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support. I have received no kind of support but that which I have made public. I do acknowledge that I have the countenance and approbation of many men of talents, influence, and wealth, but no private support that is worthy of mention, and, if I had, I should not have ventured this denial, but have been silent upon the matter. If such a thing had existed as this private support, is it likely that for the want of fifteen hundred pounds, I should have twice lost my stock in trade, and have lost such a situation for business as my house in Fleet Street? If these "men of talent, wealth, and influence" had stepped forward in 1819, and saved my stock and the stopping of my business, by advancing money for the fines, the measure would have worked miracles. The continuation and certain increase of such a business as I was carrying on in 1819 would have annihilated Christianity in this country by this time. I was paralyzed by the seizure of my stock, and the stopping of the business, at a moment when Mrs. Carlile was expecting childbirth, and I was still more paralyzed to find there were not two housekeepers to bail me from the King's Bench Prison, and not a man of " talent, wealth, or influence," to hold out his hand, or to offer advice or assistance to Mrs. Carlile after I had reached this Gaol. No, excepting the support that I have made public, I have done every thing that has been done in my name, at my instance, single-handed, whilst, to keep up my business, I have had to contend against the arts and wishes of friends, or pretended friends, as well as foes. There is no kind of manoeuvre but I have had to contend with, to preserve that business and my own consistency, whilst I verily believe I have suffered more from pretended friends than from avowed enemies, in the course of my struggles to establish and preserve a free press.

In respect to what Smith, the liar, says about the shopmen, or about twenty more being in reserve and in pay, it is equally false. I can have a hundred, or hundreds of men, from Lancashire and Yorkshire, as fast as I want them, to withstand any prosecution on account of my publications, but there is not one unemployed unimprisoned individual in pay for that purpose, nor has any one of them received a farthing as pay from any one but myself. There is no association connected with my business. I stand alone and independent, and intend to keep so as far as possible.

The ten thousand papers which the Vagabond says, have been circulated as addressed to the Bible Societies are no

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thing more than the penny references to the obscene texts of the Bible, without note or comment. This little publication has galled the saints and the reverends beyond all cal-, culation, and as it is a thing which any one may safely sell, its sale as to number goes on increasing. I desire no better proof that the Bible is an obscene book, and a book of lies and blasphemies, than the manner in which this Vagabond Christian Preacher has noticed this penny publication. There is one thing certain: the Bible of itself never made a convert to the Jewish or Christian religion, but has unmade thousands, even millions, therefore, the Bible Society is, in fact, the only association in existence that makes infidels to the Christian religion, and infidelity towards that religion has gone on in unison with the extent of the circulation of the Bible. The history of this country confirms the fact, that when the people knew not the Bible, they were, as they now are in Ireland, all Christians: and, I verily believe, that, at this moment, there is not an infidel in this island to the Christian religion, who is not well acquainted with the Bible, and whose infidelity is not founded upon a minute examination and comparison of the Bible, parts with parts, and the whole with other publications. A bishop was wise enough to predict, that the Bible Society would destroy the influence of the Bible, and I most sincerely support his prediction.

I have now merely to request, that some individual into whose hands this article may come, and who may be near this Reverend Mr. Smith, will send it to him; and further that it may be sent to the Editor of the Hull Advertiser, and to the persons who took a prominent part in the meetings in question, among whom were a Mr. Sykes, a Whig M. P. a Reverend Gilbert, a Reverend Sibthorp, and a rusty Mr. Rust.

Dorchester Gaol, Nov. 7, 1822.

R. CARLILE.

SUPERIORITY OF REPUBLICANISM OVER

MONARCHY.

THE most corrupt part of the Printing Press is almost daily suffering some little scraps to slip through its managers fingers, that shew the decided advantages of a Republican Government. Anecdotes of Republican Characters are becoming

the most interesting anecdotes of the day, and are circulated and read with avidity. As one of those, we copy from a very corrupt paper the following, which speaks of itself a volume of sound political principle.

"At the conclusion of the American Revolution, Dr. Franklin, the English Ambassador, and the French Minister, Vergennes, dining together at Versailles, a toast from each was called for and agreed to.-The British Minister began with

"George III.—who like the Sun in his meridian, spreads a lustre throughout and enlightens the world.

The French Minister then followed with

"The illustrious Louis XVI.-who like the Moon, sheds his mild and benignant rays on and influences the globe.

The American Franklin then gave

"George Washington, Commander of the American Army-who, like Joshua of old, commanded the Sun and Moon to stand still, and they obeyed him."

TO MR. R. CARLILE, DORCHESTER GAOL.

SIR, Cursitor Street, Chancery Lane. I HAVE to apologize for thus troubling you, but must confess I have for some time past felt a desire to assist in the payment of those enormous and disgraceful fines which have been so unjustly and infa. mously imposed on you, and which will shortly be demanded from you and your heroic Sister, previous to your liberation, by an unprincipled and bigoted faction. My mite is but small, but I give it with an earnest wish that it may be followed by many others, which would soon make good the old saying many mickles make a muckle," and thus restore to liberty the bold and dungeon-proof advocate of Civil and Religious Liberty-Richard Carlile.

