Star.
London, England, 1816-04-26 00:00:00

his father, nor a *Wither husband in breaking prison;
and if Madame Lavalette' has not been brought to
trial, it was because, notwithstanding her ostentatious
declarations, justice remained doubtful, and thought
that it still perceived the influence of the martial au-
thority in the act by which a wife assisted her hus-
band. Why, then, 'this. severity of principle? The
reason doubtless is, that the prison is a sacred and
inviolable place; that those confined there belong no
more to society, but to justice, which detains them
till they answer for their crimes. In the offence of
concealment, neither does the law punish without dis-
tinction ; it follows the dictates of nature, and pions
exceptions are laid down for the father, the son, the
spouse, the brother, and other relatives is the same
degree. Here clemency stops, and justice commences.
Hence all who conceal a convict, with whom they
are not connected by tics of blood, are culpable.
Bruce, Hutchinson, and Wilson will, therefore, be
guilty, if they have concealed Lavalette. ?
66 What then happened on this businesi? There
have been the concealment and escape of Lavalette.
Justice makes her inquiries; at first, those only are
found who were implicated in theescape from prison;
and *hen it is about to terminate its inquiries, a ray
of unexpected light is thrown on the mystery of the
concealment; other men and other projects are dis-
covered. Those engaged in the escape from prison
meant nothing but to save Lavalette: those engaged
in his concealment, by saving Lavalette, wished, or at
least appear to have wished, to excite to Sedition or
to revolt; and to excite any kind.of disorder, provided
only it was disorder. But the plan was fociiislit-i-
Doubtless it was: still, however' we must examine
it. We must see by what hands the apple of discord
was to be thrown amongst us; and the correspon:
dente teaches us, that some foreigners were seriously
employed on the happiness of France, that they were
at work upon it, End that they would derive great
joy from their success ! .
66 It is true, however, that they are in need of as.
sistance, and that we shall take good care to give
them none. How, then, wcre they to make us happy
in spite of ourselves ? How, gentkmen ? Why ea was
done in 1793. The correspondents did not know any
better means apparently, because there are no other.
Thus an appeal was to be made to the friends of li-
berty, who were to put themselves in motion ; there
were to be movements in the provinces ; and, above
all, a good means of agitation would be the persecu-
tion of the Protestants, real or pretended ! Oh ! ex-
cellent ! ' This is an idea which catches like wildfire,
which spreads like contagion among the people in
general, (and mark this) which engenders a spirt of
mortal hatred and contempt for the new dynasty.'
le It is clear that, if the people were so totally mis-
led, the Revolution would be complete ; and it is
for this very reason that Revolution is impossible.--
Edward Wilson, at London, judged better of the
state of France than his brother did' at Paris. He
began to distrust his predictions, and wait for facts.
He remarks, that if the French nation generally
were strongly disinclined to ihe Bourbons, proofs of thit
would Le daily man festal. And he adds tois obs, m-
ann :—/t so happen: tAat tLere is no enlitary force in
the Province:, and yet the Provinces are tranquil. On
this subject he becomes ieflamed, and says that if it
is wished to overturn the existing order of things, the
e mutt be constantly Sept, and c,ststandy visible, like a
Stain of aline* in France and in Jul dr: countries-
fir
66 I shall now, however, donhne myself to the terms
of the indictment ; and shall investigate whether the
'three prisoners were acccomplices in the concealment
of Lavalette. As to the fact of the discovery of the
documents, all that justice knows of them is, that she
has received them as proofs. Should the prisolea
Wilson renew his complaints on this head, should he
(which I do not anticipate) attack the good faith -f
Government, I would say to him—Represent to your
own mind the position inswhich you placed yourself ;
reflect that you were, at least in intention, in a state
'of war ; yon were marked at Paris as a dangerous
and turbulent being ; the Police had its eyes upon
you as upon your fellow prisoner Bruce ; the Police
of London would have done as much in a similar
case ; there is no Government so simple as to respect
the pretended rights of those who do nut respect its
repose.
“ Art. 248 of the Penal Code declsres guilty those
who have conaakd, or caused to be concealed. Such
are the terms of the law. The nature of the facts is
such, that there is already a moral conviction, that
those who concerted to get Lavalette out of France,
also came to an understanding as.to the mode of its
accomplishment, the moment the escape from prison
took place; he who wills the end, wills the means.
It is also equally certain, that Lavalette, issuing from
an unknown retreat, had need of some place of depot,
where he might he at the disposal of those who meant
to carry him off. You have not heard it said that
there was on their part any communication with ch.
first asylum where Lavalette was secreted ; this was
hot necessary : it was sufficient that they provided for
him an intermediate asylum ; . and, by his passing the
night there, that asylum became the place of conceal-
ment. This first proposition is incontestable.
66 There is a second observation which will not
escape you. A person may conceal a man either at
his own house, or that of another, according as fit,
shall believe that he will in either way better provide
*for his security : and hence the law speaks of tomcat
jag, or causing to be concealed. He, then, who fur-
nishes the asylum me/ be far from being the alone
guilty person. He who procures it ; he who bas
made arrangements for procuring it; in fine, the in.
troducer who facilit aces his entrance into it, are all
evidently abettors, accomplices, acid adherents in Ai;
species of crime.
66 What now happened ? For the seemed Hut-
chinson the fact is material. Lavalette paged in his
apartments in the rue Helder the night between the
7th and Bth of January last. Hutchinson knew well',
' that Lavalette was condemned, and it was indeed
his condemnation that excited the interest which he
!thin his rortunes. Thus, with respect to him, all
the conditions of the law are fulfilled, or rather all
the prohibitionrare of the law violated, and the ac-
cused stands convicted of the crimochared.
's The prisoner Bruce is not in a situation that ad
mite of greater doubt. # was to him that the first
disclosure was made. He was the man who inspired
a predilection into the condemned ; for he who de-
clared himself so sealously in the affair of Marshal
Ney, would naturally be expected to sympathise with
the situation of Lavalette. 'Reliance was placed on
his 4 therefore; before trial ras wade! Ton see bow