■ 1
r
a"a 'auoxjl paper, publilhi-d Wednesdaysand i
n °- "■■ x "»» m»7u.,, ,-srr„,r^ —
[No.
irtox (k' XV...Kii. All DAILY AiJff 'tiii'i Js>£ft
VINDICA TION' of MR. JKFFER.SOK
HAVING concluded in my last, a rep!v to
the l'eve r a! allegations brought forward
against „»Tr. J*.-iter 01;, by a writer under the
fi:»natui*es ofa:i An Amtrwd and Caful/us, and
placed eac'i upon the ground on which it me
tlted to Hand, Inbmitting it refpettiuUy to his
cguntr liien to determine, a:, well upon the
propriety ot* his cmiduft in the pa titulars
- on that <i* the author in trou
•lir.ir him and tliem with the fubjeft, I had
Ik ewifi hoprd that this d'faj>reea!)le business
*ai at an cm!. I aiA happy, however, to ob
serve, t .a! the revival has been upon so li-
I;■ tted ale v, as to preclude theapprehenfion
of ts bsing protracted to any great extent,
t (hall certainly contribute all in my power
to bring it to a ciofe.
The charge of any impropriety on the part
cf M' fan, iotfee fctU'r referred to, re
fctive to the p?p . : v trtflfer Frevch
debt, seems to !>e abandoned or but weaklv
inGfted on, admitting the statement given by
that writer to have been correct. And in
deed it wou d have been difficult longer to
have fiiftained with a judicious and well-in.
formed pnl c,-a:iy plausible argument upon
that ground, after it was efiablifhed, that
the French court and Dutch company
were equaliy anxious for the contract, anil
'itd solicited our approbation of it. For
ftirely, in such an event, we had a right,
and without the fmaileft breach of morality
or deiua 9, to weigh and determine which
ot tlio.e parties it would best suit ns to have
tor creditors - * ,d how could we exercile
such ight 'vv;L.ioi.it caking into view the com
parative merit of the parties, with every p if
fijie contingency that mi c tit, in tle m eft re
m.'te decree, tend to .niect the payment of
the debt ?
The ible object of this last publication, ur
. der the signature of Catullus, seems to be, to
vindicate the author from the c r.jge oi'huv
ing raii'reprefented the c. ntc.,ts oi' Mr. Jcf-
i^r : v,| rl,e MMtifi, of
an oiikial itaiuin, in any thinrj re-
Jittive to it. Hov far he ha*; fncceedcd in
•tiiii attempt, I shall now proceed to examine.
I /hall not trouble the reader with any
Comment upon the ingenious criticism on m/
lart h-temeut. The variance v ill be more?
eulily understood by reciting again the can
rents ot the paragraph in qnetMon, and com
paring the'e with the itatejnent repeatedly
given jy t!;jt writer. The nearer we ap
proach the iource, the nearer we fnall be to
the trut : lopMitry may envelope withdark
nef-, but wii: neve " U! i " ate tie fubjed.—
T!«w- foflo a in,?, ' , I aiiirm, to be the con
tents oftiuit paragr;:ph.
It state's, that in 1756, it being known the
French ton. t were diftre.Ted for money, a
Company ot Dutch merchants had offered to
of them the. American debt, of twen
ty-four millions of .ivres,ior the sum of twen
ty, and that their jembatrraffrnents inclined
them to accept of the proposal : That howe-
a ticlav was ocfaftoned, 011 the part of the
French court, by the apprehension it might j
ieilen our credit in Europe, and oe dilagreea
•le to ; whereupon he had been con
iulted by the agent of the company, and to
tvhom he liad replied, that he was neither au
thorized to approve or disapprove of the
tr an Taction. Having stated the proposition as
Jbove, he observes further upon it, in its re
Jation to his country, that if there be a dan
ger our public payments may not be punctual,
it might Ik? better that the discontents which
■Would then arile, fiiocid be transferred from
a coui t, ol whose good wijl we have so much
Iveed, to the breasts of a private company.
