The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1807-01-27


ceiyed touching IN illegal combination c. pr-
vate individuals againit the peace and fafe,y Of
the union, and a military expedition planned
by them againtt the territories of a power in
amity with the United States, with the mea-
fures have purified for fuppre(1ing the fame.
had, for fome time, been in the conRsnt ex-
peetasion Of receiving fuch further information
as would have enabled me to lay before the lc-
g;flature the termination, rs well "a the begin.
ming, and progrcfs Of this iceue of depravity,
70 far as it has been acted on the Ohio and its
waters. From this the fate of fafety of the
lower country might have been eftimated on
probable grounds; and the delay was INDUCED
the rather, becaufe no circumftance had yet
made it necefary to call in the aid of the le-
giflative functions. Information, now recently
communicated, has brought us nearly to the
period contemplated. The MATS of what have
received, in the courfc of theie tranfaGtions, is
vouminous but little has been given under the
fanetion of an oath, fo as to confitute formal
and legal evidence. 1t is chiefly in the form of
letters, often containing fuch a mixture of ru-
mors, conjeetures and fufpicons, as renders it
difficult to lift out the real fats, and unadvilable
to hazard more than general outlines, nrength-
ened by concurrent information, or the parti-
Cular credibiity of the relator. In this Rate Of
the evidence, delivered fometimes too under
the refriSton of private confidence, neither fafe-
ty nor Juice will permit the expoGng names,
except that ofthe principal actor, whole guilt
is placed beyond quetion.
Some time in the latter part Of September,
1 received limitations that deiigns were in agi-
tatIon in the weitern country, unlawful, and I'M
friendly to the peace of the union and that
the prime mover in thefe was Aaron Burr, here
tofore diitinguifhed by the favor of his country.
The grounds of thefe intimations being incon-
clniive, the objects uncertain, and the fidelity
OF that country known to be firm, the only mea-
lure taken was to urge the informants to ufe
their beft endeavors to get further might into
the deiigns and proceedings of the fufpeeted
perions, and to communicate them to me.
1t was not till the latter part Of October, that
the objects of the confpiracy began to be percei-
we'd {; but Till 70 blended, and involved in mys-
terry, that nothing dininet could be lingIed out
for purfuit. In this aate of uncertainty, as to
the crime contemplated, the acts done, and the
legal courie to be purfHed, thought it beft to
lend to the fcene, where thefe things were prin-
oipaliy IN traniaction, perfon in whole integri-
~, understanding and difcreton, entire conf
dence could be repofed, with inftrueions to in.
veitigate the plots going on, to enter into con-
ference (for which he had fufficient credentials)
with the governors and all other officers, civil
and military, and, with their aid, to do on the
fPot whatever fhould be necefTary to difcover
the dehgns of the confpirators, arreft their
means, bring their perfons to punifhment, and
to call out the force of the country to fupprefs
any unlawful enterprise, in which it fhould be
found they were engaged. By this time it was
known that many boats were under preparation,
flores Of provifons collecting, and an mutual
number of fufpicious characters in motion on
the Ohio, and its waters. BeGdes difpatching
the confidential agent to that quarter, orders
were at the fame time feat to the governors of
the Orleans and Mifif1ippi territories, and to
the commanders of the land and naval forces
there, to be on their guard againa furprize, and
IN confeant readinefs to reGt any, euterprize
%h'Sh might be atsts%gted e 9p chs ths yess, polls
eighth OF November, iuftruetions were forward
ed to general Wikinfon, to haiten an accom-.
mediation with the Spanifh commandment on the
Sabine, and as foon as that was effeeled, to fall
back with his principal force to the hither bank
OF theiMfhlhPpi, for the defence of the intereft-
ing points on that river. By letter received
from that officer on the twenty-fifth of Novem-
Der, but dated October twenty-firft, we learnt
thdt confidential agent of Aaron Burr, had
oeen deputed TO him, with communications,
partly written in cypher, and partly oral, ex.
planning his defigns. exaggeratinr his refo,rcro.
and making fuch offers of emolument and com.
mand to engage him and the army in his unIaw-
ful enterprises AS be had hattered himfelf would
be tuccei'tul. The general, with the honor of
ioidier, and fldeiity of a good citizen, imme-
diately dispatched TRULY officer to me, with
information of what chad pailed, proceeded to
eitablIih iuch an understanding with the Spaniih
commandant on the Sabine, as permitted him to
withdraw his force acrofs the Mifiifippi, and
to enter on meafures for oppofng the projected
enterprise.
The generals letter, which came to hand on
the twenty.fifih of November, as has been men
toned, q iome other information received few
days earlier, when brought together, developed
Bnrr,s general dehgns, different parts of which
only bad beea revealed to different informants.
1t appeared that he contemplated two diaine
objects which might be carried on either Jointly
or ieparately, and either tie one or the other
hrlt, az circumstances fhould dired. One of
thete was the feverance of the union of thefe
itates by the Allegheny mountains the other an
attack on Mexico. A third obied was proyi-
ded, merely oiteniiblc, to wit, the fettlement of
pretended purchase of tract of country on
the Waihta, claimed by baron Batrop. This
was TO ierve as the pretext for all his preparati-
ons, an allurement for fuch followers AZ teally
wiihed to acquire fettlements in that country,
and cover under which to retreat in the event
OF hnal difcomfiture Of both branches of his
real de6gn.
lie found at once that the attachment of the
weuern country to the prefent union, was not
to- be ihakeu; that its di1oIution could not be
eiietied with the content of It's inhabitants, and
Ia ref