t nue upwards of twenty
in min►brr, with Arthur Thisttetwoo4 at their head.

They were armed, and upon being tequired to
surrender,- refused to-,do so, and commenced a
desperate attack upon the PeaCeOffiters, one Of
whom, named Smithery, Was stabbed by Thislle-
wood, and instantly fell-dead.- Others of them
were severely wounded.

Thistlevrood cffected his escape, but eight uy
Pine of ti►e conspirators were final!y secured, by
the assistance of a party of the Foot Guards, who
were called in by the Magistrate to the support of
the Peace. Officers.

A considerable quantity of arms, of variuu•
torts, pikes, pistols, daggers, band-grenades, &c.
were found upon the, pretnises.

Government has lost no time in taking the ne-
cessary steps to bring the sanguinary villains to
punishment. Messengers and Police Officers were
last night sent ()If to eR the outports to prevent

the escape of Thistlewood, and such of bis infamous
sasociates as have tor the present escaped ; and

at one o'clock this morning the following Extra
ordinary Gazelle was published, offering a rewa+•r

of- 10001. for the apprehension of the multitrer
7hi4tlewood:—
. THE LO.NDON GAZETTE EXTRAORDINARY.
THURSDAY, FKIIRVARY 14, 1820.

WHITEHALL, VER. 23, 1820.
Whereas, ARTHUR. THISTLE WOOD stands charged
with High Treason,
,and also with the Wi,ful Nlurder of
RICHARD SMITHERS, a reward of ONE 'FtrOus.-IND
POUNDS is. hereby offered to any person or persons who
shall discover and apprehend, or cause to be discovered ur ap-
prehended, the said Arthur Thist leVvootl, to be paid by the
Lords Commissioners of his Majesty's Treasury, upon his
being apprehended and lodged in any of his Majesty's gaols.
And all persons arc hereby cautioned, upon their Allegiance,
not to receive or harbour the said Arthur Thistlewond, as
any person offending herein will be thereby guilty of High
Treason.

SIDMOUTFI.

The above-named Arthur Thistlewood is about forty-eight
years of age, five feet ten inches high, has a sallow com-
plexion, long visage, dark hair (a little grey), dark hazle eyes
and arched eye-brows, a wide mouth and a good set of teeth,
a scar under his right jaw, is slender made, and has the
ancarance of a military man, was born in Lincolnshirv, and
apprenticed to an Apothecary at Newark, usually wears a blue
long coat and blue pantaloons, and has been a Lieutenant in
the Militia.

Previously to receiving the above.autbentic par-
ticulars of the horrible designs of the Radical As-
sassins, the following accounts had come to

bantl :--

Yesterday evening the West end of the town was thrown
into the utmost confusion. The streets were lined with
aoldiers and persons, and the greatest alarm prevailed
in consequence of the following dreadful circumstance :
Information having been • received at Bow-strett, that
a meeting of Reformers, armed, was to be held at a
house in Caton-street, Marylebone, the Magistrates, fear-
ing something serious might result, sent a formidable
body of their officers to the place. On their arrival,
tlicy found that a party of men, amounting to about 30 in
will:her, were holding a seditious meeting, all armed with
guns, swords, daggers, and other weapons, and appeared
ready to leave the place, which was a hay=loft at the top of
the house. The officers demanded entrance, hut were re-
fused. ‘Vestcot, one of the officers, went op first, and
was followed by several others,
,on which the Reformers
made a most desperate resistance, and in consequence of
which they were fired on. Westeot received three shots
through his hat; and Smithers, an active officer, re-
ived a stab in his right side, and was carried away quite
dead. A desperate affray took place, in which the whole
of :be officers were wounded, sonic most seriously. Gill, one
of the officers, upon going up the steps, was met by a man of
colour, 'lamed Davidson, who was armed with a loaded gun,
which he fired off, but fortunately missed his object, on which
Gill took out his staff and bet:shouted him over the wrists
until he let go. He then seized a sword, which he was' pre-
vented from using. In consequence of this resistance, most of
the officers were prevented from entering the left in which
the Reformers were, but were obliged to remain below
while smile of the party escaped by means of a rope-ladder,
which they hid p laced out of a hack window. Their numbers
being thus diminished, their resistance became lessformidable,
and the Ivliole of the officers, except those injured, entered
the place, where there were still nine of the offenders. Arthur
Thistiewund is supposed to he the mai) who stabbed Smithers
be bad a desperate black eye, and his hands were much cut.
Scarcely one of the officers escaped without some injury. By
this time a laity of the Guards arrived; they also met with
resistance, and a sergeant and several of the soldiers were in-
jured by stabs, &c. On searching the place, guns, pistols,

