Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1805-03-20
SPEECH or Ma. J. RANDOLPH.
On the oiening oftAc. hsheaehmenf agsinsS
SAMUEL CHASE.
SATURDAY, Febrnarr 9.

comes my duty TO open this cause on
i,;hal( Of the prosecution. From this du.
ty, however incompetent feel myself To-
its performances, al all times, and more
especially at this true, as we'll from the;
very short period which has been allow
ed US 10 consider the long and elaborate
plea OF the respondent, as from the sewers
pressure of disease, il does not become
me to. shrink. The station in which.
have been placed calls for the discharge
OF animportant public trusla my handss
II shsiIbe performed to The best ol my a.
biiity, inadequate as ! know that ability
DIE. When speak Of the short period
which has been allowed ps hope not 10
be understood as expressing on our part,
any eIissatisfaSlion at the course which
has beer pursued, or any vlshto profong.
the time which hasbeep allotted for trial.
We are sensible Of disposition in this ho-'
horsble court TO grant US every indulgence
which we ought TO ask, and when their at
'en,ion is called to the precipitate hurry
OF our preparation, it is only to offer, On
behalf of an individual. perhaps weak a.
pniogy for she weak defence which he is
abontto make Of the cause confded to his
care. "A desire for the. furtherapce. Of
justice and the avoidance of delay, but.
above all, an mistaken conviction hat we
stand on impregnable ground, induce us.
on this short notice to declare that we are
ready to substantiate Our accusation, to
prove that TIE respondents guilty such,
manner a. he stands impeached.
j. is a painful but indispensable task
winch we are called upon to perform to
establish the guilt Of great officer Of go-
vernmcnt, Of a man, Who, If he hadmade
just use Of those faculties which God
and Nature bestowed upon him, would
have been the ornament and benefaeor Of
his country, would have rendered seryi.
ces as eminent and useful, as he has i'm
bic'cd upon her outrages and wrongs deep
and deadly. a character end by ma
ture with some of her best attributes, cul-
tivsted by Ssiucation, placed by his coun.
try u, conspicuous station, invested With
authority whose righteous exercise would
have rendered him a tcnorto the wicked,
whilst il endeared him TO the wise ard
good--sech q character presep;ed tn tbs
nation in the light in which he now stands,
and IN which his mistfeeds have made it
onr duty to bring him forword, forms one
Of 1.-THE sadest speclacles which. can be.
offered To the public eye. Base is that
heart which could triumph oyerbim.
viii now proceed TO state the princi--
pal points on which we mean To rely--and
which we expect TO establish by the clear
est evidence. In doing this shall be.De-.
ccssarily led to notice many of the lead
ing statements ofihe respondents answer.
We will begin with the first article. (Hcrc
MIR. r. read that. ariicle.) The answer
to the first Of these charges is by evasive
insinuation and Misrepresentation, by an
attempt TO wrest the accusation from it's
true bearing, the manner and time of de-
lIvering the opirifin. and the intept-seith
which II was delivered, to the correctness
of the opinion itself, which is not The point
in issne And here permit me to remark,
that il the managers Of this impeachment
we're governed OILY by their own conyic-
ton of the course which they ought, me-
cessarIly 10 pursue, and not by the high
sense OF duty which they owe 10 their e.
.mnent employers. they world have felt
themselves justified in resting their ac-
cusstion on the admissions Of the respon.
dent himself Jt is not tor the opinion it,
self, t''ae the respondentisim peoched IL
is for adarlng inroadupon the criminal iu-
risprudence OF his country---by delivering
that opinion at a time and in manner
On writiDg) before unknown and unheard
OF. The criminal intent is to be Inferred
from the boldness Of the innovation itself
as well as from other overt ssls chsrgedia
this article. The admission Of the re.
spondent ought 10 secure his coyiction on
this charge. He acknowledges that he
did deliver an opinion in wrifipg, on the
question Of law (Which it wa. the right
and driyo t the jury TO determine. as well
as the tact) bcfore counsel had been heard
IN defence OF John Fries, The prisoner. I
must beg the assistance ofone Of the gen.
IL A..