Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1801-1806, 1804-09-20


rious ara of the revolution that fol-
lowed it, had not refnled the ilnpious
inference, by lhewing that if man def
cends, it is not in his own proper mo-
ton, that il is with labor and with
pain, and that he can, continue to fink
only, until by the force and preAure
OF the delcent, the fpring of his i'm.
mortal faculties accules that recupera-
tive energy and effort that hurries him
as many miles aloft. 1t is at that pc
riod, that the fate feeks for fhelter in
the deilru0ion of the Preis; it is i'm a
period like that, that the iyrant pre-
pares for the attack upon the people.
by deitroying the liberty of the Prefs !;
by taking away that ihield of wildonl
and OF virtue, behind which the peo-
pie are invulnerablc in whole pure
& pcliihed convex, ere the lifted blow
has fallen, he beholds his image, and
is turned into ltone. 1t is at thoie pe-
riods, that the honelt man dares not
fpeak, becaufe truth is too dreadful to
be told. Ii is then the proud man
feorns TO fpeak, bur like phy6cian
!bafIled BY the waywatd exceiIes OF
dying patient, retires Indignantly from
the bed Of an unhappy wretch whole
ear isl TOO faHidious to bear the found
Of who.eiome advice, Whole palate is
too debauched to bear the ialGtary Bit
ter of the medicine lhatmight redeem
him, and therefore leaves him TO the
felonious piety, of the 0aves, that talk
10 him ct lie, and "trip him before he
is cold.
i 6 Let me fuppofe that you had
known the charge upon which Mr..
Orr was apprehended, the charge of
ahiuring that bigotry which had torn
and difgraced his country, of pledging
himfelf 10 reitore the people of his
country TO their place in the eonlli,u-
ton, and of binding himfelF never
10 be the be;rayer of his fellow.la.
bcrers indhat enterprizeJ that you
had feen him upon that charge re.
moved from his indullry, and confined
in gaol; that through the flow and
lingering ptogrefs of twelve tedious
months you had feeh him confined in
a dungeon, fhut out from the common
ufe of air and his own limbs: that
day after day you had marked the un-
happy captive. .cheered by no found
but the cries Of his family, or the
clinking of chains; that you had feen
him at lail brought TO his trial; that
you had feen the vie and perjured in.
former depoGng againa his life that
you had feeh the dranken; and worn
Out, and terrified jury give in a yer.
dia OF death that you had feen the
fame jury, when their returning 70.
briefly had brought back their con.
licences, proitfate themfelves before
the humanity ofthc Bench, and pray
that the mercy Of the crown might
fave their characters from the reproach
of an snvoluntasy crime, their con-
licences from the torture of eternal
felf-condemnstion, and their fouls
from the indelible ffain Of innocent
blood. Let me fuppoie that you had
leen the refpite given, and that con-
trite and honef recommendation
tran(mired TO The feat, where mercy
was prelumed to dwell that new,
and before unheard of crimes; are dif.
covered againif the informer; that the
royal mercy feems to relent, and that
a rew 'efpite is fent to the prifoner /;
that time is taken, as the learned
council for the crown has expreiied it,
to fee whether mercy could be ex-
tended or not! that after that period
Of lingering dslibesation is paied, a