The Statesman.
London, England, 1812-05-19 00:00:00

TI Ira STATESMAN.

,:.volt with horror even at the idea of Perjury and
A,sa,sittation ; but, can the partial massacre of the
soidiers of your tyrants be called Assassination
lime the weak, then, no legitimate resource against
oppression." Wittier, mark well the latter part of
this-sentence, and you vi ill be at no Ins= to discover
the school in which the wretched Ikta.txcluAlu
horned his system of morality.---" When my
trial," said that unfortunate culprit, 4i comes be-
fore a jury of my countrymen, it till then be de-
lermined how far a Minister is justified in refusing
justire to an injured idiaduni." In the one case
" oppression" is urged as a plea in justification of
Assassination :—in the other, the Tyerpetrator of the
crime pleads " injustice and i.ijury" a#, his vindica-
tiou. The direct conformity of PioNAT ELM'S argto.
melds with those of BELLINGHAM is too apparent to
be.suistaken, even by the most superfijal observer.
flat Ire have not yet exhausted the Lot.,r,is, or rather
:as-anima. letter the Neapolitan Prince. After
rptotiug the remade, that'" Iliturtt's stabbed C.s.s.‘e •
white he embraced him, and called him son," he

proceeds:—" then, his SARDINIAN MAJES-
TY, though unarmed with fortresses, and surrounded
with republican battalions, may slit! aspire to the
glory of delivering Italy. The French troops are
dispersed over Piedmont, under the faith of treaties.
All that is wanting then is, to rouse the patriotism
of the Piedmontese to sentiments of the most ex-
alted enthusiasm, and that each man should aspire
to the honour of extending one of the ene-
elks of his country at his feet.— ..-these partial
massacres will be more decisive for Piedmont
than a pitched battle ; and never will a just posterity
stigmatize, pith theriatue of Assassination, the ener-
getic acts of a whoie people marching over the dead
bodies of their oppressors to the recovery of their
liberty. I hope that you will make the value of these
considerations be felt in the Councils of his SAttni.
VIA'S MAJESTY, and that they will not be opposed

in a Court which has been so cruelly rendered the•

victims of tirc Republicans; and which the coalesced'
Powers take under their special protection." Here
then do we discover the first dawnings of this abomi-
neble system having been introduced into the Cabi. 1
nets of Europe. Russia, and the Ottoman Porte,
era not only mentioned as the abettors of the Courts.
of Naples and liardittia in instigating the subjects of
"the latter to assassinate the French, but Great Mn.
tain is expressly named--nay all the coalesced powers
are represented as having taken them under their spe-
cial protection. What further evidence do we re..
quire to show that Mr. PITT and his colleagues, who
then managed the affairs of this country, were assas-
sins by principle ? During the administration of the
son of the Earl of CIIATII.OI, nothing occurred to
implicate him directly in this charge, though no doubt
remains of hit guilt. -But this has not been the case
with his successors in office: They have given
dent proofs to the world, that they so far at least ap-
proved of the doctrine of Prince PIGNATELLI, whO
had the audacity to declare that, notwithstindingthe

most solemn treaties existing between the Frenchho-
public and the King of SARDINIA, each Sardinian

should aspire to the honour of assassinating a French-
man. It is true, that there is no treaty with us and
BONAPARTE, and it hasbeen said by the Ministerial
Prints, that it is only as an enemy he ought to be re-
garded as a fit subject for the dagger. Ministers even
hare gone the length of disavowing the principles of
Assassination altogether. But if this practice is cri-
minal at all, it can make no difference whether tilt
object of our vengeance Is a friend or an enemy. In
its very essence, Assassination is a gross immoral act ;
• it is a violation of the laws of natnre, by which this
• principle is clearly recogs.ised, That no man has a
sight to deprive another of that which it is impossible
for him to give. It is, therefore, a crime to rob one
of his life without his being in possession of the
means to prevent it, whether he he in a state of hos-
tility against us or in amity. Even in the field of
battle, when the foe has surrendered to his con::
queror,• all•eivilised nations have deemed it murder
to dispnssess him of his life. Neither can the denial
of Minister* avail them, when it is considered, that
they not only protect but reward those who preach
up Assassination, mid who have insulted-thesis ion,
by recoennendiag the fonnatioa of a band wreicties,
like theinsilVei; to destroy the Emperor of FILANGL.
The hireling journals 'of Ministers, who were for. I
snotty the most • forward in vindicating the horrid
practice which we aresleprecating, an now engaged.)
in raising their voice Against it, because they find
that the infernal doctrine they were so active in disse.
olio:it/lig; has brought, in the first instance, on the
head of their favourite, the evil whith -they
tended to fall • on -others. iulittenced, however,
by- motives similar to those IPIIIRI► led them to
• eilvoelttethe cause of Assassirritienatisealt suited the
*• • I
purposes o tioy now attempt to tnrow
ole odium off themselves, by attributing .the crime to 1
Cie disaffecad towards the Coterentost. his a me.
lantholy end undeniable fact, they say, that " the
et:miles of the country beechen but too successful in
Cwir ttiabolicsi attempts to pebon the minds, and !
•resclutionisis the nature of the ignorant and the
thneghtless.". -How cordially do we concur in these
sentimeeti ;, bet how very dkfferent must he our ap-
plicatide et them. It cannot be those who have un-
eesaingiy declaimed against the employment of spys,
• Ttaiterarand Assassins by our Government, that can
be charged with attempts to poison the minds of the
• • people.' If V only such ns have justified the doctrines
of wriesairetxt, a GOLDSMITH, and a SARRAZIN,
Cat haven voted successful in their diabolical at-

