"Excellent! "delicacy to a lady"s feelings!!" we are absorbed in an exclamation of wonder; the _delicate_ name, in a matter of such vast importance, as that which affects the _truth_ of the slanderous tale, cannot be mentioned!
"Therefore, "we, the subscribers," "Brownlee, Sloc.u.m, Brace, Fanshaw, Belden, Wesson, and Hogan," rest the weight of their authority upon the "delicacy" of a nameless "lady"s feelings.""
Now here Mr. Sh.e.l.lner pretends that the witness was not accessible, and leaves it in doubt, whether the subscribers, (men of known character and unimpeachable veracity.) knew any thing of her. Yet it was expressly stated by them that she was known, and that any reasonable inquiries would be readily answered. (See p. 249.)
I have no intention of attempting to enforce the evidence presented in the testimonials just given. I shall leave every reader to form his own conclusions independently and dispa.s.sionately. I could easily say things likely to excite the feelings of every one who peruses these pages--but I prefer to persist in the course I have thus far pursued, and abstain from all exciting expressions. The things I declare are sober realities, and nothing is necessary to have them so received, but that the evidence be calmly laid before the public.
I will make one or two suggestions here, for the purpose of directing attention to points of importance, though one or two of them have been already touched upon.
1st. One of the six affidavits was given by Dr. Robertson, and the remaining five were sworn to before him.
2d. The witnesses speak of interviews with me, on two of the most distressing days of my life. Now let the reader refer to those affidavits and then say, whether any expressions which they may have misunderstood, or any which may have been fabricated for me, (as I strongly suspect must have been the fact with some,) ought to destroy my character for credibility; especially when I appeal to evidence so incontestible as an inspection of the nunnery, and my opponents shrink from it. Let the reader observe also, that in the interviews spoken of in the affidavits, no third person is commonly spoken of as present; while those who are named are most of them inimical to me.
3d. All the testimony in the affidavits is aimed to destroy my character, and to prevent me from receiving any credit as a witness. Not a bit of it meets the charges I make against the priests and nuns. If they had proved that I never was in the nunnery, that, indeed would set aside my testimony: but failing to do [illegible], the attempt goes far to set their own aside.
Having now fairly shown my readers what reception my first edition met with, both from enemies and friends, I proceed to the "Sequel" of my narrative.
THE END.