The Sun. — London, England, 1807-10-08 00:00:00

Mit iibdieltzl, Mr. ColgoitkVi, to who,n the invention of the Fire Rockets is attributed, and the use of which has been of such material benefit in the bombardment of Copenhagen, rite principal part of the conflagra tions in that City being justly ascribed to them, will no doubt meet the reward which acknowledged public service demands. We are much misinforMed, 'however, but in making the observation we do not wish to detrad from the distinguished Merit of Mr. CONGREVE, if the idea of the Fire Rockets did not originate with a professional Gentleman of . Westminster, whose reputation as a clienAt is as high as that of enrol the eminent professors of that science of the present day. Mr. CONGREVEIS Rockets' are, we believe, different from those he projected i but thos e o f ? the Gentleman to whom we allude, were submitted to a Board of Officers at Woolwich, who did not hold forth all the encou tagement that an ing enious invention of perfe& novelty might - havebeen, supposed to merit.— Ur. CONGREVE'S Rockets, we have reason to be lieve, were not constructed till some time after the experiment alluded to; and we .are much misin 7 formed if that Gentleman, with all his advantages, had, not many obilacles to surmount btfore he bought his ideas to the perteation which they have so fortunately attained. CAPT. BiIIiCLAY AND WOOD. The vonderful match between WOOD and the Captain, which so much engages the attention of the sporting world, and which, from the labour the pedestrians will have to endure, has excited such ardent curiosity amongst all ranks, induces us to offer a biographical sketch of the parties, with a brief narrative of the wonderful exploits performed by Woon in particular. WOOD is a Weaver of Manchester, near to which town he was born, and for many years has been ac knowledged the first goer of a long distance ever known ; his performances having by far exceeded what was ever done by the noted PowaLL. He pos sesses the finest symmetry of body, and the most extraordinary powers of muscular orertion ;- added to which, he has but little fleab, and stands about five feet 11 inches. His wonderful performances occa sioned some Gentlemen to keep him. constantly in training for matches. He run a match at York of 4 Miles in 20 minutes and nine seconds, and he. was afterwards beat by BROWN, a celebrated pedestrian, in a 2.mile heat, which was not his length, although , be did it at the above race, also at York, in 12 mi mutes. qt Newmarket, during the present year, a :batch was made for him to run against time, 40 Bastes in five hours, which,he. perforated in a quar ter of an hour leas than the given time, and he also tiarent 20 miles in two hours and five minutes at Brighton, about the same time. His backers willl bring him forward to perform 11 miles in an hour, or 24 miles in two hours, at any bet that may be offered. During his training for the approaching nee, he went 100 miles, when his trainers stopped him, and although the task was performed in an in credible short time, he was quite fresh, and , wished to continue going for another 50 miles. He is backed to go 100 miles in 16 hours at the race.— Woon is 29 years of age. Captain BARCLAY, who is as well made for fatigue as.Woon, has only once tried 'his pedestrian skill for a wager, although he is much attachedto labour, and has frequently borne with pleasure the hard fa t►gues of husbandry labour on his own estate. His muscular strength is such, that the hardiest peasant cannot continue to work with him.—He is allowed to be the first professor of athletic sports. The match already spoken of was decided some time since in Yorkshire, he having gone go miles 10 hours and 40 4econds, without having taken much training. The Captain is 28 ►ears of age, and he stands about five feet h!Jle inches. An Irish Paper of the 3d says--;-" The Volun teering of the Irish Militias Soldiers into the - Dine commenced yesterday, and is this day continued with the utmost ardour. Many Regiments have already given their quota, and no difficulty, as we learn, has occurred 9 except that of restraining the' " 31 and energy of the soldiers to the - tivinikters rinined bylaw. This, certainly, is 71 - noschighly honourable to the chara6ler of Irishmen, and at !nee I):•ociaims their courage, loyalty,- and public Yesterday morning, at 6 o'clock, a fire was disco vered in Mr. WiIITAREALIO3 LireWery, in Cbisell- Street.. From , the vast extent of the,preiniscs, - and: the great 4inantity of wood which it contains, the greatest alarm was spread among the neighbours.