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Even Christ himself bore this badge of a Reformer, simply because he uttered truths which conflicted with the established religion of the church of his day. And shall I repine because I am called insane for the same reason?

It was the spirit of bigotry which led the intolerant Jews to stigmatize Christ as a madman, because he expressed opinions differing from their own. And it is this same spirit of bigotry which has been thus intolerant towards me.

In my opinion bigotry is the most implacable, unreasonable, unmerciful feeling that can possess the human soul.

And it is my fervent prayer that the eyes of this Government may be opened to see wherein the laws do not now protect or shield married woman from this same extreme manifestation of it, such as it has been my sad lot to endure, as the result of this legalized Persecution.

CHAPTER XXII.
Testimonials.

That principle of self-defense, which depends wholly on certificates and testimonials, instead of the principle of right truth and justice, is not able to survive the shock which the revelation of truth brings against it.

A lie, however strongly fortified by testimonials and certificates, can never be transformed into a truth. Neither can the truth, however single and isolated, and alone, be its condition, ever be transformed into a lie, nor crushed out of existence.

No, the truth will stand alone and unsupported. Its own weight, simply, gives it firmness to resist all shocks brought against it, to produce its overthrow. Like the house built upon a rock, it needs no props, no certificates to sustain it. Storms of the bitterest persecution may beat piteously upon it, but they cannot overthrow it, for its foundation is the rock of eternal truth.

But a lie is like the house built upon the sand. While it does stand, it needs props or certificates on all sides to sustain it. And it cannot even resist the effect of a ventilating breeze upon it, for it must and will fall, with all its accumulated props, before one searching investigation; and the more props it has so much the more devastation is caused by its overthrow.

In view of the facts and principles upon which this narrative is based, I feel sure that the array of sophisms which this conspiracy may attempt to marshal against it, will only be like arguing the sun out of the heavens at noonday.

And although my cause, being based in eternal truth, does not depend upon certificates and testimonials to sustain it, and stands therefore in no need of them; yet, as they are sometimes called for, as a confirmation of my statements, I have asked for just such testimonials as the following gentlemen felt self-moved to give me.

I needed no testimonials while prosecuting my business in Illinois, for the facts of the case were so well known there by the papers reporting my trial so generally. I needed no other passport to the confidence of the public.

But when I came to Boston to commence my business in Massachusetts, being an entire stranger there, I found the need of some credentials or testimonials in confirmation of my strange and novel statements. And it was right and proper, under such circumstances, that I should have them.

I therefore wrote to Judge Boardman and Hon. S. S. Jones, my personal friends, in Illinois, and told them the difficulty I found in getting my story believed, and asked them to send me anything in the form of a certificate, that they in their judgment felt disposed to send me, that might help me in surmounting this obstacle.

Very promptly did these gentlemen respond to my request, and sent me the following testimonials, which were soon printed in several of the Boston papers, with such editorials accompanying them, as gave them additional weight, and influence by securing for me the confidence of the public, in the revelations I had to make in this dark conspiracy.

Judge Boardman is an old and distinguished Judge in Illinois, receiving, as he justly merits, the highest esteem and confidence of his cotemporaries, as a distinguished scholar, an eminent Judge, and a practical Christian.

Mr. Jones is a middle aged man, of the same stamp as the Judge, receiving proof of the esteem in which he is held by cotemporaries, by having been for successive years a Member of the Legislature of that State. He was in that position when he sent me his certificate.

Judge Boardman's Testimonial.

To all persons who would desire to give sympathy and encouragement to a most worthy but persecuted woman!

The undersigned, formerly from the State of Vermont now an old resident of the State of Illinois, would most respectfully and fraternally certify and represent:

That he has been formerly and for many years, associated with the legal profession in Illinois, and is well known in the north-eastern part of said State. That in the duties of his profession and in the offices he has filled, he has frequently investigated, judicially, and otherwise, cases of insanity. That he has given considerable attention to medical jurisprudence, and studied some of the best authors on the subject of insanity; has paid great attention to the principles and philosophy of mind, and therefore would say, with all due modesty, that he verily believes himself qualified to give an opinion entitled to respectful consideration, on the question of the sanity or insanity of any person with whom he may be acquainted.