Rut that it had occurred to him, we might find
occaiion to («o w! -.ut would be grateful to that
court, and efiablifh with them a confidence in
our honor: Thap our credit was good in Hol
land might it not be poflible then to bor
row there, the four and twenty millions due
to Franco, and pay them the whole debt at
once . Tnis would save them from any lpfs
on our account; with some fu t ler obfcrvd
tions urging the propriety of this latter mea
sure;
1 iiat fu' ject may lie explicitly before j
*7* » A repeas a I . ' . . , a re .
the contents of Air. Jefftr ion's letter
tn,it head, and are contained in one entire
p. 1 a graph on] v. That the arrangement of
the idea is the fame, 2nd that in fu bit a nee 110-
tning has been added to or taken from it.
i He import of the above appears to me to
dc so clear and explicit, that' every person
■Hut unite in tbe fame conflruaion. That
t trantaction, for inlbance, had taken place
et\veen tne parties, before any mention.was
maoe or it to Mr. Jeherfon : and tliatincom-
Jinujcating it to Congress, he only made
jCROwn to that body, the desire, both of the
Company and the French Court;-and was,
• i-ourie, only the vehicle of communication.
%■
/h*nl*iou> 1
IJ V
;",.7 Of Vo
* A,
i_ _ i.
No. V.
"m '
" F
Saturday, Decklujeu 8, i 7 « 2 .
- . . . . • < *
J bat the op! - oa which he gare, arcfe out
ot the proyoi ion, was .n funhe. aiue of: r
lews, and tlmr, in ' u't, 1:0 decifioi rock! h,
'/rn.c;,,:: , r , cite, MtUCougi-', or
w-tiioot a > 1 .:.vn ilo.i of the parti,
" C ' J : ' 1 lited States. fi Hl that'the
proportion which he made (for this w.-v t " v
Ol t.:e Company) was to bofrow t c lcv m
Uoliand, itcd pay off the n'hole do- ;;t on : .
and that he d,liked that of the Company, o
at leal, preferred this or he wovld ,vjt lav,
prcpoied it. 1 fliall now now fu'.r'ain th
ftatemeiit ,;r,cu by Catullus.
,■« v e . imvln E fimrle Sentence lias teen pub
jiflieo by hm,, not only a 5 a literal t anfci ipt,
but as containing whatever w», nscfefikrv to
Mr. Jcfferlbh's fbntime,#on that
head If there ua danger of the piiSlic pay
ments not oemg punctual, I fubmt i,-hither it
may tot be better that the rii r con(rill ,
wpuld then arise, be transferred from
a court, o: whc.lt -cod offices wehave so much
need, to thefc-ea of 3 private Company.—
Some cenrejl,i ns have, ft is true, !wvn latterly
made, vft- tiy; but it ; s fti'l
Sltec,on,4.,¥>?, ; , t>
-ion con, re dec! f.,r, nor vary t'le import of
this Angle extract; and for its liberal confor
mity to the o lf,inal, he has pledced his veracity.
The variance, then, between us, con lifts
111 his Jufifrrffin of the otljer parts of the .para
graph, relating to the i:,nie fubjeft,.and*vhich
111 on d be seen, to enable the reader to tmii
prehend its true import. It consist*, like
wile, in the ulceration of a part of the sentence
■ titll, by t e interpolation of words, which do
not to it. The paflage in the letter
referred to, reads precifejy a, I have ft:.ted i*
abiiv;. Catnl'us has altered it bv the infec
tion 1 1 tne toilowing words," Ifubnii whether y'
—JT whic. tiie import of that sentence, and
especially wiien standing alone, has been va
ried. It therefore the statement which I
have give ~ is correct, it follows that Ca
tullus has been guilty of misrepresentation.
and that the extract fumifted by,him i 5
Jalfe, aecept i": and mutilated.
V het 1 ir t.e author ot these pieces lias beep
guilty of tli.. breach of official duties, in' tne
publics ion of any thiug reiativg to Mr. jef
terim 5 jetrc-.-, i know not. a variety of
reaions, of but litre importance to the puh
l.c, and which 'tis not neceflary for me to re
count, have created a belief, that thev pro
ceed from Mr. Hamilton. If Co, it will be
difficult for him to remove the imputation.
The perulal of the extract in fS 7, w'.n out
of Office, and the fafe preservation of it fine'e,
will r,ot juftify its publication by the pre'e-it
acting Secretary „f the Trealm'y ; nor does
it authorize a belief, if he is the author, that
the official document in Ins poifefiion, has not
been resorted to since. Will it be contended
that the conduct of the officer at the head of
t.iat department, should be scanned in this in
stance, bv the duties of the station hi held five
or ten years pad ? Or, in other words, that
the office, imposes on him no particular obli
gations, and which he is bound to regard ?
