Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1817-09-12

through an herd OF slandcrous depend
ants, cruelty vilifying the character OF his
victim; she sent a friend TO Mr.. Browne.
and in his presence and that oftwo others,
solemnly discovered her melancholy in
formation. Gentlemen, do enireat ofyou
10 examine this woman, though she is an
uneducated peasant, with all severity, be-
cause, IT she speaks the truth, | think You
will agree with me, that so horrblea com
plicalion Of iniGulty never dlsgraced the
annals oi court of Justice. He had lust
risen from the table of his friend-he left
his own brother and that friend behind
him, and even from the very board of his
hospitality, he proceeded 10 the detilement
of his bed Ofmere adultery / had heard
before. 1t was bad cnough-a breach of
all law, religion and morality-but-wh
shall call this THAT seduced innocence
--insulted misfortune betrayed friend
ship-vioaied hospitality-tere up the
very foundations of human nature, and
hurled lis fragments at the violated altar,
as if 10 bury religion beneath the ruins of
society ! OH, Ills guilt might put De
mon TO the blush
Does our proof rest here No though
the mind must be scspiical that after this
could doubt. A guilty correspondence
was carried on between the parties, and
though lis contents were DESTROYED by
Mrs. Browne, on the morning of the dis
covery, still we shall authenticate the fact
beyond suspicion. You shall hearit from
the very messenger they emtrusted-you
shall hear from lam too, that The SIte and
the aduterer both bound him Ia the Ut
most secrecy, at once establishing their
own COLLISION ami theirvictm's ignorance,
proving, by the very anxiety for conceal
ment, the impossbiiiy of connivance; so
true IL is that the conviction of guilt will
oftenlprocesd evenfrom the stratagem for
its security. Does our proofrcst here No;
you shall have il from a gentleman OF un-
lmpeacliable veraciiy, that the defendant
himself confessed the discovery his bed
room" will save him." SAID he, " the
trouble ofproving if she was in her shift,
and was in my shirt. know very we'll
jury will award damages against me
ask Browne Will he agree 10 compromise
II ; lie owes me some money, and will
give him the overplus iuhorses!' Can you
Imagine any thing more abominablel He
seduced from his friend the idol of his
soul and the mother of his children, and
when he was wrIthihg under the recent
wound, he deliberately offers him brutes
i'll compensation will not depreciate
tins cruelty by any comment; yet the We
ry brute he would barter for that unnaiu-
raj mother, would have lost its life rather
than desert its offspring. Now, gentle
men, what rational mind but must spurn
the asseveTatiun of innocence after this
Why the anxiety about the writing desk
why cldndestine correspondence with
her husbands friend WHY remain, attwo
different periods, for a quarter OF an hour
together, in gentleman's bed-chamber,
with no other habiimenf, at one time, than
her bed-dress, at another than her 8 lit {!
Is this customary with Ihe married females
OF this country Is This 10 be precedent
tor our wives and daughters, sanctioned
too by their parents and their husbands I?
Why did he confess that verdict for oa-
images must go against him, and make the
offer OF that untteling compromise Vas
IT because he was innocent The very Of
fer was a Judgment by default, a distinct,
undeniable confederation of his guilt
Was IT that the female character should
not suffer ! Could there be a more trum-
pet-tongu proclamation of her crinlina-
llty Are our witnesses suborned Lethis
! army OF Counsel Sift and torture them.
Can they prove it 20 yes, if ii be prove
able. Let them produce her brother-in
our hands, Il damning proof 10 be sure |;
but then, irightful, affecting, unnatural
III theirs, the most cousolatory and de
lightful, the vindicaiiou of illuminated
innocence, and that innocence the limo
cence of sister Such is The leading out
line of our evidence-evidence which YOU
Will only wonderIsso convincing in case
whose very nature presupposes the most
cautious secrecy. The law, indeed, gen
tlemen, duly estimating fhe difficulty Of
fnai proof III this species of action, has
recognized the validity of inferential evil
dence, but on that subject his Lordsh;p
must direct you.
Do they rely then on the ground of in
nocency Ifthey do, submit 10 YOU on
the authority of the law, that inferential
evidence is quite sufficient; and on the
authority of reason, that in this particular
case, the lnierenilal testimony amounts TO
demonstration. Amongst the innumera-
bic calumEics atlOat, il has been limited 10
me indeed, that they mean 10 RELY upon
what they denominate the indiscreiion Of
the husband. Tie moment thew have
the hardwood TO resort 10 that ihev. of
course, abandon all denial of delinquency.
and even were il fully proved, il is then
worth your most serious consideration.
whether YOU will tolerate such defence
as that. 1t is III my mind beyond all en-
durance, that any man should dare 10
come into court Of Justice, and OH the
slladowy pretence of what he NAV term
carelessness, ground the most substantial
and lrreparable injury. Against the un-
manly priDclple.of conjugaI severity, in
the name of civilized society solemnly
protest. 1t is not fitted for the meridian,
and, hope, will never amalgamate itself
with the manners of this cOuntry-it is
The most ungenerous and insulting suspi-
cion, reduced into the most unmanly and
despotic practice.
Let harbarous nations whose inhuman love
Is wild desire. fierce as ile suns they feel;