años antes de la impresión de aquel libro, había circulado en los periódicos por todas las entonces colonias, por las revistas de la Gran Bretaña y las publicaciones periódicas de Europa. Durante veintitrés años pasó sin contradicción; ni jamás se sospechó siquiera que admitiera contradicción. En 1797, sin embargo, por primera vez, no solo se afirmó en los papeles públicos que todo el suceso referente a Logan era falso, sino que se sugirió que el discurso mismo era una falsificación, e incluso una falsificación mía, para ayudarme a probar que el hombre de América era igual en cuerpo y en mente al hombre de Europa. Pero ¿a qué la falsificación?; ya fuera la de Logan o la mía, seguiría habiendo sido americana. Yo consultaría en verdad mi propia fama si se permitiera creer la insinuación de que este discurso es mío. Tendría un justo derecho a estar orgulloso quien pudiera reivindicar con verdad esa composición. Pero no es mía; y se la cedo a quien le pertenece.
On feeing then, that this tranfa6lion was brought into queftion, I thought it my duty to make particular enquiry into its foundation.
It was the more my duty, as it was alledged that, c * by afcribing to an individual therein named, a participation in the murder of Logan's family, I had done an injury to his character, which it had not deferved.
I had no knowledge per- fonally of that individual. I had no reafon to aim an injury at him. I only repeated what I had heard from others, and what thoufands had heard and believed as well as myfelf ; and which no one indeed, till then, had been known to queftion.
Twenty-three years had now elapfed, fmce the tranfadlion took place. Many of those acquainted with it were dead, and the living difperfed to very diftant parts of the earth. Few of them were even known to me.
To those however of whom I knew, I made application by letter; and fome others, moved by a regard for truth and juftice, were kind enough to come forward, of themfelves, with their teftimony.