Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1820-06-09

the subject guilty nay, in one instance, the
Jury received reprimand, and that not in
the genteelest terms, for not strictly obeying
the imperious mandate from the bench.
The court decided upon my trial TO
81 ratherthan depart in the slightest de-
gree from lis usual forms Nay, it is with ne
squestion, if the form is usual which preclu-
ded me from examining witnesses to prove
the infamY of Adams, OF Iiiden. and OF Dwy-
err. Ere the Solicitor General replied 10 the
address Of my counsel, applied to the court
to hear my witnesses. The court iohumaniy
refused, and am IN consequence to be con-
signed 10 the scaffold. Numerous have been
the instances in which this rule of court has
been infringed bet TO have intrlnged II IN
my case would have been TO incur The DIS
pleasure Of the court, and TO forfeit every as
pirlng hope OF promotion. 4 few hours hence
and shall be no more: but the nightly
breeze which will whistle over the silent
grave that shall protect me from its keenness
will bear TO your restless pillow tie memory
of one who lived but for his country, -and
died when liberty and justice had been dri-
ven from its confines by set of 4 :
For life, as il respects myself, ! care not
but while vet may, would rescue my me-
rory from the calumny which | doubt not
will be industriously heaped upon it, wAenit
will be no longer i'll my power 10 protect It,
81 would explain the motives which in
duced me 10 conspire against the ministers OF
hi, majesty, and would contrast them with
those which these very ministers have acted
upon in leading me to my ruin. TO do this,
it will be necessary to take short review OF
my lie for few months prior TO my arrest,
for the offence for which am to be executed
without trial-or at least, without an i'm.
partial one, by ajury Of my peers.
It's true, the form, the etiquette Of a trial
has been gone through +; but challenge any
Of the judges on the bench, 10 tell me, to tell
my country, that justice was not denied me
in the very place where justice only should
be administered | challenge them 10 say
that was fairly tried. challenge them TO
sayif am not murdered, according to the
etiquette of court, falsely denoninatedl
OF Justice. had witnesses in court 10 prove
that DYyer was villain beyond all exam
pie OF atrocity. | had witnesses in court 10
prove that Adams was a notorious swindleT,
fhofI hafta
the three witnesses, indeed, almost the only
ones against me; but the form and rules OF
court must not be infringed upon TO save an
unfortunate individual from the soafiold.
called those witnesses at the close OF
Mr.. Adolphus's address to the jury, and be-
fore the Solicito, general commenced his re-
ply, but the court decided that they could
no: be heard. Some good menhage thought.
and have thought so too, that before the lu-
ry retired, all evidence was in time for Ell
Their the prosecutor o. the accused, and more
particularly for the latter; nay, even before
the verdict was given, that evidence could
not be considered too late. Alas such peo-
pie drew their conclusion troll principles OF
justice only--they never canvassel the rules
OF court which have finally sealed my unhap-
Ply doom!
Many people who are acquainted With
the barefaced manner in which was plum
dered by my Lord Sidmouth, will, perhaps,
imagine that personal motives instigated me
to the deed but disclam them. My eve
ny principle was for the prosperity OF my
country. My every feeling--the height OF
my ambition was the welfare OF my starving
sountrymen keeny felt for their mrseries:
but when their iseries were laughed al, and
when, because they dared to express those
miseries they were
- = my feelings became
too intense, too excessive Tor endurance, and
resolved on vengeance resolved that The
lives the ins,igaors should be the requiem
to the souls of the murdered innUceuts
In this mood metwith George Edwards.
And il any doubt should remain upon tue
minds OF the public, whether the deed me-
ditated was yirtlous, W contrary, the tale
viii now relate will convince them, that in
attempting TO exercise a power which the
law had ceased TO have, was only wreak-
! ing natioua! vengeance on set Of wretcheS
I unworthy the name or character Of men,
| This Edwards, poor and pennyless, lived
! naar PIC kefetreet in tho Strand eornptime