The Portland gazette. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1818-1824, 1822-06-04
MP. JEFFERSON.

in wallpaper.
MR. JEFFERSON.
A writer. who calls hilnsef'1 "A native OF Vir-
ginia.n has charged Mr.. Jefferson with having
received, trice, the SUR of 81, las from the Y.
>. for the same thing.
MIR. Jefferson, has published a letter Of ex-
PLANTATION; in which he states, upon the author
ty Of his pocket diary,--that in 1889, Oct Fl,
being at Cowes, on his return 10 U. ,. hc drew
bill or Willinks Van Staphorsts and Hubbard,
United States bankers at Amsterdam, for $500
forms banco. Of value Sti48.-That the bill
was drawn in favor Of Mr.. Grand-and Mr.,
jefferson says il was lost by some unknown ac-
cident; and that he passed it to the credit OF
the u. ). as soon as drawn-that he, in 1872,
settled his account with III. ). with the charge
Of Sl143-against himself for this draft-that
10 1909, 90 years after the draft, the money was
repaid him, ii never having been charged to u.
5. either BY the Dutch Bankers, or Mr.. Grand.
The transaction is certainly singular.-We pre-
sumo not to contradict Mr.. j. but it could be
wished be had stated the reasons Of his drawing
a bill on these bankers, on his passage home
from England--and that lie had named the per.
son into whose hands he gave this bill--un3er
what Observation-Disclosures he received cash
countable receipt. We do not know that the
amount has ever been paid by the u. States to
any other person-tho' this is certainly possible.
1t is probable the public will have further in
formation upon this subject, from the tenor OF
an article in the Centinel, Of which we subioin
an extract
" In answer to Mr.. Jeferson's letter the Fed
eral Republican lin which the. Native Virgini-
an adj rI,ar fLc< h.
ton only makes matters worse, and that all
who read it will find, in Mr. u olcn hand lcrit
ing, that he acknowledges having received the
money tloice J" and that this was the point on
which the Native rests The Federal Republi-
can adds, that the Native of Virginia" will
explain MIR. Us letter to the satisfaction Of eve
ry impartial man and that they will publish
the letter and the rcfutation Id the same paper"
Since we pcnncd our remarks above, we have
seen number of "A Native Of Virginia" ia
answer to Mr. Jefierson's letter. He remarks
that MIR. Jefferson has not in direct terms dcni-
ed the charge OF having received the money
stnsce, which the " Native of Virginia again in
slsts he has proved against Mr.. J. to whom he
boldly says out Of thine own mouth will con-
dornn thee.'
Mr.. Jefferson in his letter states, :" it was not
until the oath June, 1904, that received let
ter from MIR. Richard Harrison, the auditor, in
forming me that my accounts as minister To.
France had been adjusted and closed, Fhe had
" certificate" Of that fact in 1892, when he paid
the balance found against himl-adding, the
bill drawn and credited By you under date of
2lst October, 1889, for banco forms, 287O, hay
ing never yet appeared in any account Of the
Dutch bankers, stand at your debit only as
provisional charge lift should hereafter turn
out, as incline to think it will, that this bill
has never been used or negotiated by Mr..
Grand, you will have just claim on the public
for its value. This, continues Mr.. - was the
drst intimation to me that / had too hastily
charged myself tcih that draught''
The Native Of Virginia" in reply 10 this
says" Now, would simply ask Mr.. j. whether
he was not while minister to France, in the
constant and uniform habit Of creditine the IT.
States, or, what is the same thing, Of charging
himself with the avails Of erery draught lat the
time OF receiving the money! which he drew on
our bankers at Amsterdam. But he has now
discovered that he has done this z too hastily !"
that is to say, he now thinks il would have been
better for him to have given the U. States no
credit uhateoer for the large sums which he re-
celved from time to time on bills drawn on the
bankers and sold or negotiated BY lim-be-
cause, in the course ofhuman events more bills
than one might be lost in their transmission ia
which case he could only be charged, in the
settlement Of his accounts at the treasury, with
the actual amount Of bills which the bankers
had paid and charged in their accounts with the
Y. States.-Ihus, as it would seem, he now
thinks he would have had all the chances afford
ed him of profting BY every accident which
might happen in the transmission Of bills in the
confusion then prevailing = But in 1889, Mr..
J. thought and acted difFerently-and he
thought and acted right. He charged himself
and credited the government with the money
as ne received it-as every correct and faithful
man would do"
Mr.. Jefferson, says the Native OF Virginia,
admits in his own account rendered in 1870.
and settled in 1872, that he had received the
cash for the bill in question, and he does not
darectty deny it now. VIII lie, can be, in the
face OF his own declaration in writing to the
contrary, publicly say, that he did not receive
the money for this bill in Europe? This i the
point on which the whole matter rests the
pivot on which the argument turns If he did re-
ceiye the money in Europe, mo matter whether
at Cowes or at Paris he certainly had no right
TO receive 1t a second time from the public trea
snry OF the U. States This is admitted ] be-
Icye, on all sides. Now, that he did receis
the money in Europe on this bill, is proved ~
rInIrr &-F y