North American. [volume] (Swanton, Vt.) 1839-1841, 1839-08-07

Vow. gentlemen. tn help The genLema
GU; ol the dilemma. He calls upon a wit
nrss. a certain Mir Whiting Of this city
who. IL is said had some conversation w:Il
J IRE when ! was prisoner m tic jail 2
Toronto. srl who admits that be told M
Ia recommend my soul 70 God--ihat mel
] Their wife nor child would ever see Iyain
/ that | sad ! was taken oa board 81,
scboonet--ihai we were driven BY adverse
winds on their shore, and thus We were
fired upon 10 repeated v0iaes from Maiden
ard that "a wouif DO again. gentlemen,
afesi BACK ~ return. | viii not say aov-
Thing oi Nh. Wtllne's testimony, for his
conduct las long since made me despise
the man: but &, will not endorse the opin-
ion Of The gentleman who opened the case
for the defence, who said be came there to
insult me. II was true was loaded with
heavy chains--l was there as prisoner
subject 10 the insults Of every petty puppy;
| but received no insult from Whiting
and rs near as | can remember he has tes-
! t.fed 20 the truth. But Boardno's tesli-
mony, another of The prosecutors witness,
! es, swears positively that did not go on
board that schooner until she was in Brit
ish waters, within a few rods of Maiden.
| did 60 on board then and there, and that
is the first evidence that you have that
had act or part in any expedition. This
may seem strange, gentlemen, bot a few
words will explain the matter Ia YOU.
know we'll what ! was doing. ] could not
plead ignorance Of the law, for ! went into
the office OF the District Attorney few
Il h.ftra in t,.itk 81,
man who now see here, and he read and
explained the law 10 me. had a right 10 |
60 10 Canada, or any other country | wish |
ed; but not to break the laws Of the Uni |
ted States, which has not been proved to
you have ever done.
This court, gentlemen, will explain to
you the charge, | presume, that you are
not sitting ~ Judgment trying me for any
thing | may have done when out OF the
jurisdiction Of the court and country. !
have been already tried for that, and pas
sed through an ordeal somewhat more
fiery than this can be- What have done
in British territory, had right to do;
and, SO help me God, if live, will do a.
. ain. Let but the Canadians raise then
banner themselves tomorrow, on the op-
posite shore--et them loosen their tri-col,
pred stripes and the twin stars Of liberty ,
10 the breeze, and will join them, and
fight, and die, that flag defending. +
Ills true, gentlemen Of the jury, that i
went on board that Schooner when she !
was IN British waters, when she was near
NJ alden; and went there, too, to inform '
hem that the " United" had been fitted
rat with an armed party to take them and {
o enact the same scene as had been done t
1t SchIosser. They lay at anchor--were Q
,ecaImed within pistol shot Of Maiden, 1
md had TO pass in the channel between n
hat place aud the island of Bots Blanc, h
which was infested with an armed band o
more than qnadruple their numbers, under A
he redo and redoubtabIe Col. John b
'rince, the murderer, of Windsor, with liz
he steamer lying under the bank in the lie
Moonlight shade, having on board of her, "
$ has been sworn TO You here, by the h
witness brought from Canada, seventv-five +
Tmed men Of the volunteers, under the 81
ommand of veteran who had served in IA
laDy campaigns, 1t. Col. Radcliffe. u
I'D them of their danger, and of the affair c.
/ the I'll lated Caroline, which they had II
OF heard-that there was no escape-that al
1ey must fight like men, or be taken and CT
ung as dogs. Their flag was nailed to ii
ne mast-an answer thought sufficient. SC
hey passed the town and island amid the d;
'ar OF musketry, and went with them. |
he party of Prince evacuated the island of
The steamboat ran away, and the militia of
egroes and Indians behind the fences 70
ong the shore, kept annoying US and we TO
catered them. hf
The genteman'S whining about firing ar
pom the delenceless town of Maiden is XII
ise and deceptive. Had he been there he
any one of you-did you possess one "
'ark OF manhood you would Cor am tn
uch deceived) have done the same. Ru-
our has undoubtedly made you acouain. av
d with the circumstance. How we G.
ere driven on their shores, fred upon. KIN
highland when my men were wounded co
dead-and dying at my feet was cap
red by force, more than twenty times tn
II number-How we were situated-tried. Pc
pHsoned, goaded and nsulted, il be- th
'oves me not now to tell, nor Won to 10
ow. But II is right that you should Ca
ow, that | have been already tried and ma
nished, for what | have done in British II,
by British aw,--nor does he
lialn ask, or expect it of YOU Et
al l should be here punished for an req
ence committed in her territorv-be- Ter