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Wilkinson in these instructions) the necessity of your presence in the metropolis." Let us refer to the letter, and we there find that the general had indeed urged it: "I beg you (he there says) to write to me in cypher by Power, whose presencé is necessary in Philadelphia, as well to clear his own character attacked by Wayne, as to support the fact of the outrage, &c. Again, the instructions say, "you must do the needful to expose and detect past treachery or indiscretion, and to prevent either in future. I have referred particularly on this head," and the letter shows the truth of the allegation, for it says, "Power will explain to you circumstances which justify the belief of the great treachery there has been practised with respect to the money lately sent to me; for the love of God and friendship, enjoin great secrecy and caution in all our concerns." How convincing is this proof! how irresistible the conviction of its authenticity. The letter certified by the general's best friend, long since dead, his hand writing ready to be proved by the testimony of a whole province the instructions copied by his confidential agent and tallying so precisely with the letter-both coinciding with the testimony of Mr. Power, corroborated by the co-existing circumstances, and throwing light as well on the preceding evidence as on that which will follow. The same note of instructions gives new weight to the reason I alleged why Power wished to obtain a copy of the letter, to wit, that he meditated a voyage to Spain-a project too, as it would seem, formed by the general himself, for he says, "if I cross the water, you are to accompany."

After having successfully fulfilled the mission on which he had been sent, having delivered his cargo of dollars and received his returns in treasonable projects, Mr. Powers came back to Natchez, from whence he rendered the account of his mission by the letter (No. 36) dated 9th May, 1797, and received an answer of which we have the original (No. 37, 28th May, same year,) which shows the exactness of all Mr. Power's details. The 640 dollars are not forgotten in this correspondence, and an account is rendered of the merchandise in which the dollars were concealed. In the Baron's answer, a new mission is spoken of, for which Power is directed to prepare. The instructions for this embassy are contained in a letter from the Baron, of which the original is ready to be produced (No. 38, May 1797.)

These instructions are written with more caution than any of the preceding papers. Wilkinson had just attained the command in chief; the governor, who knew his character, was not so certain of his co-operation as when he was subordinate in command; he was the more doubtful, because Wilkinson had shown a disposition to disavow his former connection by marching a body of troops to take possession of the posts. "No person, (the governor says to Power) shall be informed of your business, not even the intendant; Don Andres (the secretary) will be the only person in the secret." He then states the dispositions that the army of the United States, under the command of Wilkinson, are making to get possession of the posts pursuant to the treaty; and instructs his agent in the pretences

which he is to urge to retard its fulfilment and stop the march of the troops. For this purpose Mr.

Power is furnished with an official letter directed to the commauder of the American army. (No. 39.) This he tells us is the ostensible purport of this mission. The second object which he warns him "no one ought to discover, and which for this reason he ought to retain in his memory, is to sound and examine the disposition of the people of the western country, the militia of which it is said had received orders to march;" in which case he is directed to give information to the commandant of New-Madrid. He then gives him a kind of cypher, in which he is to communicate the most material facts on this point. After some artful instructions as to the language he is to hold to the people of Kentucky, the Baron comes at once to the point and says, “if a hundred thousand dollars distributed in Kentucky would be sufficient to raise an insurrection, I am sure the minister would sacrifice them with pleasure, and you may promise them, without much risk, to those who enjoy the confidence of the people; with a like sum for the army in a case of necessity, and twenty pieces of cannon." On the subject of Wilkinson he says, "You will endeavour to discover with your natural penetration the disposition of the general. I doubt very much whether a person of his disposition can through vanity prefer the advantage of commanding the army of the Atlantic states, to that of being the founder, the deliverer-in fine, the Washington of the western country; his part is as brilliant as it is easy to perform.-All eyes are fixed upon

him-he possesses the confidence of his fellow-citizens and of the volunteers of Kentucky; on the slightest movement the people will name him general of the new republic; his reputation will form an army, and Spain as well as France will furnish him the means of paying it. Let him seize Fort Massack, and we will immediately send him arms and artillery, and Spain, confining itself to the possession of the forts of Natchez and the Walnut-hills, until the confederation takes place, will yield to the states of the west all the eastern shore to the Ohio, which will make an extensive and powerful republic, united by its interest and by its situation with Spain, who, in concert with it, will force the savages to make a part with it, and to mix in time with its citizens. The people are discontented with the new taxes-Spain and France are disgusted by the connections of the United States with England.-The army is weak and devoted to Wilkinson.

"The threats of congress justify me at once, and without any disguise, to succour the western states; money will not be wanting, for I will immediately send a frigate to La Vera Cruz to fetch it as well as ammunition. One instant of firmness and resolution is all that is necessary to make the people of the west perfectly happy. If this instant is suffered to escape, and we should be forced to give up the posts, Kentucky and Tennessee, surrounded by the said posts and without any communication with Louisiana, will remain forever under the oppression of the Atlantic States. If you represent these arguments with force to Wilkinson, Sebastian, La Cassagne,

&c. if you spread their notions among the people by gaining the best writers, such as Breckenridge and others, by promises which shall be faithfully fulfilled, you may cause the most glorious and happy commotion, you will cover yourself with glory and may expect the most brilliant fortune," &c. If this were our only document, it would be a most persuasive evidence of a previous intelligence between the Baron and general Wilkinson. He had been his pensioner while second in command. Having attained the first rank, he was now placed in a situation by the approaching rupture between the two nations, to elect between open rebellion and a return to duty. The Spaniard seems to have somewhat apprehended the latter, but to have calculated from his knowledge of the general's character, that he might be brought openly to throw off his allegiance. He therefore directs Power to flatter his vanity with the prospect of being the founder of a new republic. His avarice had been successfully tried before, and now hundreds of thousands of dollars figure in every line, money is not to be wanting, and his two ruling passions are to be excited to the utmost pitch. What can express the insolent certainty they had of the commander's treachery more fully, than that when enumerating the reasons why they counted upon success, such as that the people were discontented with their taxes, that France and Spain were disgusted with the government, and that the army was weak, the Baron adds, that it was devoted to Wilkinson? This is the first time that the devotion of an army to its chief was placed in the list of reasons which were to en

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