Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1812-02-27

.on,, fist after the failure Of previous at
.,en,,ts 10 gain seat in Congress LOT W.
nnrr' Cen Wilkinson endeayored to engage
he Governor OF Indiana, ina plan to cause MIN
~ tn hs elected delegate for that territory
nd the manper of doing this implies an ap-
rreb ension. that Mr.. Burr would 90 some
desoerate act if he failed The expressions
ore. :. / will demand from your friendship
loon. in its influence and effects co-extensive
with the Union boon, perhaps, on winch
that Union may much depend.
It is in evidence before this court, tnat III
the month Of October, 1905. subsequent 20
this last and Intellectual effort to serve Sol.
Burr. but twelve months before any discovery
WAS made by any other person Cen WI
k;,son communicated to one ct the heads OF
department., his suspicious that N,r. burr
6 was about something, whether internal or
| EXTERNAL he could not discover, bat he thought
he ought to keep an eye upon him.. lhese
facts seem to be irreconcileable with any views
hostile to the peace, order and integrity OF
these y. States
Respecting the 9Th charge, it ought to be
remembered, that Gen Wilkinson was by
the order of government, at the head OF an a.
vowed expedition against the Spanlar'is, at
the very time he is thus charged with being
F, concerned in a secret and criminal one /; and
i is self evident that be had it in his power,
nv single skirmish only, to have carried
snch a scheme into the most complete erect
with the aid of the public force under his
command, and with the probability OF recelr-
ing the fruition ofall his views IN case OF sue
cess with certainty also, OF suffering mel
Their loss nor blame, in case OF tallure-but 1t
is in evidence before this court, that from the
time oflis leaving St. LOUIS, to the conclud-
inr convention near the Sabine, Gen VII
kinson was zealously and incessanty employed
| in effccting an honorable peace; anc parucu-
larIv so after the criminal views OF Aaron
; Burr were, discovered Dy him at Nachitoches !;
! il is besides, a contradiction in terms, to say
! that Gen. Wilkinson favored those views,
| when it is avowedy owing 20 him, that they
were discontinued.
| From the evidence adduced on the sixth
| charge and its specification, both tor and a
| ya;nst the accused, the court is OF opinion,
! that the written orders and instructions from
| the War Department, bearing date April so,
| 800. relative to the removal Of the troops
| from New Orleans to the high grounds IN the
rear of Fort Adaras and Natchez, were sltfi-
ciclitlv explicit and imperative to have author
| ised an expectation OF prompt obedience,
| had they reached New Orleans prior to the
! removal of the troops from that place to Ter
| ra an terri; but as there Is no evidence that
| said orders and instructions arrived al Nc"
Orleans. antecc (ient to the l4th OF June, 1909;
which WAS subsequent to said removal, the
court acaui,s brigader general James Wllkln-
son of the said sixth Charge, and or the spe-
|! citication attached to the same
| After a full examination OF the evidence,
| both for and against the accused, on the Sc
yenth charge, and after the most mature aeli,
| Iteration thereon, the court hndS the accused
not guilty of the said charge, nor OF any OF
its three specifications, and does Accordingly
scouit him of all and each OF them.
On considering the great mass OF testimony
which has been produced to this court relative
to this charge, there appears decisive pre-
ponderance in favor OF the attention, activity
and humane exertions of brlgadler genera
Wilkinson and when it is considered thai
the troops consisted mostly OF he" leVles INA
the climate on both sides OF the river Mlssls'
sppi, to very great extent, Is at pest hsalu
brious: and that the summer and autumn o.
1909, were unusually slcsly; the court IS o.
oDinion. that the mistortunes alluded to III the
I'd specification are amply accounted tor.
On the eighth charge, and its three speclh
!, cations, Cater hearing all the evidence, botf
for and against the accused, and due delioera
ton being had thcrcon) the court Is OF opinion
that brigadier general James Wilkinson IS no
i'guilty OF said charge, nor Ct any OF It's spec
cations, and therefore acqults nm OF all ahe
| each of them.
The court deems it necessary to oHer re"
, remark in explanation Of the above decision