and did not try to hinder them; and he further said, that he believed Mr. Hubbard was a bad man, or words to that effect.' A confession was then written for Mr. Berry and read to him. He objected to it. It was altered once and again, till he ceased to object. It was then rewritten by me in its new form, and read to him; he read it also himself, and handed it to his two witnesses, who observed that they thought it would do. An hour's delay was then requested to send for Mr. Braman; to which I objected, on account of my desire to leave Middleton as soon as possible, and because he knew of the whole business before, and had had sufficient time, from the date of my note till the next morning, to send for Braman; and because if Braman should deny, Col. Putnam's certificate was sufficient; and because I could obtain more like evidence from other persons. After I read the certificate of Col. Putnam, Berry seemed to be alarmed and agitated. The fear that Mr. Braman would appear against him, could not have created this alarm; for Berry had declared at the time, that Mr. Braman had told him, that he would not testify that he (Berry) had called my moral character bad. Confident as was Berry of this, what ground had he for fear from this quarter? He could not suppose that I should change the determination of Braman; nor had Berry any reason to think, that Braman's testimony, in a court of law, would be against him. What becomes then of Braman's declaration in the Review, with respect to the wringing process? Berry, agitated as he is represented, had presence of mind enough to solicit of me, immediately after signing his confession, a certificate that I would not prosecute for the affair, and I gave him one to this effect, of which I have a copy. Disordered as his nervous system is represented to have been, I was told, that he had taken an active part in religious meetings, at or near the time of my visit to Middleton. That Mr. Braman and Mr. Berry were both in fear of a legal prosecution I have no doubt. It was Col. Putnam's certificate that satisfied Berry he could make no further excuse. I demanded of him no more than reasonable satisfaction, and the presence of twenty such men as the Rev. Mr. Braman would not have induced me to relax in my demand.

EBENEZER HHBBARD."

Now what becomes of Braman's account of the extorted confession? I am very sorry that Christians should be found in such inextricable difficulties. Comments are unnecessary. But to make the whole affair still plainer, and my case still stronger, I will give you another extract from a statement of the Rev. Mr. Hubbard.

"I wrote a letter to Mr. Braman, dated January 26, 1829, and stated what Mr. Payson had done, and observed that the gentlemen in Middleton, with whom originated the calumnies, must give me redress or suffer the penalty of the law. I would here observe, that as yet I had had no communication with Berry on this subject. I also earnestly

requested Mr. Braman to visit Middleton, and inquire of respectable people into my character, and to ascertain what confidence ought to be placed in the reports against me, and observed that if he would do this, I trusted he might be able to send me a more ample testimony of my innocence than he had given in his certificate of Dec. 23, 1828. He wrote to me soon after, and sent me the certificate, which expressed the earnestness with which he was pressed for information about me at Andover, and also his full belief of the falsehood of the reports, and his sorrow that he had been the instrument of their circulation. In my letter, I complained to him of his too hasty confidence in Berry. In his answer he states a number of reasons, why he thought he ought to place such confidence in him; such as that he thought him a friend of religion, and that he was employed to board the ministers who preached in Middleton; and then observed, that Berry was desirous to settle with me, and that he had no doubt I could settle to my satisfaction and the satisfaction of my people.

"It appears, then, that Mr. Braman had not only referred me to Mr. Berry as his informer, when I visited him on December 23, 1828, but had also acknowledged the same in a letter to me, by giving reasons for his confidence in him, and asserting that Berry was desirous to settle with me. Now, why these declarations of Braman in the Review, if Berry had told him nothing against my moral character? Will Mr. Braman pretend, that the reports did not affect my moral character? What does he say in the published confession? What then is his declaration to the Reviewer, but a play upon words? According to his letter, and confession, and previous declaration to me, those reports were certainly considered by him, as injurious to my moral character. What he asserts then in his letter to the Reviewer, and what he calls an unfounded statement, is simply this; that he never told me, that Berry had said any thing to him against my moral character. Previous to my settlement with Berry, the gentleman of North Reading, who visited Braman with me, informed me, that Braman had visited him to obtain his testimony, that he (Braman) never told me, in his presence, that Berry told him (Braman) that my moral character was bad; and he declared to Braman that he could give no such testimony. This is the witness of whom Braman speaks in his communication to the Reviewer. I perfectly remember the declaration of Braman to me at our first interview. After he had referred me to Mr. Berry as his informer, while we were both standing near to each other before the fire, I asked him this question, 'Did the stories you heard from Mr. Berry lead you to think that my moral character was bad?' 'Yes,' was his answer. EBENEZER HUBBARD."