— But fortunately the flames were subdued before they lad done any very material damage. - A mother of engines were on the sput in a very short time after the discov er y o f the fire;;but it is rather singular that the flames contributed in a great degree to the extinguishing of themselves ; tor they burned down the pillars on which a vat centaining'2o7l barrels of beer stood ;--the vat fell, and the flame were extinguished by the torrents of beer which flowed from the vat. Very considerable damage has been done at Chat tam by the late high tides : all the marshes . round that neighbourhood, that were embenked, have been overflowed, and will be for a considerable time under water. Tut Aar or DitowNtpto.--At an early hour, s yes. terday morning, p a ssed • as a file of the Font Guards atom the Serpentine River, Hyd&Park, in order to relieve the cvntinels on duty, they observed a mitt close to th e water side mil', off his coat and waist coat, as they thouL4ht, with the intention ofhathing; but perceiving that he plunged into the water with- , out stripping off any more of his clothes,, they ran forward, anti arrived in sufficient time to rescue him from .an untimely death, They took' 'hien to the guard-house, where he had his clothes dried, and, after recovering sufficieratly,, as it appeared he was very much in Lquor, he requested his name might be kepi a secret, as I,e had done it through intoxi cation, without the smallest cause whatever that he then could recoiled. He gave t 6S. among • the sol diers, being all he had about him, and departed about i i o'clock, very thankful for his preservation. The last Letters from St. Petersburg)) contain the' Most satisfakory assurances of the disposition of the treat majority: of the Nobility of the Country, and of the prospect of the speedy re.establishment of the' English interest in the ituLitui Cabinet. FROM THE , 44AM:1116'4r .1)411:14.. TRiAt OF AARON 1101 . 411 . ;, Fc ItIGIT TREASON AGAITOT CFR(IM EN4lllltElt.i TUESDAY, AUG. 18. Tut iiidge having delivered his opihion on the point argued yesterday, (which will appear to-nier row),, some arrangements. were made for the ac commodation of the Jury ; that they were to occupy two or more rooms in the capitol; that for the sake of exercise, they might walk out in a body; or se parately, if accompanied by the Marshal, or .his Deputy ; and that they might send : or receive ters, if the superscrivions'were shewri to the mar, shah it was widen:teed, - thvt they were to lay all letters before the Court, which' %should appear to touch on the trial, designedly •sent to influence their verdia. 'The hours of the Court are fixed from nine till four. Wm. Eaton was then called in for his examination, • Mr. Eaton inquired whether lie might be per i . m4tett.l4) have recurrence to his notes. Chief Jos= tice,---" 'Were they written by yourself ?" Mr; Eaton " They were." Mr. Wickham—" At what tittle'?" Mr. E—" At different times." Mr. Burr,— " What is the'nature of them ?" ' E.—", They are nothing but memorandums taken from notes which Ilmade of the conversations between you and my-; self, at the times that they passed." The Court de-' cided that they were not adtnissihl . e 4lt M. *brit:. " May Iggiraint further indulgenee fiA t . Count?- Il i I have baililong before the public..', Alec stttraure, and some severity have passed upon me. May I, in stating my evidence, be .permitted to, make some explanations about the motives of my own ,coudua?" Chief Justice,—" Perhaps it would be more cone& for the Court to decide uponothe 'propriety of the explanation when the particular case occurs. Some cases may require it ; and if objection is made to your explanations,.then the Court will decide upon it " • Mr. Eaton—" . Concerniog any overt-a6l which goes to prove Aaron Burr guilty of treason, I know nothing. Concerning certain transaEtions which area.aid t? have happened at Blannerhasset's Island, or any.A.gebey which Aaron I...irr may be supposed to have, had in them, I know nothing. But '-'con cerning Colonel B.'S expressions of treasonable in- 7 tentions, I know much; and it is to these that my evidence relates." Mr. Martin-- , -" I know not how far the Court's opinion extends," Chief Justice— " It is this : that any proof of inteution- fOrmed be fore the ati itself, it relevant to that aet, , May be ad-' mined: One witness 'may prove the intention at one time;. and another may prove it at another; so as to prove the contintvoce of the nfitention through out the whole transaction and therefore the proof of very, remote intentions may be relevant to this particular 1161." Mr. Martin—" I trust, that when be 'speaks of a • treasonable intention, not applicable to this aet, the Court will stop him." • ' Mr: Eaton.