The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1833-09-11
From the Providence Herald.
Ephraim X. Avery.
no. 3

Mr. Editor r:--In my last took up the sub.
Jecs OF The celebrated "pink letter." and N
tho conclusion. promised that, in No. s,
would discuss tho sfidavit Of Nathan Al.
Spencer. When 6rst saw this singular da.--,
ument, and before had eius--rra careful
perusaI, ! had ssusc hopes that il would
throw ligbtSu tho subject, and have the ef.
feet TO relieve, measurably. Il. X. Avery from
the suspicious that rest upon him. But ona
candid examination Of the paper, / feel con.
strained to say, that my expect ctations have
been entirely disappointed and moro es-
pecially Ne subsequent disclosures have in.
volsod the depoucnt in q mass Of contradic-
'lons. The frst question 10 be settled, is
who IL best entitled to bolief in this particu-
lar case !ur. Orswoll, or Mr.. Spencer, 1
will admit thai Mr.. Sponcer's character for
verscity is unmpeac liable and hence, equally
good "a Mr. Orswell's, but no better. Whs
then is S,siaken in this particular ease /?
Whose testimony is to be relied on Mr..
Orsw ell says that ho received tho letter in
question, from the hands or Avery--He 10
certain ofit--And TO this fact, he deliberate
ly. and unequivocslly swears. lie identifies
both the letter aad the man who delivered
it; and will not admit thut be may have
been mistaken !; and 10 order TO SO; aside lis
testimony, |, becomes necessary to prove the
letter, the same identical letter, was Delivered
TO him BY another. IL delivered at oil, or, ut
least, that il could not haze .beon delivered
BY Mr. Avery. We have already noticed
the bungling attempt 10 prove tho latter
point, and shall now notice that to prove the
former, by the affidavit Of Spencer. And
now TO what does Spencer swear? :.
He swears, and have no doubt Of i,s
truth, that lie come from Ehst Greenwich to
Providence. on the 9Th Of November, 1889;
and have no doubt. many other persons did
the same. But, he tolls US not what time he
lefl E. Greenwich, nor, at what limo, be went
an board the steamboat to dalisor Ills ls,tcr.
Something oftbis sort was certainly neees-
sary. to show that the facts were too deeply
impressed on his memory 10 admit of mistake
respecting the lettor ITSELF particularly a. his
Testimony was come 10 10 direct colision with
that Of man Of good character, given with
q clear and distinct detail OF the facts. but q
few dsvs after thsy rauspned, aad whilo
they wero yet fresh in the memory, VIII 10
his a witAholdcn from the public for the
space Of more than seven months, aud during
which time, he acknowledges be has thought
nothing abont them till now! And yot in
tho absence Of all these details, MIR. Spencer
comes forward and sv FEARS 10 the naked fact
itself, with all the confidence imaginable, as
though nothing bu, his oath was necessary,
without dotail and without cross examination.
Aod taken absolutely ar psrte. to set aside
the testimony ofsnother oinn, ss respectable
as himself, and who had bonorsbly acquitted
himself undof strict examination on the
stand, where human life was at stake. TAX.
ing these simple facts alone, and no man OF
aud reflection can hesitate for .
to give crod, to Osswell's testimony
still. This gentleman also states, to few
minu,es, the time Of The day at which he rs-
coived the letter and from the nature Of his
employment, and the short space that had
sispsod precious 20 giving his testimony at
Bristol, there can be no doubt Of his correct.
ness; and tho delivery must have occurred
but few minutes from D o'clock A. M.
But Mr.. Spencer did not condescend to re-
collect, OF If hs does rscollect, does not tell
at what time In the morning he left East
Greenwich, at what time he reached War
wick where bo stopped, how long he stopped
al what time he took up bis passenger. or put
him down, at what time he met the man who
gave him the letter, or whether be arrived in
Providence at 2, 6. o or 10 o'clock. Surely
be nigh, have expected ,ha, the public would
domsnd some Of these details, and yet bin
naked oath ~ unaccompsnied BY . solitary
ofthis sort aud not rsasen
of3orcd for their omission. Can such looso
tale, told, for the 6fst timc, sevsn months sf-
ter the transaction. without ever having pre-
vously been called up to mind, be allowed V
iuvalidars such testimony a. that given by
Orwell? The very thought is pseposterous.
But, I should like 10 know. n what time in
,te moruiug Of Nov. a7sh Mr. Spencer lsfs
East Greenwich. The distance from that
place to Providence is al least Is niles. end
most Of the way over either . tough. OF .
sandy road. Tho sun rose on that mssnisg,
q, % ,,;nutss mast 7. and to hs ~ reoeh Pm