12 July 1803 Picture of the Treasury Peltier's Trial p. 164 Edit

1803

M r MacKintosh's speech — It was the moral

anger of disinterested spectators against atrocious crimes, the gravest and

most dignified moral principle which the God of Justice has implanted in

the human heart, that of which the dread is the only restraint on the actions of

powerful criminals, & of which the promulgation is the only

punishment that can be inflicted on them. It is a restraint which ought

not to be weakened — it is a punishment no good man can

desire to mitigate.

H. 166 I hope I may venture to say, that no English assembly need have

endured such a sacrifice of eternal justice to any miserable interest of an

hour.

H. 167. If there be a decorum due to exalted rank and authority, there is

also a much more sacred decorum due to virtue +

to human nature, which would be outraged & trampled under

foot, by speaking of guilt in a lukewarm language,

falsely called moderate.

H170 Those only can defend themselves with valeur, who

are animated by the moral approbation with which they can survey their

sentiments towards others, who are ennobled in their own eyes by a consciousness

that they are fighting for justice as well as well as interest, a

consciousness which non can feel, but those who have felt for

the wrongs of their brethren.

H p 89 Libel undefinable.