Berkeley and Jefferson intelligencer. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va.) 1802-1810, 1808-01-29
STATEMENT or DANIEL CLARK, RELA.
TIVE TO CENTRAL WILKINSON.

Read on the 18th January in the House
Of Representative Of the u. States;
Aud, on the 18th ordered to be printed,
and a copy to be transmitted to the
President Of the United States.
In obedience to the direction Of the
house of representatives. expressed in
their resolution of Friday last / Submit
the following statement.
tarrivsd from Europe It New Or
leans in Deer 1855, having been invit-
ed to the country by an uncle Of con- Il.
! derahle wealth aud influence who had
been long resident in that city. Short
" after my arrival, l was employed 10
the Office Of the secretary Of the govern
ment. This Office was the depository Of
all state papers.
In 1887 Gen Wilkinson made his irst
visit to New Orleans and was intro
duced bv myuncl. to the governor aud
other officers Of the Spanish govern
menG.
In the succeeding year 1888 mach
sensation was excited by the report of
his having entered into some arrange
ments with the governor of Louisiana
to separate the western country from the
u. States, and this report acquired
great credit upon his second visit to
N. Orleans in 1899.
About this time I saw a letter from
the gen. to a person in New rleans CIV
ing an aecoun, OF col. Connelly's mission
to him from the British sovernmen. 10
Canada and of proposals made to him
on the part of hat government, aud
mentioning his determination of adher.
ing t his connection with the Span.
iards. e
My intimacy with the officers Of the
Spanish government aud my access to
official information disclosed to me
shortly afterwards some Of the plans the
general had proposed to the government
affecting ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The general project was the severance
Of the western country from the U. S.
and the establishment of a separate gov
ernmentin the alliance and under the
protection of Spain.
In eifeesing this Spain was to furnish
money and arms and the minds Of the
western people were to be seduced and
brought over to the project BY liberal
advantages resulting from it, to be held
out by Spin. The trade Of the Mis-.
sissippi was to be rendered free, the
port Of Newt Orleans 10 be opened to
them, and a free commerce allowed in
the productions Of the new government
with Spain and her West India islands.
remember about the same time to
have seen a list Of names of citizens of
the western country which was 10 the
hand writing<of the general, who were
recommended for pensions, and the
sums were stated proper to be paid to
each, and I then distinctly understood
that he and others were actually pension
ers of the Spanish government.
1 had no personal knowledge of money
being paid to gen. w. or to any agent for
him on account of his pension previous
ly to 1898 Or 1894. Ia one of these
years and in which I cannot be certain
until l Car consult my books, a Mr.. La
Cassagne, who I understood was post
MASTER at the falls of Ohio, came t. New
Orleans, and as one of the association
with general Wilkinson in the project of
Acknowledgement, received a sum of MO.
ney four thousand dollars of which or
thereabout, were embarked BY a special
permission free ofdusy on board a vessel
which had been consigned to me, and
which sailed for Philadelphia, in which
vessel Mr.. La Cassagne went passenger.
At and prior to this period had various
opportunities Of seeing the projects sub
mitted to the Spanish government. and
Of learning many details from the agents
employed to carry them into execution.
tn 1894, two gentlemen ofthe names Of
Owens and Collins, friends aud agents
OF gen. Wilkinson, came to New>Or-
leans. To the FIRST was entrusted, as I
was particularly informed by the officers