tempts. Let us not then any longer be told •by the
Treasury Journals, that the practice of Assassins•
tion, of whic:t a few instances have lately occurred,
has its birth either in the habits, or in the education
of the people. These instances owe their origin to
those Writers only who now affect •to deplore their
awful consequences. If they wish to atone for their
imprudence, and counteract the baneful influence of
the doctrines they have so industriously circulated, it
would he well for them to acknowledge their error in
a formal manner, ;tither than employ their pens in
• reviling others, w ho bare had no part in the introduc-
tion of this atrocious system, either into the Cabinets
of Europe or the cottages of our countrymen. The
circumstance, that the wretched BELLINGILAK, who
hail iklilrerately premeditated the horrid deed, was
held entitled to a regular trial, rid not condemned
to be shot without ceremony, affords a sufficient
proof, that the people of this country, with whom the.
law emanates, ar•e enemies to all violence whatever.

STATE in,' THE COUNTRY.

Cant:tst.r, Max 16.—Though during this week)
nothing lias occurred to excite public alarm in this
neighbourhood, yet, we regret to: state, that our
public duty compels us to narrate what instances of
depredations have been committed—not against the,
public at large, but against individuals. We shall,
,therefore, proceed,to give an unbiassed account of
what, in this respect., has occurred since our last.—
Last Saturday, our markets were pretty well sup-
plied, but considerabte disorder prevailed' in the po,
tatoe marke4 frrim the apprehension that there
would tot be a sufficiency. of that iudiSpensible
ar-
ticle of food, to supply the wants of the numerous
poor. No outrage, however, was committed them.,
but a person who had kept his grain in the corn,l
market to an unusual hour, and above the market
price, was much insulted by the populace—at • last
he was fain to sell it for somethiug less than he had
been at first offered for it. The irritation of the po-i
r'
pulace, however, not being allayed by this sacrifice
he was assailed, whilst returning home, by sheisers
of stones, by which he was severely wounded; .and
it was not without difficulty he escaped with most
serious injury. About one o'clock on Tuesday
morning, a number of men, with their faces blacken,
ed, broke into the house of George Graham, a far,
mer, at Newtown, about a mile from this city,• and
carried oil twelve hams belonging to different per-
sons, which were committed to his care to cure.—,-
Mrsi Graham, on hearing the alarm, ran down
stairs, but was not able to identify any one.Dur-
lag the time of the depredation being carried for.
ward, the Beard, who were s'tationetl without, fired
several shots, which were distinctly heard in the city.
Ow the succeeding night, a large quantity of pota-
toes was stolen and carried away from Rickarby,
upon the Eden, a mile distant from Carlisle.—We
' also hear, that similar depredations have been com-
mitted all around the country.
A Circular has bees addressrd to the Commanding
Officers of Local Militia, by Mr. Secretary Rider,
j enjoining them to have their depots of arms in a
state of the greatest security, lest they should be
suddenly seized by the disaffected,—and that it would
he advisable the muskets in the depots should he
without flints; which (says the Circular) would in
some degree prevent the immediate mischief which
Might °there ise result from the seizure of the arms.
Letters have been received in Carlisle, from Lan-
cashire, stating that considerable tumult bad taken
place in Barnsley, on the borders of the county—
that after the Riot Art had been read, the Local Mi.
litia had been called out ; but, being averse to the
proceeding to extremities, were tired upon by a
party of the Queen's Bays, by which, it is said six
of the Local Militia were killed. The lire was in-
stantly returned ; and the cavalry, after losing 12
men killed and 11 horses, were compelled to retreat.
We do not pledge ourselves for the truth of this state.
meat—the fact is, that letters to this effect have been
received here.
The account of the manner in which the assassina-
tion of Mr. Perceval was rervired at Nottingham is
correct. Ott Tuesday and Wednesday there were
the same disgusting demonstrations of joy; but the
Riot Act was read, the military paraded the town,
and all was quiet on Saturday.
lusorne parts of Cornwall, the Cornwall Paper
says, the same spirit was manifested.
At Sheffield, Leeds, and Birmingham, all was
quiet.—Some additional troops have been marched
into Chester, a report prevailing that tht4 rioters
meant to attempt a rescue of the persons committed
to Chester Gaol.