—" During the winter of 1805.6, cannot be positive as to the distinct point of time, yet, during that winter, at the City ofWashington, Aaron Burr signified to me that he was organizing an Expedition to be moved againstihe Spanish Pro vinces on the South-western Frontiers of the United States; I understood under the authority of the ge ,netal Government. From our existing 'controver sies with Spain,,.and from the tenor of the President's communications to both Houses of Congress, a con clusion was naturally drawn, that War with that Power was inevitable. I had just then returned from the Coast of Africa, and'having been for many years employed on your frontiers, or on a coast inure bar barous and obscure, I was ignorant of the estimation in which Col. B. was held by his country. The die inguished rank he had held. in society, and the wow? marks of confidence which he had received from his fellow-citizens, did not permit mt. to doubt • of "his patriotism. As a military chara&er, I had been made acquainted with none within the United States under whose directions a soldier might with great security contide his honour. In case of my country's being involved in a -war, I should have thought it my duty to obey so honourable a call 'as was proposed to me. Under impressions like these, I did engage to embark in the enterprize, and pledged myself to, Col. D.' confidence. At several inter views, it npeared to be, his intention to convince me, by maps and other deeuments, of the feasibility of penetrating to Mexico. At length, from cer tain indistiat ekpres6ions and inuendoes, I admitted a sespibion that - Col. B. had other projects. He used strong expressions of reproach against the Admi t4tratitin of, the Government ; accused them of, wnut of char:le:ter, want of energy,. want of gratitude. He seemed desirous of irritating, my resentment, by dilating on certain injurious strictures. I had received oil the floor of Congre;is, on account of certain trans aaions on the coasts of Tripoli ; and also on the de lays in adjusting my accounts for advances of money on account of the United States ; and talked of pointing out to me modes of honourable indemnity. I will not conceal here that Colonel Burr had good grounds of reason for supposing me dissatisfied, to wards the Government, whilst I was Consul at Tunis, and for the expence of maintaining the war with Tripoli. I had but a short time before been com pelled ingloriously to strike the flag of my country on the ramparts of a defeated enemy, where it had flown for forty-five days. I had been compelled to aban don my comrades in war on the • fields where they had fought our battles. I had seen cash offered to :the half-vanquished Chief otTiipoli (as he himself acknoWledgeel) as the price of pacification----[Mr. Wickham—" By whom ?" A. " By our Negocia tor."]—when as yet no exertion bad been made by our naval • squadron to coerce•that enemy'. I had Seen •the conduct of the author of these ble pishes on our then proud national charaCter, if not commended,' not censured; whilst 'my own inade quate efforts to support that'character were attempt •ed to be thrown into shade., To feelings naturally arising Out of circumstances like . these, I did give strong expression. Here I beg leave to observe, in justice to myself, that however strong those expres sions, however harsh the language I employed, they Would not justify the inference, that I was prepared to dip my sabre in the blood, of my Countrymen ;. Much less of their children; which" 1 beliefii would have' been the case, had this conspiracy been carried into effeEti [Mr Martin obje&ed to this lan - nage.] I listened - to Cal. B.'s mode of indemnity; and as bad by - thiS time begun to suspect, that the military vspodition4ie had on fbot was unlawful, I rrolitted . . lain to a.' resigne4to ihs Lit I ibight onafatand the extent add nibtive of his or tangent:my 4:- Colonel now leideaped his projea of revniftinetising the territory'West of the Allegha ny ; establishing an independenikinpire