Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1814-01-26

nifty and with the u. s. &c. has
the honor to make to the President the fol.
lowing Report {:
That of the transactions which took place
in the Department of State. before the Sc
crctary of State came into Office, which was
in the y ar 1911, he has no means of acquir>
ing a knowledge other than from the ar
clives OF the department, or from the per-
sons entrusted With their safe keeping.
That he has caused the files of the De-
partmcnt to be carefully examined for a
communication described by the resolution
of the House of Representatives, and that
none such has been found of the date there
in referred to or ofany other date from the
former Minister of France, or from his sue
cessor, or any trace or evidence of such a
communication i; that he has also cnquired of
the chief Clerk of the Department who has
been in that Office since the year 1907 con-
corning the same, and whose statement is
annexed.
That no snch communication was ever adj
dressed to the Secretary of State by the pre-
sent Minister OF France.
All which is respectfully submitted.
JAMES MONROE.
Department Of State, Jan. Is, 1914.
MIR. GRAIAM'S STATEMENT.
- "rrfn .nI-f H..M f-.
i know not how 1 can more clearly state
every thing that ! know relative toa letter
which was recently published in some of the
pablic prints, from Gen. Turreau to Robert
Smith, Esq. and which ! suppose to be the
communication t.ludcd TO in the resolution
OF the House of Representatives CT the 18th
instant, than by observing that when that
letter as published was shcwn to me by a
gentleman of this Office, / told him l could
not say whether il was genuine: that some
parts did not appear new to me, but that
other parts of it did. We Immediately look
ed at Gen. Turreau's file, and no such letter
was there. / then observed that If it vas
genuine, it must be the letter from Gen. Tur-
reau which had been withdrawn. +
Tho fac of one of his letters which | had
translated for Mr. Smith, having been with
drawn, ! distinctly remember, Though can
not speak with certainty either oil it's date or
OF its contents, more than four years having
elapsed since | saw it: but | remember it
was considered ezceptionable, and that MIR.
Smith directed me not to put it on the files,
but TO lay it aside. ! car add too that it was
the only letter from General Turreau which
to my knowledge was ever withdrawn.
This letter was withdrawn by q gentle
man attached to the French Legation, who
called at the Department of State to get it,
and it was delivered to him either By Mr..
Smith himself or by me under his directions.
When this was done, l cannot now recollect
nor haveI any means of ascertaining, exr
cept by a reference to a subsequent event
which happened III the month of November
1909. j al'ude to the dismissal of Mir. Jack
son. For L remember in a conversation I
had with nlr. Smith respecting that occur
renee at the time it took place, he observed
that he supposed Gen. Turrcau would now
be glad he had Withdrawn his latter.
In what way the translation of this letter
bias got into the public priuts,I know not,
nor do know where or by whom it was Ia
ken from this Office.
JOHN GRAHAM,
ChieJ Clerk Of Me Department Of