Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1812-04-09

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it. It appeared in evidence never 20 DC eluo',
toned, that long and sincere irlendsnp hao
prevailed between them, began IN the feVoiu1
tionary war and continued IN all subsequent
yicissitudes to the mytcrlous descent o.. burr
down the Mississippi. That alter Bnrrs uh-
yysrrantable duel with one o. the best and most
useful Of our countfymen. Gen. Hamilton,
and his consequent exile from his state,
Wilkinson, always ardent in the cause OF his
friends exerted his influence TO get Burr eject
ed to Congress--this conduct, although as Tar
as the testimony goes, unmixed with any other
view, has been ushered by Clark and MS asso-
ciates to excite suspicious uniayorable to w IL
kinson and on il as basis, has the art ana
malice of the generals enemies erected SUI
pcrstrueture capped With the charge OF tsea-
son.
But the bsseless fabric tumbled to the
ground, when assaulted by the batteries OF troth,
and has buried in its ruins Clarke, Power ana
their malignant associates. Ii has been hiaue
as clearas the noon-day sun by convincing and
irrefragable testimony, that from the moment
general Wilkinson was apprlzed OF col. burf,s
probable intentions, he eXerted hlmseit oy
stratagem to discover his plan and his coadJu-
tors, and prepared to resist with arms every
stem that Burr might take III the consomma-
ton of his designs.
Happily for the United States and many IN
nocent though deluded individuals, BurE's
plan was crushed in It's beginning, and civil
5 war probably was thus arrested. BY Whom'
by the very man, who, from that ho"f 70 'i'lS
day, has been assaiied publicly ana privately
i'll the most virulent and outrageous manner.
Relieved at length, it is to be hoped that gre
titude and reward will hereafter distinguish
him.
The last charge, like the two first, was soon
dissipated by the unequlvocal and tull test
mony which the prisoner advanced. Not only
did he prove that his orders contemplated the
defence of. N.Orleans, buthe proyedthat In his
selection ofa position for the army,he combined
in the most defective manner with the primary
object, the preservation of>the health OF the
troops. He showed that he had saved Large
sums Of the public money by his arrange
ments in the execution CT his duty, and that
the season being uncommonly sickly no per,
sonal efforts Of toll, vigilance or exposure OF
his own health was omitted in iulhlment OF
duty evidently dear to his heart
Since the elevation of the late President to
the chair of state, the spirit OF change and the
substitution of theoretical for practical know
ledge which distinguished him and his admI-
nistration extended itself to the army. 1he
quarter master generals department was
pruned to mere shadow, and CltlZens stled
military agents without military rank or re-
sponsibility, were appointed to Go the duties
performed in good old times by the quarter
master general and his staff. These military
agents were independent of the commandnS
general, & responsible only the war minister
Thus money could be withheld, however
necessary, by the military agent, nor was 1t
possible for the commanding officer to pre-
scribe remedy Tor the evil without resort
to the war department, more than thousand
miles distant. The Jehersonian change of
system wasrigidly executed, SO much so, that
his swar minister actually forbade the chief
accent from authorising advances OF money
which might exceed so dollars.
Il followed, that the responsibility OF the
commander was transferred to the Secretary
of War, and with this mutation OF responsible
lty were sown the seeds which yielded such
an abundant crop of arrangement and lnsu-
bordination that ensued on the shores OF the
Mississippi.
When disease visited our camp the fatal
consequences of the certain effects OF the
change in our military system spread tar and
wide, nor could the commanding general draw
to himself efficient aid to resist or mitigate
efectualiy the destructive sickness,ln as much
as the present secretary Of war had exactly
conformed himself to.the new regime.
Had the commanding general been autho-
rised, as was formerly the case to require
without reserve every article necessary Tor
his sick soldiers, it appeared very plain that
the affecting mortality which took place,
miobt have been considerably restricted.
Or if the Secretary of war had never ceas-
ed to con6de in his general, and had left the
arm, 70 his uncontrolled care, instead of di-