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but we were not suffered to wait for them. None of those polite gentlemen expressed any concern, lest the ladies, heated by the crowd in the Lobby, should catch cold; or offered to send for our accommodations from home. True politeness, that politeness which arises from a polished understanding and an humane and good heart, would have shown some solicitude about ladies, thus singularly frightened, who could not possibly be involved in the atrocious guilt of my horrible democratical discourse. But no—the tall officer had said, ' Go along after your husband, and be d—d;' and perhaps humanity or common civility from any of the shorter officers, after that order, might have been construed mutiny.
"As we passed along the street musing on the Agreeable Surprise (the drama we went to see), a gentleman, who purposely followed us from the Theatre, came up to me in North Street; and after expressing his indignation at what he termed, in the warmth of first impressions, the cowardly treatment we had received, offered to be a witness, if I chose to bring an action against the offenders. I knew him not. He appeared to be a gentleman, a man of sense, and was of a liberal profession. I thanked him very sincerely; and told him, what was strictly true, that I did not know the name of any of the persons in uniform who had caused the outrage; and that it was too soon at present to come to any determination. He gave me his address, and left me politely; with an assurance that, if called upon, he should come forward with zeal, in the cause of truth and justice, to bear witness against such unmerited insult, injury, and oppression. He felt hurt, as a man, for the ill-usage of me and my family; and, as a Briton, for violated law and liberty. He told me he had been in the camp ; and I was mistaken if I thought that all the officers disapproved my sermon, or would justify the insult that had been offered this night, to punish me for the zeal it |
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