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In 1849 a difficulty arose in the prosecution of a liquor seller -- a Justice came from a neighboring town to try the case, because the local magistrates of Augusta would not paddle in such dirty puddles. The Justice was openly assaulted and cowhided, and this drew out the sense of the people. A meeting was held at the Court House to express their indignation of the affair. Dr. Bates was chosen chairman of the committee on resolutions, and he gave a grand flourish to show his patriotism. I will copy two of them.

"Resolved -- that the true object of Government is to promote the welfare of the citizen, and to secure to him the peaceful and uninterrupted enjoyment of those means of happiness to which he is naturally and legitimately entitled, and that its power and stability depend upon the sober and inflexible determination of the people to maintain the supremacy and dignity of popular enactment.

Resolved -- That the security of person and of property, and the unmolested discharge of individual and social duties, rest upon the protection which the law affords to the people, and upon the certainty of its rigid and impartial administration; and that it is the duty of every citizen to uphold those who are charged with its enforcement, and to frown upon and firmly resist every attempt to pervert the ends of justice, whether made by a secret, cowardly and deceitful connivance at deeds of lawlessness, or by more open exhibitions of degrading ruffianism."

Here is sentiment! Plato, Demosthenes, Cicero, -- none of the ancients as far as I have searched the records, have ever been enabled to embody a stronger contempt and abhorrence of all those who, by brutal force, attempt to divest glorious man of his inalienable rights! But unfortunately for rhyme and reason, justice and truth, Dr. Bates has not given the world, and myself in particular, the slightest cause to believe that, like the Romans or Thebans, he ever practices what he preaches ! If he can find a man, like old Diogenes at noon day, take his candle and go groping about for that purpose, sane or insane, personally acquainted with him, willing to believe on oath or otherwise, that he values at a pin's fee the sacred rights, feelings, sanity, peace spiritual, or temporal welfare of man or woman under his charge then will I be content to renounce my faith in a just God, and turn Pagan, and never again call myself an American citizen or a Christian ! for those resolutions beat the hypocrites of old, who refused to eat with publicans and sinners.

Before the committee of investigation the most strenuous exertions were persisted in by Reuel Williams one of the trustees, and Dr. Bates, to have them believe that I was still an insane man; still laboring under such fallacious hallucinations, as to make me more a subject for the cells of their Prison of woe (!) than serious consideration. But Reuel Williams got his gruel well sweetened from Mr Burnham, one of the committee. It came about thus:

During the investigation, while I was recapitulating my charges in which I stated that Dr. Bates himself was a mad man, an insane man, according to his own theories of madness, inasmuch as it was notorious that he possessed a most violent and ungovernable temper, was fretful and irritable, allowing his anger to so overcome him that he was indeed the last man in the world to superintend the madness of others, I was asked by Mr. Burnham to name a few cases in point. I cited one in my own case. Then Reuel Williams arose and said that as one of the trustees he had no idea of being arraigned there, at the instigation of an insane man, when he had devoted his time and his money to build and sustain that Institution, and when he, as one of the trustees, was perfectly satisfied that every thing was done that could be done by the officers, for the proper managment of that Institution.

Thereupon Mr. Burnham arose, and said that Mr. Willams had not only insulted him, but all the rest of that committee through him, in setting himself up above the authority of that Legislative body, and denying their right to investigate the management and affairs of their Institution, built at an expense to the State of $150,000. He said, "I wish that gentleman to understand that neither his immense wealth, station, influence or power, should deter him, as one of that committee, and of the Legislature, from the full exercise of his duty; and he for one should never submit to his dictation!" Mr. Williams did not expect such a reception as that, and offered many apologies for the insult to the committee.

Mr. Hussey, a man engaged at the Institution as a man of all work in repair, stated a case of abuse that he had witnessed, and was badgered and brow beat by Mr. Williams, whose whole object appeared to be to invalidate Mr. Hussey's testimony. Failing in this he came down a peg or two, by inquiring why he, as a humane man, had not reported the case to the officers? Mr. Hussey replied that he kept quiet to keep peace in the Institution, if possible. He knew that if he reported the facts to the officers it would create a fuss, a perfect jargon. Some would side with him, and some with the others, and the result would be that he should be called a tattler and tale bearer, and he never would submit to bear such a reputation as that; and that was the reason why he did not report it.