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NOP FOLK, January 15.
. From the Public Ledger.
FRENCH COlvRKSi'ONOENCE.
The article iinder this he.1.J, occupies a
very'considerable portion of our p-p'i" of
this day, .consisting of five letters from «if-
w,'-.7 viz, one to the minister of
v i« France, three to genetal Turreau.
the French miaisfer at Washington, one to
Commodore Barney. It cannot be suppos-
ed thai we siio tl I offer such document* t
the public, without observation. With
respect to the authenticity of these letters
¦we have no Jaubt ; and our renters may be
assured that we Lave not consented to their
publication, but under a firm conviction
that they are genuine ; the translations in
some instances are too literal to be eie.rant.
and t.he proper names in the originals are
vet; oiffi^ill to make out ; truth has been
more ajmedat than elegance. These letters
derive their interest from the circumstances
of their being written without being intend
ed for public inspection, and if course the
sentiments of the writer are freely expressed.
It may probably be remarked that a part of
these letters do not interest the public and
might therefore have been omited ; but for
reasons which we think are conclusive, such
a course, could not have been pursued with-
out hazarding a charge of suppression. In
one instance only has any part of the letters
been omited, and the cause of omission is
fully, and e (rust salislactorialy explained
— ie remarks which we have to offer, will
come better after the reader has periled the
correspondence ; we shall therefore insert
it here.
Fkf.ncti Correspondence.
¦ (Communicated for til Publick Ledger.)
Translation .
No. I.
Dated the Hq-vana, $Otb Sept. *8J men of war, accompanied
by a large frigate, she-wed a disposition to
attack my ship, but in the course of half
an hour, after bring at them fifty shot,
they retreated to repair their damage. Could
1 have tacked, or been in a situation to
make sail, the English captain would, by a
prompt surrender, have paid the forfeit of
iiis imprudent hardihood ; this was on the
J6t.li. September, and on the same day 1 got
into Havana. The unprovided condition of
my ship, and particularly the wretched qua-
lity of my sails determined me to hasten my
return to France, and not Wait till October,
but the numerous squadrons of the enemy
cruising in the Gull', and before our princi-
pal ports, induced me to continue out dur-
ing all the long days of summer. A ten
months cruise would have proved sufficient
to ruin sails and rigging, had they been
even new when I first sailed—but I needed
not this hard trial to convince me of the
miserable equipment of the squadron I was
to command, for scarcely had his Imperial
majesty's squadron put to sea before they
\ proved leaky and unlit for sea—most, pain-
ful is it to me to represent to you, at this
late day, these miserable equipments, no
doubt very contrary to your intentions and
the wish of his Imperial majesty, bestow-
ed upon my vessels, relative to which I
should have made strong representations,
could I have known it before my departure
from Ftsuice ; but it was not permitted me
to demand anything, neither to inquire into
what was requisite for the second squadron,
I before the first completely unarmed was
I ordered to sea, nor was it till after sail-
ing 1 discovered the very bad condition of
my ships. Notwithstanding which distres-
sing cnciiinsiances I reckoned upon return-
ing fortunate to France, and of convincing
you, my lord, by the reports you would have
o eiived.cn my arriving- in port of the la-
uiwnt&k state of my-ships. Sine* my ar-
rival at the Havana I have, by the most 'se-
cret and ciii'eful means, forwarded orders to
'such of his fifiperial majesty's ships as were
said to be arrive'-! in different pints in Amev
rica and Porto Rico, requiring from their
commanders an immediate report of the stare
¦ .niirinn of their sliijis, with orders to
them to join me at the earliest moment in
their power. The Foudrdy.-iut must behove
down, which wilt detain me at this place .-5
months. I have read in the Baltimore Ga-
zette of the Sri of this month, of the arrival
of the Patriot at Annapolis, of Vah reuse at
New-Castle, and of the Cyheile, in',
to M. Le Hermit's division at Norfolk; All
these three ships were considerably damag-
ed. Whenever all the ships cf my scatter-
ed squadron of rrien of wvir shall have re-
joined me here, I shall, 1 hope, be able to
perforin such Services as his majesty has en-
trusted me with. Meanwhile, some few
Spanish men of war, if ordered to proceed
to sea with me might effect some good. I
iindthe Spaniards well disposed to forward
every thing for the good of his majesty's ser-
vice, particularly, hVcit, general Villavaxario,
who superintends theclepvtment of" the na-
vy. It has been proposed to me to go to
Vera Cruz for treasure ; the vahie of com-
merce there bein* estimated at 60 millions,
and the riches of the place, it is well known
are without bounds. I have obtained assuran-
ces, that without delay, all the needful re-
pairs on board my ship shall be expeditious-
ly put in hand, and 1 must say all the peo-
ple in power have united in demonstrations
of zeal for his imperial majesty's Service, &
kindness for every man bearing the name of
a Frenchman. Be pleased, my lord, to re-
present to the king, my sincere affliction
for the disabled condition to which I have
been reduced by tempest, and assure his ma-
jesty of my utmost, continued efforts to sur-
mount all difficulties which can possibly
happen to interrupt me in the execution of
his will and pleasure, and pray assure him of
my unbounded devotion towards his august
person.