In confirmation of Mr. Hubbard's statements, I present you with the following certificates from three of the most respectable gentlemen in Middleton. I would here observe, that most of my certificates in

this whole business are from orthodox individuals, and all of them from persons of the first respectability.

"This certifies that we were present at an interview between Mr. Washington Berry of Middleton and Rev. E. Hubbard of Lunenburg, one of us at the request of Mr. Berry, and the other at the request of Mr. Hubbard and of Mr. Berry, some time in April, 1829; and that we recollect that, when a paper was presented to said Berry, with the remark from Mr. Hubbard, that if he would sign that, their difficulties would be settled; Mr. Berry answered that he could not sign it, because it stated that he had spoken to Mr. Braman against Mr. Hubbard's character, which he had not done, and requested an hour to send for Mr. Braman. Mr. Hubbard objected to the delay because he was in haste to return home, and that now was the time to settle it. Afterward a certificate of Col. Jesse Putnam was read by Mr. Hubbard, and was handed to said Berry, and we do not recollect that he objected to it. This certificate stated that Mr. Berry had spoken against Mr. Hubbard's character in allowing his children to swear, and not hindering them. The aforesaid paper or confession was then altered by said Hubbard till said Berry no longer objected; and then Mr. Hubbard said to Mr. Berry, that, he did not wish him to sign it unless he could do it conscientiously,' or what amounted to this. Mr. Berry then signed it and we attested it. We do not recollect that any severity or harshness of language or manner was exhibited on either side. We thought that Mr. Berry was agitated at the time; what was the cause we knew not, unless it was the fear of a legal prosecution. We further recollect that Mr. Berry invited us to go with him to hear what was said and for no other purpose. This account is, according to the best of our recollection, the truth. EPHRAIM FULLER. "Middleton, April 27, 1831. AMOS BATCHELDER."

"This certifies that I was present a small part of the time of the interview between Mr. Washington Berry and Rev. Mr. Hubbard, an account of which is given in a certificate signed by Col. Amos Batchelder and Mr. Ephraim Fuller, both of this town, which certificate I have read, and that, as far as I can now recollect, what is stated in said certificate with respect to Mr. Hubbard's reading a paper or confession to Mr. Berry, and Mr. Berry's objecting to it, and wishing to send and get up Mr. Braman, and Mr. Hubbard's objecting to this wish of Mr. Berry on account of his hurry to return home, is substantially true. I also say that to the best of my recollection I understood said Berry to say, that .he had not injured said Hubbard's moral character that he knew of. I also say, that, to the best of my recollection, what Mr. Hubbard said to Mr. Berry with respect to his signing said confession, if he could not do it conscientiously, as this is stated in the said certificate of said Fuller and Batchelder, is also true. I also thought that Mr. Berry

was agitated at the time; from what cause I know not, unless it was the fear of a legal prosecution. ANDREW MERRIAM.

"Middleton, April 28, 1831."

"This certifies that at the request of Rev. Ebenezer Hubbard, and Col. Amos Batchelder and Mr. Ephraim Fuller, who were the two witnesses to Washington Berry's confession to said Hubbard, I went to Mr. Washington Berry this day and expressed a wish that he would attend a meeting between the abovementioned persons for the purpose of giving a true statement with respect to what took place at the time when said Berry made his confession to said Hubbard, and that said Berry declined going. DAVID S. WILKINS.

"Middleton, April 27, 1831."

