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that his only object is to come at the truth, and in the pursuit of that object, he would not employ as an Agent an acknowledged and aroused enemy of the partly changed I stand pledged to the Government to my friend and the public to prove (altho' a negative) that I had not Interest or concern directly or indirectly in the purchase and introduction of the african spoken of and that pledge I will redeem. All I ask is time to collect the testimony necessary to establish the fact. Tat fact can only be know positively by the parties who made the purchase and myself were they to withhold their evidence, I should have nothing to rely upon but circumstances, but delicate as the case is, & it certainly is a delicate one, to ask a man for evidence in a case which may eliminate himself, yet I have found no objection on that score, the Gentleman will declare the truth at age risks. Two Gentlemen whose testimony I consider as very important for me are in Tennessee, to who, in the first instance I wrote and not receiving an answer in the time expected have sent to them. I have received assurances of their willingness to State their