arm, together with about 200 apple trees and as
many peach trees--several of each kind large enough to bear
fruit. And soon after, the "State House" having been consumed by
fire, a project was set on foot to rebuild it by subscription.
Not liking the plan and arrangements, I declined subscribing, and
proposed others, which I thought would be more for the interest
of the State, of the county, and of the town--and which by the
way are now generally admitted would have been best. This however
was immediately laid hold of by some of the factious
Conventionists who being aware that the loss of the State House
would operate to the injury of their favorite measure in _this
county_, and being anxious to display great solicitude for the
interest of the people here, and that too, as much as possible at
the expense of the anti-Conventionists, they busied themselves in
misrepresenting to the multitude my reasons and motives for not
subscribing my name to their paper, and with the aid of large
potions of whiskey, contrived to get up a real _vandal_ mob, who
vented their spleen against me, in the most noisy and riotous
manner, nearly all night, for my opposition to a convention and
for my refusal as they termed it, to rebuild the State House. All
this and other instances of defamation and persecution, create in
my bosom opposite feelings; one of pain, the other of pleasure.
Pain to see my fellow man so ill-natured and vindictive merely
because I am the friend of my species, and am opposed to one
portion oppressing another--pleasure that I should be in a
situation which enables me to render services to the just and
good cause in which we are engaged; and so far from repining at
these indignities and persecutions, I am thankful to Providence
for placing me in the van of this eventful contest, and giving me
a temper, zeal, and resolution which I trust will enable me to
bear with fortitude the peltings which are inseparable from it.
In conclusion, I pray you to do me the justice to believe, that
no dread of personal consequences will ever abate my efforts to
promote the good of the public, much less to abandon the great
fundamental principles of civil and personal liberty--and to be
assured of my sincere friendship.

EDWARD COLES.