Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1816-08-14

Thomas and Lady Hardy ever Stree III II
marriage. Sir Thomas was a Captain in
tn" Navy; Lady Hardy was the daughter
OF Aimirl Berkeley, and niece of the
Duke of Richmond her ladyship had 5
female children. Witness is a Rear Ad Z.
mira, he was in the habit of seeing Sir
Thomas and Lady Hardy frequently. No
'lan was funser OF his wife than Sir Tho
mas; and mp to the momcnt the witness
was speaking, he believed there was no
| lady living mere virtuous than Lady Har-
| dy.
| Cc'ross eramined BY Mr.; ssrgcan, Con-
iey1
| He had seen one of the paragraphs and
| thought it alluded to Lady Hardy, and the
| Marquis of Aberccrn he had not read
the paragraph previously in any other pa
per.
Mr.. SERGEANT Copley, FOR the defendants,
began by observing, that he rose with con-
siderable anxiety to address the jury Upon
this subject. 1t WIS an anxiety not refer
able TO himself but to the important stake
of the defendant, which depended upon
their verdict. H felt weight of anxiety
pressing upon him, from the eloquence
ch his learned friend had employed in
SITTING the case for the plaintiffs. Howev-
sr, he was sure the Jury would dism SIS ev-
cry thing from their minds which did not
fairly belong to the question. There were
certainly many points upon which he en-
tirely agreed with his harmed friend. in the
address which he hal just made to them.
The plaintiff. nc admitted to be equal to
the most elaborate culogum which It was
possible to pronounce and il he ccaid
borrow the eloquence of his learned friend,
he would obey the impulse Of his feelings.
and follow or endeavour to surpass him, in
paying the just tribute of praise to the
exalted Character of that gallant offirer--
Snch was the language, and such were the
sentiments which he was instructed to de-
clare on behalf of his clients for in admit
ration Of the splendid profess onal career
OF Sir Thomas Hardy, they stood second
to none, who knew how TO sppreciAte SER
vices Ike those which he had performed
He then went or to observe that full and
unegrivccsl declaration was offered on the
part Of the defend n,s, that there was not
the least foundation for the SANDER which
they had been the unfortunate means of
disseminating. He would ask, was it the
object of the gallant plaintiff to obtain mo-
Hey by this prosecution It would be do
ing the rankest injustice TO his character
topresume it. He could point o,ls with the
greatest precision what would, in all prop-
ability, pass between Sir Thomas Hardy
and his Counsel, in the conference upon
this subject. He knew he would say, here
is a libel affecting the peace OF my family
too deeply to be passed over; what must be
done My learned friend would answer,
az. enquiry must take place we must as
certain what is the foundation Of these re-
ports, and whence they originated. With
this view, these proceedings had been in
stituted, to wipe off the imputati0n which
had been cast upon most virtucus and c5-
cellent Lady. He could assure the Jury,
that the first moment his clients knew of
any paragraphs appearing in the paper of
an exceptionable kind, was that liz which
they were pointed out by the professional
advisers of the plaintiffs, and since tscn
there had been the utmost anxiety to offer
every kind OF apology which could be re-
CURED, to make the fullest retractic:.s, Sc
IS far as the most prompt and siac ere ac-
knowlednment of the error into Which they
had inadvertently fallen could do it, to a.
tone for the temporary injury which had
been committed upon their responsibility.
id he say, then, that the plaintifFhad
done wrong in bringing this cause to it's
present issue Certainlynot 4; because the
re port of what was then passing in that
Court, would. in very short space of
time, be circulated through the three king
NNi'i't ''''N e'tS SI'VNlOSn l'uiiAy vi 1AdbJ lie
W uld be attestod, and gladly declared by
those who had appeared bef &c the world
to question it, not really, as ne had before
stated, but osteusi5y 50. Every thing that
could possibly be done to satisfy the feel
ings of the parties. had been done. HIS
clients acknowledged their liability; they
proved this by the course they have pur--
sned. They made their declaration thru
him that there was not the slightest foun-
dation for the libel. They said. that after
Inquiry, they h ID found that the Lady was
pure, spoil S., and adorned with every do
mes.ic virtue. The consequences of IN at
tack upon such exalted worth, u,Hst fall up
or themselves. This they admitted, tho
az the same time averring that their offence
was The offence OF inadvertency. Every
part Of the libel was admitted to be false,
and every thing had been now done which
could be done by this enquiry. The pur-
psse of it was answered, AMI the repuia
ton Of the injured and excellent Lady
was r:pairod by the hand which had un~
consciously given the wound, and her cha
racter would again 60 forth to the world
as pure and unbiemjshsd as ever. He
would not say that his learned friend oUshs
70 stop here he and the plaintiff we're
bound to go further they were bound t.
20 to the verdict, 70 prevent a suspicion Of
coiiusion between the parties. He would
again admit TO the Jury, that his elects
were certainly responsible in law, but nos
for 1py roa1ice confatne1 ~, fits "a