REV. AMMI ROGERS, A. M. A CLERGYMAN OF THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH, EDUCATED AT YALE COLLEGE, IN CONNECTICUT; ORDAINED IN TRINITY CHURCH, IN THE CITY OF NEW-YORK; PERSE. CUTED IN THE STATE OF CONNECTICUT, ON ACCOUNT OF RELIGION AND POLITICS, FOR ALMOST TWENTY YEARS; FALSELY ACCUSED AND IMPRISONED in Norwich Jail, for two years, on the charge of crimes said to have been committed in the town of Griswold, in the county of New- London, when he was not within about 100 miles of the place, and of which he was absolutely as innocent as the Late Rector of St. Peter's Church, in Hebron, Tolland Co. Conn. - "Is this nothing to you, all ye that pass by? Behold and see, if Quis talia fando temperet a lacrymis ?"-Virgil.-i. e." Who ELEVENTH EDITION, WITH ADDITIONS, OMISSIONS, AND ALTERATIONS. .......... kl 14988.3, 11 TOWN OF CORINTH TROM THE BEQUEST OF EVERT JANSEN WENDELL Co. of Saratoga, State of N. York, Jan. 18, 1838. [RENEWED 23d JUNE 1841.] We, the undersigned docertify that we reside in the neighborhood of the Rev. Ammi Rogers, and have been personally and well acquainted with him for many years last past, (Mr. Rogers was a settled minister in this county for many years; has resided a great part of the time, and been well known and acquainted in this county for more than forty years last past,') and we do consider him to be a man of truth and veracity, a man of integrity, punctual in his dealings, and, as far as we are acquainted, of good moral character. And we have examined his LETTERS of ORDERS; it appears from them, and from other documents produced by him, that he now is, (January 18, 1838, a minister of the Gospel in the Protestant Episcopal Church, and in good standing. BENJAMIN COWLES, Justice of the Peace. EDWARD EDWARDS, Justice of the Peace, CHARLES CARPENTER, Town Clerk of Corinth. SARATOGA COUNTY, CLERK'S OFFICE. I, Alpheus Goodrich, Clerk of said County of Saratoga, do certify, that Benjamin Cowles, Windsor Brown, Edward Edwards and Obadiah Wood, Esqrs. are at this date acting Justices of the Peace in the town of Corinth in said county. And I further certify that Windsor Brown, Esq. is reputed and believed to be the acting supervisor of the town of Corinth in said county; and further that Charles Carpenter is reputed and believed to be the acting town clerk of the aforesaid town of Corinth, at this date. L S In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and Town of Corinth, County of Saratoga, and State of N. York, ss. We, the undersigned, inhabitants of said Corinth, and residing in the neighborhood of the Rev. Ammi Rogers, do certify that from our own personal knowledge and acquaintance, and from undoubted testimony, we do hereby fully and freely concur and unite in the foregoing certificate relative to the said Ammi Rogers. NATHAN MALLERY,Assessors of the town of Corinth. THOMAS S. CARPENTER, Inspectors of Common Schools in JOHN EARLY, WILLIAM IDE, ELIJAH TRUMBULL, } Corinth. Town of Corinth, April 3, 1838.-I certify that I am personally acquainted with each individual person whose name is subscribed to the foregoing certificate; that they are among the most respectable inhabitants of this town, and that they now do sustain the offices annexed to their names respectively. Certified, CHARLES CARPENTER, Town Clerk of Corinth TO THE READER. WHEN a citizen, by groundless prejudice, by false representations and by palpable perjuries, has been made a victim to eclesiastical denunciations and civil prosecutions; when the privileges arising from civil liberty and religious freedom have been wrested from him, he still has one privilege left, the privilege of complaining. A statement of his case, and an appeal to the public, is the dernier resort of an injured man; such an appeal supported by satisfactory evidence, secures a sentence in favour of the oppressed. To disregard such a sentence would not be just, and even if it were just, it would not be possible. There has been, for years past, much animadversion on the union of Church and State. I have practically felt the operation of this two fold chord which is now happily broken in Connecticut, and which has almost prostrated me in the destruction of it. But I still survive, and amidst the heavy artillery of a departed Bishop, and the art machinations and cruel batteries of a Connecticut State Attorney, I have been sustained by a consciousness of my innocence, and by the blessing of that merciful Being "who tempers the wind to the short. lamb," I live to make this my last effort through the press, which, Heaven be praised, is still untrammelled, to evince my innocence and my integrity. Equal justice is due to all men, and the lovers of truth are so far the lovers of God. I cannot therefore but indulge the hope, that an enlightened and compassionate public will give the following pages an attentive reading, and an impartial consideration. To render railing for railing is no part of my profession, and to expose the real faults of my fellow-citizens is no pleasure to me, and I intend not to do it, any further forth, than a religious regard to duty shall compel me. All human tribunals, whether civil or eclesiastical, may and do err, and that which has been solemnly approved and sanctioned at one time has been no less solemnly disproved and discarded at another But without referring to former examples, those of a recent date will serve my purpose In the year 1819, Stephen and Jesse Bourn were ar rested, tried and condemned, in the State of Vermont, for the murder of one Colvin, the time and place of their execution was appointed, and no doubt of their guilt was indulged but behold, just before the hour of their execution arrived, the said Colvin returned home hearty and well, and had not been injured! Here was much smoke but no fire -no murder, no crime had been committed on the said Colvin, or on any other person by any one. In the year 1820, John C. Decker and Gideon Braman were arrested, tried and condemned to hard labour in the State Prison of New-York during their natural lives, for a burglary committed in Kinderhook; and after having been confined and laboured there about four months, it was undeniably proved that the said burglary was committed by George Lanman, and that they were entirely ignorant and innocent of the whole transaction. They were released and Lanman is now in their place. Here again was smoke but no fire, as it respected them. It is not long, since Joseph Inman was arrested, tried and condemned to be hung within the jurisdiction of Massachusetts for the murder of Oliver Holmes: but before the time of execution arrived, Judge Arnold, in passing through the town of Dedham, or its vicinity, met the said Holmes on the road, hearty and well, had not been injured. The Judge knew him, took him into his carriage, conveyed him to the proper authority, and saved the life of the said Inman. It is not long, since a man of East Hartford was arrested, tried before the Superior Court of Connecticut for forging a note; he was declared guilty, condemned and imprisoned in Newgate. But it was afterwards proved that the said note was forged by one Peck, and that he was innocent of the crime; he was released and Peck run away. It is not long since two men by the name of Snow were arrested, in the County of Windham and State of Connecticut, for burning a paper mill in that place. They were tried before the Superior Court, declared guilty, and sentenced to imprisonment in Newgate state prison, in Simsbury mines, for life, and there they both died, constantly protesting their innocence to their last breath; and it is |