Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1831-01-25

investigation under the bill involved. assumed
far deeper interest from the personal feeling oil
which the king was the victim; feeling OF keen,
ness and intensity inseparable from the nature OF
the offences of which the queen stood arraigned:
All who thought we'll of her case, we're supposed
to find little favor in the king eyes; whist ms
friends, especially those near TO his person, De-
came bv a ready sympathy with the throne ner
foes That his royal brothers should feel win
him, was not unnatural, however their situations
should have imposed upon them sl,ehGe'
could not impartiallty. The Duke OF Ciarehce'
it was strongly rumored, had sought occasions 10
express himself with warmth against ner, Penu-
mo the investigation. Whole circles IN London
rang with these rumors. Denman hearc 'n ..u
Al first be is incredulous, then incensed. The
Glow increases in him, as the Prescriptions accu-
mulate of this outrage upon justice, fiom source
so high. Brougham had already spoken; Brough-
am, who would have Numbered out his holy ven
geance not spat out his scurrllity like John Ran
dolph, but have Numbered, as from the mountain,
crushing, every where, those whom his mdsnlil-
cent wrath would have struck. But Denman
was no great way behind. if not the mighty &C.
MUS of the storm, he was an attendant, and had
caught the inspiration of its blasts. In summing
up, he arrives at the point for noticing the ru-
mors A palpi,ating silence ensues. Every ear
listens, every eye is fixed. Some members move
gently out Of their seats, taking up position to
hear the better. At length the advocate, his
tone changing, and disnlfed. intrepid. anger,
burning on his countenance, thus bursts FORTH
"My Lords. we have heard, we daily hear,
with alarm, that there are persons. and those not
of the lowest condition, not coniued to individu-
ais connected with the public press, not even ex-
cluded from your august assembly, who are in
dustriously circulating attrocious caiumnles a
gainst her majesty Can this be! Is it credible, is
itpossibles If a juryman be found to possess any
knowledge of the subject under trial, the law tells
us that we may call him as witness to the bar.
This is our law in England, and our shield. Come
forward we may say, and let us confront you;
let us see fno explanation can be gwen OF what
you aledge, no refutation efiectually applied
But to any man who could even be suspected of
so base practice as imparting calumnies to judy
es, distilllng eperous venom into their ears, the
Queen might we'll exclaim STAND FORTH THOU
SLANpERER, and let Inc see thy face if thou
wouldst equal the responsibility even OF an ltal-
ian witness, STAND FORTH before these noble
Judges and speak out what you know. As thou
art, thou art worse than an assassin, tor whilst
am meeting my accusers lace to lace, thou art
stabbing me unseen, and converting thy poisoned
ice " would fam say my lords, that it is utterly
impossible that this can be true; but cannot say
it, because the fact meets me every where.
read it even in the public papers, and had l not
known of its existence, fort the dignity OF human
nature would have held it be impossible, that a
nv one with the heart of man, or with the hon
or of peer, should so debase hs,,heart and de-
grade his honor. i would impeach him as judge,
and if it were possible for the blood royal of Eng
land to stoOp to such course, would fearlessly
assert that it is far more just that it should de-
priye him Of his right Of succession to the throae,
than that ais the allegations against the Queen,
taking them to be true to the last letter, should
warrant your Lordships in passing this bill of
degradation and divorce against her."
The house was aghast. A shock went through
and through it. Tie public echoed back the
speakers words. Every body knew that the duke
Of Clarence was the man. Nobody denied, nobo-
DIV doubted it. The attack be said to have
been masked undera hypothetical case, like Ju-
nius's upon the king, or Sir William Wyndham's
in Walpole's time upon George the Ii. 1t was
palpabe, it was beaming. There was flush all
over the house; an impulse Of conviction univer-
sal, thrilling. The newspapers teemed next day
with the orators terrible denunclation. STAND
FORTH THOU SLANpERER was every where read;
STAND FORTH THOU SLANDERER, was everywhere
heard; it was cried about in handbills; in private
circles passed in titters the boys shouted it IN
the Streets; and in the windows the caricature
shops, to which thousands flocked. you might
read in capitals, under figuer the likeness of
which could not be missed, even if an admirals
half dress and the insignia of prince royal had
been wanting; STAND FORTH THOU SLANDERER.
How remarkable this whole incident; Twill say
how glorious! victory won is nothing to it; not
WellingtOn's at Waterloo. Rome, Republican or
imperial, in her sterness or in her grandeur, has
nothing to overmatch it. tits full OF richness in
its particulars, in its aggregate: in its individual
ity, in its nationaness; in the feelings that 1t may
drew forth, in the high Lessons that that it may in
still. There is no mistake in my narrative. Ihave
not done as Livy or Botta, made speech
for Mr.. Denman; have given his own words,
from report of the trial. 1t does so fall out too,
that one of the caricature prints lies before me,
with STAND FORTH THOU SLANDERER under
meath. Surely the incident is fit for history;
for what is the spectacle that we behold? The
pENoNouHcED has become a sovereign; THE DE-
Nuxc1AToK one Of his high officers: appointed by
HE soyppp,cN Will and commissioned by his Sow