The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1811-08-09
Dc,,,esttr.
WASHINGTON, Aug. L.

w
The Court NnirtiaL-The course pursued
in relation to General Wilkinson, we APP
prehend will give displeasnre both to Ge>
neral Wilknson's friends and his enemies:
to his friends, who will think that the Ex-
ecutive should. without trial, have reinsta-
ted General Wilkinson in full authority to
his enemies, who have said he ought To be
dismissed without trial. To those who.
with US. have no feeling either way, this
course will give sa.isfaction; because it.
promises speedy termination to the busi-.
ness, demanded as well by justice to Ge.
neral Wilkinson as to the United States;-
but, above ali, because it is a precedent on
the conStitufionaiity OF which no man can
doubt.
The course which this affair has taken.
is, however, matterof curious reflection,
me House OF Representatives being, If it,
nave constitutional power to enquire az
all. the highest tribunal of the nation, as
sumes not merely to enquire. but to try the.
case, ITS committee having been required to
hear General Wilkinson in his defence
lhis committee, after a most aborous in
vestigation. reports a voluminous mass OF
documents. which, without beng read, or
investigated, are, in ten. minutes time after
their introduction into the House, transfer.
req, indiscriminately,, 10 the President Of
the United States, without any intimation as
TO the Course which it was their opinion he
shonld pursue. Being tired of the task they
had undertaken, and very willing to rid
themselves OF itin the way that should be-
least troublesome to them, we cannor
conceived more expeditions method of do.
ing 1t than was adopted This was to turu
over. to the. decision of the President a
Question. which they mad a lew weeks be-
lore determined that they were best qualiti-
ed; 70 decide and that decide it thew
would. =
~ he president doubtless felt himseifin an
embarrassing situation the case being exl
traordinary and Unprecedented We can
nha out one occurrence on record in the
history OF this country in any respect SINH.
ar' In the year 1881, 1--WE believe, nc, ha.
ying dates before us) the legislature Of
Georgia preferred certain charges against
Semerai Rowe tor misconduct, perhaps in
l|1s, In his conduct as commander og Z de-.
tachment In that quarter. The charges &c
documents were sent ON to Congress, who
by resolve referred them to General
washington, by whom a court martial was
ordered totry the General. The cases are
not very dissmilar but in the one case rhe.
enquiry was forced OH Congress in the o.
Their the House Of Representatives ,hem-
selves originated the enquiry. The Ho0se
OF Representatives Of the last Congress ha
sinS hAC thc NOnSfSSS OF 1851 referred the.
papers TO the President, the commander in
Chief OF the forces of the United States. he
has, perhaps, taking that case for prece-
dent, IN Ike manner ordered court marti-
al TO try the charges. We know not what
other Course he could well have takep.-
whilst it WAS not for the President TO de-
cide case which So important BODY as
the House Of Representatives. after 2 wears
investigation, tacitly confessed their inabiii
tyto decide, ne was evidently called upon
to act on tho subj ect, either in one way or
another. Without undertaking himself to,
decide the question which had So much
perplexed The legislature, he has taken the
safe Course of referring the matter to The
highest military tribunal, to whom it mosr
properly belongs to decide it. And thus,
after sraveIlins SO extensive circuit the
enquiry has arrived precisely at the point
where 1t ought to have commented And,
Tor ali the distress and expence to witch
the OBJECT of the enquiry has been subjected
Tor three years, he has the very sasi, factc-
ry consolation, that the House vt Repressns-
tatives were making experiments rs to the
extent OF heir constitutional powers, which
cannot fail to result in producing a mcve,
correct conception Of them for tue future
Nat. Int.