there, New Orleans to be the capital, .and Iu himself to be the Chief; organizing a military fore oil' the waters of the Mississippi, and cartying conquest to Mexico. ,--After much coeyersetion (Which I do not particul34.. recolied)' respeeling --the feasibility of the *jed, as was nateral, I stated impe dimentsJe his operations; such as the repub lican habits of , the citizens of that Country,' their attachment to the present administration. of Government, the want, of funds, the oppedfion would eXperiepce from the ,regtilar. army of the United Sates statior.ed op., that frontier, and the resistance to be expe&ed from Miranda, in case he should- succeed in republicaeizing the Mexicans. Colonel B. teemed to bare no difficulty iii removing, these obstacles., He stated to me, that he had in person (I think the preceding season) made a tour through that country ; that ht had secured to his interests, and attached to.hia person, the most distinguished citizen's. of Tennessee, .Kentucky, and the 4territory .of Orleans ; that 'he had in exhaustible resources anti funds; that the army of the United States, \valid at with him ; that it Apuld be reintbrced by to or t 2,000 men from thabove-mentioned States and Territory;. that he lila powerful agents in the Spanish territory:, and “, as for Miranda," said Mr. Burr facetiously, "„see must bang Miranda," •In the course .of re peated conversations on this subject, he proposed to give me a distinguished command in his army--I understand the second command. I asked him who would command in chief? he said, General Wilkinson. I observed, that it was singular be should count upon General Wilkinson; the dis tinguished comiband and high trust he had under Government,' as the Comipander in Chiet of our army, and as Governor ,of a Province, he would, hot be apt to put at hazard for any precarious pro jects of aggraedisement. Colonel B. stated, that General Wilkinson balanced in the confidence of his Country; that it was doubtful whether he would much longer retain• the distinction and confidence he now enjoyed ;: and that he was prepared to ae eureo himself a permanency. I asked Colonel B. if , he knew General Wilkinson ? He said yes; and echoed the question. - I told him that, twelve years , ago, I was at the same time a Captain in his wing of the Legion'of the United States, his ACline - Bri gade-Major, and Aid-de-Cat - rip ; and that I thOught I knew him well. H 6 asked me what I knew of General W. I said, I knew General W. would aa as Lieutenant to no man in existence. " You are in error," said Mr. B. " Wilkinson will ad as Lied tenant to me." From the tenor of much conversa tion on this subjed, I was prevailed on to believe that the plan of Revolution meditated by Colonel B. and communicated to me, hadbeen concerted with General' W. and would have hiS co-opere,:ion ; fbr 'Colonel B. repeatedly and very confidently ex preased hie belieG that the influence of General NV. with his army, the promise of double pay . and ra tions, the ambition of his Officers, and the prospeet of plunder and military achievements, would bring the army generally into the measure. ' I pass over here a conversation which took place between CO, 13. and myself, respeaing a central revolution, as it is decided to be irrelevant ..by the opinion of the Bench. Mr. Hay-You allude to a revolution for overthrowing the Government at Washington, and of revolutionizing the Eastern States ? was pass ing over that to come down to the period when I supposed he had relinquished that design, and re turned twhis project in she West. I was thorough ly cstivinced myself, that such a'projeCt was already Si) far organized as to be daogerous, - and that it would require an • effort to suppress it ; fir in ad dition to positive assurances that Colonel B. had: f assistance and co=operation, he said that the vast extent of territory of the United States beyond the mountains, which, offered to adVenturers, toge ther with a view of the mines of Mexico, would bring adherents to him from all quarterk of the Union. The situation in which these communica= tions and the impressions they made upon use, placed .., me in, was peculiarly delicate. I had Uri overt at to produce against Cal; B. He . had given , me no thing upon p..per ; nor did I know of any person in the vicinity who had received similar communica flans, and whose testimony might support miner.; --- 'He had .mentioned Wine nceite,.ai principally and decidely