The constitutionalist — Exeter, N.H., 1810-11-05 00:00:00, page 2

1
or able committee, io Conformity to
your ^ummens of the 9th instant,
when I was requested to detail any,
and every information' that I possess
ed, in relation to the conduct of briga
dier general James Wilkinson, in an
swer to the pointsexpressed in the res
olution from the House of Repre
sentatives, 1 will now proceed to give
such testimony as has cometb my own
knowledge, and such corroborating
information received from others, in
my official capacity, on the investiga
tion of the subjects, which, from the
relate comparison, I have every rea
son to believe arc also facts—viz:
In answer to the first part of the
inquiry, relative to the Spanish agency,
Jknew nothing about & In relation
POLITICAL.
From the Connecticut Mirror.
SCIENCE OF DRAINING MON.
EY FROM THE TREASURY.
—That the people should keep a vig.
slant and a jealous eye over the con
duct of their agents, in the expendi
ture of public money, is one of the
• first maxims in a Republican Govern
pet. Thoy should be cautious in
deed, that they do not too easily, and
without examination, give credit to
false and unfounded statements and
accusations of peculation, but on the
other hand, they should beware, lest
misplaced confidence should, lull them
into a too fatal security, or the syren
voice of party spirit should too easily
lead them astray, and hinder them from
examining a subject, which so nearly
concerns their interest. The faithful
page of history has informed us, that
in all ages and among all nations,
men, who have been entrusted with
public money, have in innumerable in
stances, )abused their trust; that they
have squandered it, either to support
their extravagance, to satiate their av
arice, or to promote their ambitious
views. If this were not the case, has
not the shortihistory of our own gov
ernment, taught us some important and
useful lessons on this subject? Have
there not been instances in our own
country, and, considering the infan
cy of our government, many instanc
es, where men, who as patriots have
stood high in the estimation of the pub
lic, and who have received not only
the applause but the votes of thou
sands of their fellow.citizens, have
been guilty of the most gross frauds i
and peculations, upon the public
treasuries of which they have had the
management ?
The late conduct of Thompson J.
Skinner, and the still later conduct of
Barnabas Bidwell, will not, and ought
not, soon to be forgotten. The form
er patriot is indeed now no more; the
latter, who has been held up to public
view as the pattern of stern integrity,
and uprightness, and for his supposed
rigid virtue by many been considered
as a sort of modern Cato, has, for em
bezzling public money, and other
crimes committed to conceal the fact,
lately been obliged to quit his family
and country.
From these and other instances of a
similar nature, Jet the people of the
United States take warning, be vigil
ant, and examine for themselves ; and
let them mark the man, whatever may.
be his politics, or of whatever party he
may be, who shall abuse the trust they
reposed in hi^^-In a former number,
the attention of the public was called
to a Report of a Committee of Con
gress, who during the last session, was
appointed to enquire into the conduct
of Gen. Wilkinson, and particularly
to that part, which related to his draw
ing money from the public Treasury.
One instance only was then particu
larly, stated, with the accompanying
documents and Vouchers.—lt seems,
by.the report of. the committee, that
William Simmons, Esq. the Account
ant of the War Department, was call
ed before Qe committee, and required
to give information, relative to the
monied transactions of Ge n ° Wilkin
son with that department. It is well
known, that all the accounts, which
in any way relate to the army, are in
the first instance, to be examined in
'detail, and to be passed by the account,
ant of this department. Mr. Sim
,lons, it seems, gave Ids deposition
to the committee, and it appears in
their printed report; that part which
related to Sandhagen and the horses,
was extracted in a former number ; the
whole deposition here follows; and
the public arc called upon to attend to
it, as containing a statement of facts
coming from the government itself—
or from a member of it at least, who
has long held the, office he now holds,
to the satisfaction, it is believed, of
every one, except it may be General
Wilkinson, and who must have a per
fitt knowledge of the facts, aboug:
which be deposes.
Deposition of Wm. Summons, Esq.
