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


base he who lives reviiing and rev,led
who might construct him, elf "a monument
with no materials but these recUri.s To which
h. is Il parry aud in which he stands enroll
oil As an offender; If he canno, sit still to
hear his accusation. but calls for the pro-.
lection of the court, against a counsel whose
duty is to make his crimes appear, now
docs she deserve proteCuon, whom he has
driven TO the sad necessity OF coming here
to vindicate her honor from those PERSONAL
tiles which he has lavished on herf Did
not his opening counsel say before you, that
he could make the color fade upon this la.
d, cheek, and wish that she might be in
court 20 hear him ? regret that her own son
was not here present tn testify against her!
was not this monstrous personality And
when it is considered that before this very
caus drew near its close, the other COM
o, this same defendant rose and told you,
tn,,t they admitted her character it was spot
less, and for that reason that no reproach
was cast upon it, desire you to aceuit
their innocent client, who is mere histo-
rian. who never could have malice, who was
nore ready To rectify his errors than others
to observe them.
But it is well. and ] am glad that was
Interrupted; for the very evil genius that
waits upon his life has mere for once worked
20 an honest end. For whilst my voice was
hIncst choaked with crowding truths
struggling for ut,erance, and whilst the
swell of honest Indignation rose even to suf
location, he came forward and pointed my
attention to that subject which first deserved
rehuke.
had said that in the catalogue of crimes.
none could be found more base than his
Not treason, for the reasons / have given
Not murder-tor he who murders life, muir
ders all sorrow with but he has doomed
this lady. to days of sorrow and 10 lingering
death. The pirate meets the foe or seeks
his prey when death or danger stare him in
the face; and when he falls before the
sword of justice. some sympathy may min
gle with his shame. and men regret that one
81 brave in manly enterprise should fat, so
iga,miniousiy. But here is IN attack upon
a woman, far from her husbands side, from
friends and home, whose infant sons are
yet too tender to avenge their mothers
wrongs. The forger who counterfeits some
instrument to cheat you OF your money, for
that crime spins ont his wretched days in
hard captivity, in nfamy and labor: will
you compare his crime with that of one who,
BY his fabricated histories, pliers from help
les, woman the only precious jewel which
she prizes, her more than life, her all her
spotiess honor, That which the robber or
the thief purloins, may be retrieved, or NAV
De spared but not the worth of twenty
Thousand beings, such as this libeller, were
he worth twenty Thousand times as much as
ever Inc will be, reform how he may, would
pay the twenty thousandlh part of that which
he has taken
The ibelier who writes against abuse of
unjust power, who vinGicates the cause OF
liberty and right wien he exceeds through
al for liberty, or through The warmth of
onnosition, or even a stubborn spirit is of
ind
guilty.. ne still has friends that honor aud
respect him. But the historian who takes
such pains TO rake up filth from every dirty
and polluted source. TO make history of
winch the scandal NAV enhance the sale, is
a corrupt malicious s.anderer, without one
eircumstance that can excuse or palliatc.
had almost forgo.---, is set up as his
defence that he is an HISTORIAN 1t is the
irs time that ever heard i rule of law so
dangerous, as that gazetteer who strings
bumper of articles together, strewed up and
down in form of communications. para
graphs, and notes, that overrun his feeble
text like brambles shooting across and up
and down in some rank unCuitiyated soil
thai this man has any privilege tolbel names
fairer than his own. 1sit because mis- sheets
are stitched together in octave form and Gov.
cred with some pasteboard, that therefore
ne is privileged in SANDER 1t would have
been well, some days ago, if his brother edi.
tors. against whom he got damages for being
his historian and calling him a British ennis"
sary had sold their works in boards !; they
might most readily have found as many wit
nesses and full as good as he has called To
saw not that it was true, but that they had
INQUIRED and were told it, and verify believ
edit They might have said 1t first them
selves, if they had been corrupt enough to do
it. then received it back agair, and publish
ed it as the history, not OF Tom Paine, but Of
that greater man who rendered wondrous
beneit to succumbing faith by putting him
down after the grave digger had just put
him under ground
Il is argued, that every thing should be in
tended in favor of this defendant who has
written so godly work against the prince of
Leists. and Tor the holy gospel. l am sorry
10 hear such arguments advanced they go
almost to bufiesque religion itself. He
man of Cod He write for the love OF God
HIS box a godly book avile, obscene. and
filthy compilation, which bears throughout
the character Of rancorous malice. and tram
Piles upon every christian charity LiDel an
innocent woman, lie and calumnIate, for the
sake of christianity If this be the only god
ly deed this man has done, | pray to Hea
ven 10 be more merciful TO him than he has
been To Mrs Bonneville, and that for this We
Nv work Of gOdiiness he be not damned Ii
Won be christian jurors, punish him for be
assured of This. that twenty Paines, were
twenty such just now upon this earth, could
moi coniointIy do more harm to- christianity
L. ,t.o;e ,,,oet viulsut efforts than thiS man