Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1811-03-01

necessary to assume the fact of MIR.
handoiph's reportipg, that he was 90
ing to England, and. then to infer.
that he did it, as q signal FOR Office.
but the assertion, even if true. could
prove nothing more, than, that Mr..
n. said ne was going 10 England the
motive tor which declaration must be
searched for. long time, by any. c.
tner man, than such as Corvus, be.
lore It could be explained, into any
thing like signal for Office.
| The next accusation of Corvus, is
the old, and the thcasand times refu.
ted caiumny of Mr.. Christopher
Clarke's attempt, with the privity OF
Mr.. Randolph, TO get him appointed
to of'cc, by subscription. Indepen.
dent OF Mr. Clarks's own refutation
of this slsuder, irnmedia,eIv after it
! get into circulation, and which refuta.
ton, under the signature of Hampden,
tbs fair to presume, Corvus must,
long ago, have seen. IN the Enquirer !;
several other publications were made,
about the same tine, clearly dispro-
wing the charge. The writer Of this
article knows it to he a fact, fron,
MIR. Ciarke's own declaration, land
his veracity, l believe, stands as fair,
as that OF any rnan's) declaration too,
made before any such caiumay as,
Corvas is now trying to propagate,
had got into circulation, that the
scheme of proposing Mr.. Randolph,
to MIR. Jefferson, as foreign minis
ter, was entirely and exclusively pro.
lject of Mr.. Clarke's own. He also
knows it to be fact, that when Mr..
Randolph was informed of it, he ex-
pressed the utmost astonish ment, re-
greet, and modification that he declar.
ed to Mr.. Clarke, if he had not belle
we'd him to be his friend, he should
have thought il the scheme of a most
subtle enemy Co ruin him; and tina
ne bcsought Mr.. Clarke to desist.
The writer of this article, who hap
Pened TO be in Washington at the time,
and to whom also, Mr.. Clarke men
toned :he sinh K, replied [svithoutl
having the smallest knowledge, at the
moment, either that Mr.. Clarke had |
suggested, or intended to suggest it TO |
any other persona that if Mr.. C. per-
severed in the scheme, SANDER, such
as was, afterwards, most industriously |
proPagated, would certainly get into
circulation, and begged him to think
no more of it. The next thing the
writer heard, was, that Mr.. Clarke
had, most imprudently, but honestly,
l am confident, persisted in his pro-
Ject and that the calumny, now ut.
tempted to be revived by Corvus, was
most seduiously, and exulringly dlfIu-
sed, In thousand different directions.
These are facts, that long ago, have
been exhibited, by the lovers of truth
and justice, in the public prints. They
are facts too, which 1 cannot, but
think, Corvus has, long ago seen
yet he has endeavoured to revive this
Infamous SANDER, as if NO refutation
OF 1t, had ever appeared. But the
oest OF Corvus's management is, the
gross blnnder, by which he has depri.
we'd himself of all the benefit OF this
wonderful tale. He saws; from
this moment may be dated Mr.. Ran.
dolph's aPostacy'! Now it is most
notorious, ever to those who are not I
out OF their A. Il. G., in the history
OF our party controversies that Mr..
Handolph's apostacy (as 'tis so tri.
umphantly callrd) commenced, and
matured, when President Jefferson,
secretly advised 100000 dollars TO
be appropriated for the purchase of
the Florldas---a period considerably
antecedent to Mr.. Clarke's scheme
so that The disappointment of that
project could not possibly have occasi-
onrd Mr.. RandoIph's opposition to the
administration, unless Mr.. Corvus
has discovered mode of max ing ii.
fects prtcede their causes. But the
truth is, that no absurdity seems too
extrsVagant for malignant folly to ut
ter, or for mad credulity TO swallow,
in regard TO this gentle man. 1t is
faettoo, that this opposition was first &C.
casioned by he apparent inconsistency
OF our former administratlon's public
ly mcnacing Spain with war, in re-
turn for her open hosiiities against our
territories; st'he same time, that pri.
vately, they were recommending mo
ney negotiation with that power, then