Berkeley and Jefferson intelligencer. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va.) 1802-1810, 1806-08-15
From the Frederick Totvn Herald.

|, q Iohich Wr. JrTrrsondad hts in'nis.
fers haoe been gully. sDe haoe obserS.
ed none more 6a,e:f faced and shduciess
than their refusal 70 attend the late
court at Ne.u- Tori and subsequent con-
duct. The apsiogy, that in the pre-
sent state Of public d6 airs thsir: eff
ciai duties" ,coaid net be dispensed
Nth, istruly fiMsy andis generally
- csnxideysd IN In ProPer sfghf.
There are etry /sro indted roho believe
thathad ass testimasy d the heads~ Of
departments been likely to clear the adj
=. minstration Of any knowledge .efthe
Mirandd expedition but that ftey,
= would haze attended-shouH thrfe
howreer Be auy suho d7nbt krt1fhem
read theRfoHowing and learn horu
easily SO fetal duties' p can begot rid Of
,ehea it saits the eenUenitnct sf these
Ssnfry. ~
: THE MIRaNDA IRIAL-From the
6rst moment that >Miranda's expedition
became known there have existed strong
reasons for s1specting that il was fitted
out with ne knowledge and appreciation
Of government. The memorials Of
Messrs. Ogden and Smith to congress
and the treatment which they exPerien.
Ieed in the house Of Representatives were
calculated greatly 70 increase those sus-
pisions and the facts which have come
to light ON the late trial, together with
the conduct of the officers of government
respecting it are ola nature to convince
every one acquainted with them, that
the fault, whatever il may be, rests pri-
marily with the administration. L
When suspicion Of any sort attaches to
an individual, nothing is so likely to re-
move il as TO find him acting with sim
4sssisyy-and wi,hoat disguise in every
thing which relates 70 the subject Of that
suspicion Let the conduct Of the adj
minis,ration be tried by this test. -
Messrs. Smith aud Ogden uniformly
affirmed, that what they did in relation
to the expedition was done with the APP
probation Of the officers OF government,
and this they said they could prove by
the heads of departments, IL permitted
to examine them 10 court A special
circuit court was ordered to, be holden
at New York. in the month of July, 4
season of the year when the heads Of de-
partmen,s have never, in single instance,
been found at the seat Of government
since the present administration came in
topower:: A subpoena was issued by the
court to the members Of the administra-
ton TO attend and testify. They return
ed for answer that I" the president Of the.
y. States, taking into view the state Of
our public afaiFsr had specially signi6ed
to them that their fetal duties could not,
consistently Herewith. be at that juno.
.ure dispensed with. " They then pro.
ceeded to express doubt wheth-nat d
ny 4" su6se9ues period the absence Of the
heads Of departments At such distance
from the scene of their Official duties
might not equally happen to interfere
with them, +, III. - ..-z= -
Nov il Il wen known that every SUM
mer Tor these Eve years the heads Of de-
partmepts have beeu uniformly at a. great
. distance from the " scene Of their off,
cial duties" without any assignable rea.
son except their own convenience or a.
fnusement, and that too when the =. state
of our public affair" seemed much more
imperioasly to require their presence.
Where were the heads Of departments
last summer, when our ports were block
AIDED by ships of war, our vessels cap.
tured in the mouths of our harbours, and
our territory actually invaded by hostile
Spaniards! Not one ofthem was then
20 be found at the seat Of government /;
and I strongly suspect that it would be
difficultto show that the state Of our pub
lie affairs at this time renders their pre-
sence more indispensable. However that
may be, they are not present: they have
ALREADY taken is ave Of the :. scene Of their,
oficial duties" Let it be noted and re-
&Gmembered that scarcely had this letter
Stating the urgency of our public affairs,
been read in court, when the pEesident