s, so well, that he could hardly
make his pen write the words of truth and soberness on such
occasions. Mr. Boswell read several extracts from Sir Francis'
despatches to Lord Glenelg, which were in direct opposition to the
extracts read by Mr. Macdonald. A gentleman whispered to me that
anything (no matter what) could be proved from Sir Francis'
writings and sayings. In reply to the Attorney-General, Mr.
Macdonald said:--That if the suspicion of treasonable motives and
doings in others, and not informing or using prompt measures to
correct or prevent what might follow, was treason, then Sir Francis
was the greatest traitor in the country, for he said he knew all
about the proposed outbreak. Mr. Boswell said, that after Sir
Francis had seen the "Declaration," and had taken the advice of the
Attorney-General, he had sent a despatch to the Colonial Secretary
declaring that there was nothing treasonable in the country; that
everything was as it should be! To demonstrate this, he had sent
away all the troops. Thus, you see, the two lawyers made poor Sir
Francis prove everything.

The jury returned with a verdict of "not guilty," which caused
great cheering, and which could not be suppressed for some time.
Several of the jury were warm Tories, but they acquitted the
Doctor.

In another letter to Dr. Ryerson, his brother John gives an account of
the efforts made to induce Sir George Arthur, the new Governor, to
commute the sentence of Lount and Mathews. He says:--

I have signed a petition for the mitigation of Lount and Mathews'
punishment, as did Brother William. I have just seen Rev. James
Richardson, who has been with Lount and Mathews. Mathews professed
to have found peace. Lount is earnestly seeking. A good deal of
feeling has been excited respecting the execution of these
unfortunate men. A petition signed by 4,000 persons in their behalf
was presented to His Excellency. It was agreed that Rev. Mr. Brough
(Church of England minister from Newmarket) and I should go and
present the Toronto petition, and that we should seek a private
interview with him. Instead of having a private interview, we were
called into the Council Chamber in the presence of the Executive
Council. This was rather embarrassing to me, as I did not wish to
say what I had intended t