Gentlemen,
At the time I attended your hon-
In answer to your enquiry relative
to extra rations claimed by general
Wilkinson, and how^allowed, I reply,
that in January, 1809, an account
was presented to me, admitter. by
Henry Dearborn, secretary of war,
for extra rations, claimed by general
W ilkinson as commanding officer at
Natchitoches and New. Orleans, from
the 13th September, 1806, to the 24th
May, 1807, at thirty-six rations per
day, including a charge for quarters,
stabling, &c. amounting to 2,033 dols.
16 cts. ; which claim I rejected and
refused to allow, —first, because I
considered that any allowance to gen.
era! Wilkinson, other than was fixed
by the aet of the 16th March, 1804,
was inadmissible; and that colonel
Cushing and colonel Freeman,as com--
manding officers, having drawn extra
rations at the same post, for the same
time, and that no two officers could be
entitled to extra rations, at the same
time, for the same post. General
Wilkinson, however, appealed from
my decision, to the accounting officers
of the treasury, to whom I stated my
objections fully,, in a letter to the
comptroller under date of the 10th
January, 1809, who, on the 11th Jan.
nary, 1809, returned me the account,
and the opinion of the attorney gener
al, with directions to pass the amount
to the credit of general Wilkinson, on
the books of my office ; which I have
accordingly done. Oh 4he Bth of
June, 1809, general Wilkinson pre
seated another account to lieutenant
S. Knight, district paymaster at New
Orleans, and obtained payment from
him, for thirty-six rations per day,
from 13th of March to the 30th Sep
tember, 1809, Amounting to 1,454 dols.
40 ct§. This payment was made by
lieutenant Knight, on the authority of
a letter from Henry Dearborn, secreta
ry of war, under date of 4th January,
1809, and exhibited to me for a credit
to the paymaster and acharge against
the U. States, which I have refused to
admit, being paid contrary to law, and
that general Wilkinson's account al
ready stands charged with considera
ble sums of public money, unacounted
for. This account I have reported to
the treasury with my objections, in a
letter to the comptroller, under date of
the 16th March, 1810, requiring a fi
nal decision at the treasury, which has
'not yet been done. After the allow
ance had been made to general Wilkin,
son, for,extra rations for the period,
and at the same time for which they
had been receiver! by colonel Cush
ing and colonel Freeman, I called up
on these gentlemen to refund, for the
period allowed to the general. They
have both refused ; contending that
they were the only persons entitled to
extra rationspas commanding officers
at these posts. I hare, however, di
rected the .paymaster to put them un
der stoppages, till the amount is re
funded/ Colonel Cushing in his letter
to me, under date of the 19th of June,
1809, after stating that he was the
commanding officer entitled to the ex
tra rations, a circumstance, he says,
well known to the general and every
officer and Soldier at the post, he then
observes, " But I am assured by the
general, that the subsistence allowed to
him by the President, was intended as
a partial reimbursement, for some six
to any concern that he might hare had
in the Burr business, the only informa
tion that has come to my knowledge,
is in the disbursement of public mon
ies, drawn from the public agents, at
New-Orleans, in the year 1807, for
the freight of vessels chartered by him
to transport prisoners and witnesses
from New-Orieans to the seat of gov
ernment, and sundry advances to wit
nesses, fees to lawyers, &c. said to be
incurred by the conspiracy of Aaron
Burr; which disbursements, as well as
others, to a considerable amount,
paid by warrants immediately from
this department, drawn by the former
secretary of war, for sundry objects
of the like nature, and for which there
was no specific appropriation to which
1 could charge these expenditures; I
was therefore unable to credit the a
gents, or eater the account to any
head of expenditure, until (he 29th of
November, 1809, when the present
secretary of war, to enable me to en
ter the account, directed, that as the
disbursements had been made by virtue
of orders from the department of war,
in the years 1806 and 1807, that they
were chargeable to the contingent fund
of the war department, there being no
other head of expenditure to which
they could be properly charged; I
have accordingly entered the account,
and can give no other information on
this subject.
