The Virginia Gazette

TO THE PUBLIC.

R. Ford was lately the bearer of dispatches from Dr. Lee to Congress. He landed in Virginia, and on his way to Philadelphia calling on a friend of Dr. Lee's, was advised by him to return immediately to Williamsburg and procure from the Executive an enquiry into his character, which lying under imputations of disaffection to the American cause, had occasioned injurious suspicions of his patron; he took the advice. The Gentleman sent on his dispatches to Congress, and gave him a letter to the Executive, praying them to go into the enquiry; they agreed to it, fixed on Tuesday the 5th instant for that purpose, took Mr. Ford's bond for his appearance before them, and desired the attendance of some Gentlemen acquainted with some circumstances of Mr. Ford's conduct. The witnesses attended: Mr. Ford did not appear: Expenses being too high to propose detaining the witnesses, they were desired to write their own depositions, swear to them, and lodge them with the clerk of the Council. They did so, and were discharged. I happened to be at Clarkson's printing office the Saturday following, when he received a note from the Governour, informing that he had that moment for the first time received notice through his newspaper, that Mr. Ford had attended in town, and begged he would let him know in what part of the town he was to be found. I immediately saw into the trick Mr. Ford had meant to play: the printer's information was, that Mr. Ford had come to town on Tuesday afternoon, but did not take up his lodgings in the town; that he came into it two other different times, or at least he had seen him so often, that he withdrew some clothes which he had lodged with an acquaintance in the town; left with him on the Thursday evening the address which was published, and then disappeared. The public therefore to whom Mr. Ford has addressed himself, will now be pleased to decide whether his dodging into town two or three times unseen by any member of the Executive, was an appearance before the Council as required by the condition of his bond, and whether his conduct is most like that of a person wrongfully accused, or of one conscious that the depositions he was to confront, contained facts which he could not controvert, and therefore wishing to withdraw himself from the enquiry without seeming to do so.

PLAIN DEALER.