The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1808-01-19

! teT ucir ear ndu DScn turncG 10 tnlS aCCu-
| sation in the palace, it remained for them to
say, whether they would suffer vcnality and
corruption to run through this body unhurt.
He hoped never to see, that day when the
House would SO much disgrace itself as to
refuse to- dc what became a duty If docu-
ments submitted to the House by the gentle
| man from Virginia were authentic, If these
documents spoke the truth, there could be
no hesitation in saying that continuance of
gen. w. at the head of the American army,
was not only disgraceful to the nation, but
inconsistent With its security. fit were true
that the gentleman from Orleans territory
had it in his power to give evidence still
more convining than any that could be found
in the documents which bad been submitted
by the gentleman from Virginia, and Mr. G..
had much reason to believe, and indeed had
no doubt that the gentleman had it in his
power, it would be proper to obtain that cvi-
dence and if tire course had been pursued
as stated (and he did not question the fact) to
institute committee before the proceedings
of the House had terminated on the subject,
an enquiry tobe carried on by persons pos
sessing no such powers as that now proposed
to be delegated to a Committee, Ito send for
persons, papers, &c.) and if the Gentleman
from Orleans persisted in his word as he al
ways did /; this enquiry would appear, ifnot
intended, at least calculated to misead. For,
as lie understood it. this committee, this
band of officers, this trio of the Presidents
had not the power, if authorised to pursue
the enquiry to the utmost extent that the ma
ture OF the case demanded, TO enforce their
process they were substitute for the reali-
", mere make believe. 1t was therefore
that he was not to be taken in by this it
was therefore that he was bound to do his
duty to his country BY persisting in an inves-
tigation; that at least if he could not satisfy
the Executive, he might satisfy the Amc:i-
can people for when its nature was known,
the calamity would not be so Great
This disposition for enquiry seemed to be
manifested on all sides Of the House They
wished TO ascertain with uncrring certainty
whether this char,-,,c was true or not. Ifthe
mode which they were now told ION what
authority he did not know was pursued by
the governmental that uo6c would not
reach the object which was now aimed at,
why refuse to delegate this power to a GEM
mittee' This measure OF appointing a coart
OF enquiry was not communicated to the
House officially as it ought to be in order
to stop their proceedings, nor in such
way that they could place confidence in il.
not meaning at the same time any disrespect
TO the gentleman from Kentucky who had
stated the CIRCUMSTANCE. 1t was sufficient
tor Mr.. e. that such a court was not CONNIE
rock from which ne would not be removed
that it was not in the power, if it was in the
disposition OF the President, from his own
authority to go on with an enquiry of this sort
except the House gave him the authority on
which to support IT, He did not know u he
Their the President had the power to comneI
the attendance OF witnesses, except in cases
OF military matters and military men. How
then was the evidence of the gentleman from
Orleans to be got at? How, but by the in
tervention or the great constitutional power
of this House-thc only wav. If then those
gentlemen were sincere who wished to give
gen. w. an opportunity of shelving RS inno-
cence, o. those VINO doubted X, and wished
TO have an opportunity of giving evidence of
his guilt, the mode which Mr.. c.. proposed
was the only one: if not the only, assuredly
the most proper way.
What was the accusation , Not for ~,
overt act or crime-not for an offence COM
mitted IN the face of day, or which was capa-
bic of open proof. The crime was secret If
committed at all. The very nature of the
act, being done i'll secret, carefully avoiding
public attention, acting with such precautioD
as not to permit his name to be written or
spoken, requil cd particular mode of pro-
ceedng. mere was 40 other mode which
would give satisfaction to the people of this
country tlIan candid, fair, impartial. and
unprecedented investigation If gen. w. could
walk unhurt through the flames of such an
ordeal, he deserved the confidence ef the peo-
pie; if not, it became the duty of the house
to enquire further.
1t had been said by some that the papers
read by the gentleman from Virginia should
be sent to the executive but nothing had
been said about the gentleman from Orleans.
Mr.. u. would ask the gentleman from Ten
ncSsce why would he send these papers To
the Executive! AS what? He should sup
pose as evidence which the President was tn
communicate TO the board of enquiry which
had been instituted. Ifthe gentleman consi-
dcred it proper that any evidenc. sbould be
sent, why not send the whole of the evidence
Which 1T was in the power of this House TO
acquire! II they sent any, why not send all
And II they would send ali, why not take
measures without which they could not pro-
cure If? 1t did strike Mr. G. that the thing
admitted OF no other course that if they sent
any, they should send the Whole. He world
III this case particularly, if there were the
most distant prospect ofbeing able to accom-
plsh the object sought for, place before the
President such evidence as could not be re-
sisted.
The gentleman from Tennessee was pleas
ed to remark that the House had no more bu-
siness with this enquiry than the President
of the u. >. had to recommend any act which