The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1804-12-01

piaintlH, young, amiablc, OF family and etuca-
ton. " the generous diitinteretedneis of
his heart, you can form an opinion from the G.
violence of the defendant, that he declined an
alliance which would have added to his fortune
and confederation, and which he rejected for an
unportioncd union with his prefent wife. She
roo at that time young, beautiful and accom-
psiihed and feeling her affection for her huff
oand increaie, IN proportion as ihe remember
ed the ardour of his love, and the liucerity of
his facrifce.
Look now to the defendant Can YOU be-
hold him without fhame and Indignation p
With what feelings can you regard rank that
he has 70 tarniihed, and patent that he has
10 worfe than cancelled ! High in the army
high in the tate-the hereditary Counttl of
the klng--ot wealth inca!culaole ;-and TO this
lat advert with an indignant and contemptu-
Gus iatIstaetion, becauie, as the only inRru-
ment ofguilt and ihame, it will be the means
OF his prnihent, and the iource OF compenlati.
ON Tor his gullt-l1is Learned Council contend
that the plaintiff has been the author of his own
iuiiering, and ought &c receive no compeuiati-
on for the i'll consequences OF lis own condu6t.
In what part of the evidence do you find any
foundation for that afIcrtion He iudulged
her, Ii ieeIns, IN heterogeneous and attached,
he probably INDUCED her in that point beyond
his means and the defendant now impatient
the fondneis and liberality of the huiband.
But you have been told that the huiband conni-
ved. Od'ous and impudent aggravation of in
iJury-to add calumny 10 irfult, and outrage TO
dlihonor Prom whom but a man hacklic1 in
the paths Of flame and vice--from whom but
man having no computations in his own brcaft
10 refrain him, could you expsst fuch brutal
difregard for The feelings Of others from whom
but the cold-hlooded feducer-from what but
The eXhaulted mind, the habitat community
with ihane--from what but the habitual con-
tempt OF virtue and man, could you have ex-
Pected the arrogance, the barbarity, and follv
! OF 10 foui, becauic of 10 fa!fe an impu.ation I.
He ihould have reflected, and have blulhed, be-
fore ne iuffered 70 vie topic OF defence to
have pai'ed his lips. But ere you condemn, let
him have the benefit OF eXcufc, If the exCufc b.
true.
You muf have obIcrved how his Council
! fluttered and vibrated-betyeen what thew
called connivancc and nudicous confidence,
and how i'll etfeGting to diGngufh, they have
COMPOUNDED them both together IF the plain
tiff has connived, I freely FAY to you, do not
reward the wretch who has protituted his wife,
and surrendered his owl honor--do not COM
penfate the pander of his own Glame, and Will
ling inftrument of his own nfamv. Bat as
there is no fun 70 low, to which fiich de-
fence, if true, ought not to reduce your YER
s:itt, 70 neither isaay 70 high, to which fuch
charge ought not TO infan1e it if fuch charge
be Faife. Where is the Jingle fact in this caf.
on which the remoteft fufpicion of connivance
can be hung Odioully has the defendant
endeavoured to make the foftef and moi
anlabe feelings of the heart, the prete1t
OF his ilanderous imputations an ancient and
Respectable Preate, the huIband OF his wife's
iifter, chained down to the bed ofiicknefs, per-
knnc 70 haI rT - 81,
:uation, ny client fuTered that wife to be the
bearer of confolation to the bofom of her fiter
he had not the heart to refufe her--and the
iottnefs of his nature is now charged on him as
a crime. He is now infolentiy told that he con-
nived at his diihoDour, and that he ought TO
have forefeen that the maniion Of Ecknefs and of
iOrrow would have been made the fcene of AZ
iignation and of guilt. On this charge OF con-
nivance | will not further weary you, or exhauf
myteif; j viii add nothing more, than that it is
| as falfc asit is impudent-that in the evidence
it has not 4 colour OF tupport-and that with
your verdict you fhouId mark it with reprcba-
ton. The other fubje6l, namely, he wasindfcreet
in his confidence, does, think, call for difcuffi-
on for, l truf, YOU fee that effect not any adj
drefS to your paiions, by which you NAV be led
away from the fubect-I prefume merely TO f.
arate the parts of this efe6ting cafe, and to lay
them, item by item, before you, with the cold
neis OF detail, and not with any colouring or
diiplay of fiction of fancy. Honorable TO
himielfw's his unfnipectug confidence, but IA
tai mutt we admit.t TO have been, when we
look TO the abufe committed uponit; but where
was the guilt of this indfcretion?
He did admit this noble Lord to paf; his
threihold as his gueA. Now the charge which
this Noble Lord builds on this indifcretion is
"1hou fool, thou hadh confidence in my no.
nour, and that was guilty inditcretion-thou
limpleton, thou thoughtcft that an admitted &
a cherlthed guet would have refpected the laws
ofhonour and hospitality, and thy indilcretion
was guilt. Thou thoughtef that he would
have ihrunk from the meannef. and barbarity of
requiting kindness with treachery, and thy indif
erection was guilt. Gentlemen, what horrid
alternative in the treatment of wives would fiich
reatoGing recommend? Are they TO be immur
ed by worie than Eaftern barbarity Are their
principles to be depraved--their pafIions fubli
mated-every finer motive Of action extingui!i-
cd by the inevitable consequences of thus treat
ing them ike llavcss Or is a liberal and pe-
ntrous confidence in them to be the FRANKFORT
OF the adulterer, and the publication Of his
crimes ?--Honorabv, but fatally for his own
repoie, he was neither jealous, fufpicious, nor
cruel. lie treated the defendant with The con-
hdence of friend, and his wife with the tender
nefs of a huiband.--IIe did Leave the Noble
Maquis the phyhcal poibbiity of committing
agHInit him the gtsateit crime which can be per-