The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1807-05-15


this purpofe he viite.! ,he MiiiiIippi in 1905
ani mott probably mn cai ;nt, rtu.rfr O.. The
iuhJect OF Spanii', Wa, xat Il "a, tia, lime
between aim and Wi.kinfon. The rea, fsSf is,
| that Burr was determined in his own mind, at
the head OF nea fe6oiee /bIitJ, to fhaet the co-
| ry OF whatever enterprise might be under, en-;
and nc dooot he hattercd himfe!f with the &C.
qu'htion OF fplepdid fortune, and perhaps
with feat on the throne of Mexico. Natursl-
" ianguine IN his temper, rendered ftil more
ardent ny his embarrafied fitua,ion he readily
conceived, that the golden profpeas. which
preiented themfelves, would induce thoulands
OF warriors to aock 20 his ftaadard. Tn this.
however, ne was fadly difappointed for with
all BIS exertion, only few hundred were ready
to follow his fortune =.
The conciatory agreement made bv Viii.
klnfon on the Sabine, dfccncerted the proieefs
or Burr, and disappointed him in his expetfs.
tons. Had he been honea in his views, he
ought to have rejoiced at the con nuance of
peace, and immediately difbanded his follow
ers.-But n0ead of this he ftil exerted himfelf
to procure men, and the munimeats of war.
and gradually unfolded new fchemes, fubver-
hive OF the interetts and peace of the u States.
lhefe were doubtefs formed long before, as
| VIII appear from the diclofure of gen. Eaton.
Wilknion hrtt became acquainted with them
while onthe Sabine. partly from the written decla-
| rations of Burr, and partly from the commu-
nications OF his'ipiessand adherents. Whatever
were the private tentiments of Wilk,nfcn, re-
| iative to Spanifh war, no fooner had he con-.
GUIDED the Sabine convention, than his duty
compelled him to fruGrate the hoOe move
ments of unauthorized individuals, and to ar
| reft them for trial. What then was lis shonilh
ment when he found that Burr ftill periifted in
| MS project, and even attempted to allure him
oy bribe Much greater NUT have been his
| aitonlfhment when he found tina, Burr had ii.
Their deceived him, or had relnquhed his o.
riginal deign ; and that inftead of aiding tie
u. States, he contemplated Epara,ion of the
union, and the ftizure of N. Orleans as prepa-
ratory to it. He then repaired to the defence of
| tue capital-.and at convenient time denounc-
ed Burr as conipirator and traitor.
Gen. Wilkinfon was early apprfed of theGc
hottie projects but he deemed it prudent to
| keep the knowledge of them to him!eif, The
people were ignorant Of the detection of Burr;
| and hence the anxiety of Wilkinfon to put N.
Orleans in a fate OF defence, without any ap-
parent danger, excited much furprife among
the friends of government.
His mcafures on the other hand were fccretly
approved by the confpirators, who numbered
him among the friends Of Burr, and readily con-
ceved that Jail his prepar atoms were nrendedfor
the advantage of their chief, and his partizan.
But no fooner had he publicly declared the fl
tuation of affairs, than the confpiraors opened
all their batteries on him, and in their turn de-
| nounced him as a traitor to Barr. The fituation
| of Wilkinion at this moment was critical, not
only as it refpected his perfoRal fafety but as il
refpeGed the fccurity of his country. True it
is, that he was deceived &C to the number of
men under Burr-but he wa. not deceived as
to the object of the confpirators. and the multi
tude of them in the heart of New Orleans and
| 4 c,pitxy heE
ment the weight of his Responsibility. He faw
himfelf furrounded with difficulties land he
alto faw, that any line of conduct he was a5e
| to purfue, would draw after It a multitude of
complaints, and expofe him to cenfure. He
therefore wifely refolved to pur(ue fuch mea
| fures as he deemed the mott likely to fruffrate
the objects of the confpirators, and of courfe
to fave his country, Regardless of confequen-
ces.
In the political, as in the animal economy.
| violent diteafes require violent remedies. In a
critis of public danger, the ordinary ceurfe Of
jultice is interrupted the courts of law are
parazed: and when the judges of them favor
the enemies of their country, the binding force
of the laws and contribution is fufpended the
| hood-gates of anarchy and civil war are opened:
and the temple of freedom is in danger of def
tru6tion. unlefs voluntarily defended by its
friends and admirers. well know the nature
| ana importance or the habeaS corpus at. In
! England, it is called the fecond Magna Charta
and in the U. S. it is jufIy denominsted the pal
ladium of public liberty. Situated as Wilkin-
fon was, he had only the choice of two things
either to fubrnit TO the writ of babeas corpus;
to furrender the corfpira,ors as fat as he arr, f.
ed them under the proclamation of the Preli-
| dent, and the next hour TO fee them at large in
the execution of their treafonable proiects or
to difobey the mandate of the law, aad thereby
| to prevent civil war, and perhaps difnem-
berment of the union. in this cafe the choiae
was not eafy ferrous difficulties prefrnted
themfelves on every fide though at that time
the probability was, that not only more CEN
fure would attach itfeIfto gen. Wikinfon from
an obedience TO the law than temporary vio-
lation of but that fome great public calami-
ty would enfue as the confequence of legal fuh-
milton.
If, by the prudent maxims of well regulat-
ed government, no one be permitted to employ
criminal action as a lawful means to attain an
end in itfelf good, thoie of nature are paramount
and arm man and nations with the right of felf
prelervation. When a nation 10 menaccd by
enemies, whether internal or external its fua-
| tion refembes that of a man, who is attacked
| by his neighbor, and is in manifcf danger oe
! his life. Iu neither Of tbele cafes canike tardy
operations Of judicial authority afford any re.
lief: The nation may be attacked, or the m an
may perrin, before the fword of criminal juftice
can be drawn for their protection. Neither of
them is obliged to wait for an attack the dam
ger, if it be manfet, is fufficient to authorize
the means of fscurlty, even to the defrueiion