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814 X. AMERICAN STATE TRIALS.

lous literary hack, whose scurrilous pen was at the service
of the highest bidder. To read his book, ‘‘The Prospect
Before Us,”’ and say the writer was not guilty of sedition
‘was impossible; but what became of Callender was of little
eonsequence, as every one knew the real contest would be
between the Republican lawyers of the Virginia bar and
Judge Samuel Chase, the most reckless, the most partisan,
the most fearless judge on the bench of the Cireuit Court.
Long before the trial opened statements wera made and
sworn to that Chase head spoken his threats of what he
would do; that he had commanded the marshal to see to it
that none of the rascals called Democrats were put on the
jury, and that in the presence of a great company he had
shown how he would draw the best lawyers of Virginia
across his knees and flog them out of their nullifying mood.

psid for his writing. It ceases to be surprising, therefore, that
having begun his career in America by villifying Washington, he
should, before he sank out of sight in the waters of the James
River, have turned upon his old employers and loaded Jefferson
with ealomny and abuse.” MeMester, Vol. 2, p. 468. “Mr. Jeffer-
sou, a8 soon #8 he became President, exercised his powers of pardon
in favor of Callender, a9 well as all others, who had been con-
victed under the Sedition Law, and were then undergoing sentence
of imprizonment. A little later he asked to be appointed Post-
master at Richmond, which waz refused him. He tock great of-
fense at the refusal, and soon began writing in opposition to the
new administration; and be openly justified his desertion, on the
ground of ill-treatment he bad received from Mr. Jefferson. He
waa of course welcomed by the new allies, and having connected
himself with the editor of an obseure journal, recently established
in Richmond (the Recorder), he poured forth against the Republi-
ean party generally, and Mr. Jefferson in particular, a torrent of
seurrility and slander of which no example had been previously
afforded in the United States, not even by himself. The private
life of Mr. Jefferson, present and past, was the subject of the
closest scrutiny; and, wherever he was believed to be vulnerable,
no matter for what cause, or upon what evidence, he was unhesi-
tatingly assailed in the groasest and most offensive way. . . -
It remains to be added that, while this wrotched libeller, who h

now become an habitual sot, was disseminating his slanders and
vibaldry with untiring virulence, he was one morning found drowned
in the James River, where he had been bathing, it was supposed,
ins state of intoxication.” Tucker’s Life of Jelerson, Vol. 2, p.

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