MITCHEL'S CONVICTION.

New Zealander, Volume 4, Issue 261, 29 November 1848, Page 3

MITCH EL'S CONVICTION.

Romi; vciy mavkkh and some very rnischicTOin stuff iuis been written about the l.iat lnuh trial. It is admitted that the verdict was a tnie one, and t>ueh an l-he writers tli-nt-jclvcs would hive given ; tlmt Ihe juty ilni their duly ; anil that the whole pioceTilinjj was thoroughly niconl ing to law. The jury was good, the tiial was good, the vmhei. was good. \\ how, then, is the complaint: H in U\ok>!d. 1. Tlmt the Khcriu" must have taken a rathei ln^li standaid of respect i» bili'y in selecting hi 1 - panel luim the juioi o ' hook, 2. That the AUomcy-G nci.il umstluwc made a lalher lice use of tliu unlimited ri^ lit ot chnllui(;c, which belongs to the, Clown. The o'justors do nut doubt that if the h>henlT o. the Attorncy-Guieial had been at. nil h> s cxrlnsive, Milrhel would be this day at the offitie of the Undid lnshman exhorting his country* in«a to rebellion . Tluy will admit llul ivli.it was (lone was absolutely neceasaiy to I lie fuiiwsH and " liidiffer. ence" of the juiy. But for the puna taken by the Sheiiff and the AUoinoy-Genri al llicie must infallibly have been in the j uy one or two ai least dotci mined to pcijiuu their souls and defeat (lie ends of justice. So liir they allow that no moic was done Ihnn the occasion lccjuued; ljut, somehow — they do not quite know, or d.iic not <juite Gay— they are, dissatisfied with the timl, and they take caie to publish their dissnthf action foi the cumlorl of ihe lille clubs, pike clubs, vitriol club-,, and other dubs in Ireland, and not less for the eiiLoiinijemcnl of the physical ioice CliuiLisls in this conn ry. li is diliiculc to mccl a dissatisfaction which rests on smb. veiy vague giounds. One is put in the situation 01 tlui doctui who was nummoncil by a gentleman of runaikably io'jusc and healthy oxturiui. The intir i'B'ing patient ali.- will, drank will, slept well, walked well, and did cvuy thing well. It was evident, therefore, that lie wanted *o ba not quite so well, and hud sent lor the doctor to put him into a less peifect sanit.uy condition. In the piesent instance a less perfect icjiilt would hive been moie satislacloiy. Had one confederate evaded the sciutiny ot the AUorney-Genc-nil and 1 mud his wiy into the jury box, and had the Jury been accoidiugly discharged without coming to a verdict, these waters would hav^been much better pliunt'd. Tney would, to bo Mire, hive abused the " boot-cater," the Roman Catholics, the accused, the conlcdeiutes, the Wiugs' dial by jury — in a woid, every man and everything thai by any ingenuity coual he dinged niio Ihe berape. Tl.cre would have hoen much luiious \/iiling and dei'p incl'^nation liuttheie would not have been that dieaij hcirt-sickuess, that pi'iiilrntion ot sjiirit and piolouiul melaiirholy that bcein 1 . to hi'vo been mtused into their beiibitive suuls by the actuil conviction of the li lon. Should these moody hypocondriacE iclurn to the fiubjcct, and bhould tiny bo sulhciently convjileheent to apply reahon to their iiflliotiun, poihaps they will he ip kind as to infoim us \\h i. paitiuilar stage of the alfair they object to, and what they think ought to have been done. If they aie not pleased wilh the conduct ot the Sh< ull'or wl the Attorney-General, thry will probnh-y 1)C able to suggest in each instance