The Trial of Henry Hetherington, on an Indictment for BlasphemyHetherington, H. (Henry)
Religion
The Trial of Henry Hetherington, on an Indictment for Blasphemy
Hetherington, H. (Henry)
Hetherington, H. (Henry), 1792-1849 -- Trials, litigation, etc.; Trials (Blasphemy) -- England -- London
I hope the Government will reflect upon the injustice and impolicy of
this new crusade against the free expression of opinion, adopt my
suggestion, and abandon all prosecutions against those who honestly
controvert the received opinions of society.
Having now expressed my feelings with regard to the conduct of the
Government, I must say a word or two respecting the behaviour of the
learned Attorney-General towards me, on my trial. He made very few
observations in opening the case, but reserved himself for his Reply; a
privilege which I think he was not entitled to, as I called no
witnesses. Had I anticipated he would have claimed the privilege of
reply, and abused it in the shameful manner that he did, I could have
overthrown, by witnesses, the false impression which he so unjustly
laboured to establish on the minds of the Jury--that I was the publisher
of the work, because my name was affixed to the book first of the London
agents. What is the object of a reply? It is to answer the facts and
arguments adduced by the Defendant; to show that he has reasoned
illogically; and to point out to the Jury, succinctly and clearly* the
points in which he has failed to answer the charge laid against him in
the indictment. In addition, however, to this base attempt to hold me up
to the Jury as the original publisher, the Attorney-General obviously
sought to make the Jury believe--(and there is every reason to think
that he triumphed in this his unjust attempt to injure me)--that I
claimed immunity not only for my belief but my actions, When I insisted
upon setting him right, by showing him the utter falsehood of his
assertion, in which I was supported by Lord Chief Justice Denman, he
treacherously aimed at fixing upon me the consequences of doctrines to
which I had not even adverted in my speech, and which had no reference
whatever to the subject then before the Court. He basely insinuated that
I was virtually claiming immunity for all acts of aggression--such as
robbery, murder, seduction, unjustifiable rebellion, and assassination
of the Queen; striving to raise in the minds of the Jury a confusion
between the right of freedom of opinion and the wrong of licentious
action! This, too, was slanderously repeated, after my open appeal to
the Court against such malignity; and this the learned Attorney-General
calls availing himself of his privilege of reply! I was not allowed to
answer these falsehoods of the Attorney-General; though, as the accused
party, I was in justice, if not in law, entitled to every opportunity of
making the truth apparent to the Jury.
As to the Jury--What shall I say of them? I can only pity men who
exhibited such woful ignorance and imbecility as to be led away by
misrepresentations that had not even the appearance of truth. Let me ask
the Jury one simple question. They were bound by their oath to give a
true verdict according to the evidence. Now let me ask them, was there
any evidence of BLASPHEMY?
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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