Accept, my lord, likewise, the assurance
of my most respectful attachment.
(Signed)
Le C. A. P. Willaumez.
No. II.
To General Turreau, French ambassador at
Washington.
My. Lord,
You have learnt by the arrival of some
of my scattered ships in America, the un-
fortunate event by which they were separated
from me. [Here admiral Willaumez gives
the detail of the tempest in nearly'the same
words as in his letter to the minister of
marine at Paris, to which he adds3 tha^ at
this date the Fondroyant was then nearly
new masted, and proceeds to enforce to
general Turreau, how necessary it was that
the ships .which had put into the American
ports by distress, should hasten to join him
at the Havana, where his squadron, if col-
lested and united to the Spanish force at
that place, would in effect oppose a strong
squadron, and double to that of the English,
who at Jamaica, he states, have only two
line of battle ships. Admiral Willaumez
further says, that he purposed going to
Vera Cruz, agreeably to the project of the
government of the Spanish colony of Ha-
vana, to bring some millions of dollars,
which he states v»ill be the more apropos,
as the Fetich emperor had a right to the
payment of one million of dollars, of which
the scarcity was very great at the island of
Cuba. Admiral Willaumez then continues,
I have just apprehended four seamen, deserters
from the Vatareuse frigate, which I found on
board aii Atifencan brig, where they had been
engaged OX seventeen dollars per month. Now,
sir, if you can succeed in making the American
government pay down a compensation for this
misconduct, in seducing thus our seamen, you
will punish it by making it smart in that point
in which it feels most, ¦via. its avarice in mo-
ney, and with so much the more justice, since
those people (meaning the American mer-
chants) have for three years past been conti-
nually injuring our murine by seducing our best
seamen from us.
(Signed)
Le C. Ad. P. WILLAUMEZ,
On board the Foudroyant,
Havana, 25th October, 1806.
(To be continued.)
BY THIS DAY's MAILS.
WASHINGTON, January 23.
MESSAGE of the President of the Unit-
ed States,
Containing a I) evelopemen'T of the
conspiracy.
To the Senate and House of K'/ireucnlalivcs
cft/te United Siat'ei.
Agreeably to the request of the house
of representatives, communicated in their
resolution of the 16th inst. I pioceed to
state under the reserve therein expressed,
information received touching an illegal
combination of private individuals against
the peace and safely of the union, and a
military expedition planned by them a-
gains* the territories of a power in amity
with the U, States, wkh the measuiet, I
have pursued for suppressing the same.
I had lor some time, been in the con-
stant expectation of receiving such further
information as would have enabled me to
lay before the legislature the tci initiation,
as well as the beginning and progress of
this scene of depravity, so far as it has
been acted on the Ohio and its waters.
From this the state of safety of the lower
country might have been estimated on pro-
bable grounds, and the delay was indulged
the rather, because no circumstance lvtd
yet made it necessary to call in the aid of
the legislative functions. Information now
recently communicated, has brought us
nearly to the period contemplated. The
mass of what 1 have received in the course
of these transactions is voluminous: but
htlle has been given under the sancuon ot
at\ oath, so as 10 cyt>»thute formal and legal
evidence. It is. chiefly in the form of fet-
ters, often containing such a mixture of
rumors, conjectures and suspicions, as ren-
der it difficult '° sift out the real facts, and
unadviseable to hazard more than general
outlines, strengthened by concurrent in-
formation, or the particular credibility of
the rclater. In this state of the evidence,
delivered some times too under the le-
striciion of private confidence, neither
safety nor justice will permit the exposing
names, except that of the principal actor,
whose guilt is placed beyond question.