wht»t they think would h ivu been a nioie advisable eouise. The ishenff onglit, perhaps, to have been content with a rather less respectable siilection Ir.im the jmoia' book. If he line! iak_n aeventyhve of whom he knew something, and seventy live of whom he knew nothing, except perhaps that tli'«y weie the scventy-fivu i'uines> first or last in the book ; if the panel had thus contained a decent propottion of confederates, lie would have done his duty as a slid ill' and a citizen also; he would have been both disci iminate and tair. Again, if tho AttorneyGeneral had con tin ted himself with only striking off as many as Mitchcl's counsel did, and had let three or four known confederates slip through his fingers, lie also would huve fulfilled both his relations and would luvo earned the pi disc of all piulics. It is true that in that casu JVluehel would lute been af lan,'c— a iriunph would have been celebriled — bullet casting, t at gat firing (lulling, and democrat y would be going on busker limn ever, but cur moderate and ju-liciouf. fnemli would not li^ivc bion scindilia-d by that veiy unusual and offensive proceeding, a di'»ih ji^c ol public duly sufiicK'iii id Hie occ.i, ion. Tins, ni On. i. this whole ghl of the grievance which his fcoucJtd these ,iooi f,oul, .vuh su< h utia<--couiitalj'c loicj. Tlu-Jjlicri'l auJtlr, Aliomcy-Gcii lal did then duly. TlioShuifl lo^li („.>• that, the ru.pa tabilny ot thu ('inel >liould be buci'i tho impoilanco of tins tn.il ci'iwlutJy i<qutrcd. ltv/.is no oidni.uy fc on who v/.i-. Id be UkJ, Tin ntrn u cd \>as the h , der o( rbo ly ot u\ n actually in at ms ag.iinst then inv.reio.n. Thr»uj;]i bin jou.nal he was losuing niihtmy m iiiitesloo, ordeis ol the d.iy. despatchps, and instruction i to the viioui depjituiuilii ot an army many thoii'-iiul utro/.g. Up wii uigin^ the detliroricme'nt ot the O.iucu, the abolition ol the Monaichy, the esUbh«hnic;it of a Ciovisioual Oovemmenl, the confiaciitum ot piope. ly, and expulbi)ii of tln> landowner',. It was not a mere impotent mm line who waa do'ng all thii, but a man ol home perveited nbi'ity ami of a ceita n i'.iiliiTK:". 3t .vis the. duty ot th». Shciiil iorlnjOMa ie<p'CtubU" pun.l tor tliutnalof such an oil^ >Ktti — a voiy u}s;>ec noli \i .iil! — thj Diuvt respcclaij.e panel th a the book coulJ tnpply. Again, the Aitoiney-(Jeiu-ril would hive bejn tj,io-,sly iKgli^cnl i)t bis duly jf he luid not ink n raie to exclude fiom the jmy rw »"/ accoinpl <"c in tl'o irailo.'a ciinn's. He w»h bound to Uki l.i\j uluiojt caio Id tee'iu' an uuhOVic ,t i <w

'<hn< uidiHomncc vo;iß liave him destroyed by t he |n(«"iirc ol a i»iiu;|.' person who (hoiiiil^ it morally lij'hMo pumice nile firing, di Him*, suid marching uilh I!," in ton f i«iii ot plkui mp tlio Viet toy as soon a i ; cm. ci'i'M lut ihe mnilv. Imvms ntvcFsiiy to follow »1k ml- ihrougliout. There w.ii nc medium betwei'n doin» nothing ami doing; everything. The qnvsiion in nmju-tiilion U whclhei the Innb bliiill be cut oif or not <mi( o|". ]i v.'on't do to sow linlf through and then Mop. 