Introduction

In this short letter, Elisha R. Potter Jr. mentioned that he was having a change of heart about the Algerine law. John Brown Francis never supported the statute. Potter also made reference to the recently published letter by Providence attorney John Whipple.

Letter

As to Mr. Whipples letter he
read it to me before he sent it and asked
me if I agree to it. I answered that
I supposed the facts were as he had got them
down, but as I did not intend to sign any
thing of the sort I did not trouble myself
about the language. You will see that I
was careful to head it “Letter from Mr. Whipple”
when it was published in the papers, which heading
I put on to it.

This storm today has been a
grand thing for the cause of law & order. I
begin to think that your view of what they call
the Algerine law is the right one, that is that it
was impolitic, although at the time of its passage
I thought differently.

The calling out of the militia has
operated against us. At Mumford Mills it was
a complete farce.

Mat. Waite is furious for
prosecuting. He is a grand hand at
drumming folks together to tormenting but
he will ruin any party that he has anything
to do with governing.

If I hear any thing before closing I will add
it to this

Questions

Why do you think Potter refused to sign or be connected with John Whipple’s letter?

Why do you think the “calling out of the militia” went against the Law and Order Party?