The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1808-01-19
CONGRESS.
HOUSE or REPRESENTATIVES
TUESDAY, Ian. S.
DEBATE

fDEBA T.
On thc Resolution for REQUESTING the Pre-
sident 10 cause an e1iqn try TO BE made into
the conduct Of Gen. Witkinson.
CONTINUED
Mr.. Minor felt great doubts as to the pro-
priety of proceeding on the resolution itself,
and still greater of referring it as was pro-
posed, with power TO send for persons and
papers. If they were about to try general
Wilkinson, if he was to be brought to the
bar of the House, and his guilt or innocence
was to be there determined, Mr.. NJ. should
be willing to appoint committee to send for
persons, papers, &c. to act as a grand jury
and enquire whether there were a sufficient
degree OF guilt to warrant trial. Bst as he
believed the House had no right to call &C.
neral Wilkinson before them, he had no idea
of proceeding in this way to collect evidence
when they had no authority to act upon it.
1t had been said that court Of enquiry had
been chilled: Mr.. M. had heard himself, and
had reason to believe the information was
correct, that an enquiry had been asked for
and ordered. If so, was it proper that the
House should go into the subject, Was it
right, when court of enquiry was called,
when every evidence would be sought for on
this and every other charge brought before
the court, that the House should endeavor in
an eXparte manner to ascertain the guilt or
innocence OF any person about to be tried by
the proper tribunal? 1t was extremely i'm
proper, to 30 into any enquiry OH the subject.
II, when the gentleman from Virginia bro't
MS resolution forward, he had laid the pa
Pcrs he had read on the table, he should have
had no hesitction in voting that thcy should
te transmitted to the executive, and should
have voted fer motion to that effect, be-
cause he believed that when any information
hcf flra
conduct of any officer, it should be laid be-
fore the proper authority. But a positive
declaration of the House that inquest ought
TO be held on the conduct cf any officer would
convey tothc public mind and TO the court 4
strong impression of his guilt and this
would be giving all undue influence in an en-
quiry.
Believing that it would be improper in the
House to investigate the subject, or TO infu-
ence an enquiry BY virtually saying that they
believed gen. w. to be guilty, he hoped the
present motion would be agreed to, and af
forwards that they would decide against the
reference. He had no hesitation in saving it
would be improper to constitute any COM
mittec or Court of enquiry on this subject,
and under this impression should vote.
MIR. GARDENER was somewhat surprised
at the opposition which the motion he had
made had met With, and was also surprised
that the propriety of pursuing the course
which he had recommended, Ito appoint
committee of investigation had not struck
gentlemen more forcibly than it had. He
was therefore reduced to the necessity of
stating the reasons which induced him to
make the motion, and which now compelled
him TO persist in it. The charge brought
against gen. Wilkinson was calculated not
only to occupy the attention of the House,
bur OF the whole American people Whe-
ther they considered that he was an officer
no less than commander in chief of the army
OF the u. S.---whether they considered that
department of government by which he bad
hitherto been protected and cherished no less
than the Observation-Disclosures they consider
cd that this charge was no less than against
a general or commander III chief for bar
gaining and selling himself, his army, and
his country to foreign or hostile power
whether they considered the time when this
accusation was brought forward, a time when
the destiny OF the nation, its slavery on one
hand and its liberty on the other. depended
not on the capacity alone, but dreadful to
say, on the fidelity of the commander in chief
when they considered to whom this charge
was submitted to the grand inquest of the
nation, that body whose duty it was to watch
with unceasing vigilance the safety of the
commonwealth, to use the language of an an
Gent writer, ne qnid Re&hu6Hca detrfinenn
Cafidt-in whatever view they considered
it, its decision required assuredly all the
wisdom, all the patriotism, and he would
add, all the independence of this body.
The original resolution of the gentleman
from Virginia had been met at its threshold
by an objection, the more surprising as it
proceeded from those who had hitherto af-
fected an exclusive and almost hysteric lea
lousy of Executive power--to his mind an
objection more to be execratcd, as it STRUCK
at the very root of republican government /;
as it went to deprive those OF the right of in
shutting all enquiry into the conduct Of an
officer, who possessed the right of impeach-
ing the President himself who appointed
that officer. The lesser power was included
in the greater. If they had power over the
master of Gen. Wilkinson, if they were mas
ter of the superior, they were master of the
servant also. He could never reprobate in
terms of sufficient adherence, the position
assumed that this House was the only body
which could not lay a request before the Pre-
sidCnt. When nc had seen the President of
the United States benignly receiving address,
es from the legislatures Of different states
Che could not say with smilcs) requesting
him to extend his patcrnal and afFcctionatc
care over the country for another contituti-
onal period, from bodies who had no consti-
tutlonal power to make this request. he
could not believe that the President would
show less attention, 70 n rccnarf rrcr,, ;e