The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1808-04-19
tExrsAcr.
+" Washington, March 31st. 1908.

late sessions, the dispositions of governor
Wright James l.. Donaldson, esq. General
). Smith OF the senate, and doctor w. Jones
and w. Aston, esq. have been recorded
The combined testimony of those gentlemen,
Corroboratcs the fact, that Mr.. Clark, gen
Wilkinson accuscr, did voluntarily and Off
ciously, pending the last session of Coagress
take pains to assert general Wikinson's limo
cence of the very calumnes, which he, (Mr
Clark has, in cong ess, recently cndeavored
. to substantiate by his oath. The following
is an extract from general Smiths testimo-
ny, which is fully sustained by that of his ex-
ceilcncy governor Wright, and is substanti-
ally supported by those OF Or. Jones & James
Z. Donaldson, Esq
" On or about the Goth February, 1907,
being in the Senate chamber, Mr.. Daniel
Clark took me aside and said" under
stand that MIR. Latimcr (of NJ. Territory has
received a letter from col. Claiborne, stating
. that col Burr had said that Gen. Wilkinson
did receive sum of money, think 10000
dollars from the Spanish government for Sc
'cret service that ne Clark knew perfectly,
from undcriablc proof, that no money had
been given that gentleman, for that our may
or (meaning the mayor or n. Orleans) had
mentioned the same tale to him, Clark on
his arrivalat \. Orleans, and asked if it was
true: thathe CLARK answered that he didnot
believcit, but could inform himself CORRECTLY
on the subject that he waited on the proper
officer who understood to be the intendant
who, on being asked the question, did declare
on his honor, that it was false, for that Gen
Wilkinson had never received one dollar from
the Spanish government, but, for your better
satisfaction, will submit to your inspection
the book in which all payments for secret
service are inserted. He did so, and i (said
Clark did examine the same carefully and
critically, and can assure you, on my honor.
that there was no charge therein, of paw
ment made to gen. Wilkinson, or for his use
either directly or indirectly: and further
that our house did his commercial business
at Orleans, and that, if any such transact
On had taken place, it must, in some wav,
have come TO his knowledge. That he had
Thought it due to gen. Wilkinson, TO commu
ficate this circumstance, and added, l au-
$horize you to make use of my name, in case
you think proper, on this subject, and for that
purpose have mentioned it, L communica-
ted the foregoing to Mr.. Gallatin, to Oliver
Pollock, to K Smith, and several others the
same day and since"
g Mir Alston's testimony involves the fcl-
lowing singular fact-pending the last sessl-
ON OF congress, and anterior to the Presidents
message respecting the combinations in the
western country--Mr. Clark spoke favora-
bly, of gen. Wilkinson, and when complain
ing OF governor Claiborne. said the general
''would be preferred for the Station Of go
vernon, to Claiborne" and asked why they
could not have Wilkinson for governor, or
some such man."
C Immediately after the presidents first
communication respecting Burr's conspira-
cy, or rather the plots gendering in the
west; and before it could be known here
that Wilkinson was bending his course to-
yards New-Orleans, Mr. Clark called MIR.
Aston aside and observed TO him, that
90 Gov. Claiborne must be dismissed and ge-
neral Wilkinson disposed of--That he did
not wish General Wilkinson dismissed, as
nc had rendered important services to the
country; but it was necessary he should be
removed from the command of the armV. and
be provided for in some other way that
tranquility could not be restored in the ter
ritory OF Orleans, whilst Claiborne was 90
vernon and Wilkinson commanded the ar
my" Mr.. Aston also denied that he had
ever mentioned to Mr.. Clark, Gen. Smith s
having told him Wilkinson had received mo-
ney from the Spaniards on account ola tobac-
co contract MIR. Aston declared, "that
he had no recollection of having conversed
with General Smith on the subject the last
winter.
Doctor. Carmichael has also been e1-
amined The doctor lived in general Will
kinson's family at the period when Mr..
Nidih QGCttsIcS TIC mace MS Visit at Ort ~
dams, and hartook of the generals hoshf-
taijfy in his tent for three dgys md nighfs.
The doctors testimony is expressly contra
~ to that which Mr. Clark offers on the oc-
casion-the general " was not cncamped at
the time, but slept on board his boat
Aarora.
We see that the only powers now remain
ing in Europe, hostile TO the freedom of the
seas---the only nations at war with all En-
Eope--are Great Britain and Sweden.
All the other nations have been success
lively seduced by Great Britain into coaiti-
ons--aud in succession 6ctr0yed or destroyed
or driven into the arms Of France-betraf,-
ed as Denmark, Florence, Sardinia, Prus-
STA Holland, Naples, &c. and the whole
collective force, reUeHues, naraL and mi
dfary resources Of Europe, saving only Swe-
den and Great-Britain, are nov IN array and
opposed to Great-BTitain ard Sweden.
When man comes to a ditch that he wish
es to pass over--te first asks himself who
thcr it is too wide to juah oUey to be sure
there are nuruts enough in the world, and
We soc some Of them in Congress, ready to
attempt JunHHiHg across the Atlantic, who
could not jump over br9oml,ick-if big
words and pompous phrases, could change
the order Of nature, and of the nations Of the
World, We have men, whose mouths arc full
Or sound and fury--meaning nothing to at
tempt it.
man Of sense, always considers h97g
fNcA ne cen do--whzt he caH 61---lnd is