I did it as a favor, and kept the note in my possession, until about a year afterward, when I sued him to recover my just due on the note.

We had then began to differ in our public business, which led to other differences in our transaction of both public and private matters relating to the colony.

He of course gave bail for his appearance at court, and it ran along for some time until he found he could not bribe me to enter into his interests, and then for the first time, he declared that I had stolen the note! And finally succeeded in getting me indicted before the grand jury! In this I suppose Lewis and his confederates had two objects: first, to get rid of me; secondly, that they might have a chance to account for my continued hostility, by saying that it arose in consequence of a private quarrel, and not for any true interest I had in their collecting money deceptively.
Lewis appeared so bent on my destruction, that he forgot it was in my power to show how I came by the note.

The Court of King's Bench met, but in consequence of the cholera, was adjourned, and of course, the case must lie over until another year.
When the time for the trial drew near, I was, in the midst of my preparations to attend it, counseled and advised by different persons to flee from the country, which I had labored so hard and so conscientiously to benefit, and received in return nothing but detraction and slander.

But conscious of my innocence, I declared I would not leave; I knew I had committed no crime; I had violated no law of the land,--and I would do nothing to imply guilt.