t, vastly our inferiors on the score of polished
humanity. On this subject, we would refer the reader to the _History
of England_, written by eminent Englishmen and Scotchmen, and to
Shakespeare's historical plays; and to the records of their courts,
the annals of Newgate, and of the Tower; and to their penal code,
generally; but above all, to their horrid _military_ punishments, in
their army, and in their navy; and then contrast the whole with the
history of America; of her courts, and of her army, and navy
punishments.

We would not indulge invective, nor lightly give vent to the language
of resentment; but truth and utility compels us to speak of the
English as they really are. Their whole history marks them a hard
hearted, cruel race, and such we prisoners have found them. We will
not have recourse to so early a period as the reign of Richard the 3d,
or Harry the 8th, or his cruel daughter Mary, but we refer to the
latter part of Charles 2d, a reign of mirth, frolic and unusual gaiety
of heart, and not a period of austerity and gloom. The instance we
here adduce, was not the furious cruelty of a mob, or of exasperated
soldiery storming a town; but of _courtiers_, privy counsellors, and
advisers of the good humored Charles the 2d.

William Carstares, confidential Secretary to King William, during the
whole of his reign; afterwards Principal of the University of
Edinburgh, was a sincere and zealous friend both to religious and
civil liberty, and he lived in reputation and honor till Dec. 28th,
1715. This worthy man was put to the torture before the privy council,
in the latter end of the reign of Charles the Second. The Rev. Joseph
M'Cormick, D.D. who has written his life, and detailed an account of
his fortitude and sufferings in the cause of liberty, says, "that all
his objections and remonstrances being over-ruled by the majority of
the privy counsel, the public executioner was called upon to perform
his inhuman office. A thumb-screw had been prepared on purpose, of a
peculiar construction. Upon its being applied, Mr. Carstares
maintained such a command of himself, that, whilst the sweat streaming
over his brow, and down his cheeks, with the agony he endured, he
never betrayed the smallest inclination to depart from his first
resolution. The Earl of Queensberry was so affected, that, after
telling the chancellor, that he saw that the poor man would rather
die than confess, he stepped out of the council, along wi