The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1810-05-18

himself. Much greater hardships WOULD
How from the opposite doctrine. If every
imam. who is suspected, were to be put on his
TRIAL If men are to be openly and fragrant.
Ily eharged with crimes, without knowing
whether those charges can be supported il
the trials in chief and impcachments are
ever to tread upon the eagle wings of suspi.
cion. the best men may not escape the igpo
miny OF public arraignment-In the in
quest before grand juries. indeed. the incon-
venience is not SO great as in that before the
IL. Of R--The Grand Jury set in conclave
the evidence exhibited before them is to
a certain degree locked up in their own
breasts-when it marches formally be fore
the court and into the world, the accused is
on the spot to sift or rebut it. But in the H.
OF K. the affair is necessarily of some noto-
riety a Committee collects the testimony
this testimony, often voluTinous, always
delicate, is to be printed for he Information
| OF the house, and then to be publicly discuss
ed.
| But if there be this similitude between
the cases of Burr and Chase, where does it
| exist between either of these and the case Of
w ilkinson?
Is Wilkinson to be TRIED, like .elrr /?
No
Is he to he IMPEACHED. like Chase !:
| MOTOR the II. of r. have no right to III, =
peach HIM. The Constitution limits the
sphere of impeachment, TO "the Presitlent,
Vice President, and all civil Officers os the
u. S."-The II. of Il. do not, here,
Sit as the GRAND INQUEST Of the nation,
20 listen to Elk TARTE TESTIMONY, nor to
frame articles of Impeachment The par
allel does not run on a single ieg-and
every man, who. like Key, pretends to dis
cernment, or like Randolph, to impartialily,
should be ashamed to use it.
The II. of X. cannot put Wilkinson on his
&c trial." What then can they do ? They
may ENQUIRE into his conduct-thrv may
collect evidence--they may come to a re
solution, that he is a Spanish peiisioner, a
traitor, and, at most. that he is an unfit off
Ger to command the troops of the u. S.
| This is the whole. TO which even the most
| sanguine advocates of the privileges of that
House, have ever pretended.-But will the
House adopt this resolution on Ex-pARrK
testimony without e" informing him of the
nature and cause of the accusation :" with
out " confronting" him" with the witnesses
against him ;" without allowing him the
opportunity OF "obtaining witnesses in his
! favor :"
J But, oh, no." say these gentlemen, GIVE
do not call on the house to reseLve on this
eviGence---we only wish it to be heard,
printed and circulated" This is saying in
plain language 1--WE wish to hear the tes-
ttmony, though we cannot act upon it
This testimony. mutilated and garbled, as il
is, which the accused has had no opportuni
ty of rebutting. The committee abstained
from summoning Gen. Wilkinson before
them, although he was in Washington he
was not permitted to cross examine our wit
nesses. or to offer single explanation or
tefence. We wish this testimony published,
4 -Df fhn xrx,,IH l.
gainst him, that they may be preiudiced,
& our victim condemned unheard." Should
General Wilkinson pass over the Report of
the Committee in silence, it will rouse the
most powerful prejudiccs against him-&iE
ne aares comment upon it, as we are told is
his intention. he has then the alternative of
! rousing the resentment OF his judges those
very men, who may be called upon to act
upon this very Report at their next session.
/ Had the committee been disposed to have
rendered strict justice to the accused, WHY
did they not subpoena General Wilkinson
before them! Why did not the House come
to resolution, that as thu mad not had all
! the evidence on one side and none on the O
Their, before them, they would Law the Re.
port on their table, and postpone all further
proceedings until their next session? This
was the process recommended by the plain
est precepts of equity.
But no! Mr. Randolph must have the Re-.
port OUT Bills of the utmost consequence
were tobe laid on the table, on the very
last day of the session, to afford the oppor.
tunity of exhibiting, this garbled testimony
=" The commercial bill, No 30 was com
paratiyely an "Ossa to a wart, as it effects
tine nation" And yet, this man has been
cried up as the firm, inllexible defender of
the Constitution and the rights of the peo-
pie; who makes the public good the un..
crring rule of his conduct; for himself, no
thing; tor his country, every thing sort
OF political monk, whom passions or resent.
ments cannot cause to depart from his duty ::
who has no feelings to crafty, or if he had
any, would rather roll himself in perpetual
SHOWS. 10 cool the lusts of the flesh, than
swerve for one moment from the sacred
cause which he has eSpDused.
AS for Gen. Wilkinson himself. this Is
not the propertime to pass upon those facts
which are stated in the Report That he
has removed certain papers. which had
/ been deposited in the archives Of the War
Office, is one of those circumstances which
! must strike the attention of every man and
IT he has done it without right or authorize.
ton, an explanation will become essential,
Bnt the committee have put me on my
guard--General Wilkinson should've hea I'd
even on this head
NJ In the O5seryer, No /, let bqrogyobh,
" givs some ,yi:aDlS of hobe," shoaH have been
qWofed }roAs a piece eetracfcd from The Nation
intelllgencer on The same sRsjeet.