Some time in the latter part of Septem-
ber, I received intimations that designs
were in agitation in the Western country,
unlawful and unfriendly to the peace of the
union : and that ihe prime mover in these
was Aaron Burr, heretofore distinguished
by the favor of his country. The grounds
of these intimations being inconclusive,
the objects unceitain, and the fidelity of
that country known to be firm, the only
measure taken was to urge the infoiHh-
antsto use their best endeavors to get i'llr-
iher insight into the designs at d proceed-
ings of the suspected persons,aiid to com-
municate them tome.
It was not till the latter part of October
that the objects of the conspiracy began to
be perceived, but still so blended and in-
volved in mystery that nothing distinct
could be singled out for pursuit. In this
state of Uncertainty, as to the crime con-
templated, the 'Cis .lone, and the legal
course to be pursued, I thought it best to
send to the scene, where these things
were principally in transaction, a person
in who e ititegiitv, understanding and dis-
cretion, entire confidence could be repos
ed, with instructions to investigate the
plots going,on, to enter into conference
(for which he had sufficient credentials)
with the governors, and all other officers,
civil and military and with their aid, to
do on the spot whatever should be neces-
sary to discover the designs of '.he con-
spirators, arrest their means, bring their
persons to punishment, and to call out
the force of the country to suppress any
unlawful enterprise, in which it should
be found they were engaged. By this time
it was known that many boats were under
preparation, stores of provisions, collect-
ing, and an unusual number of suspicious
characters th motion op the Ohio, and its
waters. Besides dispatching the confi-
dential agent to that quarter, orders were
at the same time sent to the governors of
the Orleans and Mississippi territories,
and to the commanders of the land and na-
val forces there, to be on their guard a-
gainst surprize, and in constant readiness
to resist any enterprise which might be
attempted on the vessels, posts or other ob-
jects under their care : and on die 8th of
November, hislructnans were forwarded to
general Wilkinson to hasten an accom-
modation with tiie Spanish commandant
on the Sabine, and, as soon as that was
effected, 10 fall back with his principal
force to the hither bank of the Mississip-
pi, for the defence of the interesting
points on tlv>t river. By a letter r. ceived
from that officer ol the 25th of November,
but dated 2 Is', we learnt that, aconfiden
rial agent of Aaron Burr had been deput-
ed to him with communications, paitly
written in cypher, and partly oral, ex
plaining his deigns, exaggerating his re-
sources, and making such offers of emo-
lu.i.ent and command to engage him and
the army in his unlawful etiterpi.;e, as he
had flattered himself would be successful;
': he v'.eiieial, with the honor of a soldier,
and fidelity of a good citizen, immediately
dispatched a trusty officer to me with in-
formation of what had passed, proceeded
to establish such an understanding with
the Spanish commandant on the Sabine as
permitted him to withdraw his force across
the Mississippi, and to enter on measures
for opposing the projected enterprise.
The general's letter which came to
hand on the 25th of November, as has
been mentioned) and some other informa-
tion, received a few days ea lier, when
brought togeiber, developed Burr's gene-
ral designs, different parts of which only
had been revealed to different informants.
It appeared that the contemplated two
distinct objects, which might be carried
on either jointly or separately, and ei-
ther the one or the other first as circum-
stances should direct. One of these was
the severance of th» union of these slates
by the Allegany mountains, the other an
attack on Mexico. A third object was
provided, merely ostensible, to wit, the
settlement of the pretended purchase ot a
tract of country on the Washita, claimed
by a baron Bastrop. This was to serve
as the pretext for all his preparations, an
allurement for such followers as really
wished to acquire settlements in that
•country and a cover under which to retreat
in the event of a final discomfiture of both
branches of his real design.
He found at once that the attachment
of the western country to the prtsent uni
on was not to be shaken ; that its dissolu-
tion could hot be effected with the consent
of its inhabitants ; and that his resources
wefe inadequate, as yet, to effect it by
force. He took his course then at once,
determined to seise on New Oilcans,
plunder the bank there, possess himself
of the military and naval stores, and pro-
ceed on his expedition to Mexico, and to
this object all his means and preparations
were now directed. He collected from
all the quarters where himself, or his a
gents possessed influence, all the ardent,
restless, desperate and disaffected persons
who were ready for any edterprize analo-
gous to their characters. He seduced
g.od and well meaning citizens, some by-
assurances that he possessed the confi-
dence of the government, and was acting
under its seciet patn f
w loch, procuiejd son - «h t..e 6ts!»
of our diff-ie,.ces v. . and other*
bv offers i f land ip Ba >ti op1. thlini on the
Washita.
