Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1810-09-07
WIN. BBETT.

VIM. coBBETT.
In yesterdays paper we published
che sentence of the Court of Kings
Bench, on Mr.. Cobbett, for libel.
AS our readers may be curious to know
what the libel was, we shall give the
following outline of ir, as taken from
the speech Of the attorney general on
the trial. IN. Y. Gaz.
!" beg leave to briefly point out the
circumstance of the event on which
the libel is founded. The Local Mi
litia in the Island of Ely had mutinied
they proceeded to violence, and o.
lverpowered their officers. The force
on the spot was not sufficient to sup
press the tumult; and the German
| Legion, who happened to be the near
est regiment, were ordered to the pro-
,tection OF the inhabitants, and the sup
port of the laws.-Tranquility as re-.
stored, a regular Court Martial was
held and few of the offenders pu-
lnished. What does Mr.. Cobbett make
fof this! He represents it as an inno-
cent difference about some petty sum
of money, between men who had been
Iequai a month before at the plough
tail. For this any annimadversion
was insult, and any punishment, tyran-
Iuy. He insults and taunts the soldi-
I ers for submitting to the punishment
which the law, In its most regular
i course, &in its most ienient form, APP
pointed. He set the German Legion
in Almost odious light, and held them
iup to the army and the nation, as men
fcxPfcssiy fitted and designedly brought
forward to execute the arbitrary pur-
pose of an oppressive authority. How
lis it possible to expect loyalty or cou-
irage in either native troops, or in those
gallant foreigners whom the misfor-
& tunes of their own country have sent
TO the cause of ours, if this language
is permitted to proceed from licenc-
led libellerf He insults the Isle of E.
lily for not rising in rebellion against
1.-THE government, which had the cruel
ty to put down the disobedience OF the
soldier, and THE obstinacy to persevere
/ in the execution of the laws. But
this, black as it is, is not the blacklist
4 parts of the venom which the libeller
has prepared for the popular mind.
/ He turns off from meaner considera-
tons, and fixes himself on the govern
meut of the country. He draws his
picture of the cruelty which Napoleon
i is, according to his softened phrase
} said to exercise. He draws his pic.
ture of the rigid spirit Of the British
government, bids his readers look or
the sketch of his master hand, ant
draw their conclusion. Is it to be
borne, that this libeller should tell the
people and the army, that the SWORD
of despotic power is hung over then
heads by hair--that our laws are ca
+ price, and our justice oppression Mr.
Cobbett is delicate: but his delicac,
consists in palliating the conduct Of oui
enemy, and his candour in defamiul
our own. He charges the crime O.
calumniating that enemy upon whom
> Upon the loyalty Of this country up.
> on the obedient, the honest, the indus
trious, and the honorable; for after al
/. his explanations, feel that he mean.
/ no others. This is the character o
! the libel"
General Sarazin, who so singularly abandon
ed his post at Boulogne and went TO England
: il Is said, designs coming out TO America,
: -z
WILD CHERRIES.
This kind of fruit is uncommon,
plenty this year; and it ought to b.