Con fide ring this attack upon Mr. Jefierfon
in the comniencement, as an attack upon
principles; knowing that the conflicting in
terests of parties were at work, and that the
one which was fufpefted, with tow much rea
son, to be attached to monarchy, would en
deavor, as an obstacle in its way, to undermine
not only him, but every other republican cha
racter iu the confidence of their countrymen;
and believing, as well from the duties of his
official station as his known delicacy inobferv
ing them, he would difregaid it, I thought it
in some measure a duty I owed to tliofe prin
ciples of equality which I venerate, to take
up the subjeCt, and place it on its proper
ground. So far, then, as any imputation has
been raised, against a diftinguiihed and patriot
citizen, I have furnilhed the reply, ancj I pre
sume, shewn no f only his innocence of any im
propriety in the allegations suggested, but
likewise the impurity of the motives which
dictated the attack.
It now remains only, in justice to the au
thor of the papers under the of An
Amtriian and Catullus, to fettle the facta whe
ther he has been guilty of misrepresentation,
and the breach of an olhcial duty, in the fn
itance alledged; and I have every poflible
disposition to concur, on my part, in those ar.
ranrements which may be necefi'ary to dispel
every doubt on that AibjeCh The truth may
be ascertained, by a recurrence to the depoijts
in either of t e departments, of State, or the
Treat ury. If Mr. Hamilton is not the au-
thor, and will announce it, I shall consider the
subjeCt as unworthy of further notice : if it
is neither denied nor owned, but the alterca
tion continued without any proof being pro
duced—for none has yet been—l shall like
wise consider it beneatn my attention ; but if
lie is the-authory and will avow it, my name
/hail likewise be fubinitted, and joint measures
'may tiitn be taken, whereby, tiie truth may
lie.plareilin and authentic point of
■^4
3S&
217
r-jfttrxz:-
• l !kf 1 AZi if£ of [he UMirth JJT.f/AJ
T 1"H fecn a greater outli
-*• vublifh.»d lately" than one con
piiicd in your Gazette of the jth
innaiu, nrat it is not poflible for
parties totake greater liberties M iili
truth than they have done lately ;
but in my opinion your correfpou
t has no , from the many inltan
ces which ;iave occurred leletfied
the nioft flriking to prove the truth
of his position, viz. the declaration
of a certain v riter, " that as a re
a! federalift he was compelled to
prefer Governor Clinton to Mr.
Adams ; i. e. an re
publican, to an avowed and acknow
ledged advocme for an hereditary
monarchy, and House of Lords-
Hoes the writer think that the iat
ter kind ofyjfcveinment ismortcon
| (*£nial bears a greater aflS-
I constitution of theUni
tcf States, than a repulican or re-
government ! If he
dies not, he has been very unlucky
ii: his fele&ion ; if he does—then
aij affedtion for monarchical govern
ment, mud by the public be here
afcer looked upon a» the diftinguifh
it®; criterion of a federalift ; if this
C ?'" e ' ' doubt not the uniform
feaeralifl, will willingly give up all
r»rht and title to the name j and I
■ t J/ n ' 4 lc ' s rea ".y happy for the pub
' the contel * at the prelenc
for Vite Pre 'ident, h like
l*y to afford the public so just and
iJ&L ?• cr ' rer ' on ' ifihe writer would
■•d onie striking examples to
ilaiftrate the truth of the position
OBt w ith, I would point hiin
P arg ? ra l > h which immediare
fits fei.tw, ill ttreCs« ;;c,
as a very handy one, and to a piece
undo* the signature of Otfego, in
'I*® General Advertiser, he
will fin<l as great liberties taken
■•nth ti*iitlJl as in any publication
which has lately appeared.
r,: i n
Foreign Affairs.
FRANCE.
NATIONAL CONVENTION,
September 24.
natiokai treasury.
rHi, Reccipt ef the National
1 reafury from the firfl; of Jan.
1 792. to the22d ofSept. inclufi»ely,
is 915,725,675 livres.
t he Expenditure during (hefamQ
period, 865,526,764 livres.
I.' ere remains in the Treasury
50,198,895 livres.
TbeCommiifioners dated that the
sum realty exists inca£hof different
forts. The amount in gold and sil
ver specie, is ii,892,6»8 livres.
