Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1809-09-25

,hs generals condaet with suspicion, and
had excited those ofhis government; he has
detailed them, and in every point they corro-
borassitf testimony of Mr.. Power, and CO.
incids with the other public facts have laid
before the pataic. The suspicious or
WASHINGTON ARE WIDE AWAKE" says
Wilkiusonin his cypher letter 10 Gayoso.
6 President Washington communicated to
me-" says Mr.. Ellicot, ".hat Suspicious
had been signiGed to hlm of certain citizens
Of the United States, improperly connecting
themselves with the Spanish government,
AMONG WHOM YOU Wilkinson WERE FAR.
TIcULARLY NOTICED" Again, compare the
hints which MIR. Ellicott sayshe received at
the time of Mr.. Powers frequent md fri--
vate infcrcie7rs with the general, the aa'ntttr
mtorn,ation he received in May or June 81,
OF his mission to Kentucky and tennessee,
his orders from the Baron not to return
without an interview with Wilkinson, the
inped;men,s he met with, occasloaed by the
active patriotism of Mr.. Ellicott, the conf-.
dental letter he perused from Gayoso, the
pocket dictpnary cypher, and the communl'
caticn OF Mr. Por.ell--compare these with
the testimony of Mr.. Power, remark the CO.
incidence Of dates and other circumstances,
reflect that this proof could DOT have been
obtained bu, by the agency OF Wilkinson
himself-and then adore that Providence
which thus leads guilt to produce evidence
for It's own conviction.
All itese attempts at excul patton proving
abortve, the accusation appearing II most
respectable form something WAS necessary to
satisfy the puelic mind an lnve stigasion OF
some sort must behad Zone OF that species
was resor,ed to which offered the great 81 ia
cii,y to his ncqnital military court of en-
auiry must bz composed Of men intimately
connected with the general, ard in some de-
cree under lis contoui, whil= the want VI
a compulsory process to procure the attend.
aace OF witness 8, it was torcseen would
deprive the prosecution Of the most n'a'e'
rial evidence in its support.
The result Of th;s enquiry, without IN
tending any reflection on The gentlemen who
composed the court, was such as might have
been expected Their sentence expressly
states tina. they had no evidence OF the re.
ceeipt Of any money from the Spanish 60
vern,neut but The copy Of All account cur
rent pressnlcd by him (W. together with
several letters from Nolan. The court
therefore co.i'd give no other sentence than
the one they have signed, that there was no
evidence {mcaning, suppose, that nonr
had teen laid before ,hem) ri the generals
having f ccived pension of money tor cor
rupt purposes Goa. The Spanish government.
1t is extraordinary, however, that Zone OF
the documents presented to the court, par
ticu,arly this all. important account current,
have never been laid before the pubic. They
arc expressly referred to in the sentence,
and IS they were essential to the generals
Justification, as well as to that Of the Gen.
tl<men " no acquitted him of all suspicion
Had he desired it, doubtl,. SIS tho.e vouchers
would have been published. He has no.
desired it, and he has important reasons fer
The omission. Precision is dreadiu TO gull.
dates and sums are troublesome articles to
get rid of; and j, is much more convenient
to say | have presented satisfactory &C
count, than 10 give the items Of which 1t is
composed. Though have ii in my power
to examine he papers presented by general
Wilkinson to the court, vet the administers
ton may compare them with the evidence |
now produce. If this De done, as 'rus,
it will, without prejudice or Partially, l
have not the slightest doubt that evidence
may be drawn from them which will con-
firm the truth Of the charges have made.
On the subject Of this enquiry | need
not enlarge: it has deceived nobody; it has
not removed a single imputa,ion OF guilt
and its result was clearly forcseen from the
moment of its institution.
1t gave, however, to general Wilkinson,
an opportunity of making and ushering into
II oh reya al 10,