engaged with him, but. Con. NVilkinson ; a Mr. Alston, who I afterwards learnt was.his son-in law ; and a Mr. Ephraim Kdiby, who I learnt Was late a Captain of, Rangers its Waynes army. Of Gen. Wilkinson, Burr said much, as I have stated of Mr. Alston, very little, but enough to satisfy roe that he was engaged in the prtijltet ; and of Kihby he said, that he was Brigade Major in the 'vicinity of Cincinnati, (whether in Ohio or in Kentucky, I know not) who had much influence with the tia, and had already engaged the majority of the bri gade to which he belonged, who were ready to march at Mr. limes signal. Mr. B. talked of this revolution as a matter .of right inherent in *the people, and constitutional ; a revolution which would rather yet advantageous than detrimental to the Atlantic States': a revolution which must even tually take place; and for the 'operation of which 'the present crisis was peculiarly favourable : that there was no energy to be dreaded in 'the general government; and his conversations denoted a confi» dence, that his arrangements were so well , made, that he 'should meet with no opposition at New Orleans; for the army and the chief .citizens of the place were reedy to receive him. On the solitary ground on which I stood, I was at a loss how to con du& myself, though at no loss as respeded my duty. I durst not pike my lonely testimony in the balance against the weight of Col. B.'s charader, for by turning the tables upon me, which I thought any man capable of such a project Might very con scientiously do, I should sink under the weight. 'I resolved, therefore, with myself, to (*lain the removal of Mr. Burr from this *country, in a Way honourable to him, and on this I did con sult bitn without his knowing my 411)01iVe. Ac cordingly I waited on the President of the United States, and after a desultory conversation, in which I aimed to draw his attention to the AN/4,11, I said unto him (I .took the liberty of, seggestiug to the P.) 'that I thoughv Col. B. ought to be removed from t lee country, because I_ considered him danger ! ous in it. Tie riesiduat askesl where we ,should • , fit oft ieei. I e:lid tok",g oelan4fn Madrid; thOri43. it had beeo te6.l 111 come pnbliCiniiiiis that t . a&eet.l ca• We: The Presiddnt, witliet any .positi:,'6, sion (in a twitter of she'll de'ecaCy); seeineu . Co think the tru't too inlFrollti acid expressed soine.thing like a. doubt about the imeerity of Mr. B. I frankly told the Presideut, that perhaps no persen ha t Stronger grounds to doubt his iincerity ban I bad e but that I beiiesed I pride of ambition IlLiki pre dominated over his other passions, that when oo to eininence;ind put On his honotir, a respetl' to hirri self would secure his lideliry. I ptlceived that the sal:Jed was disagre . eelde to the Presitheit and tai bring him on my point in - the shortest niode, end iii n ,rielpner that would point to the danger, ISain un- Cot. 13: was not disposed of, we should iii eighteen months have an insurreelion, itnot a re.: volution, on the weters of the Mississippi. The Pre sident Said he hat oo much confide n c e in the infer= mat ion, the integrity, and attachtbent of the people of that country to the Union, to admit apprehensioni of " that kind. the circtimstanceof no interrogatories being made to me, I thonsht, MipoSed silence upon me at diet:time and place. Here, Sir, I beg indul g en ce to declare my motives for recommendiog, that Gen tleman to a tbreign mission at that time ; and in the solemnity with Which . I stand here, I declare that Colonel B. was neutral in my feelings; that it was through no attachment to him that. I made that sug gestion,,but to avert a great national calamity which I saw approaching, to arrest a tempest which seemed louring in the west, ,-and to divert into a channel of usefulness those consummate talents which were to mount " the Whirlwind and . dire& , the storm" About the time of my having waited on the Presi dent, or a little before, I determined at all events to have some evidence of the' uprightness of my inten-, tions, and to fortify,mysellby the advice of more ex-• perienced men. I waited upon two memberS' of the • House of kepresentatives, c hose friendship I had the honour to retain, and in whose wisdom and integrity I had full faith. lam at liberty to give their names, if required ;' and I believe a seuator, but of that I am not certain. I opened to them the proje6ts of Col.; B.'