Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1812-02-27
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 27.
GENERAL. WILKINSON's TRLAL.
coNcLUDED.


cations attached to that charge, cater nearing
~, evidence. both for and against the accuSca'
and due dehberation being had thereon) inc
co,rt ;s ef opinion, that sadNcharge ana spe-
c;s.s,;ons are not supported, and therefore &C
49, hr;.,adier general James Wilkinson OF
all and each of them -
The evidence adduced IN support Oh sa'a
ebarre and specifications, appears IN great
measure, to grow out OF the private CORES
nondence of general Wilkinson with the opa-
nish officers and agents, the statement o. one
witness and the oral testimony, deposition and
narrative, of another. ,o.
Itonnears evident to the court. that, In 1873
considerable sum of money was due 10 &C.
rsral Wilkinson from the Spanish govern
,oept ar New Orleans, on account OF ms com
>...sns;al transactions. This circumstance Is
deemed sufficient toaccount tor Sach parts oi
s,;d correspondence as has been proved, winch
,yas apparentlv intended to preserve the irisila-
chin of the officers and agents OF the spanish
mower: to magnify the importance OF general
fyilk;nson in their view; to secure his pro-
,,..r,v then under their control at New Orleans;
I'd 70 fsciitate its remittance from that place.
There is no proosbeiore the court ,'s' Inc
letter said to be In cypher, bearing os'c inc
22d Of September, 1896, was actually "iu.er
by General Wilkinson, and forwarded oy nun
TO Governor Gayoso, as SAID lettei hiipo'ts :
On tne contrary, the only witness VINO mas
,est;6ed on this point, does not prelend to the
least knowledge ofthe fact, and all ne PreSenaS
toaknow is, that said letter was put INTO ms
hands by said Gayoso, who certlhed It 10 DC
. decvphered copy Of one written by General
Wilkinson, and addressed 10 himself
Strong doubts are entertained oy the court
,vhather Gen. Wilkinson ever directed the e.
missary, mentioned in said speclhcatiohS 70
,o Law before the Baron de Carondelet ana
F.oxernor Gayoso the verbal observations al
lnded to in the first specification, because the
court has no other proof than the testimony OF
ofsaid emissary, whose general character, as
80 trnth and yeracity, has been impeached by
several credible witnesses, and whose cohauc'
before the court, while under the oohgatlohs
of an oath, was such as to render MS ai'osa'
tions suspicious-because his testNhoily' Ii
General, appears to have been given uhae'
the dominion of strong Preludlces, II net ma
because the testimony OF said enlissar]
CO far as itis applicable to the points IN issue
i contrary to the most solemn assurances oo'f
yritten and verbal, previously made, ana Ut
tered by him to various persons, even 50 re-
esnt .s ,807-and because said testimony ap
,,ears 70 have been voluntarily offered, after
ianse of many years; which in any case ougn
en- he admitted with some caution, sho hioc'
more so, from the character OF the witness
and emissary IN question
The court is O. opinion that the instruction
70 said emissary, alledged to be IN the nah'
writing of Philip Nolan, IF any such were
rar authorised bY General Whklnson) we've
,oost,v intended to accomplish an object D.
- ,,ea,s criminal, which grew out OF TIN
dispute at that time unfortunately suoSlsun;
sa,,.een hin, and the late Gen. Wayne.
The records Of this court will shcw that th
xitncss first alluded to, by two letters address
ed to said emissary just before he exhlhite
his statement under oath, IN January looe
and in contemp' alton OF that statement, mann
fested such decided hostility to said WAhii
son, as apparently to mediate his rulh WIZ
out regard to the means. me motives
.,hat ststement, rs fully explained In saia le
,ers, ara, sufficient to shake his crediolllty
IN innartial witness and considering TN
his cha,acter as to truth aud yeraclty Is Ike
wise impeached, the statement just mentlone
which Is in evidence before the court, came
he received as yeracious, especially as 1t
not supported by proofs OLA more credltao
na,nre. This statement, likewise, appears
some measure rcpugnalrt to the sentlments
r,e sa;ue witness, as expressed nearly &c
Gears before in a memoir on the trade OF Lo'
isiana, aud deposited in the Office of State,
If. in 1875 and 1896, the said enissary,
is aliedsed by him, visited said Wilkins
with the view of promoting separation OF Il
Union and il, as re il'timates, said WIKI
soa disclosed to him the whole scheme or pr
;ect OF ,lisrnemberment, it does. not aPpc
20 the court, that said Wilkinson took a
.,,eas.,r. Ia, nd such scnaration on the CO