I think you must now be satisfied that Braman's statement is altogether incorrect. I would merely communicate a very curious item of intelligence in connexion with this affair. Soon after Berry's confession was given, a list of certificates nearly one yard in length was obtained, from his brother, Mr. Braman, and other orthodox ministers, declaring that they had never heard Berry charge Mr. Hubbard with immorality. This curious document was carried into Lunenburg by Mr. Payson, and left with an individual for exhibition. It has lately been brought to light, and serves to disclose the iniquity of the principal actors in this scene of persecution. I forbear to dwell upon the various disclosures that have been made to me during my investigation of this business.

Now let us attend to Mr. Putnam's account of Mr. Payson's confession. He asserts, that "it was on the ground of this evidence, and this alone, and not by the 'terrors of the civil law,' that Mr. Payson expressed his belief that these statements were incorrect." He also states that "the very object of this part of the paper" (the italicized words in Payson's confession) "was to show that Mr. Payson's statements had been greatly magnified; and that reports had been circulated very different from what he stated. From some cause or other, Mr. Hubbard objected to this form, and would not be satisfied without the additional words, which, in the original draft, are interlined after the word me, viz. from misapprehension or any other cause, though I would not implicate any one individual.'" Both of these statements are proved incorrect by the following certificates.

"I hereby certify, that some time before Mr. Payson made his confession to Mr. Hubbard, he came to my house, and asked my wife, if she knew the consequence of an oath. She answered, 'I hope I am not ignorant of that; and I am sure I reported nothing but what I heard you say.' Mr. Payson then said, 'You was not in the room all the time.' She said, 'When I went out of the room, you was talking about what means we must take to prevent Mr. Hubbard's settlement; and when I returned, you were conversing on the same subject.'

EDMUND PROCTOR.'

"Mr. Proctor and wife were orthodox, and considered as friends of Mr. Payson. EBENEZER HUBBARD."

"Be it known to all whom it may concern, that we were present, when Rev. Mr. Payson of Leominster made his confession to Rev. Mr. Hubbard of this town, and were witnesses to his signature of the same; and we perfectly recollect, that when the said confession was forming, Mr. Payson wished to insert a sentence that went to impeach the veracity of Edmund and Elizabeth Proctor, and that, Mr. Hubbard objecting to this, the following sentence was substituted by Mr. Payson, with the consent of Mr. Hubbard -'from misapprehension or any other cause, though I would not implicate any one individual.'

"We further recollect, that when Mr. Hubbard observed to Mr. Payson, that he owed it to his character as a Christian to express his sorrow for having injured him, he declined to do it. And from the conduct and conversation of Mr. Payson, during this transaction, we were led to the conclusion, that Mr. Payson made and signed the confession, as a choice of evils, and without any change of opinion with respect to the reports he had circulated. And we further recollect, that after the confession was signed, Mr. Payson insisted that the matter should be put at rest, and not be made public; and Mr. Hubbard observed, that he had no inclination nor desire to injure Mr. Payson's character, and would not make the transaction public any further than was necessary for his own justification, to counteract the false reports which Mr. Payson had been the means of putting in circulation, destructive of his moral and ministerial character. And we also declare, that the circulation of copies of Mr. Payson's confession, in this and the neighbouring towns, was called for by a knowledge of the fact, that Mr. Payson's friends were industriously circulating a report that no such confession was made and signed by him.

"Lunenburg, March 24, 1831.

ESEK WHITING.

WILLIAM HARRINGTON."

"The account given in this certificate, of the interview between Mr. Payson and myself, at the time of the signing of his acknowledgment, is strictly true. EBENEZER HUBBARD."

For the present I leave this case. I have fully and conclusively established the truth of every important position in my original statement. Have I not also fully and thoroughly refuted the assertions of Messrs. Putnam and Braman in your Review? If you wish for more evidence on any point, let me know it, and it shall be forth coming. I am sorry to be obliged to prove the declarations of orthodox ministers to be false; but you have compelled me. I can assure you that I have by no means employed all the proof now in my possession. If, after perusing all the above documents, any one can be in doubt respecting the motives