You express your surprize at the contents of a paper in the Gazette of the U. States of the 8th instant. If you will review that paper with care, you will find, that what is said about party spirit refers to the view with which the accusation was instituted by Reynolds and Clingman, not to that with which the inquiry was entered into by you. They sought by the favor of party spirit to obtain liberation from prison—but tho’ they may have rested their hopes on this ground it is hot said, nor in my opinion implied, that you in making the inquiry were actuated by that spirit—I cannot however alter my opinion that they were influenced by the motive ascribed to them—For though, as you observe Clingman was not in prison (end so far my memory has erred) and though it be true, that Reynolds was released before the inquiry began by virtue of an agreement with the Treasury Department (that is the Comptroller of the Treasury) for a reason of public utility which has been explained to you,—Yet it will be observed that Clingman as well as Reynolds was actually under a prosecution for the same offence, and that it appears by No. I. of the papers under your