swords, bayonets, &c. were found, which, tegether with the
rope ladder, were hronghl to Bow-street Police Office, in
hackney coaches, in custiodrof the officers, and they were
escorted lay a strong bodyof the soldiers, who surrounded the
coaches.

On their arrival at-Bow-street, the prisoners were placed
at the bar. Statements of what had occurred being related
by each of the parties, Mr. Biraie put .several questiompto
each of the prisoners, who were chiefly shoemakers and car-
penters, but could arrive at no satisfactory point as to the ob-
ject of their meeting. Davidson denied the charge. They
were all reniauded to Friday next for further bearing.
Mr. Birnie ordered that they: should be conveyed in-
hackney-coaches to the House of Correction, They were
harnrcutfcil together; two were placed in each coach, with
resolute licers, and two soldiers sat
.on the box of each
coach and two behind, in which manner they proceeded,
guarded by the :rest of the solvliess, who had their bayonets
fixed. They were followed by a vast concourse of persons,
and the utmost good ,order prevailed. -The instruments of
desti uction found by the officers:were ordered to be kept until
Friday utxt. •

[FURTHER PARTICULARS:]I
On arriving at the spot, the Officers attempted
onietly to gain aihnittance, but being opposed, it
became necessary to Imre an entrance.
.1-laving
got into the stable, •ti volley was fired by the
wretches who had got into the hay-loft; this was
smartly returned by the Officers, and the contest
continued tor some time with the greatest deter-
mination on both sides. Happily the Officers
gained the ascendancy, but not instil that meritot
tions Officer, Sotithets, bad lost his life ; West-
cott had four balls passed through his hat ; Wright
'had a still more narrow escape,' as a sword ac-
tually passed through his shirt and flannel jacket,
but did not penetrate his body; Swinton received
a ball. in his. neck, and several of the Officers Were
otherwise •seriously injured. The Prisoners exa-
mined last night formed but a part of the gang-,
and Thistlewood is, the identical pet son who ac-
tually shot poor Smith
ers. but who uhfortunately
has for the present escaped. The whole nine were
safely lodged in the House of Correction between
eleven and twelve o'clock, having been escorjed
there by a strong body of Police Officers and a
military escort. It would appear that the gang
had not lost sight of the liability of being disco-
vered, and had must strongly armed themselves
with swards, pistols., guns, and in fact almost
every weapon of destruction known, the whole of
which is now in the possession of the Officers, in
addition to a considerable quantity of balls and
gunpowder. A strong body of Officers- were in
attendance last night at flow-street, while others
were sent off to all the ontports,' to prevent the
escape' of Thistlewood and his associates. No
tidings of the capture of Thistlewood had been
received up to a late hour last night. Smithers,
we understand, has left a wife and family to la.
ment his untimely fate.

[Morning Herald.]
ARRESTS FOR HIGH TREASON.