In answer to your enquiry to " state
the amount of money received by
gen. Wilkinson in the year 1804, from
Josiah Taylor, assistant military agent
at New-Orieans, for public service,"
I reply, that the only money he ap
pears to have received from Taylor,
at any time on public account, is a
sum of three thousand dollars, receiv
ed on the 24th April 1804,
character? Did not every peaceful sen
timent die within you ? Were notyour
very souls stung to the quick with in
dignation ? Yes'—there are such char
acters, and there is also a virtuous
hatred, justifiable, even when implaca
ble towards actions, that have a direct
tendency to sever every tender tie, and
render this world a scene of tumult
and confusion. It is well to spare the
person ; W it is our duty to detest
the deed. To tolerate, is to encourage
vice. To pity, or to love such a char
acter as I describe, would be a sort of
madness, little short of loving the au
thor of evil himsclf. Let us look at
his creed. It is short, but more mis
chievous, than once were the thunders
of the Vatican. He believes that the
whole duty of man consists in Worry
ing humanity. Has he not then for
feited the esteem of the world ? In short,
is he not a monster of wickedness, a
fit subject to recommend to the mercy
of Heaven? Poor, ill-fated old man!
while discharging my duty towards so
ciety, beware, for your own good, be
ware of imagining that I have not also
your interest in view.
Far be it from rae to visit the dung,
hill of any wretch, for the sole gratifi
cation of reading a moral lecture upon
his misery. You have denied the
Saviour; beware, lest the Saviour also
deny you, before his Father in
Heaven. , IL
C. NORRIS # CO.
Have in Press, and will publish in the
course of next week, the
New-Hampshire
REGISTER,
with 1 '. '
AN EPHEMERIS FOR THE YEAR
1811.
Published on a New and Improved Plan.
' containing'
I. The Gentleman's Pocket Almanack„&
Historical Retrospect of Events in each
month in .the year.
IT. A View of the first Settlement of the
State of New-Hampshire, and of its Cli
mate, Boundaries, Lakes, Rivers and
/Mountains.'
111. The Rates a whicty Polls and Ratea
ble Estates are estimated in Assessing
Taxes, with the most important infor
mation relative to the proceedings in
Town-Meetings, and the duty of lown-
Officers. #
IV.' The usual matter commonly publish
ed in Registers, with many Additions
and Improvements.
v *, The Printers of the Oracle, Ports-,
mouth Gazette, Concord Patriot, & Keene
Centiuel, are hereby requested to publish the
above three times in each of their respective
papers, and forward their bills to C. Norris
SC&, * Exeter, Nov. 5.
I know not of a more shocking
spectacle in nature, than a mordse,
malicious, profane, and wicked old
man. He is his own Furthen, a pest
and an eyesore to the society that
tolerates his crimes, and an utter abom
ination to the soul of charity itself.
Age generally commands respect; but
grey hairs are but a badge of infamy,
on a head that meditates nothing but
schemes df iniquity. It has been my
lot to see a person tottering trader years
and voluntary misfortunes, his whole
body in the GRAVE OF THE LIVING,
yet himself trembling, with the signs of
life, on almost the very brink of that,
appointed by nature such an
one, I say, [have seen let loose, day
after flay, upon society, with all the
slanderous and factious implements of
vice, his eye, like that of Canidia,
blasting wherever it rested, while
his tireless and infectious tongue
scattered "fire brands, arrows, and
death." " Is this fancy, oris it fact?"
Have you not also witnessed such a
(Conclusion of Deposition next week.)
or seven thousand dollars which he
had expended in the affair of Burr;
and if this assurance be correct, it is
impossible that my right to double ra
tions at Natchitoches, and'to triple
rations at New Orleans, can, in any
shape whatever, be affected by his al
lowance."
Puli
COMMUNICATIO N.
