applications, he at length proposed that my wife and youngest daughter should come on to “Washington to do the business which he had undertaken, and for which he had secured a handsome payment in advance.  They came on accordingly, and, by personal application, succeeded in obtaining, in all, the signatures of twenty-one out of forty-one, the whole number.  The reception which they met with from different parties was very different, showing that there is among slave-holders as much variety of character as among other people.  Some signed with alacrity, saying that, as no slaves had been lost, I had been kept in jail too long already.  Others required much urging.  Others positively refused.  Some even added insults.  Young Francis Dodge, of Georgetown, would not sign, though my life had depended upon it.  One wanted me hung, and another tarred and feathered.  One pious church-member, lying on his death-bed, as he supposed, was persuaded to sign; but he afterwards drew back, and nothing could prevail on him to put his name to the paper.  Die or live, he wholly refused.  But the most curious case occurred at Alexandria, to which place my wife went to obtain the signature of a pious old lady, who had been the claimant of a youngster found among the passengers of the Pearl, and who had been sold, in consequence, for the southern market.  The old lady, it appeared, was still the owner of the boy’s mother, who acted as one of her domestics, and, if she was willing, the old lady professed her readiness to sign.  The black woman was accordingly called in, and the nature of my wife’s application stated to her.  But, with much positiveness and indignation, she refused to give her consent, declaring that my wife could as well do without her husband as she could do without her boy.  So imbruted and stupefied by slavery was this old woman, that she seemed to think the selling her boy away from her a perfectly humane, Christian and proper act, while all her indignation was turned against me, who had merely afforded the boy an opportunity of securing his freedom!  I dare say they had persuaded the old woman that I had enticed the boy to run away; whereas, as I have already stated, I had never seen him, nor any other of the passengers, till I found them on board.

As only twenty-one signers could be obtained, the matter stood very much as it did before the attempt was made.  So long as President Fillmore remained a candidate for reelection there was little ground to expect from him a favorable consideration of my case.  I therefore felt sincerely thankful to the Whig convention when they passed by Mr. Fillmore, and gave the nomination to General Scott.  Mr. Fillmore being thus placed in a position which enabled him to listen to the dictates of reason, justice and humanity, my hopes, and those of my friends, were greatly raised.  Mr. Sumner, the Free Democratic senator from Massachusetts, had visited me in prison shortly after his arrival at Washington, and had evinced