Portland gazette and Maine advertiser., 1805-07-29
LYONS LETTER.
" I5' SreatjF rogue turns G@te5' evi4srce."

! IONuSutC el TCAl CONVICTION that their
| principles are erroneous, are entitled 10 the
| aPprObation of all, and to the countenance
and iuppOrt Of the tdderalii35. But, un-
principled adventurers, who quarrel With
thclr old accomplices, and expole their
JOINT villany, from motives Of reientment
or inrerct, are like thole hardened rogues
VINO turn itat1s' evidence. They do the
world a leryice but they loofe their
own reputation by the very tsitimony that
brings their brothcr's neck to the halter
Prccifely in this light do view Matthew
Lyon and | want no better proof that |
have not mitaken his character, than his
late letter TO William Duane. Oat efb.5
lGUn m9atb ba4bs be condemned -!
Let Us fuppoft, then, TO keep up the Fl
Multitude, thar Matthew Lyon appears at
the Ear ef tbe Pu6ic, as Rates evi, ence
againb William Duane, and undergoes tn
following examination =
-Qpg2i5n 81 t5, C5urt Do you know
William Duane, the prifoncr at the Bar /?
.GaC;vly Yes, know him we'll. lie is
" wretch, hunted Tor his crimes frona
A6a to Africa, from Africa to Europe, from
Europe to America"
Court. You fay he was auntcd fron,
Europe for his crimes, and came to Ameri-
ca. What was his fortune here
Lg2n. tie landed on the Atl2nt;- thore
of the United o@:es teycn or eight years
ago, incapable Of earning lis bread BY com
mon, bonelt, la6orious induhry, poor and
pennvlef5, ragged vagabond with down
caf guilty looI: lik1 Cain, expecting every
mans hand TO be r2i!cd againt him be-
mreG with EltA, and ihunned as i lpec-
tic" -
Can't. Could lie get no relief
Lr3a. Yes The democrats Of this
country" Of whom was one, finding that
he had " no other diftinguilhing property
than that Of ability TO write wijh feyerisy--
to give fahhood and les lome fcmbance Of
trath, and TO give trugh the appearance Of
fallhood, gave him their counyen44cc and
indulgence, by which he became the con-
ductor OF preis, and was enabled to put
on clean fhirt, to FIJI his Belly, to LOOK a
little Aeck and to hold up his head"
C,a-t. What was your inducement to
give oountenancc and indulgence to fuch 4
ragged, filthy, guilty. looking vagab-pd? +?
Lysn. We, 4" demoCracic republicans
we've At that time in conflict for the reins
of government with a party" headed by
Warrington, and, +" conhRin5 Of few
monarchy men, fome tories and aritocrafs,
together with large ihare of fuch ,3ople E,
as are att2cA cd to a government, under
which they feel fafe and eafy" We knew
that il would be impoiible to ALLEVIATE the
affections Of th,fe people from their gov
ernment, and obtain the reins ourtelve5,
without a man to condud our principal
prefs who could =" give fallhood and lies
fome femblance of truth, and give truth the
appearance OF faihood" SO we employed
Duane " with all his imperfe6ions on his
head, as a fit inltrument for our purpoles
Cart. Did you conGder this as an hon
Ell or honorable mode Of carrying on the
warfare againit TIE government?
Lynn. 1t Is principle with US, that the
end iuitiGe5 the means.
C2nt. Could 1uch a wretch Be Of any
fcrvice to your cauGe
Lynn. Y yes, ne was of great ulc. lie
could lie boldly, and ttick to ii to the laf /;
and that was all We wanted. But | confeGs
thar his lies were foraeJimes fo montrous
that was alarmed left they fhould do mere
hurt than good. Indeed, 4 often told
my republican friends in thole days, that
the lies Of this man would injure our cause
If the conhia lated long enough to have
them expofed." . lis unfoundcd attacks"
on our opponents were enough to make an
honet man bluih. But, fortunately, thefe
falthoods were not found out i'll fea-
fon, in confequence of which +" fuccefs
attended the endeavors of the democratic
party we triumphed in the election of
chief Magiarate mott deiervingy dear TO
Us, for he had contributed pretty largely
for Duane's tupPort1 and this creature was
allowed to carve for himie.f much to his
u y Il