Berkeley and Jefferson intelligencer. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va.) 1802-1810, 1808-01-29
'[WnoIE No. 45G.]

ments lot An'sh ne would gladly take ia
exchange governor Gayoso's plantation
near the Na.shez, who might reimburse
himself from the treasury at New.Or.
leans. ! asked the general whether this
sum was due on the old business of The
pension : He replied that It was, andin
timateda wish that I should propose to
governor Gayoso a transfer Of his plan.
tstion tor the money due him from the
Spanish treasury. The whole affair had
always been odious to me. aud / decliD.
ed any agency in it. acknowledged to
him that had often spoken freely and
publicly Of bis Spanish pension, but told
him I had communicated nothing to his
governmehtnn the subject. I advised
him to drop his Spanish connection.-
Tie justi6edi it h~eretofore from the pecu.
liar situation Of Kentucky, the disadSan.
tsges that country labored under At the
period when he formed his connexion
with the Spapiards, the doubtful and dis.
tracted state Of the union at that time.
which he represented As bound together
by nothing better than q rope Of sand.
and he assured me soiemnly that he had
terminated his connections With the
Spanish government, aud that they ne.
YER should be renewed. Igave the gen.
eral to understand that as the affair stood
| should not in future say any thinr 4
bout it. From that period until the pre.
sent ! have heard one report only Of the
former connection being renewed, and
that was in 1904, shortly after the rem.
erals departure from New Orleans. I
had been absent for two OF three months
and returned to the city o long after
general Wilkinson sailed from It. I
was informed BY the late mayor that re.
ports had reached the ears ofthe govern.
or OF a sum Of ten thousand dollars hav.
ing been received by the general, ofthe
Spanish government while he was one of
the commissioners for taking possession
OF Louisiana. He wished me I o enquire
into the truth Of them which I agreed to
do IN consideration that I might be per-
mitted to communicate the suspicion to
the general, if the fact alledged against
him could not be better verified. I hin
was assented to. I made the enquiry
and satisfied myself by the inspection Of
the treasury book for 1905 that the
10000 dollars had not been paid. /
then communicated the circumstance to
a friend of the general Mt. Evan Jones,
with q request that he would inform him
OF 1t. This report was revived at the
last session Of congress- by a letter from
col. Ferdinand Claiborne of Natchez,
to the delegate Of the Mississippi terrific.
ry. "A member Of the house informed
me that the money in question was &C.
koowledged by gen. Smith to have been
received at the time mentioned but that
it was in payment for tobacco. knew
that no tobacco had hten delivered, aud
waited IN general Smith for information
as to the receipt of the money, who dis
asowed all knowledge Of il, andf took
the opportunity of assuring him and a.
many others as mentioned the subject.
that l believed it to be false and Eayc
them my reasons for that opinion.
This summary necessarily on1its ma.
nv details tending 10 eorroboEate and
illustrate the facts and opinions / have
stated. No altusiou has been had 10 the
public explanations Of the transactions
referred ID, made by gen. Wilkinson
andhis {, lends. So far as they are re.
solved into commercial enterprises and
speculatious, l had the best opportunity
of being acquainted with them, as I was
during the time referred to, the agent of
the house who were consignees ofthe
general a New Orleans, and whe- had
an interes. in his shipments, and whose
books are in my possession.
Washington City, 18th
January, 1905.
DANIEL CLARK.
D1sTRIcT or COLUMBIA, tn wit: