Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1801-1806, 1804-09-06
For the RHoDl-IslAsD RrpusL,eAs.
(of.bs Ussem I ys,saisr. s'e.' 'e.oxel1dta trsA
oSr lefJ ..a s.,s -. -

y 80 a.. ..
MY f,a objeet ihali be. 10 thow that thefc
Nl mee,ines were in themiclves lawful. In
order for this, let ps turn TO the hohdredth page
of Mr.. Fiodley's hiAory Of that iniurretlion
with which theie meeiings arc fuppoied 70 have
Cook" !" (wbofe name has been frequently men
toned Ia the above inherited exua6) who had
been IS chairman Of all meetings and committees
connected With the iniurreetion, went to Phia-
dciphia, and entered into recogpizance, but
there was no cauie Of action found againa him."
] conlder This 'eifcamAance alone iuf6cient to
convince aoy mind which IL open to conviction,
that thefe mcctiugs were not 10 tiseaielses crim-
iral, bot perfectly confident with the conititu-
zion and laws of our country. But that lsmay
llence, yGncr il is impoilible TO conyince) shoe
who siiinlly fhut their eyes aeainf the light OF
tru,h. and ooflna,ely refuie TO hear any evidence
on the fnbIett which con.rsdlSts their fixed and
testled opinions, viii offer one more proof OF
thoic mecsines being in themlelves Lawful. AT
the top OF the two hundred and twenty -hrlf page
of the hiaoty laa quoted. may be found ,be fol-
loving words: 81 IL was acknowledged by the
diftriti Judge and attorney. that large pSopos-
tion oI ahoir who no, only attended az the!c
meetings; bot even al Brsddoek's field rendez-
yous, which undoubtedly saumed the appear.
ances OF an inlurreetion, were not only innocent.
but nnerisoriohs peIEons, and that il was not the
afIiaine at ,hefe meetings, b6t the condud when
there, that fhould determine the crinsinality of
the piiioner.'' This lsa Quotation needs no
comment. Ii ], Of i,iaf poiitive proof OF the
legality Of theie meetings, For If che sccu!ets ol
Mr. Gal!a.;n fhcnld raife thc pnny cejeeficu,
that the Judge might ctr 10 his opinion, YET
that will not in The leaf alta them; bccaute
the legality OF ,hcie meetings does NOT 70 much
depend upon ihe principles Of Juice and equity,
as il does upon poftive rules aud long ettsbElhcd
cusaoms and a. the judge 10 the proper pcrion
Authorized by law TO determine what ti:ufs fnscs
and cunonn are, and what agrees with them. aud
what contraditis them, whatever Inc declares to
be lawful; raoA inevitably be confdcrc3 - fsch.
Befidcs, if Mr.. Galatin had ever been profecut.
ed for treafon committed at thefe meetings, he
nuis have pecn tried before this fame judge,
who has already given il as his opinion, that
they were NOT csiminsl. but lawful. How then
could Mr.. Gallatin ever have been convicted OF
freafon or of any other crime, merely on account
OF his having attended ,helc meetings.
will now proceed to niow that Mr.. CAL
latin's eoudua when attending thefe meetings,
was fax from being either tresfouable or in the
kta degtec criminsl. To eHed this, mue
again have ,eeouife 10 the hiaory Ian quoted
for authority. AT the bottom of the two hu-.
dred and thirty. ninth page of that hiaory, and
at the top of the incceeding page. itappeav that
Two OF the judge. of,he court Of WeAmorelard
county, general Jack, and Mr.. Baird, were ur-
sed by the DiAritt Judge ofthe DiRriet OF Penn
lylvania, and the then fecretary Of the ,treafury
Of the United Sra,es, 80 telify that Mr. Gal
latin had expreflcd hinlelfin irsstonable man
ner az the frf PaIkiion's meeting, and when
they denied having heard any fuch expicfions,
the fecretary alertcd that he bad fufcient proofs
Of them already they however periaed IN al
fefting that ne ofed no fuch exprcfiiops." Mech
more evidence OF this Kind might be adduced in
favor Of Mr.. Ca!latin il il we're neceiIary. But
~ this kind Of evidence is only circumifantial,
aod ii not in itfeif eonclu6ve, and az / have in
my poAenion thar of much higher nature, /
fhzIl content nyfelf with offering one more proof
of his innocence, which Il think mult Convince
every candid mind, that the charge aeaintf which
have attempted 10 defend him, 10 wholly un-
founded end malicious. In The two hundred and
eighty Eighth page Of the hiaory from which
all the preceding extracts have been taken, the
hiftorian fays, " il was told 10 the city az a
feciet, which foon vas hesrdby every body, that
proofs were obtained againif Smile, Galstin,
and myfelt, that wewsre deeply engaged in and
promoted the iafunettion. j traced fome Of
thoie ftories, TO iources from which did not ex.
pett they wouih have come, ssd called on-,he
late attofney.esrersl and the attorney Of the
di&rid, who afTared me that there was no proof
Of criminslity Of any kind agsinR us." Herr
etx.s. 90 GA ss LII - II
Mr.. Gsllatin's innocence. as il reipeds his con-
dud relative to the infarreiion in which he is
reported to have been criminaily engaged. And
by whom let me sk was this declaration made
By the attorney general Of the United States,
snd she diifrst- attorney Of the diRriA Of Penn
fyivania :-The only perfops in the world, who
were BY law authorized to have profecusod hin,
for the crime with which IN the Mereesy of the
18th inf. he Is charged. Since then il il evident
thar If Mrs Galla,in was ever convided Of spy