Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1807-02-20

der sent TO me the moment OF his arrest
he confded to me his professional papers,
and gave me charge of his effects. / per-
! formed on this occasion the duties / owed
to man whose character / esteemed,
whose situation interested me, and on whose
guilt Notwithstanding the denunciation
which had been made, had no right to
pronounce. / dared to take an ha6eaS COR
nus for his release, TO send him some tri-
fling supplies, and to write him a note in
which | assured him that ] would follow
his directions in the disposal of his pro-
| perty, and expressed persuasion, of which
have now ne doubt, that his voyage to the
u. s. though disagreeably begun, would
terminate in his restoration to liberty. This
was my second offence, and it produced,
! as l have been informed and believe, the
insulting refusal TO receive the visit l had
/ been invited by the general to make.
| My first crime was the act of profcssi-
onal duty have before detailed, and it was
| followed by the denunciation which has
forced me before the tribunal of the public.
have not appealed to it however, until
the jurisdiction of every other has been
declined by my accuser, / waited with
respectful but impatient silence, until that
court met on Monday, after a recess of
four days. / applied to the Judges to know
whether any accusation had been made a
gainSt me, being answered in the negative,
and the attorney of the district for the u
States, then in court having to the same
: quecti N made the same reDy, I addressed
the court nearly to the effect contained in
! this publication Showed from the expo
sure of my private affairs the utter impos-
si5ility of my entering into designs so sub
versive OF every plan had formed. In
designs, which, if successful must Danish
II
from my country, and separate me fore
yer from my family and friends, and if they
+, proved abortive, must end in my irrctriev-
able ruin. And / concluded by Offering
them, as now offer to the public as pledge
OF my innocence, or proc. of nv insanity,
the annexed affidavit. Ifguilty of the crime
( Ian t. my char e, / must be distracted as
well as depravcd, TO add the voluntary guilt
OF perjury TO my other offences
p! 1 contcnt mySelfin this statement offacts,
with such details as are necessary to my
own justification. Should they find their
way 10 the seat of government, such ofthem
as relate to our political situation, must at
tract the notice of our representatives. In
the mean time we must suffer the evils to
which we are exposed. Let us however,
do It with tortitude, and never be tempted
TO any act which may seem to enlist US on
the side of those who trample on our con-
stitntion, sport with our liberties and vio-
/ late our laws. Let us remember that the
! day OF retributiOn will arrive and is not far
distant, when q strict account will be taken,
as we'll of the wanton abuser of power, as
the shameful dcreliction of duty which
permits them but let us shew by our zeal,
in support Of our country.-bv our submis;-
OH TO lawful authori and by an intrepid
opposition to every foreign Or domestic foe
that there Is no prcteXt for the dictatorial
power that has been usurped overus
have said that we must suffer. Never
were two words more applicable, that is
our situation. 1t is one, the most dreadful
20 an independent mind of any that can be
imagined. Subject to the uncontrolled viii
OF single man with whom the hearsly
tales of SANDER are hr0DfS, and who on
his own evidence, arraigns, condemns and
Furnishes the accused, dooms him to impri-
Sonmcnt, banishmcnt and ruin by whom
:he tribunal are insulted, and to whom the
civil executive appa rently surrcnders its
force. What state of things can be worse
No caution can protect No consciousness
of innocence secure. The evidence is ta-
ken IN private. Malicious, cowardly infor-
mers skulk around the proconsular Office.
Their tales add food to feelings OF prc-exis-
ten: enmity, or avengc their own Quai'rels
by secret ueDunCidtlOnS OF quit. nc OO-
jects OF official suspicion are confined i'm un-
usual remote prisons. Their letters are in
terccpted Communication with them is
restricted, and they are, it is said exposed
TO dangerous voyage ON the ocean, in the
most inclement season of the year. The
possibility too, of their being interrupted by
, a Spanish force, and condemned TO pcrpe-
! ltual imprisonment in the dungeons, OF
T mines. is not the least probable, or the lcas
I frightful part of the picture.
, In the mean time where IS the necessity
, that exists for those measures? Are the
. courts shut DO the judges refuse their du
e. Wv? (<) Are the ordinary prisons insecure
D No! The course of justice has, except by
2 these events been undiSturbed. The Off
t GERS are at their post, nor is there any ap
- Dearancc Of violence 90 the civil authority
f Instead therefore, Of securing the punish
o ment Of the prisoners, these extraiudicia
81 arrests are the only means that pcrhap
= could be devised for screening them IL guilt,
e from punishment. On their arrival in tn
II ". s. they must be surrendered 60 the ci
i wi power and the arrest appearing 70 b.
| illegal they must be enlarged.
l. The witnesses who could hear Of tn
r. charges are wen foundcd) have substanti
l. atcd their guilt, being at great distance
h time will be given them to escape, an
r.. that punishment so necessary to be inAic