Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1816-10-12

Il. 4. /. - :
paper, said, tenez,. cen'est rien-r-a mere ba
gatelle,jus tn write downtie nape of the
GeDesal;s tue Chronicle b leorresp0ndent
the hawker,s and the Pretestant's name
Gen'est qu'une bagateite Monsieur; l'allair
dun moment. Iolosed the business by ris
ing and stating, that no consideration ON
earth should induce me to> comply. The
man then changed histone, complimented
me on my frmness, and promised to make
a favorable report on my affair, which was
a mere bagatelle, but that Lhad uuluckily
blesse I'amour probre des Ministries. He
lamepted that had suffesed so much; but
that the police was quite Overwhelmed with
business; that these were troublesome
times; that the government was extremcly.s
Ombrageux,' aud 6 chatouilleux,' that the
English in. Paris talked of nothing but pc.
litics, and did great Injury to the govern
ment.7 He concluded by saying that on &C
| count of what l had suffered might expect
| my immediate liberation. learned after.
wards from-a friend, who called upon this
consummate oldhypocrite to obtain infor-I
nation respecting me, that the police had, de-
termined from the beginning that | should
be tried, because had blesse I'amOur pro-
pre- ministries; and that | should be tiled
too tor capital offence, as having conspi-
red to oyerturn the state by holding COM
muDications with the South and the Faux
bourgh st. Antoine. That the police was
| extremely irritated against me from my re-
| fusihg to give them the information they
required, and that such obstinacy was a
| dangerous example. About the Goth of
March several ruflians entered my room.
in the presence OF Mons. Didicr and the
Concierge, stripped me to the skin in the
| NEST brutal manner, In search of papers.
had none Gtl.ers but letters from my
friends and notes relating to my situation,
which were Sfying on the table: these
| were all taken away.
| At last, on-the Sd of April, after having
been confined 70 days at tine Prefecture, [
was transferred TO the prison of La Force,
where found sin Robert Wilson, Mr.
Bruce, aud captain Hutchinson, who re-
ceived me with a kindness which shall ne
yer be ettaced from my memory. l met
also among 500 prisoners here, many per-
sons with whom [ had been confiued at the
Prefecture. | prepared for my approach
ling trial with perfect composure of mind.
So far from regarding myself as a criminal,
L was not conscious of having been guilty
of any one act of imprudence. The French
law Is extremely precise only those wri-
tings destined for the press come under its
operation [ had, therefore, offended "a
gaiust no French law 10 writing to my
friends on the extraordinary events that
passed in. France last summer. | wrote
those letters from acOuntry which had be-
come British conquest, when the" Ca
pital du monde," as the French term Pa
ris, was ruled by Prassian and English
Governor, and the red cross Of old En-
gland was proudly waving on the heights
OF MOntmartre. / saw the pictures, the
plumber Of foreign countries, the statues
the C0rinthIan horses taken down from
their stations, and returned to their Ow.
Hers. saw British egiments paradins
the fallen city heard their music strike
up Rule Britannia. Where, | ask is the
Englishman who will pronounce me in fault
tor having related such scenes to my friend.
nay l will ask what Engiishman did mo-
do it Ga the first of May l received {,
letter from the British Ambassador, enco
sing one from the minister of Police, coun
Deca2e, dated the S0th of April, in which
he informs his excellency that he had takef
une cOnnaisauce approfondie If my case
but that my trial and its publicity would Dt
attended with Inconvenience, and that hC
had charged the Project to deliver me {
!, passport. Now these Inconvenience were
not the real impediments of my trial fol
it is fact that the minister sent my pa
pers to the chamber Of Accusation to de
eide whether could be tried or not !; ant
these papers were returned on the ooh o
April to the police, with the answer il ny
pas lieu suivre. They found no BILL
My triumph was complete.
l, The whole malice and power Of thai
, dreadful chaos of iniquity, the French 20
lice, had attempted my destruction in vain
The agents of that administration (lrOm
the minister down to the lowest mnucbard
have been all the instrumeuts of Boz a
parties despotism. They are oil habituat
ed to sport with human misery, that a vic
tim but rarely escapes from their fangs.-
Add | saon, fUuBd accordingly that the,
were not yet weary eli tyrturing and Op
pressing me. / waited until the fifteentl
Of May, when in the forenoon,a gems d'ar
me came with written order tn conduc
me to Calais on foot, like a felon from
brigade TO brigade, and to pass the nigh
with thieves and robbers in the prisons q
: the town where stopped. luckily es
; capped from the man, and an English gen
: tieman coming Into the prison, who witnes
eel the transaction, and who was engages
! to dine with Sir Charles Stuart, undertook
, TO convey to his excellency letter, il
which made known the nature of the out
rage which it hail been attempted to sub
: jet me to, and to which should not havr
. [ submitted alive On the nntnino of ,b