. They did not seem much ahirmed. [Mr. Martin - objeded to the Witness stating any of the obServa4 tions ef,,other persons to himself. After some de sultory conversation, the Bench supported the ob jeaion.] Mr. Eaton—l did ask indulgence of the Cceirt, to make such explanations, because. perver sions of my condea were before the public : but I waive this indulgence ; contented with meeting these perversions at some other time and place." C. ' Justice—Yon have used that indulgence. " Little more passed between Col. P. and myself, relevant tp this country, whilst I reinsined at, Washington, though he was solicitou s to engage me in his western plans. I returned to Messachussets, and thought no more of Col. B. or his projects, until in 06tober last a letter was put into my hard,, ir4illl Mr. Belknap, to T. E. Darnelson, stating that boats were building on the Ohio. Mr. Burr. Have you that letter ? Mr. B. No. Mr. B. It is improper then to slate it. Mr. Hay. It is immaterial. Mr. ' Belknap is here. Mr. E. As to letters, I have bad no, correspondence with Col. 13. I was about.to state that I made a communication to the President of the U. S. through the hands of, the Postmaster- General, stating the views of C01. g 8." Questioned by the Prosecution. Mr. Wirt—Was there any conversation between you and prisoner, in which you spoke of the odium attached to the name of Usulper P A. That conver sation was excluded by the opinion of the Court, as relating to the central projea. Mr. Hay—Did you mean to state that the honour able indemnity proposed to you by the prispner was to be included in this plan r A.. 1 understood it to be included in the permanent rank 'aed emoluMent to be assigned to me; in his full confidence, that he should ere& a Government of which he was to be the Chief. • Cross-queslioned., Mr. Martin—Do you re , :olleat when you arrived at Washington ? A. I said that I did not recollett particularly. But the principal part of these conver sations must have been between the middle of Feb. and the latter end of March, Q. Was there any particular condua'ealculated to put an end to Col. Burr's importunities ? A. Yes. At some of our last interviews, I laid on his table a paper, containing this toast, which t had given to the pnlliic :' The United StateF.-Palsy to, the brain that should plor to dismetriber, and ;prosy to the hand that It ill not draW to defend our Union. Q.. Where was that toast drank-? 4. Ipnnot say. This question was Made to me : from' authority. It was krni, with other toasts I bad corroded, to a paper at Spr * ingtield. laid this paper on Col. Burr's table, that he might see it ; and I have reason . to believe that he did. (4: Was it drank at any diStant place ? At Phila delp is ? A. Ido not recollea. I thought at first it was at Philadelphia ; but I had received many hospi., talities thtoughout. the Union ; many of my tOaStd were published; and, in the hurry of paising and re. passing, I have completely forgotten. Mr. Burr no you recolle& when you left Washington ? A. About the sth or (ith April. a. Can you not be I.;ertain where this toast was drank ? At Wash ington or:at Philadelphia ? A. I am certain it was not -at Washington,. because I gave another there when called upon., Q. Did you say that nil those) conversations happened between the. middle of Fe. bruary and the last of March ? A. No ; I did not say so. I said the principal part of these conversa tions. Q. You say that this tanst was printed at Springfield ? A. I did Q. Have you in yoUr pOs. session a paper containing that toast 1 A. I have nut t here. Q. You mentioned something about a communi. cation which you made to the President, throu g h the Post.MasterGenerali Look at the paper. Is that your signature ?A„ It and I must give rk, short account 'of that paper. LMr. E. then men tioned, that ,the notei OE) tilt! two-first pages were drawn up by Mr, Grainger, ton c(meersat ions which had passed between Mr. G. and a Mr. Lty, on cer tain communications made to Mr: Ely uy Mr. Eaton, reSpeaing Cot. B.'s plans that he hid seen Mr. Ely at Northwupton, at the Session of the court of Common Pleas, at a time when they had first heard. of the building of boats on the pjo. The otes the last page;, in Mr. Grainger's writing, 'end' sub scribed by intim% were from subsequcnt corn/0140 tiOt}i . botwee! ) Min and Mr, Gl Mr. Burr-101.4 spoke of accounts with the Goo , ecrameut. Did you or the Government demand tut nt-i ? .1., '.D* - tind no eernand on me; I de..