The Enquirer

Domestic.

The Politics of New-York, have lately engaged our attention; not so much from their own intrinsic importance, as from the respectability of the characters that they have introduced before the public. We have already observed, that Mr. De Witt Clinton and Gov. Lewis have launched into a personal altercation in the news-papers.

We have re-published two addresses from Mr. Emmett, famous in the revolution of Ireland, to Mr. King; as well as an interesting letter from M. Genet. We have now to introduce a much more elevated officer than any of these upon the same theatre: not less than the venerable George Clinton; the Vice-President of the U. S. The following is the reason of his appearing before the public.

Mr. Lansing, the Chancellor of N. Y. was nominated by the Republican party, as the successor of Gov. Clinton. His nomination was formally announced in an Albany paper. Some short time after, he resigned his pretensions without having stated the reasons of this change. Mr. Lewis was nominated in his place and elected. The federalists, however, stated at the time that Mr. Lansing had declined from a persuasion that the Clinton family would attempt to direct his administration, if he was elected; for that they had already chalked out a particular course of policy which he was to pursue, as the only condition on which they were to support his election. The Chancellor, however, did not contradict the report. Mr. Lewis was elected. Since the competition has arisen between Gov. Lewis and Mr. Tompkins, the good friends of these former have renewed this tale! The Editor of the Albany Register contradicted it under the professed direction of Mr. De Witt Clinton and others.

Mr. Lansing next came forward to contradict this contradiction: and positively insisted upon the existence of such a system to control his independence. Mr. Geo. Clinton (De Witt's brother and nephew of the Vice-President of the U. S.) denied the truth of this statement; and publicly called upon Mr. L. for a specification of circumstances. Mr. L. however politely waved the appeal, seeming to intimate that he should wait to be called upon by some more authorized person, that is, the V. P. himself, before he should descend to the particulars. The two following letters close this correspondence, as far as it has reached us. We presume, however, that Mr. L. will reply to the V. P's letter:

Enquirer.

TO JOHN LANSING, JUNIOR, ESQ.

SIR,

The request which I made to you, to specify the charge contained in your late publication against Gov. Clinton, I thought so reasonable that no man of candour or honour would refuse compliance. I have this moment received the following letter from the Vice President of the U. S. and take the liberty of giving it publicity that your character may appear to the world in its true colours.

I do not renew my appeal to your candour for a full explanation, because I have nothing to expect from that quarter.

GEORGE CLINTON, JUN.

April 17th, 1807.

City of Washington, April 14, 1807.

Dear Sir,

Yesterday evening I received your letter of the 5th instant, enclosing a Morning Chronicle of the preceding day, together with a copy of your letter to Mr. Chancellor Lansing, and his answer, on the subject of a publication in that paper under his signature, which you very justly consider as unjust to my reputation.

Since I have had the honour to fill the office I now hold in the general government, I have as well from a sense of propriety as other considerations studiously avoided an interference in any state elections, and I trust it will not be considered as a departure from that rule when I undertake to repel this injurious and unjustifiable attack upon my character, from a quarter when I had least reason to expect it. Had Mr. Lansing condescended to comply with your reasonable request of giving to this charge a more specific form, it would have been an evidence of some remaining candor and rendered his conduct in this particular less exceptionable.

Being ignorant of the circumstances mentioned in Mr. Lansing's publication as having passed between himself, Judge Spencer and De Witt Clinton, it would be as improper for me as it is unnecessary to take any notice of them. I cannot perceive any natural connection either between these or the suspicions which he entertained of Judge Tayler and Doctor De Witt, respecting the manner in which his nomination was announced, and the charge which he has thought proper to exhibit against me. They certainly do not afford the slightest evidence tending to impeach my conduct. They appear indeed to have excited strong jealousy in his mind, which may have perverted his judgment and led him to do an incorrect thing, and for this they might be offered with some propriety as an imperfect apology.

The only conversation that ever passed between Mr. Lansing and myself on the subject of his nomination, was on the day subsequent to its being made. I was informed that he had taken offence at the manner in which it had been announced in the Albany Register, and some other circumstances, and that in consequence it was probable he would not accept. Entertaining as I did a warm and sincere friendship for Mr. Lansing, and the best opinion of his political principles & integrity I regretted an event which might prevent his acceptance. in the course of the day, Mr. Lansing called upon me at my house, I believe, though I do not perfectly recollect, at my request. I mentioned to him the report I had heard, adding, that I hoped it was not true. He appeared to be considerably agitated, and answered by saying that he considered himself ill treated, and enumerated two or three instances-particularly the manner in which his nomination had been announced, and some insinuations, which he alleged to have been made, calling in question his political integrity. I replied to him by some conciliatory observations, calculated to pacify and to persuade him to accept of the nomination. In addition to his former objections, he then mentioned that Mrs. Lansing & his family were opposed to his being a candidate. And believing as I did that this last objection could have quite as much weight in forming his decision as either of the former, I mentioned such reasons as I thought best calculated to obviate Mr. Lansing's objection. Mr. Lansing soon after left me, apparently with much cordiality, said he would reflect on the subject, and promised to inform me of his final determination in the course of the afternoon. Some short time afterwards I was informed, whether by Mr. Lansing or by common report I do not now recollect, that he had declined the nomination.

That the above statement is substantially correct, I can confidently affirm; and that neither on this nor on any former occasion did I ever intimate to Mr. Lansing "any desire for his advancement."

And I do solemnly declare that I never did attempt to induce him to pledge himself to me for a particular course of conduct whatsoever, rather than upon general republican principles. Any part interference as above stated, to induce him to accept the nomination (which, it may be proper to observe, was made by the republican members of the legislature,) may be considered as such an attempt. And if this is the charge which he intended to exhibit against me in his publication, I should consider it disgraceful to attempt a refutation of it. I have never been in the habit of concealing my political sentiments, and I am persuaded that it will be believed that unless I had a confidence that Mr. Lansing's administration would have been governed by genuine republican principles, I would have been the last man to use any endeavours to persuade him to accept of the nomination, or to support his election. I had no idea that a republican candidate might be a federal governor. I despise the cringing, time-serving hypocrite, while I esteem the candid honest man of either party.

But lest it should be said that this is not the circumstance alluded to in the charge exhibited by Mr. Lansing, and it should still be insisted upon that attempts were made by me "to induce him to pledge himself for a particular course of conduct," calculated either to promote personal views or any other purpose whatever inconsistent with public weal, which appears to me to be the most natural construction of the charge, I request that you will be pleased again, to call upon him, and in my name to demand of him an explicit declaration of the time and the place that this attempt was made, the inducements offered, and the nature of the course he was to pledge himself to pursue, that I may be enabled pointedly to meet and refute such base and unfounded calumny, which I pledge myself to do in the most satisfactory manner.

I feel much obliged to you for the trouble you have taken on this disagreeable occasion, and am

Affectionately yours,

GEO: CLINTON.

George Clinton, Jun. Esq.