CAISSE D Z
The Caitfe de l'Extraordinaire was
inliuiued for the reception of/Mlig
nats, immediately on their fabrica
tion, for the payment of the re
deemable debt ; and to receive the
Aiiignats which were given in pay
ment by the pnrchafers of the Na
tional effects.
The Receipt to this time has been
2,632,583,166 livres. ■
The Expenditure 2,604,75*2,125
livres.
There remains in bank 28,732,125
livres.
THjg Receipt <ff theßevfcnnes and
Ca|«rth of jhe National effects is
livres.
The total of Affignats which have
been received nnd burnt is 617,000,
000 livres.
There remains, therefore, in a
fepaiate bank, 6,290,800 livres in
siliignats annulled and ready to be
burnc.
c anihon then called tlie atten
tion of th^AfTembly—to the eniilii
l»n <>f new "afftarnats y to the delay
which rcfults from the* necessity «Jf
-fcg£
i •*
-■>.*-
r -
o-ling ntjv i>mm me ttlQI C , (
It are, t lit effion of aKi . c which
no !„„ gei . exists • and to ,„ e „
tioi. which mult be p.,id lo ~r l!ti,
commerce, that would be ruined b"
1 »oJd«u fupprciiiun of biiis f
private banks.
After a lliort difcuflion tne Ali .-
bl y decreed, that twelve Com mi'.:.-
from a nong themfelvea,
Ihould foperintend and J.alien liie
iiibi icatiun of Ailignais.
J lie Aflembly beard, with much
latisfacftion, tlie account given bv
I. Roland, of his administration.
He pointed out the wifell measures
to be pii.fued in the renovation of
the Administrative Bodies, in re
calling the people to the empire of
the laws : without which there
cpnld be no liberty ; and he invi;.
Ed the National Convention to sur
round thenil'p'ves with that ii of
ing force, which could alone tei an
nate anarchy, and intimidate auda
cious criminals.
Ihe Aflembly ordered this Me
morial to be printed.
SEPTEMBER 28.
M-Lafource reminded
Hon that ;he order of the day \vj.
the election ol" a Minilter War
J he Aiffrages of leveral Memb'ci:
having fallen on I'oine of the depu
ties of the National Convention, i
debate took place on this vciy im
portant qiieition, Whether Mem
bers of the Convention wei e
Ide not only to places in the Mi.iiT
"7, but alio to other inipouiwu if
fices in the Republic ?
Some were ot opinion that the
MiniJlers ought to be chosen from
among all the Citiz-ns rtitiuuit dil
tinciio.i, wniVe m tiers ii. L /iit ua
the contrary, that this wonUrbe en
dangering tiie Republic ; becaofe,
laid they, intriguers would then in
fallibly find the means ol procuring
votes tor theinfclves or their friends
in such a manner, that they might
afterwards infiiience the Conten
tion, and consequently the opera
tions of the Miniilrjr. ihi ' lalt
idea was explained in a very clear
and faiisfatftory manner by Leeoin
tre Puyraveaux ; and after a long
debate the Convention deci eed, th.it
Miuilters could not be chosen fioox
among the Deputies.
This decree brought on a difc»f
fioii iel'peifting the two Ministers,
Roland and Servan, who both per
filted in giving in their refiguaiion.
The furiner, because he bad been
chosen a Deputy to the National
Convention ; and the fatter because
the itate of his health did not per
init liim to support the fatigues of
office.
A member here bettowed the
highest prailes on the two Ministers,
and reminded the Convention of the
important fei vices they had render
ed to their country, to which they
had facrificed the greater part of
their property. " On these confi
derations I think every good citi
zen must wi(h that Roland and Ser
van would retain that post in which
they have been placed by the con
fidence of the nation. I move, there
i'ore, that the'e citizens may be in
vited in the name of their country
to continue to serve it."
Jean ile Brie (aid, this would be
offering an iiifulr to stlier citizens,
as it would amount to a declaration
that none of t lie in were capable of
filling up places in the Miniitry.
Btizot was of opinion that the
Convention was the difpenfei of the
gratitude of the nation, and that ic
would not disgrace idVlf, as iiad
been pretended, bj. inviting beivan
and Roland not to quit their func-
tions,
The discussion was about to be
terminated, but a member having
u)ovcJ ; that Danton (hculd alio bs-
[Whole No. --7.1
/ /