JRL English MS 1197. 34. PHOTO. Copy in Hay’s hand of a letter from Hunt, New Bailey, 21 Aug 1819, to anon, with sections marked apparently intended for publication.
Transcribed by Claire Robinson
Letter from Mr Hunt
New Bailey Prison, Manchester
Saturday Augt 21 1819
My dear ..
I do not know that I can send you any news, because I suppose you know, or at least hear, more than I do: but as I know that you and all my friends in London will be happy to hear that I am well, pray inform them from me that I never enjoyed better health in my life, & that I am in tip top spirits. What should make me otherwise. I sleep as sound as a Bell, & feel more pleasure in five minutes reflection than the Manchester Bench of lamblike magistrates will obtain consolation during the remainder of their lives. The Blood of the poor murdered people sits heavy on their heads, & will haunt their guilty souls as long as they live.
Let the galled jade wince; my withers are unwrung! I fear that it will never be forgiven, & that there will be too great a disposition to demand blood for blood! Our enemies will not now, I hope, say anything more about assassination, they have taught the people how to assassinate by wholesale; they have struck the first blow, & have taken the advantage of attacking a peaceful multitude, who had studiously come to the meeting unarmed, by a large military force, the Regulars keeping guard while the Yeomanry Cavalry butchered all that they could get at, & in their disorder murdered alike friends and foes. I believe their friends suffered most. I have not heard of one Reformer suffering yet, that I know or ever heard of. I never before saw such a multitude. I think there were three times as many as there were at Smithfield, and I never saw the people more disposed to be perfectly peaceable and good humoured.
It seems that there were various parties or Unions, each attended by flags, with mottoes something like those in Smithfield, and each had a band of music – and as soon as they had assembled, they all stuck up the national air of ‘’God Save the King,’’ and, after that, ‘’Rule Britannia.’’ But even these symptoms of Loyalty, it seems, were not to be respected upon this occasion. I was as much taken by surprise as any part of the people could have been, for I was particularly guarded & cautious to give the Magistrate’s no pretence for interrupting the meeting.
I arrived at Mr. Johnson’s House on Monday, and was never two miles from it but once during the whole week; altho’ I had repeated, & kind invitations, not only in Manchester, but the neighbourhood: and that was on Saturday previous to this bloody business. It was reported that the magistrates had issued a Warrant against me for some supposed or real offence, in order to put it into execution by apprehending me at the meeting on Monday. Now mark this – ‘’That they should not have any such pretence for interrupting the proceedings, I drove into Manchester, and waited upon the Magistrates who were sitting at the New Bailey, and informed them that I had heard that there was a Warrant issued by them against me. I thought it my duty at once to wait upon them to say, that I was, and should be at all times ready to meet any charge they may have against me, without giving them the least trouble. They politely answered me that they knew of no such thing, or any such intention.’’ Therefore I retired, perfectly satisfied in my own mind, that it was only an idle report. This fact cannot be too generally known. Recollect that I received this answer ‘’from two of the very magistrates (one of them a Clergyman) who signed the Warrant against me on Monday!’’
Be assured, my good fellow, that they have not ‘’the shadow of a shade’’ of pretence for charging me with High Treason. But they are in a dreadful scrape; and they will flounder on farther into the mire with every struggle they make.
I am, my dear ----
Yours Sincerely. H. Hunt
To Mr ....... London
P.S. Do send me a London Newspaper every day.
Transcribed by Claire Robinson
Letter from Mr Hunt
New Bailey Prison, Manchester
Saturday Augt 21 1819
My dear ..
I do not know that I can send you any news, because I suppose you know, or at least hear, more than I do: but as I know that you and all my friends in London will be happy to hear that I am well, pray inform them from me that I never enjoyed better health in my life, & that I am in tip top spirits. What should make me otherwise. I sleep as sound as a Bell, & feel more pleasure in five minutes reflection than the Manchester Bench of lamblike magistrates will obtain consolation during the remainder of their lives. The Blood of the poor murdered people sits heavy on their heads, & will haunt their guilty souls as long as they live.
Let the galled jade wince; my withers are unwrung! I fear that it will never be forgiven, & that there will be too great a disposition to demand blood for blood! Our enemies will not now, I hope, say anything more about assassination, they have taught the people how to assassinate by wholesale; they have struck the first blow, & have taken the advantage of attacking a peaceful multitude, who had studiously come to the meeting unarmed, by a large military force, the Regulars keeping guard while the Yeomanry Cavalry butchered all that they could get at, & in their disorder murdered alike friends and foes. I believe their friends suffered most. I have not heard of one Reformer suffering yet, that I know or ever heard of. I never before saw such a multitude. I think there were three times as many as there were at Smithfield, and I never saw the people more disposed to be perfectly peaceable and good humoured.
It seems that there were various parties or Unions, each attended by flags, with mottoes something like those in Smithfield, and each had a band of music – and as soon as they had assembled, they all stuck up the national air of ‘’God Save the King,’’ and, after that, ‘’Rule Britannia.’’ But even these symptoms of Loyalty, it seems, were not to be respected upon this occasion. I was as much taken by surprise as any part of the people could have been, for I was particularly guarded & cautious to give the Magistrate’s no pretence for interrupting the meeting.
I arrived at Mr. Johnson’s House on Monday, and was never two miles from it but once during the whole week; altho’ I had repeated, & kind invitations, not only in Manchester, but the neighbourhood: and that was on Saturday previous to this bloody business. It was reported that the magistrates had issued a Warrant against me for some supposed or real offence, in order to put it into execution by apprehending me at the meeting on Monday. Now mark this – ‘’That they should not have any such pretence for interrupting the proceedings, I drove into Manchester, and waited upon the Magistrates who were sitting at the New Bailey, and informed them that I had heard that there was a Warrant issued by them against me. I thought it my duty at once to wait upon them to say, that I was, and should be at all times ready to meet any charge they may have against me, without giving them the least trouble. They politely answered me that they knew of no such thing, or any such intention.’’ Therefore I retired, perfectly satisfied in my own mind, that it was only an idle report. This fact cannot be too generally known. Recollect that I received this answer ‘’from two of the very magistrates (one of them a Clergyman) who signed the Warrant against me on Monday!’’
Be assured, my good fellow, that they have not ‘’the shadow of a shade’’ of pretence for charging me with High Treason. But they are in a dreadful scrape; and they will flounder on farther into the mire with every struggle they make.
I am, my dear ----
Yours Sincerely. H. Hunt
To Mr ....... London
P.S. Do send me a London Newspaper every day.