Virginia Argus

NEW YORK. June 21.

To the printers of the New-York Gazette.

IN a hand bill issued from your press this morning, I observed a note signed "John Kidder," in which Mr. Lee is mentioned as being the bearer of letters from the office of the French minister of foreign affairs to citizen Bache and Genet. In justice to Mr. Lee, and to prevent Mr Kidder's note from having an impression on the public mind, which I am confident he did not intend, I state the following circumstances:

Mr Lee, Mr. Kidder and myself, were fellow travellers from Paris to Bourdeaux. Mr. Lee's departure having been talked of for a considerable time before he left Paris, many letters were committed to his care, which he looked over and assorted in our presence. Several letters sealed with the seal of the minister of foreign affairs, & addressed to the citizens Monroe, Genet, Bache, and, I believe, to some other persons of the same description, excited Mr. Lee's curiosity not less than the rest of the passengers-and he, in particular suggested that they ought to be sent to the office of the secretary of state. Mr. Lee, as well as myself, left the vessel at sea, and in the hurry of assorting the letters for their different destinations, I presume he left with Mr Kidder, who remained on board some of the letters in question.

If my testimony could add any thing to Mr. Lee's reputation, I should take a pleasure in saying that he is one of the very few Americans of respectable character, who have lately resided in France, He has always appeared to retain a warm attachment to this country, and to feel a sincere detestation for the Americans in France, whose hostility to our government has had so considerable a share in producing the present state of things.

SAMUEL M. HOPKINS.
New York, June 20.

To the Printers of the New-York Gazette.

Gentlemen,

As the public seem to suppose that I am criminated in Mr. Kidder's note which appeared in a handbill this morning, I take the occasion simply to assert that I knew nothing of the contents of the letters addressed to Messrs. Bache, and others, bearing the seal of the minister of foreign affairs. That I do not even know who delivered them to me ; -and that I did not notice them particularly till after being at sea. It was by mistake that some of them were left with Mr. Kidder. The others have been delivered up to government.

WM. LEE.

TALLEYRAND'S LETTER.

The following affidavit will save those that know the editor, the trouble of wading through the subjoined lengthy detail.

[Aurora.]
City of Philadelphia,

On the 20th of June, 1798, personally appeared before me, Hilary Baker, Mayor of the city of Philadelphia, Benjamin Franklin Bache: who being duly sworn, deposed and said: That the letter signed Ch. Mau. Talleyrand, which appeared in his newspaper, called the Aurora, on Saturday last, was not received by him from France; that it was delivered to him for publication by a gentleman in this city; and that he never received the letter said to have been put into the post office for him, in a piece signed John Kidder, published in Claypoole's American Daily Advertiser of the 19th instant. And further the deponent saith not.

BENJ. FRANKLIN BACHE.
Sworn before me,
HILARY BAKER, Mayor.