Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1809-10-05


licity to be given to It.
In the winter of 1866, while l was act
s;rc as the secretary of the Orleans terrific
rs. gentleman of New Orleans informed
me that Mr.. Daniel Clark, ofthat city, had
some important intormation, which he
wished to communicate to the government.
but which he did not wish to communicate
through governor Claiborne. This produ
ced an &C acquaintance between MIR. Clark and
myself. He gave me some papers, extracts
of which copied, and sent TO the secretary
of state. These papers related to the :iiair
Of Mexico, and gave rise 10 { conversation
about that country.
9uest. Of what did these papers prinei-
pally consist!
dns. That is par, of the subject, which,
confess, I could have wished in rarticu-
lar not TO speak Of, IS j, might be disagree
able TO Mir. CLARK to lave it known to the
Spanish government he had been engaged
in making such observaticns, while passing
through their tenito,y, as these papers
seemed to indicate. ] will, however, not
hesitate to submit it to the discretion Of the
court, upon the principles before mention
ed.
Among those rapers were estimates OF
the military force Of the country, both the
regulars and the militia, particularly OF the
garrison towIs between Vera C,uz and
Mexico also Of the naval force at Vera
Cruz. Mr.. Clark, at the sarne time show
cd me the baron Humbold's statistical Ia
bles, in the Spanish language.
9uest. Had Mr.. Clark then lately re-
turned from journey ,hl OUCH the SPanish
provinces!
Ans7v. l understood he had lately re-
termed from Vera Cruz. WIS induced,
by the apparent probability ct wsr with
Spain, and by belief that Mr.. Cla,ks ac-
uuaintance with the situation of the country
would cradle him to give important iEfor.
nation on the subject, 10 make several en-
ouiriss of Mr.. Clark concerning Mexico.
He was Of opinion that it might be invaded
with every prospect Of SUCCESS. l asked
him whether, if the United States should
undertake the invasion, he would bear
part? He evinced an unwlliirgness to hs,ve
any thing to do With an expedition carried
GA by government, bat expressed himself
willing to Join ia such an enterprise, IN
Gertaken and carried on by indn iduals. he
said, all they would want would be the per-
mission, no: the all, Of government; that
they would cat off all communication with
the country they left and establish q new
empire Of their own. He mentioned, Ev-
pothe,icsliy, addressing himself to me
Now suppose such a person rs yourself
should join in The expedition, you might be
made duke? answ cred, that nv repuL.
lican notions would not allow me 10 aspire
to any such situation, and that / would have
nothing TO do with any expedition net con-
Quoted by the government. Here shs cen
versation on The subject ended. lie asked
several questions. v hat Burr was doing
Col. Burr had been in New. Orleans the
summer preceding. have endeavored TO
give faithful statement rather Of the Sub
stance and effect Of what passed, without
pretending to minute detail of every cir
cumstapce IS it occurred, OF Of the precise
language used. 1t did not strike me, at the
time, as evidencing the real existence of
any such design, but as being the wild talk
81 an eccentric restless man. Afterwards,
kowcv>r, when was informed at Licking
ton (Kentucky that Burr had drawn bills TO
a large amount on Mr.. Clark at r.. Orleans,
this circumstance combined itself in my
mind with the preceding conversation. and
appeared SO suspicious that wrote to the
secretary of state the intelligence ! received
of the drawing OF these bills. When ar
lived at New Orleans, and found that no
such bills had been taken up Ivy Chew and
Relf, became uneasy at the apprehension
of raising unjust suspicious against Mr..
Clark, by my former communication to the
secretary of state, and | wrote letter to