Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1811-03-01
ssasraoN THE rALLAp1uM.

So &~fFRoN THE PALLADIUM.
Extract of letter from Mr., ApANs, Minister
from the u. S. at the court of,St. Petersburg,
to friend.
'fOU have quoted paragraph which some
papers in America copied from an English pub
hcation, accusing me of being meddlng adj
vocatc for the exclusion of American vessels
'rom the Russian ports.=I shall not boast to
you, how many American vessels have been,
BY my eXertions alone, admitted into the Rus
sian ports, and which, but for me, would have
been excluded from them. There are docu-
me nts, public and private, upon this subject,
which need not display before yourThe of.
fetal papers have been and will be received at
thefDepar,ment Of State, and there willingly
leave them. Neither is it necessary for me to
tell you that not one American vessel has, to
my knowledge, been excluded from Russian
Port since my arriyL! here.
"Russia and England being =. war, the com.
merciai intercourse betwee them is, OF course
forbidden and neither Eng!isi, vessels nor
English subjects are allowed TO rome into the
Russian Territories. You already know that
one ct the expedients by which the EaGlish
have attempted to evade these prohibitions
was by presenting themselves as Americans,
with forged passports and ships papers. The
Russian Government admit universally every
American recognized as such BY the American
Minister or Consul. This business, since I
have been here continues, as it was before, to
be transacted by Mr.. Harris, the Consul, who
never fails, however, to consult me, and take
my opinion in every case susceptible of ques-
tion. j had not been here week, before |
was asked to authenticate paper purporting
to be n Passport of the Mayor of NJ York,
and an eminent merchant of this city sent me
in writing his guarantee thai the man named
IN the passport was a native citizen of the u.
nited States The passport was forged in
h. .r,.,, w.
has ke.t there shcp for neutral papers
for several years and the man named in it
was Liverpool trader, who had never set his
foot in the United, States You very naturally
perceive, that not only refused the authenti
cation desired of me, but that did not entirely
suppress a sentiment Of indignation at the I'M.
position that was attempted TO be practised
on raein the guarantee.
'SWithin a fortnight stewards two ships en-
tersd with registers Of the same Van Sanders
fabrication. They were detected by Mr. Har
RS, who laid the papers be fore me, & who dulv
informed the Russian government, that thew
were forged The vessel with theic careoes
were contiscated and heir papers delivered
TO Mr.. Harris, who has sent them to the De-
psrtnvnt of State. In this he acted entireIy
with my countenance and appreciation, VIII ich,
under a weight of mercantile influence exist.
ing here in favour of these frauds, was un
tnubtcdly useful, it not necessary to him I
certainty did let IL be understood, by all the
merchants Of st. Petersburgh, and OF the othe-
Russian ports tlTat forged papers, pretended to
beAHfrican, should fin neither connivauce
cor tRercy from ipe, whenever they should
come fpsfny knowledge and although his de-
termination, so explicitly manifested, did not
recommend me to the favor of knglishmen nor
even to that ofthe merchants in ST. Petersburg.
do most sincerely believe that had it not been
for it, the real American flag would long before
this Lave been excluded from the ports of Rus
sia. it has been from those of Denmark and
Prtssia
81 have had no more forged passports, with
g,iaTau s, sent 20 me TO be au,henticai ed, and
only two three more of Mr.. Van Sanders
Registers have appeared in the Russian ports
during the present year hey have met The
sane fate with their predecessors but the
story dlat examined I'll the papers Of vessels
niyselg, or that ever meddled with them. TN
less at the request of Mr. Harris OF the Rus.
sian government, or of the persons to whom
thc papers belorgJ is mere fabrication, totally
destitute Of Truth
AMY real offence, therefore, has been in
contributing TO the exclusion OF persons, ves-
sells apd cafg es, really Engli.h, but coming
with forged signatures and seals of the public
oii.oc.> Ut my country.
" In speaking of the mercantile influence
here in favor Of thee frauds, it may be proper
tu explain myself further. The merchants of
s.. Petersburg almost all foreigners
Great numbers Of them arc English or connect
ed Wiil l. glish houses. Their business is al
most csc ;usiyely commission business. They
uniyers liy detest this war with England and
icng for the restoration Of tic comfs erclsl in.
tercOurse with tliat country. they want the
tradcj and they care not under what Gag or
villa. papers it comes and goes. The Ameri-
can hoa, and American papers would have
been tne rost convenient Of all their shelters,
and under Ne liberal conadhnce with which
the Russian government admitted every vessel
ard person cunning from friendly countries and
recognized by the American Minister or CON-
suls, as Americans If our cCunlepance could
lietf been obtained. irs cad OF fly or sixty
vessels from fencriiie, which have come To-
Russia, for confiscauOn, uoder Al, sor,s Of ps
ptrs. excepting Amer cauJ ve IN ght have
seen iiye hundrcd dlrcc from the London mar
ke', bo'h Of m"rchaud q anil Of papers The
ibt iiablc aud iust cOns quence Of which
wo id have b Gu that tl.c true Americans
vgGG lave been c0n'ourdcd vith Che laise.
and all OF them involved ia one general pro.
slrjptun."
EoTE.
Il has been said, Know no. on wha, au.
thotly iha' cor plans axe inst his sccundrel.
who c iniamy Is knOs n ia al pSr;s of we civil
lied woro nave been ma " vie 3r ish 20.
vc-uG5ent - ard ,hst the AM W " has been bat
tie avs OF Ing ard 90 not - ach lis OF nee
sacn for a ons time was ne pr,t soce with res.
peet 20 that notorious leon, Siebhea Buyyogg6s