The Life Of Thomas Muir Esq Advocate Younger Of Huntershill Near Glasgow Member Of The Convention Of Delegates For Reform In Scotland

Author : Peter Mackenzie
Publisher : Forgotten Books
ISBN 13 : 9781330156308
Total Pages : 174 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (563 download)

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Download or read book The Life of Thomas Muir, Esq. Advocate written by Peter Mackenzie and published by Forgotten Books. This book was released on 2015-06-25 with total page 174 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Excerpt from The Life of Thomas Muir, Esq. Advocate: Younger of Huntershill, Near Glasgow; Member of the Convention of Delegates for Reform in Scotland, Etc; Etc It is for these reasons - and for another, to which I shall presently allude, that I now presume to Dedicate to your Lordship, in the first instance, the touching and extraordinary History of a man - not, I believe, altogether unknown to your Lordship, since he was once a distinguished Member of the Scottish Bar; - but who, it is well known, was prosecuted like one of the vilest criminals, at the instance of one of your Lordship's predecessors in office, - I mean the Right Honourable Robert Dundas, "of blessed memory," because he presumed to think for himself - to act like an honest man - a Christian - and a Patriot, in the worst of times! It is unnecessary for me to refer your Lordship more particularly to the iniquitous - the disgraceful trials which took place in Scotland in the year 1793; for no man is better acquainted with the history of that frightful period than yourself. I am much mistaken if your Lordship does not share the feeling in regard to them, which was expressed by Fox, by Sheridan, Whitbread, and Adam, "in stronger language (as it has been fitly said) than was ever uttered within the walls of Parliament." My Lord, If it be true that good and virtuous men were persecuted and hunted to death in this country some 40 years ago, for advocating the immutable principles of Right and Reason - of Truth and Justice - the great comfort to their surviving followers and friends now is, that their predictions and principles have already been realized. "Were I to be led this moment from the bar to the scaffold, I should feel the same calmness and serenity which I now do. My mind tells me, that I have acted agreeably to my conscience, and that I have engaged in a good, a just, and a glorious cause, - a cause which sooner or later must and will prevail, and, by a timely Reform, save this country from destruction." These, my Lord, were the memorable words of Thomas Muir, when he was placed at the Bar of the High Court of Justiciary, - surrounded by soldiers with drawn bayonets, - on the 31st of August, 1793. And can there be a doubt, that ere the 31st of August, 1831, the Reform Bill, for which he payed the way, will have been Triumphantly carried into Law? About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.