Virginia free press & farmers' repository. [volume] (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1827-1832, 1831-02-10

2A1Txo1D 0oUVUux1ov.
Frc~ TIC Nsryslh Gssrsse.
AZ the late Session or the Ssp,r;or
Coart at Fairfield. che Hoo. r. A.
sHEaNAx. enc Of the members or the
Hartford Coaventisn Of 1914. was not
soder cath. cod snder the pains and
pena'tiss q PEsyvHr gave history Of
the proceedings u that Tar famed meet
'ng. The testimony thus elected 10
given below.
We believe that this question 10 now
Tor the arst time presented to the pub.
lie IN its preseut form. This IL the
trst time that . member Of that BODY
has been cited before q Court or Jus.
t'ee to answer for lie objects and pro.
eeedinss. IL the history which Mr..
sherman has given faithful onea Has
he, IN compliance with solemn oath,
told "'he truth, the whole truth, and
nothing but the troth,n in this matter:
Those who know the personal eharac-
ter and integrity Of the witness, will
know also how 10 answer these cues
tons. The testimony was given in
the presence efs large and respectable
audience, composed Of men Of both no.
iitieal parties interested in the ques
tion, and all seem 60 have come TO a.
bout the same conclusion in regard to
it.
TO fhe Editor Of the Gasesfe:-Pre.
vious TO the trial Of Whitman Mead,
on the information for libel, Of Which
you gave brief notice in your Las,
number. the Prisoner moved the Court
for subpoena TO Mr.. Sherman, Of
Fairfield. Mr.. Gsddard, Of Norwich.
and many others, as witnesses in his
behalf il was allowed by the Court,
aud was served on Mr.. Sherman. but
could not be. seasonably, on MIR God.
dard, on account Of the lateness of his
application. One ofthe articles charged
as iibellous, compared recent poiiii-
cal meeting at Hartford with the Hart
ford Convention. and the prisoner sup.
posed that 4 full development OF the
proceedings Of that Convention would
furnish legal vindication Of the srti.
Gle in question. With a view to such
development he wished the testimony
Of the gentleman above named. At
the instance Of the prisoner, MIR. Sher-
man testified on the trial of the caAe,
and the enclosed paper contains his ties.
timony, exact 10 substance, and very
nearly in his laneuage-which you are
at liberty 10 publish.
wm sr.1,' S n Hon. F F. Il; s%.'24''
Qlesfion 6y the Prisoner. What
was the nature and object Of the Hart
ford Convention
.3ns,rer.--l was q member Of thar
Convention. 1t met on the 18th DE.
cember, 1914. The United States
were then at war with Great Britain.
They had. in their forts and armies,
twenty-scsen thousand effective men
--of these about thirteen hundred only
were employed in New England. The
war had been in operation two years
and half. We had a sea coast OF al.
most 700 miles TO protect, and with
the exception Of about thirteen hun
dred men, had the aid Of no military
force from the United States. BY in
,ternai taxes, all others having become
unproductive by reason Of the war, the
National Government raised large sums
from the people within our territory.
Direct taxation was the only resource
OF the State Governments, and this
had been carried 20 80 great an ex.
treine in Connee ticut ~ could be sus-
tanned. The banks which furnished
all our currency, either withheld their
accommodations, Or stopped payment,
and the people were embarrassed by
a general stagnation Of business. Pow
erful fleets aud armies lag Of our coasts,
and we're making and Threatening in.
vasions in all parts of our defenceless
sea-board. ComssodOre Decatur, with
his squadron, had taken refuge 10 the
waters Of Connections, and attracted
. powerful concentration Of the. enc
fhy's forces on cur borders. CaStine,
~ mistake not, end some ether parts
OF the territory Of Massachusetts, had
fallen into the hands Of the British.
The New England States, sHs.eT al
these disadvantages, were obliged 10
protect themselves by their own Mill.
tIa, &c their own expense. The ex-
penses Of Connecticut greatly exceed.
ed our resources. The duration oI
the war could not be fereseen, and cor
credit became exhausted. Attempt.
were made to borrow money, but wiih-
out any adequate success. The Ma
tiOOal Constitution prohibited the ennis.
sion Of bills Of credit. In this extre.
unity, while the Legislature was IN ses
. sion at New Haven in October, 1914,
ia eemmaRiealion vas received gsou
the Legislature Of Massachusetts. pro.