Was it a coincidence that McClure was arrested by the French in the city of Orleans?
I very much doubt it. As one Fire Marshall I used to know put it, "The only buildings that burn, are those that need to."
And what about Alexander and those charges made against him in 1810?
Who would have thought that Florida real estate was so valuable back then?
BTW, Isn’t John Alexander credited with losing Washington to the British in the War of 1812?
Now you have me interested in YOUR sources of information. I think you know EXACTLY why Madison wanted McClure locked up.
I'm interested in whatever you've found. Please send me links by Freepmail.
To be honest I don't have that many links that I suspect you've haven't already seen. The key is Armstrong's letter to Madison from September, 1807.
He begins by discussing problems with the various American consuls,
"A fifth, but of a description altogether different, is Aron Vail of L’Orient. I will say nothing of this man’s bankruptcy both of fortune & character (which have been long known) but of an Act of recent date which ought alone to remove him."
And then details the problems of Mr. Vail:
"There is now at Madrid a naturalized American, with respect to whom and his business, it becomes my duty to put you on the alert. This Man’s name is McClure. He is at once the Cap. of an American registered Ship and a proprietor in East Florida, characters not very reconcileable. Professing to have much intimacy with the Prince of Peace and a great variety of means to accomplish his objects with that Minister, he organized (as I am credibly informed) while here, a society for the purpose of out-bidding the U. S. in the purchase of the Floridas. The extent to which they proposed to go was eleven millions of dollars, ten of which were to be given to Spain and one to the Prince of P___e as a doceur. The subscription was left here to be filled, while he proceeded to Madrid & prepared things and persons for it’s arrival. This information was given by A. Vail, a consul of the U. S. for the port of L’Orient, to a person of respectability whom he invited to join in the Speculation & who communicated it to me. Vail is the Agent of McClure in prosecuting a prize cause here.You will best know, what use can be made of this discovery at Madrid."
He adds an addendum from October 1st,
"I have received an answer to my letter of the 31st. of August from Mr. Erving, by which it appears, that the speculating land Company of which Vail is a member & McClure an Agent, is made up of Liverpool merchants. The Paris branch, consists only of American Renegades. One of their objects was to establish in the Floridas a great depot of Slaves, to be smuggled into our Southern & western country."
http://rotunda.upress.virginia.edu/founders/default.xqy?keys=FOEA-print-02-01-02-2105
So McClure and Vale were in a land speculating deal in East Florida. This would have been a very big deal in 1810 when the US had annexed West Florida and was concerned about the British and French intentions in East Florida.
It explains why in the newspaper article about McClure, it was reported that he was turned in to the French by Armstrong. It would also explain why Armstrong denied McClure's request for help. In the 1807 letter Armstrong calls McClure a "naturalized American" so Armstrong knew what the law was and knew the McClure was a citizen. He clearly ignored that evidence in order to keep McClure in French hands.
Then there is the May, 1810 letter from Armstrong to Madison in which he professes his innocence in being part of a Florida land speculation scheme. "I have just been informed that M. Bowdoin (before he left Paris) in conjunction with M. Skipwith & by means which I shall take care to investigate, did obtain from an Irish ex-priest of the name of Somers a deposition, in which an attempt is made to implicate me in a land Speculation, connected with the then intended purchase of the Floridas, and conducted by Mess. Parker, OMealy and le Ray de Chaumont."
The M. Skipwith mentioned is Fulwar Skipwith who moved to West Florida in 1809 and became the President of the short lived Republic of West Florida. A lot of coincidences involving Florida.
This wasn't the only time that Armstrong had been accused of questionable activity. His aid David Bailie Warden wrote to Madison in 1811 to profess his innocence in a scheme to smuggle silk into the U.S.
http://founders.archives.gov/documents/Madison/03-03-02-0235
It seems that there were a number of people try to make a buck on Florida.
BTW, there was a Congressional report that the widow of Aaron Vale petitioned Congress to receive compensation for the properties in Florida that they lost at the time of the treaty of 1819 with Spain.
As to McClure, I doubt he was traveling on a forged passport as he would have had been entitled to a passport.
And I suspect that his imprisonment may have been more Armstrong's idea than Madison's. An attempt to eliminate the competition. Maybe you have additional information about this.
At any rate it muddies up the entire conversation about acquiring citizenship.