Moreover, the reputation for discretion of some of them, suffered.

Thus Randolph had not long been Secretary of State when Joseph Fauchet, the French Minister, produced some papers which could be construed as implying that Randolph had accepted money.
Randolph was known to be impecunious, but his personal honor had never been suspected.

Washington with characteristic candor sent Randolph the batch of incriminating letters.

Randolph protested that he "forgave" the President and tried to exculpate himself in the newspapers.

Even that process of deflation did not suffice and he had recourse to a "Vindication," which was read by few and popularly believed to vindicate nobody.