'I his was the state. 01 my information of
his pi ;; about the last of Novem-
ber ; at which time then-hue it v.:i» first \
possible tit cific measures to meet
them. The proclamation of November
27, two days after the receipt of general
Wilkinson's information, was now issued.
Orders were dh patched to every inn test-
ing point on the Ohio and Mistissippi,
from Pittsburg to New Orleans, for the
employment of such force, either of the
regulars or of the militia, and of cucli
pioceedings also of the civil authorities,
as might enable them to seize on all boats
and stores ptovided for the enterprise, til
arrest the persons concerned, urn! to sup-
press effect,tally the further progress of
the enterprise. A little before: the r<-
Cetptof these 01 del s til the stsle of Ohio,
our confidential afcer*, who lead been dili-
gently employed in iiiVesl.igaiin.'; t)« 0.01,.
spiracv had acquired sufficient inf'.i-nui-
tion to open himself to 1 lie governor of that
state, and to apply for the immedi it.e ex-
ertion of the authority and power of the
state to crush the combination. Gover-
nor Tiffin and the legislature, with a
promptitude, an energy and patriotic zeal
which enfitle i.-ern to a distinguished
place in the affection of their s;ster states,
effected the seiztiie of all the boats, pro-
visions and other preparations within
their reach, and thus gave a first blow,
materially disabling the enterprise in its
outset.
In Kentucky a premature attempt to
bring Burr to justice, without sufficient
evidence foi his conviction, had produced
a popular impression in his Kvor, and a
general disbelief of his guilt. This gave
him an unfortunate opportunity of hasten.-
ing-his equipments. The arrival, of the
proclamation ami orders, and [Ca-
tion and information of our confidential a»
gent, at length awakened the authorities *F
that state to the truth, and then pro:. ic4tl
the same promptitude and energy of which
the neivbhor.ng state had set the exaro- ,
pie Under an act of their legislature of
December 23, the militia was instantly
order " rent important points, and
measures tal - doing whatever could
yet be ('one. Some boats (accounts vary
from five to double or treble that number)
and peisons (differently estimated from I
to 3 hundred) had in the mean time passed
the falls of Ohio to rendezvous at the
mouth of Cumberland, with others ex-
pected down that river. Not apprised tilL
very late that any boats were building on
Cumberland, the effect of the proclama-
tion had been trusted to for Some time in
the state of Tennessee. But on the 19th
of December similar communications and
and instructions, with those to the. neigh-
boring states, were dispatched by exjj! ess
to the governor, and a general officer of t
the vvestetn division of the »tate, and on
the 23d of December our confidential agent
left Frankfort for Nashville to put into ac-
tivity the means of that state also. But
by information rei eived yeetetiiay., 1 loam
that on t be 22d of December M r. BlliT
descended the Cumberland with two bouts,
merely of accommodation, carrying with
him from that state no quota towards
his unlawful •^enterprise. WhethtU'- after
the arrival of the proclamation, of the or-
ders, or of our agent, any exertion which
could be made by that state, or the orders
of the governor of Kentucky for calling
out the militia at the mouth of Cumber J
land, would be in time to ai rest these boats,
and those from the falls of Ohio, is still
doubtful.
On the whole the fugitives from the O-
hio, with their associates ho<"n Ctimber-
l ud, or any other place in that quarter,
cannot threa'en serious danger to the city
of New Orleans.
By the same express of December 19, 0,-
ders were sent to the governors of Orleans
and Missisippi, supplementary to those
whichhad been given on the 25th of No-
vember, to hold the militia of their territories
in readiness to co-operate for their detent*
with the regular troops and armed vessels
then under command of general Wilkinson.
Great alarm indeed was excited at N. 0 -
leans by the exaggerated accounts of Mr.
Burr, disseminated through his emfssarit-s,
of the armies and navies he was to assemble
there. General Wilkinson had arriv,.. |
