Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1811-04-20
TORPEDOES.
From the New- York Public .fdyertiser.
To Jogw ARMSTRONG, EsouInE.


To JogH ARMSTRONG, EsQUInE.
SIR---It is painful to ne to suspect unger.
crous motives in one whom wished to esteem
as friend but live been drawn into the
public prints i'll so extraordinary "a way, and
the circumstances so powerfully lead to you
as the cause, that private feelings and tie pub.
lie interest, make it necessary for me to state
facts, and leave you to explain; tor hold ii as
All axiom, that a treachcrous friend or an il.
triguing politician, i, to be is carefully guard
ed against, both lii priv te and pun!icsiiie, as
an avowed enemy. In March 1909, wrote
to N. Mar,ois, proposing Torpedoes to the
French Government. which letter was deliver
ed to YOU o,hen, by fiepd Of mine. This you
have acknowledged to ne. 1t is now to lie
considered row that letter got into the pos.
session of the editor of the Turning Post.
Five days before it was published your int.
mate friend Mr.. Ingrahan, mentioned before
two gentlemen, that IN few days letter Of
mine should appear, which would convince the
public that was acting for France against the
interest of my own country. On his benjg ask.
ed how it could DE proved, he replied that
my own signature was prooftht could not be
denied, and that il would be published in the
Evening Post without the printer knowing
from whence it came this l can prove by evil
dence too respectable to be doubted, and this
sir, is mora! evidence that nay original letter
is i'll New-forh: and that Mr.. Ingraham, your
intimate friend, ard friend Of your active agent
Dir. FhGnIX, must have been very familiar
with the preparations which were making in
masked battery to destroy me. 1t may also
be stated as proof OF the original letter be-
ing here, that no one would risquc prosecu-
ton fer publishing such letter unless they
could prove it by the original or u copy GER
tilted before Notary public in Paris. You
have said sir, that such letter might go into
the bureaus; this is possible, but not probable;
but admitting that it did, what induccnnent
could there be for any one to bride clcf;.
to betray his trust and run the risque OF the
galleys by copying such a letter and gettingit
certified before Notary? SO much for the
evidence, now as to the object of publishing
it, was it patriotism, governed BY the love Of
virtue? Think not--ior if it were wrong in
me to write such letter, it being deliverable
you open you must have been wrong IN pre-
senting it to VI. Marbois. The virtue liz you
would have been to send it to the Secretary oi
State at Washington and not to the editor OF
the Evening Post. But the circumstances
seem to prove that the original letter reiila'Ii'
ed by some means in your possession, :.;e as
sertion Of your friend Mr. Ingrail2,n, and every
thing concerning the introduction of the let,
ter into the EDening Post, gives to my mnd
the impression that you caused it to be pub
lished, and this sir is the public opinion. As
to me the publication Of tine letter IS OF lli;ic
importance looking for my fortune ard .,
musement in the improvement OF the useia!
arts, there is 10 place in the gift Of the PreS''
dent of the United States which would &C.
cept, nor 60 ask any thing of my country
men but their good wishcs,-Henoe, rot g.,
ing in the way Of any mans ambition, hop"
to escape the malice Of ambitious men. bI;
to state the facts concerning the public ton ..
my letter is Of much importance to the puoi''
for when man aspires to high Office throa5"
the favour of a frank and generous peoPl'.,
bis mind should be as noble as that OF ou'
immortal Washington and Franklin; Ws nv.
grea. souls occupied with the rising g''a'S'D