The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1811-04-23
IRON. the hesp- York Pu6Ge .dluer:isey, Of
the 12fh
TO JOHN ARMSTRONG, ESQ.

the 12fh
TO JOHN ARMSTRONG. ESQ.
lis painful to me. to suspect nncene-
rous motives in one whom wished to eslee n,
as a friend; but l have been drawn fnto the
public prints in so extraordinary way, &
the circumstances SO powerfully lead 20 YOU
"a fhr cause. thar private feelings and the
public interest. make it necessary for me
TO state facts. and leave you to explain; for
! mold 1t as AN axiom, that treacherous
friend or intriguing politician. is to be as
carefully guarded against. both in private
and public lite, as an avowed enemy, In
March. 300 wrote TO MMarbois PROPOSING
Iorpedpes to the French govern aent. which
letter vas delivered TO you ohen, by a friend
of mine. This you have acknowledged to
me. 1. IS now 20 be considered how that
letter gol into the possession of the Editor of
the EDenfng Posi-. Five days before it was
published, Your ultimate friend Mr. Ligra-
ham, mentioned before two gentlemen, that
IN few days letter of mine sh ,ud an
pear, which would convince the public that
was acting for France against the interest
OF my country. GA his being asked how ir
could be proved, he replied that my own
signature was proof that could not be de-.
MED, and that it would be published in the
Evening Post without the Printer knowing
evidence too respectable to be doubted, and
TINS, Sir, is moral evidence that my orfRinal
letter Is IN New-York, and that Mr.. Ingra-
ham your intimate friend, and friend of
your active agent Mr.. Phoenix, must have
been very familiar with the preparations
which were making in a masked battery to
destroy me. II may also be stated az a proof
or the original letter being here, that no
one would risque prosecution for publish
ing such letter unless they could prove it
oy the original, or copy certified before a
Notary Public in Paris. You nave said.
Sir. that such letter might go into the bu.
reaus TINS is possible, but not probable
bat admitting thar'it did, what inducement
could there be for any one to bribe a clerk
to betray his trust and run the risoue of
the gaileys by copying such letter and
getting It certified before Notary. So
much tor the evidence. Now as to The OBJ
Ject OF publishing it, was it patriotism, go
YER ed by the love o: virtues! / think not
Tor II 1t were wrong IN me to write such let
ter, II being delivered tn you open YOU must
have been wrong in presenting it to M. Mar.
DOS Inc virtue in you woul,! have been tn
send 1t to the Secretary of State at Wash
i,gton & not to the Editor of the Eyeufnn
Fosf. but the circumstances seem to prove
that the original letter remained by some
means in Your possession the assertion of
your lrlehd W.T. lngraham and every thing
concerning the introduction of the letter in
to ne En- ming Post gives TO my mind the
impression thai you caused it to be publish.
ed, and this, Sir, is the pubiic opinion. As
to me The publication of The letteris of little
importance; looking for my fortune and a.
musement IN the Improvement of the use
fnl arts, there IS n t place i'm the gift of
tue President OF the u. States wh;cn would
/ accept, nor do ask any thing Of my country
men bnt heir good wishes.--Hence not be-
Ing III the way ofany mans ambition, hoped
TO escape the malice of ambitious men
But to state the facts concerning the pub
hcaton OF my letter is of much Importance
to the public for when man aspires to
high office through the favor OF a frank 81
generous people, his mind should be az no.
Die as that OF that of our immortal WASH
ihSt'n and Franklin whose great souls oc-
cupied with the rising grandeur OF an in
rant nation, and ever dwelling on her inter
est. had no room for the vulgar passions IF
malice 4 det'Accn or for p;ti.
able intrigue. Any one who can thus spend
ms hours, has not !great mind or usef,,,
falenfs. II is therefore on the priacInles
OF patriotism state these facts. If youcan
excuipate yourself. the public has much
charity, and l shall not hesitate to acknow-
ledge that circumstances have deceived
me.