The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1808-09-27

"
reputation, with the CONSEQUENCES of having
rendered a service Of the Highest Importance to
his country But, SIR, unfortunately For him ,n-
fortunately for us unfortunately for his country
he had engaged his two sons to Mr.. Burr. He
could not testify against Burr, without condem-
ming himself, and he shrank from the presence of
the grand jury.
| Ten DAYS after this, the Presidents proclaIna-
ton and Governor Ti!ins orders for the militia
Ito .c called out both arrived ON the same dav,
The 18th of December, NJ Cincinnati; aud from
that time nIr. Smiths eNcrtion to carry into ef-
feet the orders both OF the General and th state
government, were characterised with great and
extraordinary zeal. But even taeR nc writes %
,hc Secretary at war narrative moi exactly con-
lcr,nable to that afterwards coataaed in the an
swer To the comnittce-In the-,nswer Mr.. Smit!,
declares repeatedly, thHt Ill has ,i7a6ts and siS5i
eiosS about NTr. Eurr, had becn removed b MS
opcIl-heartcd candid letter OF 26SN Octo5cr. La
the lstter to The Secretary At IVar, he sreaks Of
himself hsrhorar 50 strong suspicious on
Burr's subsequent visit t0 Cincinnati in Norsnl-
Der, IS then to have Gsiti him boiafedkP if any
object ie had in view justified t1e suspicious
which prevailed about him, and that from NGr
Buyr's apparent candor in answering this cucstj-
ON, he, Saith, entertained no doubt othm Now
this apparent candor, was an acEno wlcd,emcnt
OF the very same undertaking which the Prcsi-
dents proclamation called upon the people to
suppress. The proclamation hadnorSference 20
thc part at Surr's project which aimed ut the
ldismcmberncnt OF the Union--it was tbs inten-
died invasion OF Mexico, which it extended the
arm Of the nation 20 restran--thc very expedIti-
on upon which Mr. s. had engaged his two sons
How was it possible that this disclosure of an
unlawful design, could have restored tie con.i-
dence and received the couutenauce Of Mr.
Smith IL is this, with the circumstances atten-
ding it, and which / have noticed, that render
Mr. Smith himself. the most material of all th..
witnesses against him. The letter, have shewi,,
contained little to remove, and much, very much
to excite suspicion. The avowal of the inten-
oed march TO Mexico, was An avowal Of guilt
MIR. Smith does not pretend that Mr. Burr hin, 4.
to him that the design was approved by the 81. 4
ernment-the bitterness with which he sroke :
the government, sure. of itself al Indicate
| on to the contrary. Did not Nlr. Smith know
that this was an unlawful enterprise Could he
have been ignorant of this before; the first pro-
secutlon in Kentucky must surely have given him
sufficient notice Of that. Before he engaged his
two sons, ought he not to have enquired how the
Washita settlement was 10 be made How the
same preparations could be transformed at plea
! sure from purposes Of war to purposes Of agri-
culture! How the same men and the same
| things could possibly be applied to the invasion
OF one country and the settlement of another.
| BY what magic they were to beat their swords
into ploughshares, and their pruning hooks into
spears Even Peter Taylor, the stupid Peter
Taylor, as Mr.. Smith has pronounced, and his
council endeavored TO proye--even Peter Tay-
ler, when Blannerhassett attempted Co engage
aim for the Washita settlement, enquired what
kind of seed they should carry with them Nor
would he be satisfied with Bannerhasseti's eva
sions of this question, but urgedhim with it I'M
nj he forced ont the whole projects the Mexican
Empire--the royal diadcm OF MIR. Burr and the
dsmemberment of the american Union. Peter
Taylor was indeed, as MIR. Smith says, gardner
He certainly cannot, In point of understanding.
hos Il !,
bethink himself Of the articles which would be
suitable for his agency in settlement of lands
Even he could discern the difference between
garden seeds and gun-powder and yet Mr..
smith, Senator of the United States, 4 settler
IN 4 new country, confidential and in innate
friend OF Mr. Burr, engaged his two sons for an
alnph bIous expedition OF settlement or war,
without putting single question to ascertain
how these schemes OF contrariety could be recon-
ciled together without one single enquiry, which
could lead to a colorado pretcnce of right, for
the warlike part of the pian-prcparatOns for
war Leyying OF troops Was Senator of
the United States to wait for the Presidents proc
lanation to learn the unlawfulness or the danger
to the liberties of this country, Of such enter
prlses, undertaken without public authority :
Was he yet to learn that the power of making
war, and Of raising soldiers, has been deemed
by the people of this nation, Of such magnitude
and danger that they would nor entrust them to
the Executive authority, but have expressly and
cautiously reserved them exclusively to the re-
representatives. Of the nation assembled in Con
gress And until the declaration of war, by
Congress, lie surely knew that every preparation
OF expeditions to invade the territories OF a neigh
boring sovereign, was in the incipient stage.
OF Beginning ard setting on foot III direct viola
tlon OF the laws Ot the land The prctcncc that
1t was to be pursued only in case war should take
place, aid not make ii at all more lawful but
mace IL, II any thing, more dangerous Suppose,