The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1833-06-26
REV. T.. X. AVERY.

croacll on forbidden ground this week
a ground hitherto held sacred; and those
who have hitherto been called to occupy
that ground -exccp, perhaps on very
rare occasions--haye never been sum
moned before the tribunal of the public
to give an account oftheir st stewardship.
Well this is one of those very rare in
stances. The people at large call loudly
for the facts: and justice snnctions the
demand. The circumstances under
which this ground became occupied in
this instance must be submitted at the
bar Of the general voice. 1t is necessa-
ry "io hold the mirror up to nature" that
this ground, which justice would hold
truly sacred, should be kept free from
pollution. Even the jury themselves if
they feel a conscious integrity Of action
/ in this matter canno be ayerse to having
the facts submitted to the world
partly from their owu mouths shall the
world Judge them. Those who are
guilty, may shrink from this mirror,
which they doubtless would conceal from
the public view. Those who are not
guilty, cannot but rejoice in this expos
ure. II we give any mistatement of facts
let it be pointed out that we may. correct
it. We have our facts from responsible
agents-who knew that we intended to
publish the relation of this matter as far
. as vas susceptible of proof Ifthey have
rendered us misinformaton be the con-
seq4onccs on their own he ads. We wash
our conscience clean of Intentional
wrong.
THE Grst charge that we have to pre-
fer is that members Of the jury wers Sc
lected by preconcertion, sometime before
the commencement of.the trial. One of
Mr Avery's silent cou,isellors has said,
since the close Of the trial, that he had
the saleckin.g of the jury l.ef'rc rt'ry wuIe
summoned to court for that purpose He
is not the only Que implicated in this
preconcerted plot procuring those who
should move as doth a puppet by its
wire"
Ii is almost always the case in this
: section of the country that in trials oi
, this kind, of life and death, vast maio-
rity of the community strive 10 the ut.
mos! to avoid being taken as jurymen--
: and per'lapsthis determination was new
or carried to a greater extent than in the
: Avery trial. Many shut themselves uI
. until the jury were selected. So grea,
J. was the genera! aversion to the sitting
: on this case of life and death. Let us
see how stands this fact as regards mem.
!. lbers of this jury. While the Deputy
S Sheriff was securing the streets /" seek
y ing whom he might devour" with hi,
terrible writ of venire, Mr.. -
Y was standing near the store of Mr.. -
y who observed to him, "the sheriff il
y coming, fyou stay were you are you will
!. he summoned fora juror.--It was repli
g ed 81 am member of the court of pro
d bate; therefore not liable" The dep
. uty sheriff came up. and warned him I,
i, appear &c, and received the same re
Is ply az the other individual. In cour,
j. this mans name was called, and aite
>, the usual questions of relationship 10 tn
lr prisoner and conscientious scruples wer
answered, the questions were put, "hav
oi you read the publications touching tn
~. prisoner at the bar have you formed O
i, expressed an opinion-have you an
rs bias. ALL which were answered in tn
V negativc.-And proceeded to give hi
- reason for not having read any publics
ton, having bearing on the prisoner
|e which reason was, that he never alone
'e himself To hare or express an opinio
:" ,cherc he should be liable to be called to $,
10 as a ;uror-and after expa,in,iug at larg
al on "pont no point" where nothing wa
visibly apparent save the desire of b,
: coming juryman, inasmuch as he ay
or peared very DESTROYS to show that n
al man shoaid have an opinion under thes
!" circumstances---and to show that he wa
o.