The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1807-10-20
sDontestlc.
rRoM ruE BALTIMORE AMERICAN.
Miranda, OGDEN q Co.

Chance has thrown in way certain Gzeiieafe,
and nitirafrs of leitefsaddreled to Gen. Miranda &
Jonathan s. Smith, Bfq. hgned Sarfuei C. 0gan."
hey furnilh ample proof of the guilt of Ogden and
Smith in vU~ng the laws of the United States, by
fitting expedition which defined to invade
the territory o power then in amity with this coun
try. When We peak of Ogden and Smith, al
Jude 70 Col. Su,iIh and not Joaaf5an," ogden's a.
gent.
No principle on which the laws of nations are bot.
toned is 70 universally admitted that which pre-
Icribes Rates the due obervance of the utmoa good
faith towards Countries with whom they peace.
Under this principle, ehteTprize, no project of in
vaGon, can with rroprie;y, be fpfFersd to be begun
or carried OH againit friendly powers IF they are
commenced, preceded in, it then becomes the duty
of the government having jurildiIon bring the Of
fenders trial and puniihnent, in order to
the nation, whole territory 1t is intended to invade
and to deter Others from embarkug in enterprises of
linilar nature.
The circumstances of general NI;randa', expedition
aye generally known. He came the U States fur
.h'het sikh Brtih letters of credit or bills Of ex-
change, aud he arrived direa from England. He had
before been agent for Pitt, and the tclimony of
Thomas Paine proves that he had received the wages
Of inipuy. What Miranda did with the money that
he raifed bis letters bills, known. II pro-
badly was expended oil the expedition after IL had
reached the Weltlndes. Be that as may, the adj
venturer wasf'cceisIul in finding dupes in New York,
to iecond his intentions. Ogden and NTH, deGi,u,e
alike ofprincipe and of patriotiim, & led by views
OF extraordinary gain combined to prepare the mGans
for carrying Mirandas defgns into efieGt. A pro-
TT Of 200 per uficient make Ogden for
get the laws of his country, and to riik the punih
ment jullly due to his crime. What reward Smith
was to have Tor his agency i'll the buineis does not
from theie letters appear. More cautious than Oe,
den, he feems TO have conducted his correspondence
with Miranda in cyphers, and we have not been iut
hciently fortunate get hold of any of his bierogy
phical performances There is little doubt but he was
reap rich reeompenGe in cafe of ucceis for his in
ousintsrfsrence. Infamous, in TRUTH it was; for
he at the time OF his aflifing Miranda, off,
GER of the government of the United States, and I'M
quetlionably fworn fupYort and maintain the laws
Of his country.
Bound TO vindica,e cur good faith and to eAablilh
innocence in the face of the world the executive
of this country caued the cuprits be prnlecuted.
Miranda had failed. and was lecure but his accom-
pices Smith and Ogden, arreited and put upon
their trial BY the mlineIs of the laws, the ingeni-
GUS devices Of their council, and the iniuicency of
the teiiimony, the offenders eicaped. Thofe who
could have efahiihed their guilt completely, had all
departed with MIRANDA and the accuied could be
compelled to crinnate themlelyes Eicaped from me-
rited puniihmen Ogden BOATS in thele letters that
he was "bo7ouyaJy aegutted, and pours his wrath
agaut the PTeildent of the United States, Secretary
Nad.ion, and others. Miranda himlelf, reading
the>cxprellon, mutt have bluiled for the baleneis
which after violating the laws OF the country could
attemrtto impress bin with the belief that Ogden
and Saith thought they lad been aaing right: That
baieueis which attempted to deceive Miranda,
by nttliing into him the thought, that all tie iage-
PerasEf tizeHI Of Ameriea, in his favor" aud to
charge upon the Spanih and French nniaers that
proieeution which the government of the United
states, were in good faith, compelled to iniitute.
But had the Spaniih niniter urged the proe, utou,
1t was his duy to doio, and our government were
bound to attend to his approximations. The French
miuiit.r, if he iueriered all ult have done 70 as
the friend OF Spain. The hiltory of Europe furnCh-
es numerous niances OF iuch remonGrances; and the
diplomatic memoirs OF the Earl of Stair will laew that
Great-Fritain has not only remonnrated aganl the
trench governments luEeriug expeditions to be fitted
out agaiun England in the ports of France bat her
smbaiiadoTs Rave remonfrsted in the ;lol nfolent
fty.e. The principle OF good faith and the right to
make representations the fubjt & by amba iIadors
is universally allowed; yet Ogden would fam argue
that he was cruelty dealt with. Contemplate crea-
ture ] he fame letters that contain his whining can.
'ing and hyPoer'eal declarations Camp him as fa!fe
10 his country for the fake OF money and degraded
below the meanel citizen.
In one part Of thefe letters Mr. TeTerfon is nsted
as being feorety friendly To Miranda's enterrrizr
hat the PRECEDENT ihould &c the friend of freedom is
io at al! lurrring; That he (houId have been Gavo-
raby Inclined 10 any faible proiea for the enanoi-
patton OF South America from doipotic yoke is per
iectly in chagaAer But he knows too well his duty
as chief magtrae and is wife and too yrtuous 20
have conqiVed at the preparation Of an ente,prize of
the kind n any pert oil TIE United States; aud his
moi bitter enemies have never been able to ,Rsb!i
what they have 70 often aud 10 nlaciouny aerted TO
wit: that he priyy to fitting out tie Lesuder !
he Preiden' is the fried Of liberty, but not tn,
trend Of bad faith.
Ogden would induce a belief dat he, too, IS the
friend of liberty He peaks of Liberty and Pat |
rofiin, as If he revered the one or regarded the o.
Their. When he hal violated the laws Of fee conn
try and was willing 70 plunge hat country into war
with Spain he beiioved loudly for Miranda aud j.
btfty Liberty of What kind The liberty of poek +
eting 200 per cent. On fun If 72 900 dollars; 81 he
liberty Of Garrg in the pluuier Of Clrra,asI he H.
berry Of being Gsrsd to eutch hirnfe on the f,nils
wreed from tle iu5icets of Spain; Such was he lbe
~ oherifhed BY Ogden and Smith Their patrotifr,
went no further than their pockets TO the violation
OF The laws Of their country they added the crime
Of cnuntnaneirg boodfhed and riIiage Mranda's
fra effort wonld have been 70 plan1er and his co.
tutors would have come in for fuacks.
But it vii be 7Gsed was it not Nirard,'s ;c,sn,;.
on to emanepa,e his eoun;rymenl WIN can b.I;.v.
it WHO viii beiiryet after kno ,irg thar the Br,-
I'm were concerned in the sf4ir? Tbs Fri;ih L.,
t'rs or bills OF credit brought by MIRANDA 10 New
York; the eouE3enc. with which OGDEN Iybo c.r
i'nly knew the whole 'chame) fp"4t, If Brith a,l
IN the undertakings the conrnIili,n beloved up,r
Miranda blythe Euglh G1ce his failure, and a,cy,
sll the feNimouy Of HrUry Dandas, Oord M.,It,
prove "rongY 'he thing can be proven. tia, ,i
mum we're ai ta4 bottom Of the enterpriz. ADJ