The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1808-01-26

I
| drrationS, and treason may thus escape ex
posture and punishment. T..
AS to gen. Wilkinson personally, and rs tc
any thing that concerns him separate from
the station he holds, and the salvation Of the
country from civil war and blood, we are as
ifce from influence as any persons whatever,
but upon a man who has saved his country,
as the prosecutions of Rurr and his asSoct-
ofeS and SUPPORTERS in treason hare confess
| Se0--we must, we should merit infany if
we did not feel some solicitudc, that he who
has saved his country, should have been, at
all times, pure and irreproachab.e. Until
VIC sec other and better evidence, than has
hitherto been ofrred or suggested, we must
consider Gen. Wilkinson an injured man !;
and we must believe that what has been al
lodged as crime against hm-that is, the
opening of 4 trade with New-Orleans. when
no other citizen could do it: the supplying
OF that CITY with certain quantities of tobac-
co, -four, &c. when we were ct peace with
SPAN was no more criminal than the SUP
PLYING OF mercantile house at London, Lis
bon, or Cadiz, with the same commodities
that this will be found to be the real ground
OF the allegation against Uiikinsrn we en-
tertain TO doubt now. Should different evi-
dence appear. should any evidence of disho-
nor appear, then we should be as ready TO
censirrc, as we arc now DESTROYS that cuua.
and exact justice SIlonld &c done to the man,
whom both enemies and friends must admit
mas saved his country. at the peril Of his life,
his reputation, and his station Upon the
charges themselves We could say much more,
but court is 90 sit, and there he is t. be tes-
ted--and 10 that tribunal he should go with
out bias or prc-juiSmcnt, where there is no
sort OF rational evidence, for though thecc
is general charge, ycs the autholisv cised
&C IN
suspicious, and some obviously infamous
but Self GaGcttci noe content: even
thc cld barriers Of PARTY arc battered down,
III the vain hope tn batter down Wilkinson
III the ruin Whether it Is n Eri emis-
sary who seeks 10 rob the nation Of its attest
gcneral, or one OF Eurr'a associates who
goes tse lcugih that the Gazette of Rcifsuf-
ters-[4nd RritGiz ond BHrr are coupled
like cause ard ct!cct) W. cannot ,ic.errninc,
but 1t appears rather sirglilar I'll there
Should De IN apprehension expressed that in
court composed of three god .f;,dcrQEdis-
! for B;"bcck, Wil'iams and Gushing are all
fedcreIists It IS rather astonishing that fe-
aer2iism should either SO miyt''uSt Itself, or
dcprcc2tc the eifccs, rs TO form IN advance
a concluslon--thas TWO OF t.ie gentlemen must
be destitute OF honor and pi1'hity--that IN a
'vo'e the -'hr>lr- aacrit.ce oathS and
homer, against the force &c evidence, aud that
this was determined before even the evidence
was heard or TIC court assembled.
! 1t cannot beI1resamGH that Of federal to-
! EIc;ans (as poiticianS) we can entertain
very exalted nGtions-Yct without evidence
Of sone kind, We have never VET attempted
toarraign any man, much less 10 anticipate
the result OF any mans decisions before the
evidence upon which he was TO decide had
! appreciated! Kim.
| But what nave we here col. Guiding fought
duel with major Lewis originating in VIII
kinsons quarrel with Wayne--and then (!
why then--CushinS has been the protege of
| WIKI inson.
This is t. be sure cxecrable stuff What
does il f.: ~ determine! Gushing and Lew
| Is differed on some points about which WI
/ kinson and Wavnc differed, thcv fauenr a
dlei, and therefore, Gushing must be !, ras-
cal. Is not this the conclusion but softly
! Without pretending 40 understand the cause
ct dispu'c, cAsht tho, first to be assured who
was in the right or who in the wrong-the du-
el did not decide it. But Rclf without evil
dence, undertakes to settle IL
Next comes N'lliaUs-he, Relf. SAYS, is
related to the family into which Wilkinson.
Inarrlcd-and this is the evidence, upon
which Ref asks the question" From a
c'n: so composed wha, is the country 10 cz;-
lpcc;?"
/ ~ NJ~i : ~ -'bh .'OattA-~-iCW GOINl{N,S'tl q
WHY tlius--Onc of them is colonel vic
fought duel with major, the ground oi
which duel, was an cd quarrel Setwcer
Wayne and Wilkinson--this is the first
ground.
Fear the next again-Wiiiiams is anotfer
colonel, and is related chow related = 20 the
family (in what degrecO into which WI
kinson married
Family .fcCing and rc'Gionshjh must y,
very high, indeed, If its influence is So diiiu.
si7c and comprehensive unfortunately il i,
not every family that is 20 fortunate rs c,
have all its connections and relations ui,-
der such infUcucC---- here. arc fsinihe:
and relations in this world, who wouiC
very cordially do their relations any mis-.
chief practicable, with safety-but here We
have an example Of orc that is influenced
through all its ramifcations, by the most q
nliablc ard partial feelings.
Blu: how happens it that col. Bur6sck ha
escaped? When Gushing ana Williams ar,
held forth as the 5varHest fricnd8, upon snci
evidence as VIC have seen would it be upfa;
to infer that col Rurbeck, instead Of a 7garn
t,irwd, may be dea9ly eaemv? We wi,
not draw such differences but We shall stats
facts.
The laws IF the land, point out TIC or,
means by which military officer is tria5lc
and the same rules determine, than an Office
of General Wiikinson's degree in rank, mus
= be tried by officers of the highest RANK; W,