The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1812-02-29

IT, i'll 1875 and 1876. the said emissary, Al
is ailedged by him, visited said Wilkinson
| with the view OF promoting e separation of
| the Union; and if, as he intimatcs, said
Wilkinson disclosed To him the whole scheme
or project OF diSmemberment, it does noS.
appear to the Court, that said Wilkinson
took any measure to aid such separation :.
on the contrary, strong presumption ex.
lists that, it he apparently listened to propo.
sitions OF this nature, it was to advance his
pecuniary interest, and not to injure that %
his country.
The court cannot perceive any thing in
| the mission of said emissary in 1897, to i'm.
plicate General Wilkinson This mission
appears to have been undertaken with a view
to two objects-First, the dismemberment of
the western country foom the Atlantic states
and, Second, the delivery to General Will.
kinson OF an official despatch from the Ba-
| ron de Carondelet, relative to the detention
OF the posts to the north Of the 5lst degree.
Ssan.rary to the treaty previously concluded
between the u. States ana 0pain. IL said
emissary disclosed to General Wilkinson
the first object of his mission, it does not
appear, even by his own testimony, that he
favored IT on the contrary, said emissary
was received cody, 4 confined to the quar-
tiers of the officers the delivery of the
posts, according to treaty, was urged by
said Wilkinson IN conversation, with him ?
ohNi ~ tAhCWiSC dppSdTS THAT ne sent SAID
emissary under guard to Louisiana and ael
the same time instructed the officer CONF.
manding at Fort Massac not to permit said
emissary to return up the Ohio again, but
to send him back in case he made the at
tempt. On the second object, General Will
kinson, in his reply to the letter of the Barr
on dc Carondelet, urged the ful6lment. Of
the treaty land endeavored to remove all APP
prehension of An invasion of Louisiana by the
English of Canada.
1t appears sufficiently evident to the court,
that General Wilkinson, during the time he
had property in New Orleans, held the Ian
guage OF Cancellation, if not that of Tempo
| rising policy, with the officers and agents
OF the Spanish government !; and his views
appear to have been directed to the securi-
ty of that property, and by no means asainss
the tranquility of these States. But subse-
quent to 1895, at which time it is believed
he had drawn most of his property from
New Orleans, and provision was made for.
the free navigation of the Mississippi he
seems to have changed his language. If
said emissary is to be credited, General VIII.
kinson decle I'd TO him i'll September; 1897.
that he had relinquished all intercourse with
the Spanish government !; and at the samU
time minated his determination re oppose
its projects. 1t must be remembered that
General Wilkinson was at that time at the
head OF the army, and that, while that sta..
ton opened new and safe channels of COM
munication with the officers and agents Of
Spain, and multiplied the means of dismem-
bermenr, he appears to have disregarded
them, and at the moment, too, when he had
1t IN his power to favor their designs witlz
effect. 1t is pertinent to remark, that il
| attempts were made to corrupt, the patriot-
ism and integrity of General Wilkinson, the
| records of this court exhibit no one &C. of his
military life which can by the most Con-
| strained construction, be C onsidered as the
effect OF such corruption. If General Will
kinson actually formed a corrupt connexions
with the Spanish government, the repeated
| applications made by him many years ago
tor an enquiry into his conduct. appear RAJ
| Their explicable-especially as many ofths
witnesses OF his guilt, ifhe was guilty, then
lived to testify on the subject.
After full hearing of the evidences, both
Tor and against the accused, on the third.
fourth, and hfth charges, and after the moss
mature deliberation thereon, the court i, OF
opinion that they are not supported, and
therefore acquits Brigadier General James
Wilkinson OF the said charges, and their
| respective specifications.
The impressions naturally made on thu
minds OF the citizens of these u S. by the
events which gave rise to the third, fourth.
& fifth charges, Justify a few explanatory
remarks.
|
spirec with kHozun traitors, and on this no.
toriety all the legal force of these CHARGES
depend. In the eye of the law, as well 3
of reason and humanity, every man is pre-
sumed to be innocent till proved to be gull,
ty; consequently there can be no knoz,rf
traitor, unless the proof be established hv
1 the record of his conviction and il is nos.
within the knowledge of this court that any.
knorvn traitor did exist in the space Of
time designated by these charges no man.
as 1t appears, having been convicted of tres.s
| son.
As the accused has taken no exception to-
defects of matter or form, and as a full in
vestigation is desirable on all sides, the diff.
Guilty, which thus appears at the thresh
OF the inquiry, will be past over.
| The period of time embraced by these
three charges, is between the commences
ment of March, 1905, and the end of Octo.
Der, 1906.
| Among the last acts of that session. which.
terminated the Vice-P Presidency, of Aaron
Burr, will be found an act erecting the ter.
ritory of Upper Louisiana into a govern.
ment, and soon after the close of that ses-
sion, General Wilkinson was appointed it's
chief magistrate.
1t is in evidence before this court. thae
the General engaged with great zeal in a
scheme to cause Aaron Burr to be elected