The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1807-03-03
WILKINS N 6 ,URR.

WILKINS Il IS iURR.
The drama of a. Bars u'pracy has rot
yet reached its dsR9Hsn,sat, but in the mean
time there is one duty which we owe TO orr
country: Let us not fuftr our Indignation a
gaintt A. Burr to be hoodwinked by the fpeci.
Gus harmeisneis OF his uHexecuted p ans, nor d.
verified towards Gen. Wilknfon, by any i'm
prophecies bis conduct may dfpjay.
On the guilt or Innocence of Cen. yViukirE,p.
1t IS important that we ihoud fufptud our o.
piuion, until we have iome fatisl4ctory evil
dcnce before us. Since the Commencement IF
thediturbances in the Wen, we have enter. ained
but one iuipici about him tuat fhe com
Ipoied memoir for the uie Of tie Spanii, ca
binet, he was capable of being S2aaih peD6.
oner and that il he proved faithh,ito his com
try, III ttsPreient emergency it would he more
from interelt than from principle. TIE arbsrs
ny meaiuresw hiCh he has, mplJy ed werenot ca
culated TO allay cur tuipJcions. Some OF the &c
might have been abioueiy aecefiry to remove
the impending form, fome OF them n ght have
cflrntially contributed 20 the PROPERTY Of h,s
country but therewas thtatrlcal /3cl7as1e
about them which WAS 100 evidently calculated
to fhow himielf off to the her advantage
There was an AR of zeal about him, which .rcm-
Ell toPeruade the world that he felt agreat deal
OF it; and much more thau DC really trt.
No Poitive opinion i9 however pretended to
be advanced OF thefe points il is even inloro-
per to form one without more poftive evids me.
Let tuch opinions however be correct let
WlIkipiGn DC the double traitor and the Spaniih
penhoner which Burr iaid to have pronounc-
ed him Wis it right to fuffar ouropinion OF Bnrr
TO be in any degree modified by thele new I'M
Ptein1ns Is II proper 10 fufrr this man to
efcape tie full load Of popular odum which is
due TO his Vaccinations; becauie Wiikinion
has rendered himielf the ohje6 of mipicion, or
becauie his military regime at New Orleans has
excited any popular Jsemg agsinft HIN
The queition is not, whichia guilty Burr or
Wiikinfon but whether 6otb are not guilty
IN their feParate fpheres, of forming deligns
irJurlous to their country, Even if Wlkiniun
be guilty, his crimes viii not go to extenuae
thole OF "A. Burr Both may have been f,l-
Premely guilty of abandoning their duty to
their country; and it will be extremely abfurd
to acquit A. Burr of accufalion, bccaufe there
has been another man found with a no leis
guilty confidence than his own
Letus fuppote, that there is no legal evidence
againit A. Burr; that his accomplices arc 60
faithful to their promfes as not to &hiCDer an
accuiation agsinit him; that great exaggeration
has crept into the accounts of his military
equipments; that he had not taken 6nple g6
parent iteP towards the evying Of war; NUT
we therefore acquit e. Burr C the mott nefarl-
Gus projects which have been a(crbrd TO him !?
Mutt the expeditions of Eaton; NUT his tam
periug with IruXton his Communications with
Wllkinion,; mutt the difcoveries of Graham
and the mylterious conduct of Is 4nnerhanet and
others; Rand as nothing? Mo- certainly not .
lhote who would form iuch conclufons, know
nothing of Burr's iubtle fpirit, which can io
eahlY SHIT ltieif to times, places and peiions {;
aiiume all virtues, it it has them not; aud
adapt it's deiigns TO ,he varying circumstances
of the nomenclature is mot probable. is.
that II Burr has been guilty Of no open overt
act aganit our peace, 1t was becaufe he was not
wanting IN the inclination or the plan bur be .
cauie he was inundated by fubfcquent circum-
frances from protecting the plan, which MS in
clInations fuggei5ed.
The reports which are circulating through all
the newspapers Of the Eafern fstes, mua have
hrit excited his alarm, aBd ncreaed his eau-
Aon.
Then followed the arref of the Mnlkingum
hoilIia, which efficiently howed, that not on
y was the vigilance of the Administration ex-
cited by the fuipicion Of the people, but that
they were ATTIRE in reducing thofe nIfpicions IN
TO etiect.--Burr'S alarms man have been Gin
more frongly routed; and every Rep which he
purified, more particularly marked by the eau.
tions OF an experienced mind.
Then enfBed the jealous enthuGafrn Of Ger.
Wiikinion ON the iide Of the u. S. which WAC
in all probability contrary to his hopes and
expectations. 1t is not for Us to- tay poftively
at prefent, how far they were well or ilI.found-
ed. Nothing however was more natural, than
theie expectations, even were We TO reof,u
from the only circum0ances which lave been
oiready exhibited before ~ the istt ot
WilkIniou'S having competed memoir ON
the rsiourccs Of Kentucky for tac uf. Of tie
Spani'h court the fIpiciou Of his hay.
rng been employed as a Sg,nifh Petitioner
and the friendly reception which the sroiGsrc.
Of Burr iecmed 10 have met wi,b at bis hands
what ofbcr encour7gemeni5 he had giyeH, ar
! yet behind the curtain.-i 1t was nor, there
tore, iurprjdng shat Burr ihouId have counted
urOu his cooperation ~ ON one Of III,
] Accnrding tn The NaLch.a LI...la 20 ~. o.,