Por the Constitutionalist.
or some other equally worthy and able
Chronicleer, now and then spitefully
complains that the federalists abuse
Bonaparte, because, forsooth, in ex
pressing their abhorrence of that mon
ster's policy, they are apt to use some
harsh terms. Villany, in whatever
shape it may appear, will always meet
the decided and unequivocal execrations
of honest men. We have, in the first
page of this day's paper, published the
Democratick Creed. We do not say
that it will apply to every democrat ;
those, who, in the plcutitudc of their
zeal for French politicks, render them
selves obnoxious to the contempt of
well-informed and well-meaning men.
Science of draining money from the
Treasury* —In giving more extensive
publicity to documents with this title,
our object has been to clear the scales
from the eyes of any of our readers,
who may yet be blindly possessed of
thenotion, that those, who were, a short
time ago, at the head of the nation were
infallible beings and solely actuated by
principles that regarded the interest of
the people. These docqments, as they
are well attested, deserve the particu
lar attention of every class of citizens.
The intelligence from South Amer
ica, which follows is most melancholy.
The city of Quito has experienc
ed all the horrours of that worst of
all wars— a civil war. It is said to
have been literally pillaged by the
soldiers of the Viceroy, who besides
butchering many of the inhabitants,
committed the most horrible excesses,
and gratified their lust at the expense
of the chastity of its females.
BALTIMORE, OCT. 13.
SPANISH AMERICA.
The Editor has been politely favour
ed with the latest official publications
from Carthagena. It will be scan by
our translations, that Spanish America
is subjected to all the horrors of a san
guinary civil war. The city of Quito
has, in particular, been given up for a
time to the greatest violence; and a
roused by the shrieks of her violated
daughters and the groans of her lac
erated sons, the 'people of her vicinage
rise en masse, joining the cry for ven
geance.
We have, unhappily, too much reason
to anticipate distressing accounts by
future arrivals from the Spanish domin
ions in America. That the just Arbi
ter of the World may produce the
greatest possible good from all this
evil, can alone remain to be the prayer
of the friend of man. ' Balt. Fed.Gaz.
Translations from an official publi
cation by the government of Carth@-
getia, received at the office of the Fed
eral Gazette.
By the Government of Carth agena.
The supreme junta of the city,
which has been employed the whole of
this day, on communications received
by express from the supreme junta of
Santa Fe; anxiously wishing that the
noble and well affected inhabitants of
this province should have immediate
information of the fatal events which
have taken place in the city of Quito,
and in order to inspire them with all
that, indignation and pity, which must
alternately affect every mind over
whom nature or humanity holds rule,
have determined to publish the follow
ing documents, in which the horrid bar
barities are detailed.
From the Government of Santa Fe.
" The hostile preparations with
which the despotic government of the
1! e learn, via Baltimore, from St.
Domingo, that the report of Petion's
victory is unfounded ; that Christophe
had taken every fort at the Mole ex
cept St. George, and that two vessels
of Petion's fleet were sunk in the Mole
harbor, a third run ashore, and that
the victorious Christophe's fleet con
sists of nine armed vessels. Christo
phe by a letter dated 19th July from a
British officer is represented as a very
decided character, having in a fit of an
ger, a short time before, beheaded a
colonel and decimated a whole regi
nreut.
to justify the proceedings of their great
and good friend Napoleon. Ilonestus,
but it completely exposes the folly of
Nothing can be more curious and
disgusting, than the manner in which
some of your warm democrats attempt
EXETER,
MONDAY, November 5, 1810.
