Alabama state intelligencer., 1831-03-02
From, the Norwalk (Conn. Gazette.

The Hartford Conpention.-At the late session of the Superior Court of Fairfield, the Hon. R. M. Sherman, one of the members of the Hartford Convention of 1914, was put under oath, and under the pains and penalties of PERJURY, gave history of that falr-famed meeting. The testimony thus elicited, is gi- ven below.
 We believe this question is now for the first time, presented to the public in its present form. This is the first time that member of that body has been cited before court of justice, to answer for its objects and proceed
 ngs. Is the history which Mir Sherman has given, faithful one? Has he, in compliance with solemn oath, told ''thc truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, in this mat ter? Those who know the personal character and integrity of the witness, will know also, how to answer these questions. The testimo- ny was given in the presence of large and respectable audience, composed of men of both political parties interested in the ques- tion, and all seem to have come to about the same conclusion in regard to it.
 To the Editor of he Gazette.
 Previous to the trial of Whitman Mead on the information of libel, of which you gave brief notice in your last number, the prisoner moved the court for a subpoena, to MT Sherman, of Fairfield, MT Goddard, of Norwich, and many others as witnesses in his behalf. It was allowed by the court, and was served on MT Sherman, but could not be, sea- sonably, on Mir Goddard, on account of the lateness of his application. One of the arti- cles charged as hbellous, compared a recent political meeting at Hartford, with the Hart ford Convention, and the prisoner supposed that full development of the proceedings of the Convention, would furnish legal vim dication of the article in question. With a view to such development he wished the testimony of the gentlemen above named At the instance of the prsoner, MT Sherman tes- tihed on the trial of the case, and the enclosed paper contains his testimony, exact in sub stance, and very nearly, in his language which you arc at liberty to publish.
 STATE,
 WHITMAN A; MEAD Hon. R. M s'e'"a"'' 'e'f'm'"v Question by the Prisoner. was the nature and object of the Hartford Convenient .AnSzver.-1 was member of that Conven- tion' It met on the 18th Dec, 1874. The United States was then at war with Great Britain. They had, in their forts and armies. twenty seven thousand effective men-of these about thirteen hundred only were employed in INew-England. The war had been in opera tlOii lWO years ana q nalI w ( ndQ a sea cost of almost 700 miles to protect, and with the exception of about thirteen hundred men, had the aid of no military force from the United States. By internal taxes, all others having become unproductive by reason of the war, the National Government raised large sums from the people within our territory. Direct taxa tion was the only resource of the State Go vernments, and this had been carried to as great an extreme in Connecticut as could be sustained. The Banks which furnished all our currency, either withheld their accom- modations, or stopped payment, and the peo- pie were embarrassed by general stagnation of business. Powerful fleets and armies lay eff our coasts, and were making, or threatning invasion, in all parts of our defenceless sea board. Commodore D Decatur, with his squadron, had taken refuge in the waters of Connecticut, and attracted powerful con- centration of the enemies on our borders.- Castine, if mistake not, and some other part Of the territory of Massachusetts, had fallen into the hands of the British. The New-Eng- land States, under all these disadvantages, were obliged to protect themselves by their