28
as they were not, and as the whole transaction occupied but a moment of time, being scarcely sooner began than ended, had they known what was going on, they could not possibly have prevented it—& as to their being parties to it, and approving it, because they happened to be in sight, it might be said as truly, that the crowd that stood on the bank, last Spring, and saw the Squaw quarrelling with Higgins, and strike him with the axe, were accomplices in his death.
Another statement wholly false, is, that the party rendezvoused at the Attorney General's office. If they had done so, it would only have shown more clearly their heedlessness and indiscretion; but there is not a word of truth in the assertion. It is well known that the Attorney General's residence is a mile from his office, which he, therefore, does not see, except in office hours, and which might be used by any Clerk who keeps the key of it, without the knowledge of the Attorney General, for any purpose. But the truth is, it was neither used nor intended to be used on this occasion as a place of rendezvous, any more than the office of the Canadian Freeman—not one of the party had been in it, or came from it—and the whole foundation for the story is, that some of the young men were seen to come past it, and from that direction, as others did past other houses in the other street. The office, however, was all the while locked up and fastened; and the Attorney General, I dare say, at his dinner, at the other end of the Town, knowing as much of what was doing as Mr. Mackenzie, who was at Lewiston.
As to my own conduct and motives—I confess the want of prudence—the impropriety, of the former—I cannot, and do not admit, the impropriety of the latter. I feel now, and I felt it as strongly after an hour's reflection, that what we did was wrong—and I regret it.—It was infringing the peace of Society, and taking the Law into our own hands; and, it was setting an exam-
