Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1816-07-03


sistrate, and of SO worthy Il magistrate, b.
more guarded in your expressons.1
MIR. Bruce resumed: The Attorney
General has said. that l was one OF those
persons who have inbi5ed anti social doc
trines that l was an enemy, from princi-
pie, to every thing like order * good
government, an enemy from principle, to
kings, TO justice. aud humanity, and 4
friend to the factions Of every country.--
These, it mast be allowed, are very heavy
charges. but the short explanation which ]
vii! give you Of my principles, will be a
victorious answer To thssc caiumnlous ac-
cusatioas.
81 all not euter into metaphysical alb
strsctions on the law of nations. nor into d.
gression Oh politics. but / Shall conGue my
ssif TO On organization Of the principles by
which have been always guided.
=" ! am by birth an F,nglishman. ] am
am enthusiastically attached 10 the COnsu
tuition OF my country that is, the Cousti-
tuition as established by the glorious Revo-
luton in 1859. Then " as formed that ex-
quisite system Of government which excites
such universal admiration, which causes our
country to be pre-eminently denomInated
she classic land OF liberty, which procured
us the cuiogiun of that philosopher Mon
tesquieu, who belongs not to France alone,
pui 90 tNe WhpiS NCIiN- anu WIN SAN> Oh
us, that the English are the only people in
the wor!d. VINO know how to make use of
their religion. their laws and their com
merce. From the Revolution of 1888,
date the prosperity, grandeur and liberty
of England.
must say, that If these principles which
profess, which are those of the consteu-
ton Of my country, are suhyersiye Of all IDEAS
of orders am. good government. md make
me an enemy to kings, TO Justice and hu-
manity--l confess that am the most gull
ty of men, and the attorney general is
right bat if. on the Contrary, these are the
principles that have pro ured US protect
ing laws that secure our persons, our pro-
perry and our religion, that have made a
people not highly favored by nature the
most happy, the best governed, and the
,nost tlcuyishing in Europe, | ana justified
in concluding, that the accus4 alton was only
"a revolving calumny. Such are the horrid
principles of that Wilson and that Bruce,
or whom the attorney g neral has spoken
m such deTogatory IN nner. | Inherited
them from my ancestors, and they viii &C
company me 20 the grave.
" As TO the affair OF NJ. de L.avalette,
politics had no share IN it; | was iuhuen.-
ced solely bv feelings of humanity YOU
have seen from my interroSatary that
oSSISV Knew INN. AZ is true, the
excellence Of his character, his amisble
disposition, and prepossessing manners, had
excited in me deeper interest than we
generally feel for persons of whom we have
seen So little. ! never visited him, Ror he
me, and it was here where now appear
as an accused person, that Ihad the ho-
HOT to see, for the first time, that virtunus
and interesting woman to whom I beg
leave TO ofer the homage OF nay respect
and admiration .-C% Mrs. l.. was pres
emit
L" Il has been proved that there was no
concert between US and the other accused.
have respected the chains and the bolts
of house of Justice, / did not sally forth
Ike Don Quixotte, IN search of adven-
lures. An unfortunate man demands my
protection ne places confidence in my
character he puts his life into my hands,
and claims my humanity. What would
have been said of ne, had l denounced
Kim to the police / should then have
richly deserved that death, with which
have been since threatened What DO ]
says What would have been thought of
me, had l refused to protect himl /
should have been looked upon as a cow
ard, as wretch without principle. with
out honor. without courage, without gener-
osty. l should have deserved the reproach
of every glod man.
But, gentlemen, there were other con-
sideraiions which decided me. There was
something romantic in the history of NJ.
Lavalettc. The miraculous escape from
prison. the cruel suspense between life and
death in which he remained for such a
length Of time, the noble devotedness of his
wife, the French Aiceste, that heroic ac-
ton which VIII live in history, struck my
imagination, and excited so strong an IN
terest in my hear, that could not RS at
its Impulse. Besides, as your Lsfontaine
observes with his usual ilaiUette---
sDans &c monde il sc faut Pun Pautre secouIir,
III Sc faut entr' alder; c'est Ia oi de nature
Gentlemen, am still young, but I
have travelled good deal. I have seen
Y.Iany countries and examined them with Ill
the attention l was capable Of. have al,
ways observed, even among the most bar
barous nations, among these which are
nearest to the state of nature, that it was
held 3 sacred duty 10 assist those who had
recourse to their protection. 1t is duty
enoinsd by their religion, their laws, and
their nanners-A Bodouin of the Desert,
Druse of MouAt Lebanon, would rather
sacrifice his life, than betray the person
who had solicited on asylum ofhim Whit
ever may DC the country, Whatever may be
the crime Of the stranger, he sees nothag
but the duty O. humanity, of hospitality
IA civilized man, have thought il com
merdable, TO initiate the virtues even of
barbarians. Aud / cannot believe, that
among the French people, 81 celebrated