The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-12-28

forces had been placed at Natchez ant
New Madrid.
| Trade restrictions and imposition.
upon river traffic were fast becoming
unbcarable. tontiscations of vessels
and cargoes and the Imprisonment oi
officers and crews were not infrequent
The victims of these recurring out.
RACES. IT so fortunate as to escape
from custody wandered back to then
| settlements. penniless hungry and III
| rags
\ feeling of general Indignation took
| possession of the pioneers of the Ken
| tucky and Cumberland Valleys.
| military invasion of lower Louisiana
| and the forcible seizure of Natchez and
| New orleans was much discussed. Th.
| emergency called forth Il leader OF
| ability and audacity in the person of Il
daring but disgruntled soldier of the
| Revolution. Colonel james Wilkinson
born in Maryland. had been with Ar
| mold at Quebec: was adiutant- general
| on the staff of Horatio Gates with
whom he puarreleh when secretary OF
| the board of war. and later was cloth
Ter general of the ill-clad Revolutions
AIRY army. Wilkinson in 1873. being
then a peaceful Kentucky merchant,
casting about to find some solution for
the practical non-intercourse problem,
proceeded down the Mississippi with
| four bOatlOads of flour. tobacco and
| other merchandise. The first Obstruc-
tion he encountered was Gayoso de
| LallOS. the Spanish commander at
NatcheH who after mutual hospitali-
| ties, was 50 impressed with the rank
| and Importance of the American otIi-
Ger, shat he consigned his cargo and
! suDercar"o. free from detention and
| duty. to his official superior at New
Orleans. Wilkinson's fine bearing and
| address would have enabled him with
| out an introduction to have reached
| Governor Miro. who in inesSe was
more than his equal Both men saw
| that they had nothing to gain by en-
gaSing in the doubtful game of war.
| Hospitality due to an American soldier
| of rank was the first move by Miro in
| the play of diplomacy. Wines of the
best vintage of Spain and Portugal.
! contributed greatly to the progress of
| the game. BY the time the cognac and
| cigars were reached. his eXcellency
! could see no reason why laws or GUS
| toms regulations should stand between
| friends. Colonel Wilkinson being such
| an uncOmmonly good fellow was at
once given the freedom of the city. of
| the port and of the entire Mississippi
river. His four cargoes of goods We're
| landed free of all duty and all charges.
More than this: future free trade was
declared between Louisiana and this
| particular Kentucky colonel. Whether
the $4,000 Spanish loan. or the $1,000
conceded to be paid for bribing others
| or the larger sums asked for to seduce
Muter. Marshall and other officials
from allegiance to their country. We're
| transactions completed at the first or
second visit cannot be affirmed. But
the second being prolonged through the
hot months of June, July and August
and far into September was perhaps
most fruitful in results and corruptions.
The 'clothier general returned to the
country he had dshonored. by the I'm
maculate Conception river of the saint
ly Marquette, rich in available funds
and Opulent in anticipated glory. Will
kinson spent the years 1873 i'm writ
ing letters directly or Indirectly to
Charles Ill of Spain. so self-convicting.
so explanatory of explanations and so
interminable in length. that the efforts
to read them may have shortened his
majesty's life, which ended in Decem-
Der. l!SS. y few extracts from this de-
pressing correspondence. found in the
Spanish archives, fully justities the
structures in our narrative.
Governor Miro, on January :. l1SS. IN
IL dispatch to Spain's minister of state,
says THE delivering up of keu-
tucky unto his majesty's hands. which
is the main object to which Wilkinson
has promised to devote himself ell
tirely. would forever constitute this
province II rampant for the protection
of New Spain
In April, Wilkinson writes Miro: Il
beg YOU tn he easy ana TO be satisfied
that nothing shall deter me from at
tending exclusively to the object W"
have on hand. and | am convinced
that the success of our plan will dc
pend on the disposition of the court
On May l5. the plotter introduces to
Miro and Navarro. My dear and ven-
cradle SirS." his friend. Major Isaac
Dunn, "as II tit auxiliary in the eXecu-
tion of our political designs. which
he has embraced with cordiallty." ON
January |. 17S? he writes to Miro
that before the new congress can do
anything to Illustrate their schemes.
I'VE shall have become too strong -
be subjected by any torce which ma:'
be sent against us
Writing to the Spanish governor.
February H. 1859, Wilkinson reveals
his lrue colors when speaking of Mr..
Brown, II young man without eXper-
ience, sent as Il delegate to congress:
Nevertheless, as he firmly pcrseveres
nIhprpnta In
have sent him to the new congress.
apparently as our representative. but
in reality as a spy on the actions %!
that body. | would myself have un-
dertuken that charge, but | did not,
for two reasons-tirst, my presence
was necessary here, and, next. I
should have found myself under the
obligation OF swearing to support the
Few government, which . am in duty
bound to oppose" Such Deing IA minor
part of the dreadfully ,nslnuating and
cIiminally compromising record of
Wilkinson how long could such u
comforter of his country's enemies
have KEEP, his head ON his shoulders
under any strict government like that
of Elizabeth of England? POSSIBLY
furty-eight hours. What world have
been done with him under the abso.
lutte rule of Napoleon |? lie would
have been promptly tried and as
promptly shot, And yet this bribe-
siver and bribe-receiver, who was
twice court martialed was spared to
plot again the ACKNOWLEDGMENT of the
republic with Aaron Burr, that first
of American reprobates. 1t is but Just
to our authorities To say that neither
i'm 1895, when Wilkinson became the