Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1809-06-02
F r I d 4 Z, = one 2, 1909.

person who commanded at Fort Mas.
sac, was the tool OF Aaron Burr; and
yet Mr.. X. said he had subseouen L.
seen an address-and he did not wish
to make any charge against this person
ne would not condemn him upon such
testimony, much less unneard-an adj
dress from this very officer aud Others,
approbatory of the conduct of the com
mander in chief and he had seen this
very officer appointed, he presumed
with the appreciation of the command
er in chief, to a higher commando
What were they to think Of the com
mander in chief, when he came for
ward and state what ne believed, and
fortified 1t by the testimony Of a wit
ness on whom 10 relied, going to prove
that particular officer was an accom-
plice of Aaron Burr; and when they
saw that very officer putting his name
to an address Of Appreciation to the
commander in chief, and afterwards
promoted in the army ? What could
they conceive, but that it was COM
mutation ofso mach sold pudding for
SO much empty praise ! Again; Mr..
K. said it had been in proof before that
jury that the officer wno had comman-
ded at Chickasaw Bluff was SO far in
plicated as to permit Aaron Burr to
take arms from the public arsenal at
that place for his expedition. The
name of the officer he said he could
not recollect. In short, he repeated
again to the House, that if the grand
jury had been governed by the impress
sions made upon them by the testlmo-
ny laid before them, they would have
been of opinion that scarcely man in
the army was exempt-even those who
would not agree TO file 5ill against
the commander in chief for. IaisDrison
OF treason, believed that though A or
b might stand clear, there were few
who We're not the tools of the com
mander in chief or Aaron Burr, for the
Two were so closely ident:hed through
the transactions, that Il was scarcely
possible To separate them. The obiec,
OF his first motion then was areducti-
on OF the army generally, which he
should attempt, were ne certain that e !.
very man down To sne neanest indivi.
dual IN that army was, like Caesars
wife, not only gailtless but unsuspect.
ed. Ii had also for It's object the Civ
ing AN opportunity TO the government
of the United States to separate the
sound from the unsound part of the
present army, which might reduce it
TO the number at which il stood when
the late President of the u. States
came into Office.
lh4 other motion which MIR. r,
had to make, he said, was in relation
to suhjecr to which he thought the
attention Of the House ought to be
drawn. When the late administration
had come into power, it had been in
quality OF reformers. Their object
was to sweep with the bosom of scrn
tiny every part of this governments
He tho't it due to the character of eve
ry administration that scrutiny into its
money transactions should take place.
a motion on this subject made at the
hrst session OF the 9TH Congress would
De well recollected; and when Mr..
Woicott went out of Office, Mr.. 4. said
he believed that he had invited an en-
curry into the state of the treasury.
Mr.. X. said he should therefore
move
1. That the additional military force
raised in pursuance of the act to raise
tor limited time AN additional militia.
ry force, be disbanded; and that the
surplus of appropriation made for the
additional military force and the
surplus of appropriation remaining
unexPended on account of gqn-boats
(which Mr.. X. said he was We
ry glad to see the President was laying
up In dry Dock be expended in arm
ing and equipping the militia of the L.
States.
2. That committee be appointed
to enquire and report, whether monies
drawn from the treasury have been
faithfully applied to the objects for
which they were appropriated and
whether the same have been regularly
accounted for land to report Likewise
whether any further arrangements are