The recorder. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1802-1803, 1803-04-20

peace OF nations, which ali good men
mutt abhor, and oil reae Cling men de-
tett and depfcoare. erecedenrs Of pro
lecu;ions for publication, OF this de-
.<fipnon were not wanting, when tub-
jects OF thiS cou0rrv became amenab}e
TO, and were punihed by It's laws, for
wanconly in.uluag the feelings of the
princes Of other countries. When che
lait iI-jated and hardly ued queen Of
France was traduced by libel here, IFS
author, q. Gordon, was accu.cd of the
crime, prolccuged by the government
OF this country, by an Engli;h jury con-
demncd, and by Britllh laws punilhed
For his offence.
Again, when on another occaGon the
late emperor OF Rullia was libelled by
iubject here, John Vint, that perton
was called to account for his crime, and
IN like manner convicted for it; and the
tendency of each ibel, like the prclent,
was to hold REFLECTIVE perlonages he
had mentioned in contempt by their
iubjetts, for the purpote Of exciting 1hole
iubJects ineo rebellion againt them.
Here The learned gentleman read the
libel pu6liIhed by Mr.. Vint, againtt the
emperor OF RulIia, and, aftcy expiar-
ing ncol It at iome comfortable length.
DC appealed 70 the Jury, calling upon
them TO fay, from the f1mili1ude be-
tween Fhe rwo, both pointing to The
tame ends, the degradation and aGali-
n@IIon OF r7e ieyera! perionages aimed
at, whether this was or was not
iu5Ject and queltion cognizabI. by
the ia% Of England, dire5tcd againit
Inc lnlJeSe Of ITS own or any othercoun-
try, dwelling 10 i, who coul4 70 our
rage ihame and humanity, as to be the
ayowed author Of it The learned
gentleman then proceeded TO Call the
aJ-enlon OF rhe jury more Immediately
10 the libel in queition. TO of the
charges IN the Information are TO be
found in the frlt number Of chs pub
1carion; the frontifpiece whereof pie
lenr5 60 view PjGture hierogliDhically
portrayed in great variety Of magi.
cal Egyptian figures, reprefenting the
nflt coniul as the Sphinx, and difplay-
ing him IN the mott odious light; and
ieit 1t might eicape the dulleit com
prevention who It was thaG was meant
oy thus picture, the proipe6tus ofrhe
publication did not fail to acouainr irs
readers who was the individual meant.
{ Mr. attorney general then prelcared
the tronutplece and read the cxCra5ts
IRON the Prolpe6tus, both faithfully
exPfeIiive OF his descriptions of each
concerning which he had but ore fenri.
Henr TO utter, thar the perlooaoe 70
tFatuuced, 10 vllified and 70 nandered,
Wirh viewof rendering him odi2us in
fhesYes 0, Frenchmen and fEurope, wa,
general Bonaparte, Two numbers
therefore OF this publication having rhar
tendency, we're the fublc6t Of chis 5f1fc
cut'on, viz. the frit and 1he tairi. He
would dlre6t the attention Of the Jury TO
the third number at the prelent period
OF The prosecution and thar was &c the
harahgue" as 1t was called, and profcAtd
to DC parody Of that delivered by L.
PlauS TO the people Of Rome againIf the
uiuTPatlon and contequent abule oil
power OF Scylla, which hltory deicribes
mat dictator to be guilty Of; and here
lhe learned gentleman, in very cor
fect dellncation, compared all tie pal-
iages OF the original with the parody
and Inferred the parody itlelf, as con
tMned the publication, to direct all
It's vengeance a8aiut the fIft conlul;
1t vent TO invoke the people of France
agalntt Bonaparre, as LePidus did rhole
OF Rome agaiDf Scylja it demonRrat-
ed him "the tiger, who would dare