Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1809-10-12

deys1open,ent of:thes plan. [See the generals
deposition, note 81. But, after Obtaining
this developement, he zvrites to col. Burr a a
letter, uhich he dispatched, but afteruoafas
recalled This is an important feature IN
the transaction, and therefore submit the
evidence on which assert it. In the report
of Burr's trial communicated to congress,
page eo9, there is the following passage -
6 MIR. Wickha m. Go general Wilkinson
think you said that you wrote to colonel
Burr from Natchitoches." Gen. Wilkin-
son, "rYou guess we'll; but if | am not
mistaken, you got that information from
Swartwout.- G: Bid you write A. | did.
@. What did,you with the letter a. De-
stroyed it. G. Did it get out of your hands!
A. It did lit was sent to Matches, to which
place tollozued, recovered, and destroyed 1t.
Twill give you my reasons Tor, SO doing
After writing, ireceived letter from Mr..
Donaldson, dated 5oth OF October, and
conveying the information received from
Mr.. Myers Michael, which removed my
doubts as to the extent of Mr.. Burr's designs
and their sinister nature. Mr. Wickham,
then understand you to say that Mr.. Don
aldson gave the first correct information.
A. It excited very strong apprehens'ons IN
nv mind, that some general and deeptroot-
ed conspiracy had taken place above. -
This evideao is important, not only as 1t
shews continued correspondence with
Burr, even after tie general acknowledges
that he had obtained knowledge Of his
plans from the cyphered letter, and from
Nh. Swartwout, but tor reason as import
ant to the general, besause it convlcts him
of direct perjury /; in his affidavit, No. 81
he directly asserts that Mr.. Swartwout IN
formed him he was 10 meet Burr the 2Oth
of November. and requested him (W) to
write him, which (says~she generaD 1 de-
clsRea.
What were the contents of this letter TO
Col. Burr, or by whom it was Sent, we
know not; but it is enough to convict tncm
/ that he carried on correspondence after he
had full conviction Of his guilr; that he de-
stroyed it after he had determined to turn
states evidence land that he has tried, by
perjury, to conceal II. This letter IS
strong proof, too, thar the interval between
the Sth, when he received the commun'ca-
ton from Burr, and the 2lst, when he DIS
patched lieutenant Smith, was spent in de-
liberatng whether it would be most advan-
tageous to betrav his countryor ms accom-
plice. We shall presently see what lnduce-
mants turned the scale IN favor of duty.
He SAYS, indeed, that ne disclosed the
plan to Colonel Gushing. have no doubt
of the fact; bat what does this prove! lie
enoined secrecy,* and he prevented his
acting or making any discovery, until the
general himself was determined. II that
determination had been one OF adhering to
his treason with Burr, Col. C's. knowiedgs
oft could have been of no consequence, the
mask must have been taken oft, and all the
world would have known as much as Colo !
mel Cushing. Whereas, il he should find |
his associates affairs desperate, and deter |
mine to betrav him, than Col. Cushing's
testimony would, he thought, be useful, i'll
order to prove that he had made the COM
munication in time. 1t is observable, too, |
that the general declares in his deposition, /
(Note No. 81 that the moment he decypler.
ed the letter, he put it into the hands q ma
jor Cushing, and that, by the generals ex-
animation before the court, as well as by |
col. Cushing's deposition, it appears that
tae 'et.sr was not fully decyphered at Nachi-
tochcs ana that he only told him of the con
tents, but did not put it in his hand at all.
The delay of whole fortnight, betwesn
the receipt of Mr.. Burr's letter and Gene
raj Wilkinson's first communication to the
President, is material circumstance IN this
enquiry. Burr had written that he was 10
rendezvous at the falls of the Ohio, on the
first of November, with large force. MIR.
Swartwout informs him that this force was