Elijah Dixon writes from prison – possibly to his wife – 19 September 1817 (HO 42/170 f242)
Transcript
My Dear Girl
My earnest desire and prayer to God is that you faint not on account of my affliction and consequently your resignation to the Divine will, gives me the most heartfelt joy.
With regard to those who through ignorance or any other cause are mine enemies, I heartily forgive them, and if I have given any person just cause to be offended I shall be sorry for it whenever that offence shall be pointed out to me.
However, as far as respects the crime on suspicion of which I am here detained a close prisoner, I am fully confident, that I shall be able to prove myself completely innocent if ever I should be brought to the test.
But as I apprehend, I am detained more from motives of state policy than from any solid evidence that can brought against me in support of high treason, I am sorry that ministers, should think it necessary to keep so poor and obscure an individual as I am, either as a terror to others or on account of any weight that I have given to the legal opposition which the people have made to their measures.
I will always protest against all violent and unlawful measures both in my family, and amongst all who know me, you and they very well know. If I have been to blame, it is I think in continuing to support the peaceable petitions of the people for parliamentary reform, when as it appears from recent events they were pre-determined not to listen to those petitions.
I am very sorry to hear my Father is indisposed, but hope he will soon be better.