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[Page 3]
[endeavour]ing to stir up witnesses against me, the only information I have been able to procure, is, that the person who has commenced the prosecution has tampered with the old, and the young with the high and the low, to vamp up some circumstances that would suit the malevolence of his designs.
Gentlemen, I must beg to call your attention generally to the evidences produced, more especially to the apparent contradiction in the evidences of Mr. Keltie, the Master, and Mr. Queade, the Surgeon's mate, relative to compelling Lieut.t Frazier to do his duty, when his leg was reported by the Surgeon to be in so bad a state. I also particularly solicit your notice to the evidence of Lieut.t Pascoe, who positively states, that with a single exception, he has never heard me make use of the violent language with which I am charged, I submit therefore Mr. President and the Members of this Honorable Court, that if such language had been made use of by me, whether it was possible, that from his situation in the Ship, being signal officer, he must not at times, at least, have heard it.
Painful as it ever must be to honorable feelings to become the object of public arraignment, and doubly poignant when accused of offences inimical to civilized society; yet it is an inexpressible consolation to be convinced that my cause is in the hands of upright and impartial judges. I shall not procrastinate the investigation by any needless animadversion on the moral deportment or qualifications of my prosecutor, nor of either