viceroy and audiences have armed them
selves against the illustrious city of
Quito, have from September last, fur
nished us a foresight of the misfor
tunes which threatened that city. At
.the same time that the cities of Santa
Fe, Carthagena and Socorro were op
pressed, in common with all places
which, in the least, hesitated to offer
up that inscense and adulation, to which
their despots had been for two centur
ies accustomed.—Did they not insist
that we should condemn as crimes the
heroick virtue of a Montusar, Quiroga
Morales, Salehas, and Larea? but
they have failed in their attempts ; and
from that instant their ferocious souls
pledged themselves for the extermina
tion ot the fathers of their country, of
the upholders of our liberty ; —their
machinations were discovered in Car
thagena, and their downfall enforced at
Santa Fe. But they shed the blood
of our brethren in Pore; the streets
of the town of Socorro were made
bloody ; and the citizens of Quito were
victims to their iniquity. Hew dread
ful are the expiring struggles of ago
nizing tyranny! The noble city of
Quito hath been witness to its last
ellorts. They saw their dearest sons,
without opposition, buried in thedun
geons ; they saw them butchered re
morselessly in the streets. The rela
tion of these events in the following
documents, will cause this suffering
city to shudder at the atrocities of the
2nd of August. But this pain is salu
tary; it is necessary to imprint on the
hearts of Americans, a detestation of
tyranny.
IV rule the noble exertions of the
city of Carthagena are exhibiting warn
ings to let slip no opportunity of con
tributing to the publick safety, we are
vainly contented with venting our
selves in acclamations of praise. One
means of safety requisite, as well on
account of the heinousness of the
crimes perpetrated by the executive of
the old government, as because it is the
only reprisal we have against the pres
ident of Quito, to prevent the contin
uance of his hostile acts ; lies in secur
ing as hostages the persons of Don
Antonio Amar, Don Francises Here
ra, Don Joachim Carrion, Don Manu
el Mansilla, whom your excellency
wilk be pleased to see imprisoned with
out anycommunication whatever allow
ed with them; sequestering whatever
property they may have in the prov
ince, and holding them amenable to
the judgment of this government,
which will reciprocally be bound to
any measure your excellency may a
dopt in proof of the confraternity for
the public good: in which we hold
ourselves allied with you.—God pre
serve your excellency many years.
Dated, Santa Fe, sth Sept. 1810.
^(Signed)
DON JOSE MIGUEL PEY.
• Vice President.
To Exemd, President
of the Supreme Junta of Carthagena-
A true copy from the original, which
the supreme junta of Santa Fe sent by
express to this province.
Carthagena, Sent. 15, 1810.
REVOLIO,
PIN ERES, secretaries.
Papayoh, Aug. 1810.
At half an hour after one in the
evening of Thursday, 2d August, a
bout 40 or 50 men imprisoned in the
city jail of Quito, under sentence of
death, for having born arms in the
revolution of the 10th August last
like lions seized upon the keeper of
guards of the prison ; they wouhd
and slay many ; and talcing possession
of their arms, clothe themselves in the
dresses of the slain —then running to
the barracks, attacked the guards,
who were but few, (being at dinner
hour) are killed; they seize upon
their arm,, and iu a small space of
time, enter the interiour, where they
killed captain Limeno, Don Nicolas
Calup, and Dou Joaquin Tillaspess,
captain of the battallion, and many of
the soldiers. But as these brave youths
were not seconded, they were at length
overcome and killed. Thus the un
dertaking remained unaccomplished.—
, The order had previously been given
for the execution of eve-y prisoner
without exception, and indeed was ef
fected on twenty; among whom were
Don Juan Salinas, Don Juan de Dola
, Morales, Don Manuel Quiroga, Don
Juan Pallo Arenas, Don Roifrio, Don
Jose Xavier Ascusubi, Don Nicholas
Aquilera, Don Juan de Larrea^ &c.
The patroles immediately, sallying•
forth, composed of the Limenian sol
diers, on horse and foot, put to death
every one they met, men, women, and
children.
In this confusion, the bishops and
priests came out, endeavouring to ap- #
pease the tumult, which was now
rising beyond control. The people be
ing intimidated, the town was given up
to be sacked by the soldiers ; when
stores, ware houses and dwellings were
emptied. In the house of Don Lewis
Cifuentes they obtained 12,000 dollars. § ,
The well assorted store of Don Manuel ,
Benilla wasentirely destroyed, as well