Alexandria advertiser and commercial intelligencer. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1800-1803, 1802-08-04

I'VE defre all reslomble men to put
theie matters together. We have no con-
! ceivable intereif either in the guilt, or in.
nocence Of Timothy Pickering; but after
the private atteffafion of Giles, the public
atteflation >of Nieh6kon, and the official
report OF the committee, We can, no more
believe that Pickering has pillaged the
public srealury, than we can believe that
Duane himleH believes in his own accufa-
ton.
You will recollea, perhaps, that in the
Aurora of the 7th Of June, 1900, there
appeared an article entitled PUBLIC PLUM
DER. This piece, ard its fucceaors in
the Aurora, made an uncommon noife.-
They contributed very much towards the
election Of AIR. Jeaerfon; aad very much
towards the efsblifhment of Duane's i'm
portance as antditor. In the fr& of
thefe two pieces, Duane iays, that on the
18th Of April pseceding, Pickering had
drawn upon the trealury for fifty thoufand
dollars; and that at the time when he
drew for this fun, he had ia bis bands
three hundred thouland dollars unaceounfsd
for. Duane adds thefe word,: owe
!" fhall 60 further; we lhall fay, that he
holds unaccounted for, a FUN nearly
DOUBLE the amount of both theie
(ums. From this, the public were to
infer, that Pickering had actually in his
hands, at that time, the fupendous and
incredible amouut Of SVEN HUNDRED
THOUSAND DOLLARS.
This uncommon charge created a fur
priGng ieniation in the public mind. Peo-
pie fuppoled that they Jaw Pickering
pocketing Eve, fix, or fe,en hundred
thoufand dollars OF money, Of which not
one farthing was ever to be recovered
at that time it was not mutual in Phila.
delphia, TO pay FIVE per cent. per month
tor the loan Of money. Hence, man
Pohefling ieven hundred thoufand dollars
OF hard cafh, could clear the triaing fun
Of thirty-hve thoufand dollars per month,
by putting it to interea. The whole
country few into the mott violent rage;
and the federal editors underRood 70 little
Of their buGneis, that they fuGered the
tempef to overlet and overwhelm them.
The report of the committee Of inveai-
cation informs us that lecretary Of &ate
may not be able to account for very large
fums of money, while, at the fame time,
tina. money has been bmeJ expanded IN
the public JSrvie<. At this very time,
the committee tell you, that Pickering
has expended about eighty thoufand dol
lars, for which, at the date of the report
he had not been able to account. In
other words, he had nor been able to col.
kd bis Vouckers. Yet Nicholfon, Giles,
and the report i,lelf, all unite in vindica-
ting Pickering from the charge of ffealing
public money. He had not accounted for
theie eighty thoufand dollars. But the
committee did not entertain doubt, that
with fair allowance Of time, he would
give proper account Of the lat farthing.
The prefumption is, that the cafe was
exactly the fame, two years ago, as at the
Preient moment. Pickering had expend-
ed the money; but he had not collected
BIS v0acbers. This ;sa circumaance that
happens every day in the management Of
private buGnefs and it was upon this
ground Of deception, it was from the
want OF patience or capacity to make thls
very fimple and important dittineaion, tina,
the people Of America thought proper to
believe the charge of.hefe againa Picker
ing. They believed that they were in
danger of loGng five, fix, or ieyen hun.
dred thouiand dollars, which had been
2oftively and properly fpent in their fer
vice. A majority of the committee of
invetigation, are Pickering perfonal enc.
mics. They have ultimately and complete
ly ae7x'fted him Of The CHARGE! Yet THE
Canadian luminary perGas in his accu-
fation. 1t is imPoiible to conceive .
more &upendous example Of impudence and
of vilany, than what in the preient inftance
has been exhibited by Duane. The tide
of evidence has been turned completely
againlt him. The committee of inveRiga.
ton hare in faa and fubaance, declared
that the charge Of peculation sga,nft Pic
y apsaor a. .LfL...I