Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1834-04-25

peareu,h by Edgar Snowden, the Editor
insl. LIVER feel that not only owe no apo
OF lnase Ir Tins appearinw before the pubic, pu[
logy =. ~, ,v;II see the necessity of my dong so.
thai az 40 not at all wish to disturb the COM
nslS with which Mr.. Snowden seems TO
p pal he has placed me in an unextrlcapie Oh
tninn - bv dthe exposure" ne has been forc-
y, 20 make, yet "justice to all parties, and to
eu ,,,b itself compels me" TO publish the iollow-
ing e ~ of the Bank of Virginia, and which
Caslfs forth the article that appeared in the Rich
dle"a enquirer of the 18th inst. relative to the
nun ors about the failure of the Bank of Virgil
Iiuo nj ,rhich letter acds shoarn to Mr. SR0a1deR
Dla, S'.ndau morning, the Goth instant, two days
o. 10 his publication:
ALEXANDRIA, d. c., 18th April, 1884.
!. pob;asou. Esq, Cashier:
4 Sn'.,.-Regarding the failure of Banking In
,. OH AT any time public calamity, should
sl.uu.cnlarly regret the failure of the Bank of
PPn.r;nia which has so long enjoyed the highest
'lnaSdence, and has been SO extensively useful
a believing that the report now in circulation
alua which is spreading through the State of
Senu;n;a1 is eminently calculated to produce Sc
.iss consequences to the Bank, think it pro-
n nv although stranger to you) to inform you
ype;t and. give to you one of the authors, that
~ son NAV take such course as your judgment
y!r;lI dictate. The report is, that the Bank of
Virginia Tn has failed; and it was brought to this
lace to-day from Washington by Mr.. Snowden,
highly respectable gentleman, and the Editor
of the paper in this place. opposed to the admi-
rsration:-the report, of course, excited much
.urnrise and regret with many persons; and l,
Nth several gentlemen, went on board of the
steamboat which arrived here this afternoon
with the Southern mail, to ascertain whether
,he report was correct, and was much pleased
10 hear that it was not and Immediately called
Al Mr.. Snowden's Office to correct the report
that he had brought from Washington, and
learned from him that the Hon. Henry Clay, of
tbe U. States Senate, was his author.
will not undertake to say what Mr.. Clay's
motive was for giving currency to such re-
oort or how imprudent it was for him to do SO,
occupying the high station he does. will sim
ply remark, that the Hon. B. w. Leigh is said
10 have given countenance to the report; but as
| have not positive proof of it, | am not dispos
ed to believe it; but that MIR. Clay has there is
incontestible proof
Respectfully, JNo. M. JOHNSON.
By the foregoing letter it will appear, that, in
writing it, | was governed by disposition to
enable the Bank to guard itself and the COM
munity against the evil consequences likely to
grow out of report assailing its solvency, and
10 trace that report to its source. 1t will also
appear, that | have spoken throughout of the
report of the failure of the Bank. In the first
place, speak of the "reportn now in circula-
ton, which believe calculated to produce Sc
rious consequences to the Bank" Again | say
@the report is that the Bank of Virginia has
failed, and it was brought to this place to-day
from Washington by Mr.. Snowden, &c.":: again,
the report, of course, excited much surprise,
&cn again, that l went I" to the steamboat to
ascertain whether the report was correct" &C.,
sand Immediately called at MIR. Snowden's of
fee to correct the report that he had brought
"from Washington and learned from him
that the Hon. Henry Clay, of the U. States
Senate, was his author" of what? his author
ofthe report of course! And finally, | observe
that " will not undertake to say what Mr..
Cay's motive was for giving currency to such
g a report'
When it is held in recollection, that l had
shown my letter to Mr.. Snowden two days be-
fore his publication, and explained to him that
did not consider Mr.. Clay the originator of the
report but has author, and also desired him, if he
had been misunderstood, to make statement
n writing of what he did say, and would have
published in the Enquirer, it will be seen that
here was no necessity for the labored effort he
has made, to prove, by his own admission, and
cy the testimony OF his host OF witnesses, the
truth of my statement. For Mr.. Snowden says,
that Mr.. Clay had told me of there being such
a rumor in Washington that morning, &c. Mr..
Hewitt says, " | understood you to say that it
was reported or rumored in the City (whence
you had only few moments returned) that the
Bank of Virginia had failed, and that Mr..
Clay had said to you that such report was cur
rent in Washington" Mr.. Dixon observes, " In
eonnexion with the name Of MIR. Clay you said,
Mr.. Clay had observed to you, that he had I'M
derstood the Virginia Bank had failed; that
mat was the rumor in Washington" The
other witnesses speak TO the same effect Here.
tnen, is full and incontestible evidence of the
ruth of what have said, that Mr.. Snowden
brought from Washington a "report" of the
failure of the Bank of Virginia, and gave up
Mr. Clay as the author of that "report."
II will be seen, in the Alexandria Gazette OF
Me 10th instant,-the morning after the CONVEX
sanon above alluded to,-that Mr.. Snowden
sales; 1t was currently reported and general
q Y believed in the District yesterday, that the
:; f 6ank ofVirginia, at Richmond, had failed on
& Monday. The members Of Congress generally
deferred it-seperal Of them reported at to as. !"
C r although he here says, :" the members Of
congress generally believed it-several of them
tTvpofted it to us" yet it will appear that Mr..
~ Eay Was the only member named, or alluded
W III the Conversation hetween Mr. SnOWden