The Statesman.
London, England, 1810-06-12 00:00:00

JOIIN GALE JONES._

TO LDITOPt OF THE. STATESMAN.

111 this t could hear with patience," etclainica the cdylog
1.11.11—" but thus to be kicked by a JACK-Ass!"
Stn,—ln consequence of reading in THE
r TEsH.ts of this evening the report of a speech
made by an individual named Jacks, in the Corn.
limn Council, upon the debate respecting the
power recently assumed and ekercised by the
House of Commons, of imprisoning Euglishmeh
tvithunt trial, and during pleasure, which speech
ineluded a gross attack upon my moral ehab
racier and conduct, I am induced at length to
break through a silence which I have hitherto
ciaidly observed, and rely on your indulgence to
allow the the present appeal to a humaue and im.
partial public.
It is nut enough, it would seem, that I should
Lave been summoned, lame and almust lifeless, to
the Bar of the; House of Commons; that when
there, 1 should, without trial, and without oath,
1,,t; " adjudged guilty of publishiug a libellous
piper, of which, to this very moment, I have never
been proved to bo the Euthur —that I should have
csonerated the printer, and assumed the resp onsi.
bility, offered an ample apology, by many consi-
dered as humiliating and unnecessary, but-by all
acknowledged sufficient .to satisfy any reasonable
dlr generous mind ; that I should have been torn
from my peaceful home and professional pursuits,
and inveireerated above four months in a prison,
with no allowance save bread and water, there to
temaia until I seal my degradation upon my
knees, and subscribe my servile acquiescence to a
doctrine destructive of the liberties of Englishmen,
cid repugnant to the established Laws and Con-
Mitution of my 'native Land !—lt is not enough
for me to have borne patient and unmoved the
towers and sarcasms, the gross epithets, and per.
stele allusions, the illiheral reflections and man-
eious insinuations, so profusely heaped wpou me,
1* a certain Assembly, which I need not name;
but I must also be the sport and jest of every
pensioned sycophant, or skip.Jeck rexcomb, who
Amigo to belie my character, and traduce my ho.
best fame.
Whcn a celebrated Legislator was asked what
ion the most perfect form of Government ? be
answered, 46 Mail in vs hieh an injury cannot be
offered to • the meanest individual without being
instantly felt and resented by the whole comma.
taty," To jedge, however, from the language
end conduceof our modern Loyalists and Coun.
tcr-Declaredionists, they appear to think that is
the best of all possible Governments where inju-
ries and oppressions are multiplied without num.
ber;and Where the unhappy people are denied the
Melancholy privilege of murmur or complaintl
In discussitig the nature and extent of the
alarming power recently assumed by one branch
elf the legislature, and in exercising an undoubted
sight upon a great constitetioual question, it might
reasonably have been expected that all partial con.
eiderationt would have been studiously avoided,
and that the valets eaf the principle would
bare been paramount to the merits or dc.
merits of any particular individual.—But this
would dot have suited our enemies. They
found their cause feeble and impotent, and the
authority they supported, repugnant to justice
and common sense. They, therefore, turned
aside from the manly course which alone became
them, and soeght to weaken the force of argu-
ment and divert the public attention by personal
invective and scurrillous abuse!
I find, Sir, by a reference to your report of
the debate in the Common Council, that Mr.
Lacks, who, I understand, is a contractor for
Government is the article of army clothing,
and therefore, no doubt, an independent and
eitinterested man, thought proper to quote an
extract from a pliblication called " Peter Por.
~spine," describing me as 46 detached to Debate
' ing Societies, representing Me Westminster Fo-
ram as a Piece where ignorant, Men assembled
to inculcate seditious principles, and reflecting
upon nay moral coneluct!" As I cannot at pre.
sent refer to the work itself, and have never seen
it, I cannot atterpt a refutation of the latter part
;of the•charge; but-I demand of Mr. JACK% With
that peremptory confidence which every accused
individual has a right to express, whether he
meant to subscribe to the truth of that Extract as so
*voted, or if not, for what purpose he intruded it
Isla the respeetablo Assembly nhom lie addressed ?
If lie was so eomirletely ignorant of the individual
%Soso character and CWltirict ho was thus eadea.'
. vionrlng to hold up to public contempt, could he
end no living authority, or no better testimony,
:than an unonynious publication, and that, too,
tat an author who has shift frankly and publicly
-avowed that he we* misinformed and mistaken,
respecting the views and objects of the friends of
Parliamentary Reform ? If he was desirolis of
shining at my expenec. and raking into the par.
tieulars of my private character or public conduct,
way did be not apply to his worthy friend and
Wile coadjutor, Mr. Alderman CHRISTOPHER
SMITH, who) although my relation) and once

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