The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1838-01-16 00:00:00

TRIAL OF.:THE TRADES' UNIONISTS.

( From the Edinburgh Evening Post.)
During the last week, public excitement has been wound up
to the highest pitch, in connection with the protracted proceed-
ings of this extraordinary investigation. The trial continued
for-more than a week, during which period a crowd of witnesses
were minutely examined—many legal objections, which were
incidentally started, discussed, and disposed of—must able
speeches on both sides, particularly on that of the prisoners,
delivered by the eminent counsel engaged on the occasion—and
some of the most elaborate statements and addresses from the
bench ,ever made from the judgment-seat. The jury were se-
-eluded during the whole period; and their verdict was the
result ofa careful and anxious deliberation of five hours' dura-
tion. -Altogether, the trial is perhaps the most remarkable, in
these respects, contained in our criminal annals.
The verdict of the jury has been much commented on; lin..
•questionably, it was not considered,' in a technical point of
view with that accuracy which would be .looked for at the
bands-of-professional lawyers; but, to us, the form and construc-
tion of the indictment appears needlessly obscure anti compli-
cated, and, we think. naturally led to some confusion or iticon-
sisiency on the part of the jury. However, their verdict is
clear enough, as it legally acquits the prisoners of all share in
the mudrer of Smith, or the conspiracy which led to it, and
otheicrimes of greatest aggravation.
The evidence, however, is in itself most important. The facts
disclosed, most reluctantly, by some' of the witnesses, let in a
flood of lightupon the nature and objects of the Trades' Unions,
as they are styled. It will be seen that these associations had,
in connection with them, secret bodies, whose aim was to des-
troylife and property. The assaults and attempts at fire-raising,
evidently organised by these' dangerous confederacies; are
clearly spoken to; and the entire machinery of intimidation
laid naked' with frightful precision. The secret committees
are (fOr, bO doubt, they exist at this moment in full activity)
expressly constituted to prevent the men from working freely,
by means Of personal violence; and these means are described
to be of- the..inost deadly Character. The men not connected
with the unions are watched, marked, and reported to the per-
secuting committee by spies, called guards, appointed for the
, express purpose. . Allowances are made to certain miscreantt,
also, ,wbo may have perpetrated acts of violence against the
nobs; .aCthey are termed. - The diabolical practice of throwing
vitriol upon these unfortunate men seems to have long been a
part of, this iniquitous system; and it was clearly proved that
explosive 'materials have been frequently projected into the
housesand manufaCtories of the master cotton-spinners. We
refer (tithe evidence, which we have given at great length, for
an ample picture Of these horrible proceedings.
We make. no comment upon the statements of the various
witnesses, or upon the progress of the trial; these are matters
which none but individuals such as were inconstant attendance
upon the court could fairly or adequately discuss.
With regard- to the murder of Smith, with which McLean,
one of the prisoners, more particularly stood charged, and tit
which he is acqUitted by a. verdict of not proren—this cirt um-
stance is by far the most appalling in the whole case. No titan
can ditubtfrom the evidence adduced—the situation of the
murdered victim—the object and designs of the union—their
violent and illegal ineasures—that Smith was sacrificed in fur-
therance of the interests of these attrocious associations His
blood was shed.---his life was taken; 'because he would not aet
in accordance with the tyrannical and unjust demands of the
tratte;“utriona We have no Moral doubt that he was murdered
on ~deliberate plan adopted for that purpose, with the inten-
tion-9f bullring up his -violent end as-rt warning to tither trirae.:
I.oiy, Workmen. There is no other rational mode of accounting
for the murder. It could not be from motives of private re-
venge for there has not been discovered the most reunite yes-
tags of evidence to lead tir such a etinclusion. What, then,
are wrto inter? The plain and evident presumption is, that he
was 'Murdered in pursuance of the infernal policy of these
Unions.
This daring murder appears to have been perpetrated for the
manifest- intent of•shewing to the world, and particularly to the
workmen theinSelves, that the trades' unions can-exercise the
power of life and death with comparative impunity, Their dia.
bolieal schemes have been so deeply and securely laid that it
has • hitherto been found impossible to , ti ace the hand which
dealt the murder, or even the 'weapon with which it was in-
flicted. The vet diet of the jury has thrown a profound mys-
tery over the sanguinary transaction, which the facts disclosed
in evidence do not enable its to penetrate. It having been de=
Blared—and no one will for a moment question the truth and
, justice of the
.verdict—that McLean and his associates are in
no way connected with the murder, the question still remains,

who was the murderer? There c•an be no doubt that he is
known to the leaders of the Unions, whoever they are; but so
closely are these miscreants united—the 'seal of • their Union '
licitly cemented by blood—that ❑o power of the law c•an bring
them to justice—no means are stringent enough to compel them
to confess one jut of evidence which tight promote the ends of
justice 'in •bringing home the facts to the guilty parties. We
must leave the truth to the Searcher of Hearts; but even to
man the truth may be yet revealed.
The result of this trial, however, will and must produce an
important effect upon the country, on the legislature, and the
government. The pernicious consequences of allowing these
unions to exist, in any form, must now be clearly apparent.
Had, they not been permitted to organise their power and means
by Making part of their proceedings public, as if that part em-
braced the whole of their objects, the never could have Attained
the dangerous influence which they have so unscrupulotisly ex-
ercised. The public have been taught to regard their proceed,
ings without any serious apprehensions, believing of course,
that they were guided by their avowed principles and profes-
sions. But it is tow made manifest that these iniquitous asso-
ciations are founded upon acts of the grossest' violence—that
their fair avowals are merely used to gloss over a system of the
foulest intimidation, involving conspiracy, fire-raising, and as-
sassination—not only so, but shielding, and that most effectu-
ally, the prepetrators of those fearful crimes from the sword of
justice—settling the most salutary laws of society at defiance—
and .establishing an imperium in imperio, only to be compared
with the assassins of the East. who seem to have furnished to
the trades' unions the only model which they think worthy of
their imitation.
We are powerfully impressed with the conviction, that the
existence of these trahes' unions is wholly inconsistent with the
with the safety or peace of the community. No man can hold
his life worth " a pin's fee," so Icrig as the murderer of Smith
is allowed to walk amongst us unchallenged, and unpunished.
The power which has screened the murderer mutt be put down,
let the consequences to "the freedom of labour," as it is called,
be what they may. That, power is the power of the trades'
unions, The law. must extinguish it by every possible means,
and in every possible Way. No such unions must be permitted
longer to exist. The combination law must he revived and
enforced with the utmost rigour. This must be done, not less
on account of the oppressed and intimidated workmen them-
selves, as to save the m►sguided men who become the agents of
the unions, and are thus seduced into the prepetration of the
most horrid crimes, which they believe will for ever remain con-
cealed from their fellow creatures, but for which an eternity of
punishment will form no adequate atonement.
We now on behalf of the public call strenuously upon the
ocffiers fif government to do their duty in regard to this crying
evil. of which none know better than themselves the ruinous
nature and extent. The innocent blood which has been shed
by the unions, forms sufficient cause for extinguishing them;
for unquestionably, every member of such associations, must be
, beldastnorally participating in the guilt of this aptizilling crime.
This, however, is not the only crime brought home to these con-
spiracies in the mass—a train of 'horrors is shown- to attend
them throughout the wbole sphere of their operations. On these
grounds. we trust that gOVernmeut and the legislature, will take
immediate steps to suppress utterly and unqualifiedly the whole
of these concealed confederacies, assuming the name of unions
to protect (!) the interests of the workmen, no matter under
what colour or pretence they may seek to shelter their opera-
tions. •