In consequence of private information received
by.the civil power that it was in the contemplation
of a gang of diabolical ruffians to make an attempt
on the lives of his Majesty's Ministers, whilst as-
sembled at the house of Earl Bathurst, in Mans-
'field-street, to a Cabinet dinner yesterday evening,
Richard Biruir, Esq. with a party of 12 of the
Bow-street patrole, proceeded about 8 o'clock to
the place, which had been described as the rendez-
vous of these desperadoes in Caton-street, John-
street, in the lidgeware-road, where, in a kind
of loft, over a range of coach-houses, they were
found in close and earnest deliberation. The

only approach to this pandemonium was by a nar-
row ladder. Ruthven, one of the principal Bow-
street Officers, led the way, and he was followed
by Ellis, Sasithers, Surman, and others of the
Patrole. On the door being opened, about
twenty-seven or thirty men were seen within,
all armed iu some way or other ; and, for the
most part, they were apparently engaged, either
in charging fire-arms, or in girding themselves
in belts similar to those worn by the mili-
tary. There were tables about the room, on

which lay a number of cutlasses, bayonets, pis-
tols, sword-belts, pistol-balls.in great quantities,
ball cartridges, &c. As the officers entered the
room, the conspirators all started up, when Ruth-
yen, who had been furnished with a warrant from
-the Magistrates, exclaimed—" We are peace of-
ficers ! Lay down your arms !" Ip, a moment all
was confusion. A man, whom Rohl/en describes as
the 'notorious ditihurThist/ewood, opposed liimsti+

to the officers, armed'with a culind !burst sword of
Unusual length. Ruttiest) attempted to secure the
door,and Ellis,wlto had followed him into the rooni,
advanced towards the map, and presenting his
pistol, exchiimed, " Drop your mold, or Pll fire

instantly !" The !Mill brandished his sword %vitt)
increased violence, when Stnithers, the patrole,
rushed forward to seize bin► ; and on the instant
the ruffian stabbed him to the heart. Poor Su&
thers fell into the ar►ns of I►is brother officer Ellis,
exclai►ning, " Oh God !" and in the. next in-
stant was a corpse. Whilst this deed was

doing, the lights were extinguished, and id
desperate struggle ensued, in n•hich many of
the Officers t ere severely wounded. Surrnan,
one of the p9trole, received a musket ball on

the temple, hut fortunately it °lily glance►! along
the side of his head, tenting tip the sc►lp in its
way. The conspirators kept ul► an incessant fire;
whilst it was evident to the officers that many of

them were escHpit►K by -some hark way. Mr.
Birnie exposed himself every where, and en-
couraged the officers to do their duty, whilst

