Alexandria daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1803-1808, 1808-01-23
CONGRESS.
House OF REPRESENTATIVES.
TUESDAY. January $.
DEBATE

L
On the resolution for requesting the president
to cause an enquiry to be made into the con-
duct Of general Wilkinson.
Mr.. MILN1Sk iels great doubts as 70
the proprie,y of proceeding on 1he resolu-
ton itself, and still greater OF referring Il,
as was proposed, with power 10 serd tor
persons aud papers If they were about
TO Try general Wilkinson. if he was TO DC
brought to the bar Of the house, and his
guilt or Innocence was 10 be there deter
mined, nlr. Nj. should be willing to ap
-pointa COMMITTEE to send for persons, pa
pers, BIC. 70 &C. as grand jury-& enquire
whether there were sufficient degree OF
guilt to warrant trial. But as he believ.
ed he house had no right to call general
Wilkinson before them, he had no rdea OF
proceeding 10 this way TO collect evidence
when they had 20 authority 10 act upon It.
X had been said thar military court or
enquiry had been called: Mr.. NJ. had
hesrd himself, end had reason 10 believe
the information was correc', that an en-
curry had been asked for aud ordered. II
so was ii proper that the house should go
INFO the subject? Was it right, when a
! coSrt Of enquiry was called, when every
evidence would be sought for on this aud
every other charge brought before the
cour,, that the house should epdeavor 10
an e2parte manner TO ascertain he guilt or
Innocence OF any person as1yi . b. tried
by the proper tribunal? II was extremely
improper to 60 into any 'rql'ry 90 the SUBJ
iccr. If, when the gentleman from Virg'.
MIA brough, his resolution forward, ne had
laid the pspers be had read on The table, he
should have had no hesitation IN voting hae
they should be t. ausnoined 10 the executive,
ADD should have voted for motion 80 that
effect, because he believed that when any
Information came before the house with
respect to the couduct Of ary ohcer. II,
should be LAID before the proper authority.
But positive declaration Of the house
that inquest ought to be held On the conduct
OF any officer would convey 20 the public
mind anc 10 the court strong Impression
of his gull. and this would be giving an
undue iuauence 10 an epqulyy.
Believing thar it would be improper in
the house 20 investigate the subject, or TO
influence sn enquiry by virtually saying that
they believed gsn. w 20 be guilty, he hop
ed The present motion would be agreed to,
and afterwards .has ihey would decide a.
gainst the reference. He had nc heslta-
ton 10 saying it would be improper TO con.
stitute any committee or court Of enquiry
on this subject, aud uoder this impression
should vote.
MIR, GARDNER vas some hat sur
prised 81 the opposition WHICH the motion
he had made had met wisn, aud was also
surprised that the propr;ssy G pursuing the
conrse which IL had recon n1epded, &, sp.
point commilsee of iuvestig atior) had oct
struck gers!e1nea more iorcib!y ihaa il h d.
He was therefore reduced % he necessity
Of stating The reasons waica induced h,n
10 make the motion, and which COW com.
PEELED him 20 perslsc ~ IL. the charge
broughs against gen. wilkinson was calcu
lated oct only to occupy The attention OF
the house, but Of the whole American
people. Whether they considered ina,
he was an officer DO less than command.
er 10 chief OF the army .cf the Uui,ed
States--whe'her they consider that de.
partmeps OF governments by which he
had hitherto been protected and cherished
no less than the eEecutlve-Wheihcr they
considered that this chafgs was 40 les:
than against a eperal o, commander II
chief tor bargaining ADD selling himself,hi.
army and bis country to foreign or hos
Tile power whether they considered The
time when this accusation was brought for
ward, time when the destiny of the ma
ton, its slavery on one hand and its liberty
on the other, depended no, on the capacit,
alone. but dreadful to say, un the fidelity
e ~ 10 rx der IN rhtAF her I'll 81