'I'lic only vile ii»aiiist fui.nl nu«-olucfs ib to y,et lid of them eiitiidy. What nun whoip houso ivis tinublid with vennm would dchlroy juil b n, mid wilfully leavj ton otheiu unmolested ? If the AltorwyGoHCi.il wiu not to strike out cv(ry piuliziti of the accused, lie might n.s well htiiko out none. So Kirgc <i Uh<! of the li^lit of challenge is of rourne uimsu.il, Ijpciiusc the ciime and llu* ciicumslimccu hie nninu.il. It is not a usual emit in this country to bavo military preparations in nctual anil oprn piogics 1 ? for the d •Aliioncmcnt of the <2 llcell - l ls linl lltlUllffor a ftinclionury to l.ikr a | ulilio 1' t nml point t'> almost cv' ly 01 her nami! ii> if 'i. corddcratcil n^ninr.f the (Jkw;i. Jlenre it w u»t usual to veto thiity or forty nmvws lunn :> j u « y . Hi'l all tilings m«6l l)f incasuicd by tltch tz i\ N.itli.n jii rvpesiivf! wbicli ia no lvmic !h,"i 'iidx'H-nt, 'j'\\en<ji lioiscs aic a pnat nurribi r to be vo'm-i! to OiiP »Vii;',»°n, but not to > ;n n,f il tli il \/.i^,f..i henn lo< Mnioliir\ Three thou* v«? jidlipi'incn .i-i'i' "\,,\i nvun'xi t'» jmoUc'i imu city, >J not (to p ,my if it i (i']< m"s dllv liious.m.l ro"U' n. T< i \imn\»j ,i\? a ', i.id m >>/lo!n at .(>» imi !^o..iil a i.l i, hut nol ton iu.ni\ ii ih' _/ o:ilv ]i'sl k( J cp the lc:k until >■ 'J'iu only km! „»''n.l f>n sonowm tins oeeni-i'.ii in tli ' io grejU a, \.u ihn< of the panel Bbould have been found ikpC'stv. jt jcvimls Ihe evlensivc dcinoial!/!i tion of the fi,:, 1 ) mi'tropoli'j. We Riicvo ovci the fact. We recogniz" it most fully. We ilciirc to ronwt it ; but not by f jjfleii,\|/ ilu; IU-mowil'/ it ion to {iiofrfni' nil's juiy box if iv i* cm J.tpp tin in out. Can anybody iloiibt the ab/iobil( nciniiily ot piii;;ii)!^ e\cn tli«" icspectalilo p.nul mijijilkhl by 'lie Sh< nil ? Mi. UulmsM is one of the most übpcotablo men on thy, Jiibh b'ir; Jin tiblr, and we d.iro any, an atniiiblo nit'u also, 1U» avowed, hov.i'u i, in oj>c» cum i, that ibon^U it wns coniraiy to bLimtf Iwv, he thovti'lii it v;a» inoiully ih'ht to do i.s Ins i In in, bid done, vs., to preach iehellion again il tlio ioieieu;ii. M d ii' 1 been on this panel who will d.uc to tdl us, that he bhould not havo bi en rliidlm^id by the Cro\»ii •" I r iheie i vci u < .i lime, uhen all this hollow flijip n ry Mid difehor^ ',( r,t nil nent wa-. obj 'Oil irubl. , il is now* It may rot bi'^.tKiTri. Tk'ii- a u tlii-ir am! j in tli' coiinliy c.ho me an Mou^ly lo'ilui>^ foi so no sig, 1 cn 1 WCiikncss ii the : . nu s <»f oidi'i. If (h"y see jnihitc opinion (alining and f/'oKn;; they ni'-y pcih.ips titt emboldeuid to mLi h».iv- rash .'illeMpti Tlicy wilf, of com so, ;;d nolhini; bin biokci beat!,, for the hciit of tliu count) y is Mii'pli 100 unxiul for any woiic JCbiiHa \ but we would latlicr th.it a I'l.m'.s hcud v,^ not bii,Keii« IT, however, John 'ViiUlul ir. t>> be held up as a m.ulyr r as too much puniwlniunt with fourtcrn yenra' residents in Cermuda, and a. tlio vielim of ilUfrnl .md lyuinnuut pr.icticjs, we sliall soon eec "CJn'lei' liibluncn," i^iiiif, pikes, band grenades, vitrol, (lnlliii(;in and in«u htn^s in this metropoiiH. One of his Fyn.pa<hiA:is and fi)llowiß, on Mond iy ni^hl, rcioinmendud .vi urui.cdi.uj rcsoi t to puvnf .is-1,1 isin.ttton. Mi. Fuu'jtll will uc .». saint, a id when In is eau^l'f, in the act m' slnll Ii »u a bet ol idiots rucurmiL'mSii 1^ tiiat Le uci liii'd by a juiy of assassins. It is nin. n juiy <A \u,\ r ,, but a juiy vi accomj)!icei these wnlois ate jiului^ fui. Ai.nl \>y such a jury would bo no tind « ( | all. It would Ii: tncic humbug, and we can only bt, ito ih.inUlul tb.it the law pi ovules us wish the niu.ins oi cccipni^ ijucb a, lidiculous consunjinaliur, — Tt.ncs.