the bails were whizzing round his head. At this
moment,' Capt. Fitzclarence (one of :the gallant
sons of his Royal-Hightiess the Duke of Clarence)
arrived at the head of a detachment of the Cold-
stream Guards. They surrounded the building,
and Capt. Fitzclarence, with Sergeant Legge and
three fires of grenadiers, mountedthe ladder and
entered the room, now filled with smoke, and only
illuminated by the occasional flashes of the fire-arms
of the conspirators. A ruffian instantly approached
the gallant Captain, snit presented a pistol at his
breast ; but as he was in the act of pulling the
trigger, Serjeant Legge rushed forward, . and
whilst attempting to push aside the destructive
weapon, received the fire tint:M.las arm. Fortu-
nately for this brave man, the ball glanced
along his arm, tearing the sleeve of his jacket
from the wrist to his elbow, without wounding
him. It is impossible to give a minute detail of
the desperate conflict which followed, or.the_nu-
merous instances of pet sonal daring manifested by
the peace-officers and the military, thus -brought
into sudden contact with a band of assassins
their obscure den, and in utter darkness: Unfortu-
nately, this darkness favoured the escape of
Many of the wretches, and the dreadful skirmish
ended in the capture of only nine of them. These
were instantly handcuffed together, placed in hac-
kney coaches, and brought down to 'the Police
Office in Boon-street under a strong military
escort ; and Mr. Birnie having arrived at the same
Moment, instantly took his seat upon the Bench
and prepared to enter into the examination of the
prisoners. They were immediately placed at the
bar in the following order :
JAMES INGS, a Butcher,
JAMES WILSON, a Tailor,
RICHARD BRADBURN, a Carpenter,
JAMES GILCHRIST, a Shoemaker, _
CHARLES COOPER, a Bootmaker,
RICHARD TIDD, a Bootmaker,
JOHN MONUMENT, a Shoemaker,
JOHN SHAW, a Carpenter, avid
WILLIAM. DAVIDSON, a Cabinet-maker.
• Davidson is a man of colour, and a worthy co-
adjutor of Messrs. Watson, Thistlewood, and Co.
upon many occasions. At the meeting in Fins-
bury market-place, a few months ago, he was one
of the principal speakers.
Ings is an hoary ruffian, a short squat man, ap-
parently between fifty and sixty, but of tnost de-
termined aspect. His hands were covered with
blood, and as he stood at the bar,- manacled to
one of his wretched confederates,, his small fiery
eyes glared round upon the spectators with an
expression truly horrible. The rest had nothing
extrao►dinary in their appearance. They were
for the most part men of short stature, mean ex-
terior, and unmarked physiognomy.
The Office was crowded with soldiers and of-
ficers, bringing in arms and ammunition of va-
riot's kinds, which had been taken on the ptemisii;
muskets, carbines, broad-swords, pistols, blunder-
busses, belts and cartouch-hoxes, ball cartridges,
gunpowder (found loose in the pockets of the pri-
soners), havresacks, and a large bundle of singu-
larly constructed stilettoes. These latter were
about 18 inches long, and triangular in form ;
two of the sides being concave and the other flat
the lower extremity being flattened, and then
wrung round spirally, so as to make a firm gripe,
and ending in a screw, as if to fit into the top of
a staff. Several staves indeed were produced,
fitted et one end with a screwed socket ; and no
doubt they were intended to receive this foimi-
deltic weapon.
The depositions of a number of officers, most of
them wounded, and several of the soldiers, having
been taken, their evidence substantiating the fore-
going narrative, the prisoners were asked whether
they wished to say' any thing. Coo-per and Da•
vidsOn, the black, were the only ones who re-
plied, and they merely. appealed to the officers and
soldiers to say, whether they had not instantly
surrendered themselves. Ellis, the patrole, who
received the murdered body of his comrade Smi-
tilers in his arms, replied that Davidson had made
the most determined resistance. At the moment
when the lights were extinguished he had rushed
out of the place, armed with a carbine, wearing
white cross-hebs. Ellis pursued him a consider-
able distance along John-street, and., having caught
him, they fell together, and in the deadly struggle
which ensued Davidson discharged his carbine, but
without effect, and Ellis succeeded ih seem ing
Captain Fitzclarence had seized and secured oue
or two of the prisoners with his own hands, and
be was not only very much brnizcd, but his uni-
form was almost literally torn to pieces.
At ele►en o!clock, the depositions having been
taken, as far as the circumstances of the moment
would permit, the Magistrate committed the pri-
soners' for fUrther examination on Friday ; and
they were then placed in hackney coaches, two
prisonets being placed in each coach, accompa-
nied by two police officers, with two soldiers be-
hind and one on the box, and the whole cavalcade
escorted by a strong party of the Coldstream
Guards on foot.

It-)w-street presented a singular appearance at
this moment. The Police-office surrounded by
the military ; their arms gleaming in the glaring
light of the torches; many of them carrying mus-
kets and other spoils taken in the alit ay ; the roar
of the roaches, in consequence of the Theatres
having just closed, and the confused but of the
multitude, drawn together by the appearance of
the military, gave altogether a very un-English
appearance to the night. There was not, how-
ever, the slightest political expression among the
assembled crowds, and in a quarter of an hour
after the escort had left tha street, there was no
complexion of any thing extraordinary having
happened. At half past II o'clock, the whole of
the prisoners were safely lodged in the House of
Correction, Coldbath Fields.