I have been a constant reader of your publications, and am free to confess that I am convinced a Republican Government is the most pure and most conducive to the happiness of mankind-my motto is Down with Kingcraft-at present, I feel not so convinced with regard to religion, as I am now in the course of reading some theological works I cannot, therefore yet, avow myself a Deist, though what I have read, I admit, has tended to shake my faith considerably.

You will, therefore, perceive it is not strictly because my sentiments are in unison with your own that I am an advocate for you, but that I am an advocate for, and friend to, free discussion, and hold it

to be highly disgraceful to prosecute and confine any man merely for publishing his opinions, setting aside the gross injustice of taking from him all means of subsistence by robbing him of all his property. Are these the actions of men who profess Christianity? Is this the way they obey the precept "love your enemies as yourselves"? Is this the way they support Christianity? Shame on you, ye hypocrites! It seems to me they have injured the cause most materially themselves by attempting to prop up and support it by the strong arm of the law. I say, if religion is true-that is, if the Bible is true, it is my firm opinion it wants no human support.

I attended at Paul's Head, Cateaton Street, at a Meeting held there by your friends on the 4th instant, and was highly gratified to see such an assemblage of respectable persons and which I hope in respect to subscription has far surpassed your expectations.

Mr. G. Jones who seconded one of the resolutions is entitled to the praise of every enlightened and upright man for the bold and fearless manner in which he advocated the cause of free discussion and your family's sufferings. He proved himself "honest enough to be bold and bold enough to be honest;" if I may be allowed to quote an expression from that enlightened character, that friend to mankindThomas Paine.

Republicans and friends to free discussion, you are now called upon to assist in the noble cause of advocating free discussion-it is the duty of every one to give what lays in his power to assist in making the cause triumphant, and liberating our famous countryman who has so manfully faced every danger in promulgating his opinions.

AN ENEMY TO CORRUPTION AND A FRIEND
TO FREE DISCUSSION.

You will receive enclosed the sum of 5s.

At a numerous and respectable Meeting of the Friends of Mr. R. Carlile held at the Paul's Head, Cateaton Street, on Monday the 4th, of November, to consider of the best means to secure the liberation of Mr. Carlile and his Sister from the fines imposed upon them it was resolved:

1. That a free press and free discussion are essential to the best interests of civil society, and form the great bulwark of Civil and Religious Liberty.

2. That Mr. R. Carlile, the determined advocate of free discussion, by his firm and manly perseverance against the efforts of a notorious and unprincipled band of despotic hirelings, has opposed with considerable effect the plans they adopted for the enslaving of mankind, and the annihilation of the rights and privileges of civilized society.

3. That the term of Mr. R. Carlile's imprisonment, and that of his Sister, Mary Aun Carlile, being nearly expired, whose liberation

depends on the liquidation of heavy fines, amounting to the enormous sum of £2,000, this Meeting feels it to be an imperative duty to make every effort to secure their liberation immediately on the expiration of their terms of imprisonment.

4. That a subscription be immediately entered into in furtherance of the above object, and its general adoption be recommended throughout the country.

5. That subscriptions be received in London, at 5, Water Lane; at 126, Newgate Street; and at 19, Union Street, Borough. In Edinburgh by Mr. James Affleck, Merchant, 46, Howe Street, and by any individual in the country who will take an open, active part on the occasion.

(Signed),

EDWARD HENMAN, Chairman.

Amount of Subscriptions collected at the Meeting. . £14. 10s. 6d.

TO MR. R. CARLILE, DORCHESTER GAOL.

FRIEND AND FELLOW-CITIZEN, Sheffield, Nov. 3, 1822. THE period of incarceration to which our hypocritical tyrants sentenced you is nearly expired. We trust the Republicans will not suffer you to remain in prison after its expiration, for the want of the payment of those enormous fines, from the imposition of which, and the repeated seizures of your property, it was evidently meant to suppress the publication of those wholesome truths which it is impossible for us to appreciate rightly. We know they give to man a proper sense of his character, expose those monstrous frauds which have been practised upon him and eradicate them from his mind; not by physical force, as they were established, but by reason and dispassionate enquiry. We look at your past conduct with admiration, seeing that candour and impartiality have been your distinguished characteristic. In courting enquiry in your opinions, you say, "you have no wish that any of your publications should fall into the hands of any individual, but he who can read his Bible and understand its contents." How different is the conduct of your persecutors? You court enquiry but they dread it. You wish them to shew you to be in error, and you will be the first to denounce it. They in order to prevent enquiry from being made into your publications pronounce them "the fruits of a paltry scribbler and mere ribaldry*.

Be pleased to accept of the enclosed sum of £2. 4s. though small

*The assertion of a Sheffield Unitarian Priest.

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