The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1804-08-15
[VoLUME J.

miuo, whether 1t gaye vent to is acauireCleEts
un0n tins canvas as 4 painter; in The tened
| field as general; in he Senate Houf- as an
orator; or upon paper as a Wri-Sr, the ecCt
was the fame. he min who reads, flid MIR.
Er!kne, falls into the track and opinions him
who writes, ard The more powerful the writer.
the more powerfu the iniiuence.-in prcrorti-
on, then, TO the defendants talent, tie extent
Of injury WIS to be conidcird and the couipsu-
tation meafilied-He next commented on thai
part Of the libel which defcribed his hIajefy AS
having truck out Of his lift of prvy Co;rfSlior.
an luxurious nobemaD, for having toaeec the
toveregnty OF the people at g. drunken club"
and further urging the inipropricty Of" intro.
ducing into his Maiety's Courcil, a man,
(mcahinC Mr. Plunkett) who, toe writer nfer-
red, had United, in a grave af,emby of legiila~
tore, that the foveregnty OF the people was a
Urn principle ii the tate" The learned CONF
Gil, in touching this part OF the fuh,eGt, iUd-
croully detcribed Mr.. Cobbett rs a ,syRpe d,d
cannifsrJ8oi GGcNer, wounding and injurine cha
raeters i'll all directions. Mr.. ErIk;ne concluded
a fpeech of two hours in length, by obicrYing,
that the quet'ion the jury had 10 cCnhder, wae,
whether the libel was written or pubtiihed by
the defendant, and if 70, whether it was written
for the purpoie, and with the intention aicriSed
to It and If they were OF that opinion, they
were bound TO give = verdiGt Of damages com
meniurate with toe iriury, and {hch as woulp
fuIniih wholeiome leflor to the defendant iur
his future conduct in life.
Evidence wastheu produced that Mr.. Ccbbett
was the fole proprietor of the Political Heeifcer.
Several witneEes were Then called in order TO
explain thu iruendoes; tleie witnellcs were Mr..
Wickhaui, Mr.. Barnett, & Mr.. Tofter, Speaker
Of the late lrih HOufe Of Commons. Thefe
Gentlemen, on being fllcwn the libes, agreed in
thinking the inuendoes applied to Mr.. Plum
kett.
Mr.. Adam then rofe and addicted the Court
and jury for the defendant He began by ftatings
that there were feveral particulars in the fpeech
OF his learned friend, OF which il was his duty
to complain. His learned friend had made very
free a!iuGons TO the proceedings which had taken
place on the former day, and it appeared, his
principal efforts were directed 70 as to keep that
day frefh in the minds fthe jury. The anxiety
which he MIR. ~ felt on that cccaGon, he trui-
ted, would not iniure him in the eEeem of the
jury, or hurt in the mot remote degree tine
cauie ofhis client. lie knew that iuGice would
be done noI as FIR. Ertkine faid, lie knew the
perfons of the Jury, but becauie ne g!oried in
and well knew the character of all Engliih jury.
His learned friend had endeayorcd to en6anie
their minds by adverting TO the fate Of Ireland
but that was not the Queftion, and did not bear
at all on the prefent action. The queftion was
whether they would try this action with free and
untettered minds, divefted of thoie prejudiCes
which had been broughtinto view. Mr.. Erikine
had held Mr.. Goblet very high as public cha
ra6er, and had Introduced the eyiGence Of the
other day, in order to enhance the damages be
trulted the jury would not attend to any fuch
considerations. Mr.. Goblet was man of perfe-
verence, he lived all upright life, was the father
of numerous family, ard the hubbard of an
aniable wife. He gained his living, no. By ribsl-
dry IN his writings, they were characterized by
an honeft zeal in favor of the arifocratcal inni-
tutions of the country. He had been the after.
ter of the rights Of this country in America, but
he had not realized the means of paying DANA
geS to the enormous amount now demanded.
IF verdict TO that amount fhoud be given a.
ganf him, he would be doomed to an eternal
jail; and it was contrary to law, that man
fubje6ted TO damages, ihould be made to en-
dure corporal puniihment. After great ma
ny arguments on the contribution of the libsls,
the learned council concluded by entreating the
jury to be lcnient in their verdict.
Lord Peterborough briefly addreEed the ury.
who retired for a few minutes, and returned
with verditt in favour Of the plaintiff Dana
geS 5ool.