The Statesman.
London, England, 1813-03-30 00:00:00

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TO THEITIOrrOR oF STATEIWAN. -
pro( nd in this lever, ai I promised In'
mv lust, to• 01 some .reinarks, upon 'the grind
eitarge preferred against the Princess of
..W,p4s..oti,
the testimony of Lady D01.781.AU. And first,' I Out
observo as le the nature of that charge,; that it h.
fell eel decisive; so complete indeed, thattheredits.:
trot ie.,t a doubt on any 'one's mind, for a Vine*
mieute, either that the Princess must be guilty, tit
the charge itself false. To say that both are inno.
ceut that there was neither adultery. on one sidei
nor perjury on the other, would be es ridiculous as
to say illat both the affirmative and' the negative of te
proposition can be tripe. It is Impossible tobOlenez
elk tfie tifineefcs is an adultress ; and also', that's
shalt not an adultress. If the one of these propo- I
silicon! is true, the other most of consequence be
false. How comes it then that they, who pronounced
the Princess tit be innermit, >rovtid not also detect the.
guilt of Lady balm Lau, for guilty she must be in such
a case? Bow tofu's it that ibe Crown Lawyers, who
at Ow lita-eyetitt detecting criminal; tyin certain cases,
should be so purblind here ? Ilow comes it' that
they, who are so conversant with libels, should
think it none to lay to the wife of the PRINCE 14-
GENT the gross imputation of adultery ? These are
questions 11146 the very nature of the case suggests
to every man's mind, and, therefore, the public 1
mind ought to have been satisfied on this head.—
Now what has been the satisfaction ? One Lawyer, !
eminent not only for his professional skill, bat also I
fie his philinthropy, merely said, that. there were
'molls for tlija. No doe:it ! There are reasons for
all things ! But the public, I conceive, ought to
k now * radon in this case. A Noble Lord was
more uptick, he said, that the reason for this
omission was defect of evidence. It is more easy to
End, in the Noble Lord's conduct throughout this af-
fair; defect of a certain quality, ealled-Ingenuousness.
Two sets of comedssioners have pronounced bn the
Innttcence, of the Princess, with respect to this
charge at, least., 'there was no defect 'of evidence
with them, then- what reason, was there to suppose
tLast there would he such defect %% WI a Jury? Would
1. ot the proof that satisfied the ConnaiSsietiers satisfy
a Jar ? Far is it from me to spy any thing in be-
kill of secretinquieitious ; they are better adapted
tl.e narrow minds of Spanish bigots, thin of
Leg'ish freemen .yet, still I must 'say, that any
L id) of men, JUI crs or Commissioners, who are de-
puted to enquire into the ;troth of such en Rennie
floe, and who lied one party innocent, mutt ne-
ees-Arily find the other guilty,—guilty I mean
of a false accusatjon upon oath—ln plain 'English,
PER.TuitY. In a case like this, where no jedicial
determination has been given by the country, al-
though conviction seems to pervade the public mind,
it is proper to argue hypothetically. Cosibii-E, in
speaking of Lady DOVGLA, seems to vacillate be-
ween her guilt and innocence; perhaps not from the.
vela of materials to form an opidfon upon, but
from the apprehension of danger in expressing it.—
This hesitation, in fact, every one must feel, more or
less, and it shows the necessity there is, that the
decision of the country, or in ether words, trial by
the custom of the country "per pays," should make
a true deliverltice of the parties*. It is the great
blessing of our Constitution that it will not admit of
such hesitation, such undo-fined or undetermined im-
putations of criminality as are known to weigh down
the heads, and break the hearts of persons in foreign
cf.:ll:tries, to whom crimes of state, real or sup.
posed, have been imputed. Guilt and innocenceare
there so confounded, that the people cannot detect
the ore or the other; they only see that the party
sub', rs, or know that he has disa9peared.—
Secret tribunals, Court intrigues, time-serving
Joshes, and witnesses, either intimidated from
spriking truth, or hoping to gain favour by: fries..
gre,sing it, constitute this ast machinery of op-'
pression, from the berriblp operation of which an
I.;:glishmaras shielded by the open, ptiblic,
partial riittforTis (seers. This is the P.lnopfy of the'
Constitution, which is intended to cover us from head
to foot, and render us invulnerable ;:. the shafts of
ma'ice and falsehood ; and to withhold thi:;, is in re-
ality to break the compact between Pri:tce and
Propi,c, nevi/iglus R^ctum • atirJustitions.—
wostow, at this instant of time, a general
'gnat delireryr Why are persons sent with the
King's commission into every county, to hear and
terntipate all eatises whatever--e'. Quo and Ter-
miner ?" What is this for, bet° fultil the King's
Coronation Oath,• by irtite Witeeid eiery'Man is to
',Ave justice &molding to, the ancient laws end cus-
toms of the reshot, that is, alree delfrorance kv his
peers? How long hal this 'amiable Princess, a
stranger_ in oar land, but entitled to all the bonnet
tad impartial laws, unfriended, unpro.
fled by time-servers and ellefunieto4,
ask, hath she not languished in silent
td patient indurance, when that,,boon
granted to our vilest felony, and which,,
art be lawfully withheld from any one,l
ltlice by her pgcrs, would, have terming-.
sufferings, and restored her to peace of
'ie esteem of a generous people, who
ited respecting hee, from the love they
,ne, and the abhorrence they have of Tice,
lified and exalted

it prOeiredthgs the Clerk of the toortreoeiAs
the Aryt anti Hint to which the Prisoner
not 011%, and hath put bitoself upoi Yip couitryt
'MEW, Stc.

of our just ar
teeted, assails
how lung,
• ,
fniClloll, and
ethich iq now
i,•threa, canal
• dellutrar
I eel all her su
utiod and the
0.
oily hesitate
bear to virtue
however digit
•
• I criminal
oven, In II)
it I 101.1ft..11 nn
lilt