and the actual facts, and especially between his account of
Mary Prince's character and his own conduct in regard to her. He has now
to produce such a statement as will acquit him not only in the opinion of
Sir Patrick Ross, but of the British public. And in this position he has
spontaneously placed himself, in attempting to destroy, by his deliberate
criminatory letter, the poor woman's fair fame and reputation,--an attempt
but for which the present publication would probably never have appeared.

* * * * *

Here perhaps we might safely leave the case to the judgment of the public;
but as this negro woman's character, not the less valuable to her because
her condition is so humble, has been so unscrupulously blackened by her
late master, a party so much interested and inclined to place her in the
worst point of view,--it is incumbent on me, as her advocate with the
public, to state such additional testimony in her behalf as I can fairly
and conscientiously adduce.

My first evidence is Mr. Joseph Phillips, of Antigua. Having submitted to
his inspection Mr. Wood's letter and Mary Prince's narrative, and
requested his candid and deliberate sentiments in regard to the actual
facts of the case, I have been favoured with the following letter from him
on the subject:--

"London, January 18, 1831.

"Dear Sir,

"In giving you my opinion of Mary Prince's narrative, and of
Mr. Wood's letter respecting her, addressed to Mr. Taylor, I
shall first mention my opportunities of forming a proper
estimate of the conduct and character of both
parties.

"I have known Mr. Wood since his first arrival in Antigua in
1803. He was then a poor young man, who had been brought up
as a ship carpenter in Bermuda. He was afterwards raised to
be a clerk in the Commissariat department, and realised
sufficient capital to commence business as a merchant. This
last profession he has followed successfully for a good many
years, and is understood to have accumulated very
considerable wealth. After he entered into trade, I had
constant intercourse with him in the way of business; and in
1824 and 1825, I was regularly employed on his premises as
his clerk; consequently, I had opportunities of seeing a
good deal of his character both as a merchant, and as a
master of slaves. The former topic I pass over as irrelevant