Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1829-09-07

dity equalled only by the talent, zeal and
persevei ance which have SO often crowned his
efforts with success, he marches boldly for
ward in The path Of duty, regardless OF all the
clamor which interested or deceived men
raise agains, him.
lie acted thus ii defending Young Wickliffe.
In his character of Attorney, he did not think
IL his duty first to examine the evidence by
which alone he could have arrived at a true
knowledge OF all the circum stances nor if he
had done SO, would it have been his duty to de-
clare tue prisoner guilty or innocent. Vague
runor, we, know, had spread abroad what were
said TO be the facts connected with the uniortu-
GATE affair. But, how seldom is il the case that
the stories which are whispered among the
community are su stained in their most material
parts by the evidence, when ii comes 10 be Civ
EN- under the solemnities and sanctions of an
oaih, and when its extraneous and irrelavent
parts are sified and rejected. he have read
The evidence in the case Of Wickline, and we
aver that it most essentially varies in all the
particulars which, before the trial, were related
by those political parti=ans. (for the act grew
out Of a political DISPUTED who had long been
The deadly aud implacable enemies of himself
and his father. Ir what they said had been true
-lflhe facts reiterated in the Washingto ON Tel
egraph aud its hopeful pupils and copyists, had
been shst lined before the tribunal of justice,
which acquitted Wiekllfe, then he could have
been guilty OF murder, aud the jury on their
ealhs woHld SO have said. Although, however,
they were for the most part false. we will dd-
mil them to be true-we will admit, for argu-
ment sake, that young Wick Iif, was a murder.
er. And pray, what sort Of a doctrine is il
which would associate his counsel ia his guilt 2
And who is there, tat does not at the first
blush Of the question, revolt al lis monstrons
" honorable men" who can graveiy sit down
and declare that Mr.. Clay is a mufderer's &C.
complete, because he defended a man whom q
juryhds since declaredto be guihiess of all crime :,
Blind infatuation or deSpicdble baseness, which
resorts to such a weapon to injnre a political
opponent!
MIR. Clay is moi the only advocate who has
met with this diSingenuous treatment. Lord
Chancellor Erskine, before he was advanced 10
the biz hes, Judicial Office in Great Britain, was
similarly a,sailed-and NJ. Clay might Justly
adopt, with n lew alterations, as his own. tn
laog n used nv Lord F.. on tina, occasion
= Day after day (ne might saw have my name
" and character been the topics of injurious re.
" Election. And for wnat' Only for not hav-
: ing shiunk from the discharge of a duty,
which no personal advantage recommended, q
" which a tnonSand dIliicui les repealed. But,
" scorn 20 complai, either Of the printers OF
." til Sc iibe's ." heir autl ors. Lille, indeed DO
" they know me a0ho think hat such caiumnics
" wi{tiGfpence my conduct | will forever, AT
al hazards assert tn dig ,ity. independence
= and i~n'rgrit. Of the american Bar without
= winch nur constitution might as well have no
" eNis ence. From the moin'nl that any advo.
:" Cate can bc perm tied to say that he udi or
+" that he nil not stand between the laws and
tt CHiITHt "iiIHHfh III lHt tihul WHITE III
" sits 10 practice, from thai moment The mos
+" alarming consequences may be expected to
g ensue. II he advocate refuses 10 defend,
" from ,rhat he may think of the charge or of
I" he defence, he ass lines the character of the
e. Judge nay. he assumes il before the hour of
E." Judgment, and, in proportion 10 his rank and
" repn,ation, puts the heavy influence of, per
" maps. a mis- aiken judgment into the scale a.
= gainsi the accused, in whose fauor the benev.
- o,ent principle of American Inv makes all
" presumptions, and which commands HE very
" Judge TO be hi, COUNSEL
Such is the true attitude in which every plea
der at the bar stands towards every inaiviln,l
who may be charged with crime. 1t would
have been Mr.. Clay's duty, therefore. to defend
Wlckl,ffe if applied TO. though, Instead Of be-
lieving him innocent, he had believed him to be
guilty. We have said more on this subject
than W e bad intended, and more than lis own
intrinsic importance meriied. Bn'. view it in
another light, and il assumes more lnterest-ln-
asmuch as il shows how inconsideraiely. wan
tonly and falsely charges are made against
Mr.. Clay not one OF which rests on a better
foundation than that on which we have been
commenting. The same men who have said
that he was " the accomplice of a murderer
because he defended Wicklife, have said that
he was n " corrupt intriguer," because he voted
for MIR. Adams-and an electioneeriug dema-
phgue because he has, in the conduct of some
of his opponents, painted " Vice, as a monster
too hideouS TO be seen,' IothC people we say,
Judge We, If this be not so
President Of The Contention 1t is generally
admitted that neither Judge Marshall. Mr.. Ma