The Pennsylvania evening post — Philadelphia, Pa., 1776-09-12 00:00:00, page 1

To the candid P ÜBLI C.
Friends and Fellow Citizens,
C~s N'" unkind and ungenerous manner in which my
character has been treated, during my absence
from the city, on the service of my country, will
Efficiently apologize for ray appearance in this
way. —[ allude to a piece under the signature of a certain
Arthur Donaldson, dated August 27, 1776, which charges
me with propagating a falfe and infamous report refpe&ng
said Donaldson, and crave the indulgence of my r country,
while l descend to particulars, and exculpate myfelf from the
charges laid against me.
On the 21st ult. in company with Mr. James Hunter, es
corting three prisoners to Philadelphia from camp, about ten
miles from town we met the abovementioned Donaldson, in a
chair with a lady, and being both in haste, I accosted him as
he came up with an " How do you do, Mr. Donaldson ?
He replied very short, " Nothing the better for >ou." This
furpriied me not a little, and I laid to Mr. Hunter, '' What
can Donaldson mean ? I have never had any difference or
dealing with the man, and but a very flight acquaintance un
til last at New-York, where he was very friendly. The firft
time 1 fee him, I will know what he meant by such reply."
We came to town, and the next day (for we flayed but one
day in town) about one o'clock Donaldson came to my house
in agreat rage, belching out threats against me, for railing the
rep< rt referred to in his narrative.—Being conscious of my
innocence, I demanded his author. He then told me Mr.
Edward Williams. 1 put on my hat, and desired him to walk
with me to said Williams immediately, not doubting but I
ftr uld have there convinced him of the injustice of the charge,
bui to my great aflonifhment Williams infilled it was so, 1 had
t Id it him. I asked him, was he in his lenses, or was he mad,
&c. &c. as he must know in his heart that itwas an infamous
faifhood.- —Ch no, replied he, Capt. James Smithers can
vouch the lame —1 deiired both to go with me to Capt. Smi
thers's, which they did 1 inquired of Mr. Smithers concern
ing it, and he at firlt c uld scarcely remember any thing of
the matter. The ingenious Mr. Williams, in order to help
him out, replied, Sure you remember so and so, sure you re
member market cay, &c. &c. At last Mr. Smithers replied, I
think Ido remember femething of it. I then desired Mr.
Williams to let Mr. Smithers tell his own story, for I began
to aifeover their wicked plots against me, and told them th y
should both be qualified to what they had to fay. Upon that
we went to Jacob Duche, E;q; who replied he had declined
all public bulineis, and would not aAin the premises. We then
met Geoige Bryan, Esq; who replied, I am engaged at pre
sent, and cannot attend to it.- N. B. The narrative fays,
they could net aft under their former commissions, &c.
We then agreed to leave the matter to the firft gentlemen
we should meet, who happened to be Messrs. Reese Meredith,
Samuel Howeil, William Allilon, and John Boyle. We ac
cordingly met at Mr. Meredith's. The charge against me
was, as let forth in the narrative, viz. “ Mr. Williams said,
on Saturday the sixth of July I met Mr. Benjamin Randolph
The PENNSYLVANIA EVENING POST.
Vol. lI.J
Price Three Coffer:. Published every Tuejday, PburJday, and Saturday Evenings.
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 1776.
451
and Capt. James Smithers at the corner of Fifth and Market
Greets, Mr. Randolph having arrived the evening before from
New York, who informed me, among other things that
Arthur Donaldson had. been sent for to New-York, by h's
Excellency General Wafnington, under pretence of business,
but in reality to confine him for being concerned in the late
conspiracy uncovered there, and that he had furnifhed or at
tempted to furnifh the enemy with draughts of the chevaux
de Fife, &c. of the river Delaware, and that the said Ran
dolph had left the said Donaldson in confinement at New-
York. I queried, on the necessity of his Excellency's tiling
such a stratagem, when undoubtedly his order was fufficient
to secure the firft character in any part of the United States,
and exprefled my surprise to find a man of Arthur Donald
son's character capable of such wickedness, but he continued
to assert the truth of the relation."
Thus hands the charge against me ; the whole of which, I
do molt solemnly declare, as in the presence of the Supreme
Judge of all the earth, to be as scandalous and infa
mous a fallehood as ever was hatched by the old serpent,
there not being a Jingle word of truth in the whole of it—
And here 1 crave the favor of my country, while I relate
what passed between said Williams and me at the time we
met, when he charges me with having spoke as above. After
meeting and passing the usual complements, Williams ac
coited me thus: " You are lately from New-York ?" I re
plied " Yes." " Pray what is done with the Mayor and
the General's guards?" I answered, “ One of the guards was
hanged the Friday before 1 arrived." He replied " When
will the Mayor be tried ?" <' I cannot tell (said 1)
one of the guards, who fuffered, was tried by a court martial,
but I know of no court to try the Mayor at present, neither
do 1 think the General at leisure to attend to it at this time,
he has so much public business on hand. I think he
will be kept in confinement till some future day, &c."
" Pray is there any thing in the report of Arthur D naldfon
being in confinement in New-York ?" said Williams. I an
swered “ No, I law him at liberty, he was at our lodgings in
York two or three times, and the day before I came away I
met him up the East river, and he shewed me the chevaux de
frife, which he said the General had ordered him to leave un
hnilhed, as he thought they would not be used; that he
Crossed the ferry with us in his way home. You may depend
on it there is nothing in the report, nor did I hear it there."
The truth of what I have here related will be evidenced by
a person of undoubted veracity, whose name 1 am not at li
berty to mention thus publicly, but who will fatisfy any per
son of reputation if waited upon for the purpose, and who
asked me the very fame questions, and who remembers to
have heard tne report circulated long before my return from
New-York. I have been happy en>ugh to be made ac
quainted with this peifon's testimony, since the fray at the
Coffee-houfe.
1 have gotten another evidence before two men, with their
names to it, before 1 law the narrative, with a determination
to make the wh le public. Any one who remarks the simi
larity of the two, will perceive now 1 am abused.
[Num. 257.