The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1806-05-30
Domestic 3nteIIi9ener.
FROM THE UNITED STATES cAzRr1E.

To the HonomabLe the Senate and bouEe of Rebre.
Jenfafi1es eftbe United States of Ameriea, in
eongrsE5 aDsmbied,
THE MEMORIAL
OF Samuel G. Ogden of the city of New.York,
Merchant,
sHEwETH,
That your memorable is under criminal
prefecution for an offence againft the laws of the
U. 5. of which ifhe guilty he has been led into
the errour by the conduct of officers of the ex.
ecdtive government, who now intend, by bring
ing upon him the penalties of the laws, to IA
crIhce his character, fortune, and liberty, in ex-
p'ation OF their own erours, or to deprecate
the vengeance OF foreign governments, by of
fering him as victim to their recruitment.
Your memorable is the owner of an armed
IMP called the Leander, which lately failed from
the port OF New-York under the command or
direction of General Francifco de Miranda, to
whom your me norialilt chartered the faid flip.
Your memorable in his mercantile capacity was
an active agent in fitting and providing her for
the voyage in which fhe failed. And for his
agency IN this refpe6 he now ftands indicted.
But your memorable did not know that there
was any law of the u. s. which forbade him to
act as he has done, in relation to the above men
toned fhip. nor could he believe that his acts
were criminal, when he was certain that the
projects OF general Miranda, as connected with
the expedition of an armament from the u. S.
had not only been fully communicated to the
Prehdent and to the fecretary of fate, but had
received their applaufe and encouragement.
When he knew alto that the executive officers
OF the government of the u. S. at the city of
New York, had full knowledge of the extra
ordinary equipments ofthe Leander, and when
he found that no meafures were taken to eau
ton your memorable or to check thefe prepara-
tions.
Ii the acts of your memorable have been lille
gal ne cannot doubt, but that the laws may be
put IN force againft him. They may be inftru-
ments in the hands of that executive, who has
rendered him obnoxious to the punilhment they
donounce. Yet as there mutt be in a free 60
vernment fome fheter in every cafe from iniuc
tlce and oppreffion, your memorable turns with
confident hopes TO the aiiembled representatives
OF free people, and fruits, that if it fhall ap.
pear to them, that one of their fellow citizens
mas oeen feduced into an errour by the encour-
agement OF the executive, that executive will
not be fuffered to proftitute its power by bring
ing on him punifhment, when the guilt, if any
there be, refts upon themfeves.
Your memorable has not only to complain
OF the inJuftice of cauing him to be profecuted
as a criminal, but to reprefent to YOU the ILLEGAL
OUs
the mott facred rights of citizen have been VIC.
lated, and the hrft principles ofjufice trampled
under foot by magiftrate of the u. S. That
the cafe ofyour memorable may be fully before
your honourable body, he will proceed to give
candid hiftory of all the facts which have re.
iatIon to the offence of which he is accufed.
4 our memorable was unacquainted with ee.
neral Miranda, till about the Esd dav of Decem-
ner iatt' when he returned from Warrington.
he then applied to your memorable as the own
er OF the hip Leander, which he propofed to
80" 90 - !"~--' --t h;r, will, fame n, az .,,,;
ton and implements of war, to port in The
SPaniih territory in South America, at the fame
Tune inviting your memorable to provide a va.
nety OF thoie articles, which his project requir-
ed and IN order to induce your mem orialia to
embark IN the enterprise, and to Convince him
that 1t had the appreciation of the government
or the U. 5. the following facts were difcIofed
to Your memorable and were corroborated bv
the representation of Col. William S. Smith, fur
veyour of the port of New York, and by the do.
cuments herein after mentioned.
General Miranda is native of the province
OF Carraccas IN South America, where he fpent
the earlier part of his life. The inhabitants of
tnat country were reprefented as grooming under
their dependence on defpotick government
and anxious to throw off the yoke. MANY of
general Mranda's oountrymen were alto ftated
" nave oeeH iong dellrons OF freeing themfelyes
from their bondage, looking to him as their ex-
Pected deiIverer, and ready to receive and unite
with him whenever he fhould bring to them
nope OF fuccefs. IT was further fuggefted that
general Miranda had long entertained defipn
OF emancipating his native country, which was
dlicioied to Mr.. Jeferfon and the deGgn approv-
cd oy MN, 10 long ago as when Mr.. Jeffrrfon
was mlnllter at the court of France from the TT
D. mat general Miranda had been for fone
years toliciting and expecting aid in his enter.
prize from @. B. but that at length finding his
expectations of alfifance from that ouarter f,J.
iac'ous' ne had left that country and embarked
FOR this, not with an intent to relinquifh his de-
hgn' but with the hope Of finding here the
means of fucceis; that he had arrived in New.
ork in the beginning of November lat, bring
ing with him very interetting and important
letter to gentleman of the firft confeouence in |
New York, which fully developed his de6gns,
and itated that he had embarked for the II. 8.
on the execution of the great plan, which he
nad Tor 10 many years meditated for the liberia
ton OF his country. That in utter defoair of
the Brltih government taking any decifiye ftep.
ne had at lat determined to try what could be
Effected by fuch refources as America could
fnrnh, and might be willing to afford him ei-
Their as an enterprise fanctioned by public au-
thorty or undertaken by individual adventure
crs.
Your memorable was well a1ured that th;s
letter was about the latter end of Noyember.
communicated to the fecretary of Gate and 10
the PRECEDENT of the u. s. that after il had been
lone days IN the hands of the (ecretary of fate,