The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1807-02-17

ea record declared hnfeh above the law. and who
in open court aderted the right Of exiting ne6sr
to Prelerve the body. At that moment had pecoli-
| ar rsaious to apprehend violence. Mr.. Alexander
and my(elf, the two councillors who had dared
to quenion the legality of Bollman's imprisonment,
We had both been the fecond day after publicly
denounced, the one traitor the other particle
pating in trealen. An accuiation in form had been
prsmfed againR both, and few hours before was
iniuted at head quarters, Mr.. Alexander had been
| forebly dragged thither by military guard. had
no other connection with this gentleman than that
which arifes from praaiiing at the fame bar he was
| a Younger man than inyielf and we were never on
very intimate TERMS his politics and mode Of think
ing on many points, were Numerically opPofite to
mine, but have always obierved in him the manners
OF gentleman and the principles of man Of honor
his mott intimate acquaintance at the bar having en-
tered the family Of General Wilkinfon, Mr.. Alexan-
der feut for me the Of his arreh-he eon6ded
to me his profeional papers, and gave charge of
his effects; performed on that occafion the duties
owed to whole character efteemed, whole
ttuation intere&ed me, and on whole guilt, notwth-
fanding the denunciation which had been made had
| no right to pronounce. dared to take on ba5es,
sorpss for his releafe, to fend him fome trng fup-
plies, and to write him note in which aiured that
would follow his directions in the difpofal of his pro-
party, and expreaed perfuaGon Of which have now
no doubt, that his voyage to the u S. tho dfagreea
bly, begun, would terminate in his rctoration to ber-
ty; this was my Jeesnd s6snes, and it produced
have been informed and believe the nulting refufa
to receive the Witt had been invited by the gen. to
make.
| My f,f crime was the aa of profefional duty,
have before detailed, and il followed by the de-
nuncaton which has forced me before the tribunal of
the public.
have appeared to it however, until the ,urif.
diton of every other has been declined by my aeeu-
fer, waited with repeetful but impatient iilenee
until the Monday, after a recefs of four
| avs. lied IN ;udu
aeeuiation had been made againR mo, being anfwer-
ed in the negative, aud the attorney of the diftra
ter the u States then in court, having to the fame
queftion made the fame reply, addreaed the court
nearly to the effect contained in this publication,
hewed from the expolure of my private affairs the ut
mprobability of my entering into dehgns 70 fub-
veriive of every plan had formed, in defgns which,
it fueeefsful, mua banih me from my country, and
ieParate me forever from my family and friends &
they proved abortive, mutt end in my irretrievable
ruin And concluded by offering them, as I now
offer to the public pledge of my innocence OIL a
proof of my infantry, the annexed affidavit if guilty
OF the crime laid to my charge, nun be diaraefed
we'll dePraved add the voluntary guilt OF per-
jury to my other offences.
leontent myfef in this ftatement of fatas, with
iuch details as are neceary to my publication
fhoula they find their way to the feat of
ineh OF them as relate to political fitsaton, mutt
attract the notice of our representatives in the
time we mnit fuffer the evils to which We expo
led tus, however, do it with fortitude and never
De tempted to any aa which may feem to enlif OH
the hde OF thoie who trample on contribution,
iport with our liberties and violate laws-L ct us
remember that the day of retributon will arrive and
not tar dittant, when Qra will be taken,
as well as the wanton abues of power, the fhame-
tul direeton OF duty which permits them but let us
Thew by our zeal in fupport of country by our
iuhmiihon to lawful authority, and by an intrepid OPP
potion to every foreign dometc fee, that there is
he Cfafor h,sh a-
furped over us.
have iaid that we nIR GGsr---never were two
words more applicable than our ftuatien it is one
the mott dreadful to independent mind of any that
can be imagined iubjea the uncontrolled will of
Jingle man, with whom the hearlay tales Of flander
are Prssi, and who, in bis owe evidence, arraigns,
condemns and puniihes the accsfed, dooms him to
imprisonment, baniihnaeut and ruin: by whom the
tribunals are iniutcd, and whom the civil
apparently urrenters its force. What Rate Of things
can be worfe! No caution can pretea No confei-
onineis o! innocence fecure-The evidence is taken
IN private; malicious, cowardly inforrlers kuk a.
round the Pro-conular Office, their tales give food
feelings OF Pre-exfent enmty, or avenge their own
qusrreis by iecret denunciations of guilt, The OBJ
eets OF oheial inipicion confined in unufsa and
remote priions, their letters intercepted,
neation with them is retriaed, and they are, it is
faid, expofed to dangerous voyage on the ocean, in
the mott Indictment eaon of the year the pofibility
teo OF their being intercepted by Spani fierce and
condemned to perpetual imprisonment in their dun
geons or mines, is the leaf probable or tho leaf
frightful part of the picture.
; In the mean time where is the necelity that exits
for thofe mealures Are the courts fut Do the Iud-
ges refuie their duty ~ Are the ordinary prifons
infecure mo! the eourfe of juRee has, except by
theie events been undurbed, the officers are at their
potts nor is there any appearance of violence to the
civil authority; intead, therefore, of fecurng the
Punifhment Of the prfoners, thefe extra judicial ar
res are the only that perhap, could be devifed
for fereening them, if guilty, from puniihment. On
their arrival in the United States they muR be frren-
dered to the civil power, and the aret appearing to
be illegal they muft be enlarged.
; The wnefles who could here (if the charges are
well foundsd have fubRantiated their guilt being at
great danee, time will be given them to eieape,
and that punihment 70 neceaary to be inflicted on the
crimes with which they charged, will be elludsd
Whereas it the civil authority had been applied to- and
what is perhaps Of much confequence, prompt juiee
would have been done awful example would
have been offered the fpot, that might have appa-
ed the guilty, peedy acquittal to the innocent
would have denroyed thoie fympathies which illegal
and violent mesfures always create. At moment
when snion more neeehary than at any other peri
cd, the ihsdow Of juhce ought TO have been avoi-
ded.
A confederation of thefe consequences, u conviction
OF the egaii,y OF the srrefs and enfe of duty in
duced me, in compliance with the reaueIl of a fI