The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1810-07-13

fanatica' and malignant rabbIe. let him who
Is inoocent Cas-, the first sto,e. And 1T this
Christian historian had ever known ar felt
the oenignant spirit oil holy Inspiration
would ne not be sensible that he was no; tina
innocent II he be nnaoccn,. then are tigers
gentle. II Mrs. Bonneville were as e,ni,y
as he no later than this day proposed t.
prove her, was there no better way TO recon-
mend the christian faith than by upbraidng
her with such'pert and con,umehous malice
But when We prove her innocent when she
comes from out the herv furnace unhurt, un.
scorchctl. then q the more angel she, and he
the blacker devil"
But 1t is said. he acted bona fde He made
inquiry and was deceived. And beng an
historian, is justified even for the blasphe
mes he this day uttered by ms counsel's
lips. 1t this be SO, much as l love this coun
Try, admite its people. and revere its laws,
would rather once more tempt my wander
ing destinies than live where one his orian
was unpenned unmuzz'ed or unclaimed.
mad rather be exposed to some deformed
thing with claws, and horns. and tusks some
spit-hre dragon whose breath was poison
Gus, whose tooth was cankered Tell me of
all the monsters that ancient history or table
treats of; of harpie., hydras. Caledonian
bears. OF Minoiaur> and Pythons, of Gmgons
that prowl the desert or fright the haunts of
men. and ! will tell you OF more fearful
monster---that is, an historian If every
man that keeps the worst of company. that
| goes about To hunt for lies and scandal
whose organic and natural perceptions are
turned to wickedneSs, whose scent is fitted
only to run the track of Islander if such an
one be an historian. and may vend in open
market the scandal he runs down; better
that letters never had been known, printing
invented nor history composed.
The plaques that accident or nature bring
must be endured the evils with which an
angry providence sometimes thinks fit to
scourge the sinful sons of man, must be sub
United to with reverence and pious re
s'gnation but that common libeller
should be invested with more than kinglv
power and prerogative, is what never heard
f, of.
Gentlemen, have been drawn i'm to saw
| more OF religious matters than could wish
TO do Not that such thing, are MOI good and
nj to say /; but i would Willingly AVOID a to
pic so sacred, because am not wor nv to
discuss it, and because it sometimes is made
| cant and nothing is more odious than a
cantng lawyer; NOT even Gaming .ibeller
have cited to this court those cases, where
il has been held no justification of a libeller
that what he published had before been pub
llshed by many others, and uucontradc E d.
| have referred to the statute which does
not allow the truth itself TO be iustific alton.
| unless the defendant can make it satisfacto
| rily appear, that he published that truth
with gpod and UNSUITABLE motive. have
cited English cases, where the good int ntion
OF the defendant was not allowed 10 justify
him for acts hat are in their own essence
criminal. furnish the Inference of malice and
AS oil tha
the murderer might say, that some one told
him the victim of his fury deserved his death.
and upon such vllainous suggestion consti
tutc himself his legislator, his accuser, his
judge and executioner
II the defendants counsel had proved him.
AN lido. from his nativity, or one teranged
IN mind. or under the irhueuce OF .sn,paravv
phrensy, they nigh have excused hun : bu,
on the contrary, they have compared hlm TO
the great names OF Burke and Bishop Wa,
son, nay more ttiev have modes,ly preferred
hun to them both, for they assert that h vile
book has been the ablest refutation OF the
Age OF Reason that ever issued from the pen
of man. Was not this gross and rank
Mark but the difference. When Paine was ia
the vigor of his mind. when his ex raordna
ry writings had partizans aud countenance
to back hem, they attacked him with man
ly energ They provoked an answer, and
icil tnS WDTiu 10 Judge between tneir aTgu
ments. and left behind them a monument OF
splendid controversy Not So this man, who
lurched, and lodged. and crouched, till
dcc tn had done his work, and then came
forward, when his atlversary's tongue was
mute to prove he was beast. If he was
beast even. he was king of beasts compared
o'this one I: but you remember what kind
of beast that was, that kicked at the dead
lion.
But since we are upon the subject of this
God ike work, this history, winch could
never wade through, the very preface is c
nough to shew YOU what the writer is, and
whether he has written fai hfully, without de-
ceIt or malice.
In the 21st page of his preface, this hstori
an states, that the arrival of Thomas
Paine, he was the man of all the community
that took upon him TO procure lodging Tor
him, and the hrsS,that sat at the same board
with him. 50 engaged room for him in
Lovett's hotel, supposing him to be gentle
man" And in the 23dpage Of his preface
he says My acquaintance continued
with bin, with various views. two or three
years" Now weigh this well. Paine was
as much a devil then as when he died. Ihe
defendant knew him for no other than Tom
Paine, the author of that very Age of Rea-
son which holy inspiration now calls upon
him TO arraign. Yes he was the first to wait
upon him and to welcome him TO take
lodging for him, and to continue his intimacy
with HIM with various views, two or three
years My intercourse (Says this histori
am was more frequen; with HIM than agree.