Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1807-06-03

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Sir, | refer to you as well as 10 the S.
Court of the United States, where you
presided, that the facts contained in tina, !
deposil,o" (if fscls they werc) did not \,
Treason bu, to probable proof |
OF the misdemeauor only. As ,o Gene
raj Ea,on's, it is not relied on. The sole |
reliance OF the prosecution Is upon VIII
knsdn's. or course, if Wilkinson HIM
self were present, he could prove nothing
new. Blu, II Gen. w. is so material a
witness, why ate they not prepared to go
with hlm before he G. and Jury b WHY
not Cen. Wilkinson here? lie is a mil
Iary officer, bound implicitly 10 obey the
head OF the government. In the wars OF
Eur pc a General has been known t.
march the same distance at The head OF
his army IN shorter time than Gen. Will
knsOn has had TO pass from n. Orlesns
10 this place. He is bound 10 go whence
yer the government directs him TO maj CHI
To MEXICO; TO invade the Fioiidss or to
come TO this CITY. Perhaps there are o.
Their reasons foi his not coming But let
US 30, press dis subject.
What, Sir, Is the tendency Of this ap
plca'ions What i, The motive ! have 10
doUbi tina, the gentlemen mean TO act
CORRECTLY. / wish 20 cast no impu',-
ions. But the counsel and the court
will know that there are q set ofbusy peo
pie G.Ji l hope employed BY the govern
'nen,) who thinking 10 Go right, are la
boring 10 ruin the reputation of my Ct,
ent. do rot charge the government
with this attempt. But the thing is al
| ready dane. Attempts haze been made.
FDe p,yss from one end of The continent
TO the other has been ehiis cd on their
'ife; 10 enlist prejudces against Col
Burr. Prejudices? yes; they have in
iluenced public opinion; by such repre-
| sentaIions, and by persons not passing
b tween the prisoner aud his country, bu
by exparte evidence and muIjlaied state
ments.--Ought not this court to bar the
door as far as possible against such mis-
representations TO shut every effort 10
excite further preiudicss, un'll The case is
decided by sworn jury, not by the float
ing run,Ors OF The day, bu. by The evidence
/ sworn wiInGsst ; p he attorney for
he U >. offers TO produce his testimony;
10 dCubl the most violent; 10 doubt The
asst impartial whICn he can select; ties
umony which IS perhaps TO be met and
0Verthrown by superior eyidence.--Do
hey, b sides these things, wish that the
multitude around us should be prcjudiced
by CARRIED evidences? DO presidents
Justify such course as This b" Produce
your Witnesses, they may say. No; sir,
Col. Burr is ready for lrial but he
wishes for that trial TO come before a ia
ry.-l do not pretend TO understand the
motives which led TO those things it is
enough that they produce The same mis-
chievous effects upon ourselves. Should
Government hereafter wish to Cypress q
ny individual; to drag him from one end
o. he country TO the other by military
torcr; 10 enlist the prejudices ofthe com
pu,it, as a,as HINT cy will pCrsue the We
~ sam course winch has nov bee "a laksI'a
Col. Burris here ready for trial. They
admit that their testimony is not suiIici
ent TO bring him before a Grand Jury
and OF course to found an indictment a
gainst him. Why then is this partial
evidence To be exhibited on motion for
commitment IL is TO nourish the preju-
does agains, him.--Will they then press
a motion like this Be it so, sir, trust
that The court will stand between the phi
soner and his pursuers; fer every man i,
presumed 10 be innocent, before he is
found guilty.
Mr.. WiTf. May it please your honors.
The attorney for the u. >. believing him
self possessed of sufficient evidence to JUS
tIty the commitment of A. Burr for High
Treason, has moved the court to that eff
feet in making this motion he has mere
ly done his duty; it would have been un-
pardonable in him to omitit. Yet the Coun-
sci i'll the defence complain of the motion
and Of the want of notice. AS to the latter
objection, it must be papable that the ma
ture and object of the motion rendered no.
tice improper. The gentlemen would have
had the attorney to announce to the party
concerned. that lie was, at length, in possess
sion OF sufficient evidence to justify his COM
mitment for High Treason and that be-
ing apprehensive he might not be disposed
to stand this charge, he Intended, as soon
as the accused came into court next morn
ing, to move his commitment. This would
really be carrying politeness beyond the
ordinary pitch: it would not have deser-
we'd the name Of candor, SIR; it would i'm
fact, have been an invitation 90 the accused
TO make his escape. But as gentlemen
seem 70 doubt, with an AIR at east OF ear
nestness, the propriety of this motion at
this time, and express their regret that
they have not had time TO exam he its ic-
gal'ty, the attorney has offered to wave the