Page:A biographical dictionary of eminent Scotsmen, vol 3.djvu/252

280 orator, "that he is not formally before the court; but for that very reason I will bring him before the court. He has placed there men in the front of the battle, in hopes to escape under their shelter; but I will not join in battle with them; their vices, though screwed up to the highest pitch of human depravity, are not of dignity enough to vindicate the combat with me; I will drag him to light who is the dark mover behind this scene of iniquity. I assert that the earl of Sandwich has but one road to escape out of this business without pollution and disgrace: and that is, by publicly disavowing the acts of the prosecutors, and restoring captain Baillie to his command."

Mr Erskine's next speech was for Mr Carnan, a bookseller, at the bar of the house of commons, against the monopoly of the two universities, in printing almanacs. Lord North, then prime minister, and chancellor of Oxford, had introduced a bill into the house of commons, for re-vesting the universities in their monopoly, which had fallen to the ground by certain judgments which Carnan had obtained in the courts of law; the opposition to the premier's measure was considered a desperate attempt, but, to the honour of the house, the bill was rejected by a majority of 45 votes.

But long after having gained their original triumph, Mr Erskine made a most splendid appearance for the man of the people, lord George Gordon, at the Old Bailey. This great speech, and the acquittal which it secured to the object of it, have been pronounced by a competent judge, the deathblow of the tremendous doctrine of constructive treason. The monster, indeed, manifested symptoms of returning life at an after period; but we shall see with what noble indignation its extirpator launched a second irresistible shaft at the reviving reptile. Lord George's impeachment arose out of the following circumstances. Sir George Saville had introduced a bill into parliament for the relief of the Roman catholics of England from some of the penalties they were subject to by the test laws. The good effects of this measure, which only applied to England, were immediately felt, and in the next session it was proposed to extend the operation of similar measures to Scotland. This produced many popular tumults in Scotland, particularly in Edinburgh, where the mob destroyed some popish chapels. The irritation of the public mind in Scotland soon extended itself to England, and produced a reaction of feeling in that country also. A number of protestant societies were formed in both parts of the kingdom for the purpose of obtaining the repeal of Saville's act, as a measure fraught with danger to the constitution, both of church and state. In November, 1779, lord George Gordon, the younger brother of the duke of Gordon, and at that time a member of the house of commons, became president of the associated protestants of London; and on the memorable 2d of June, 1780, while proceeding to present a petition against concession to Roman catholics, signed by 44,000 protestants, was attended by a mob so numerous, and who conducted themselves so outrageously, as for a moment to extinguish all police and government in the city of London. For this indignity offered to the person of royalty itself, lord George and several others were committed to the tower. Upon his trial, Mr Erskine delivered a speech less remarkable, perhaps, for dazzling eloquence, than for the clear texture of the whole argument maintained in it A singularly daring passage occurs in this speech, which the feeling of the moment alone could prompt the orator to utter ; after reciting a variety of circumstances in lord George Gordon's conduct, which tended to prove that the idea of resorting to absolute force and compulsion by armed violence, never was contemplated by the prisoner, he breaks out with this extraordinary exclamation: "I say,, that man is a ruffian who shall, after this, presume to build upon such honest, artless conduct as an evidence of guilt!" But for the sympathy