A most lamentable accident happened last week In
a coal mine at Orrelt, Dear t/phoHand, iti the neigh. 4
bahrhood of Liverpool. Notice had been siren. to.'
the workmen belonging to the pit, that a coitain
particular level was summed to be filled with in-
flammable gas, and they were of course directed not'
to approach the place with a light or any other sub-
stattce capable of -communicating fire. Notwith.:
standing this warning, one of the men, who had left
his tools in the forbidden place, had the rashness to
attempt to recover them, and actually entered it with
a candle. A tremendous explosion instantly took
place, in consequence of which every person in that
part of the mine was immediately suffocated. We
are concerned to say, that nine men and one woman
fell a sacrifice, to this thoughtless temerity, who were
all taken out dead, after the proper precautions had,
been used. The men all belonged to the Leyland .
and Ormgkirk Local Militia, and were most of them.
I very stout and able yogi% men. The explosion was
I so violent, that it shook the windows of the houses
of one of the neighbouring villages.
We insert the following, on authority,. is an he-
I nnurable trait in the character of French fishermen,
as being the result of the robbery lately committed
off nieone :—When the delinquent retuned home
rr
with his prise, his roguery was soon discovered by
I his brother fishermen, who instantly compelled him
' to pet to sea, for the purpose of delivering up his
ill-gotten treasure to the first English fishing-boat he
l should meet with, which happened to be one from
Hastings; and the owner, at Folkestone, is now in
the possession of the greater part of his nets.

LAW INTg LLIGENC

COVRTOr COMMON PIaIiAti.WESTMINSTEIt. Ma 18.
Sittings aft& 7'erm, before Sir JAMBS MANSFIELD.
SI.INDEIt.

rENWICI r. HAW. '
This was' an action broughtily-the Plaintiff, a lace
sou
weaver, .iu Colville-c.ourt, at the Defendant, a
shoemaker, residing in , Street, to recover
damages for scandalous w Aleged to have been
spoken by the Defoidaut to vilify the Plaintiff's
character. The words in substance charged the
Plaintill with having been guilty of indecent prac-
tices.
The damages were laid at One Thousand 1
Pounds. 1

Mr. Serjeant BF:ST stated, that the Plaintiff com-
plained in this case of having received the greatest
injury a man could receive. He was charged with
an offence which, if true, would drive him from
society, and unless he had had the courage to come j
.into a Court to vindicate his character, life would I
only, have rendered him sensible of injuries and
indignity. The Defendant, in answer to this action,
had said he was not guilty.—The words had been
spoken two years ago, in a conversation which the Dc.
readmit had with a person named Englee, and so j
little reason had he to utter the scandal, that he had
since treated the Plaintiff as a most respectable cha-
t
racter. No application had been made to bring the
Plaintiff to justice foruffending against the law of 1
Morals, on the contrary, he had treated him as al
friend. The Plaintiff was a religious man, and al
sincere christian, but in consequence of this slander, I
he had been expelled from the Tottenham Chapel, of
which he had long been a member. The Learned j
Serjeant concluded by contending, that it was a case
which required large damages.
John Englee, a shoemakcr, stated, that taro or
three years since he had a conversation with Haw of
a religious tendency. He spoke particularly about j
the " sgrdidtiess of Pharoah ;" and among the ge-
neral topics•of conversation Haw said, do you know
Fenwick? he belongs to Tottenham Chapel. The
Defendant then uttered the words which became the
subject of action. They were afterwards conveyed
to Fenwick, who met Haw in the presence of the
witness, and Haw repeated what he said, asserting
at the same time that it was true.' Fenwick said in.:
answer, " If you say such things of me, 1 will not
walk home with you again."
' Two other witnesses stated facts in substance the
same as the above, and proved that Plaintiff and De-
fendant had been off friendly terms long since the
words were spoken.
Mr. Serjeant inEPIIERD contended, for the Defen-
dant, that the words had been spoken with no view to
injure the Plaintiff. The Defendant had no means
of justifying them, but under all the circumstances,
the Defendant, who was a mechanic, in very low cir-
cumstances, ought not to be called upon to pay large
damages.
The Jury found a verdict for the Plaintiff—Da-
mages 101.