Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1825-03-19

| interviewed before l was necessarily ex-
posed to similar expenditures, to a
certain extent, incident to the Mission
which had ceased.
If this allowance to me for centin-
gent expenses be compared with that
to other ministers in Foreign Missions
its inadequaey will be apparent. An
official statement from the Accounting
Department of the Government, here
with presented, shows the allowances
which have been made in all other in
stances, from the commencement of
the government to the present time
BY comparing those allowances with
that made to me, you will be enabled
to decide on the justice Of the latter. 1t
will be recollected that, during the mis-
sion, / was always at my post, the
epoch being peculiarly interesting, and
its ordinary duties very heavy; that my
correspondence, owing to the frequent
seizure of our vessels, was extensive,
and, that the aid was occasionally
called on 10 afford to our citizens, at a
time of such general distress, was con-
siderable. l will enumerate one in
stance of such aid, it being to citizen
who had rendered important service in
our revolution. 1t was to Thomas
Paine. On my arrival in Paris, in
1894, found him in prison, from which
he was discharged on my application
He was without resource. took him
to my house, and supplied him for a
year and half, with every necessary
/ furnished him, also, with money, OF
which about $50 Louis remained un.
paid, when l left France, and have new
er since been paid. Thatl also exert
ed my utmost abilities to obtain the il
beration of Madam La Fayette, who
was then confined in prison, and adj
vanced her money, after her release,
for her immediate accommodation, and
to carry her to the relief of her hus-
band, the illustrious friend of human
rights, who was then immured in the
prison of Olmutz, will likewise be shown
by my correspondence with the De
partment Of State, Of that epoch. For
these advances to herl was afterwards
repaid by the government. For those
to Thomas Paine, no claim was ever
presented on my part, nor is any indem'
nifty now desired.
NV account for this mission was set
tied in nv absence by my friend Mr..
Dawson and general idea OF my IN
s,ructions to him, as to the conditions
of the settlement, is all that recollect
respecting it, which were, in conside-
ration of my then relation to the ad.
minis,ration, and the difficulties | had
TO encounter, to make none as TO mo-
new. Other cares and duties then
| pressed on me, compared with which,
money weighed as nothing, in the op'
posite scale.
In my second mission, the instances
in which ! thought thai justice had
been withheld from me, were more nu-
merous. The first to which l shall In
vite YOUR attention, relates to an outfit
| in the special mission to France. None
| was allowed me at the time of my ap-
pointment, as had been to all other
ministers, nor until after my return,
when, on the settlement Of my account
| in 1910, the heavy losses | had sustain
ed were made apparent. The differ
ence between the allowance at the one
and at the other period, cannot be tair,
w estimated, by the mere interest OF
the money for the term during which
it was withheld. In few instances
and even under the most favorable cir
cumstances, can a settlement on thl:
principle, indemnify the party from
whom such sum is withheld. In none
can the Withholding it operate more
iniuriously than to one Of our foreign
ministers, who leaves his country II
haste, and his private concerns unset
tied, and is thrown into heavy expen
ses abroad, in the discharge of his pub
lie duties. In my instance the effec
was the more sensibly felt, in conse
ouence of the losses which l had sus
tanned in my former mission, from
which, being taken from home, shortl!!
after my return, by the consoling con
6dence reposed in me by my native
state, had not recovered. That tn
motive for not allowing the outfit, a
the time of my appointment, was pa
triotic and just is well known: II wa
founded in beliefthat our intercourse
with foreign powers might be main
tanned on proper basis, without ma
king such allowance to such missions
Had not that belief existed, well salts
| fed / am, that the experiment wouls
not have been made. The high CONF
dence reposed in me by the President
by. the very important missions te
which / was called, as well as by tn
man ner of the call, without consuitlns
me, is a full proof that it was made II
my instance, with regret. But want
ed no such proof, having received ma
Il IL tsko hYf L