a large amount of funds belonging to his uncle, Christopher
Bratish, he left Rio Janeiro in consequence of being appointed
by the Emperor, Dom Pedro, Brazilian Consul to Austria, with
the approbation and consent of your Excellency, manifested by a
regular passport, granted by your Excellency's legation.

"The friends of General Bratish in this region are numerous and
respectable, and they beg your Excellency's reply to the
following questions:--

"Is the statement above made by General Bratish true?

"And if your Excellency would be so kind as to say whether, in
your opinion, there can be any foundation for the story
respecting the 'large amount of money' said to have been
carried off by General Bratish, when he is reported to have run
away from Rio Janeiro, your Excellency would gladly oblige, not
only the undersigned, but a number of other persons deeply
interested in the character of General Bratish.

"Meanwhile, I am with respect your Excellency's most obedient
servant,

"---- ----.

"PORTLAND, ME., April, 1840."

"That your Excellency may know who has taken this liberty, the
undersigned begs leave to refer you to the Hon. George Evans,
Henry Clay, Daniel Webster, General Scott, or to any member of
Congress from the Northern or Middle States."

Through some oversight in the transcribing, the full date of this letter
does not appear; but I soon received the following from Mr. Evans:--

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, WASHINGTON,

April 20, 1840.

"MY DEAR SIR,--Your favor of ----, enclosing letter for General
Mareschal was duly received, and I immediately despatched a
messenger to deliver it to the General, with a note in your
behalf. Yesterday the General called upon me to say that he
felt constrained, from various circumstances, to decline a
reply to it. He wishes you to understand that he does this with
entire respect for yourself, whom he should be very happy
personally to oblige. He said, if the information you seek was
desirable for any personal or private purposes of your
own,--such as, for instance, if any alliance was in
contemplation with any of your friends,--he should feel bound
to give you a reply. But he does not think that he ought to be
d