| TO THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
OF THE UNITED STATES:
Agreeably to the request of the House of Representatives,
communicated in their resolution of the sixteenth instant, I proceed to
state under the reserve therein expressed, information received touching
an illegal combination of private individuals against the peace and safety
of the Union, and a military expedition planned by them against the territories
of a power in amity with the United States, with the measures I have pursued
for suppressing the same.
I had for some time been in the constant expectation
of receiving such further information as would have enabled me to lay before
the legislature the termination as well as the beginning and progress of
this scene of depravity, so far it has been acted on the Ohio and its waters.
From this the state and safety of the lower country might have been estimated
on probable grounds, and the delay was indulged the rather, because no
circumstance had yet made it necessary to call in the aid of the legislative
functions. Information now recently communicated has brought us nearly
to the period contemplated. The mass of what I have received, in the course
of these transactions, is voluminous, but little has been given under the
sanction of an oath, so as to constitute formal and legal evidence. It
is chiefly in the form of letters, often containing such a mixture of rumors,
conjectures, and suspicions, as render it difficult to sift out the real
facts, and unadvisable to hazard more than general outlines, strengthened
by concurrent information, or the particular credibility of the relater.
In this state of the evidence, delivered sometimes too under the restriction
of private confidence, neither safety nor justice will permit the exposing
names, except that of the principal actor,
whose guilt is placed beyond question.
Some time in the latter part of September,
I received intimations that designs were in agitation in the western country,
unlawful and unfriendly to the peace of the Union; and that the prime mover
in these was Aaron Burr, heretofore distinguished by the favor of his country.
The grounds of these intimations being inconclusive, the objects uncertain,
and the fidelity of that country known to be firm, the only measure taken
was to urge the informants to use their best endeavors to get further insight
into the designs and proceedings of the suspected persons, and to communicate
them to me.
It was not until the latter part of October,
that the objects of the conspiracy began to be perceived, but still so
blended and involved in mystery that nothing distinct could be singled
out for pursuit. In this state of uncertainty as to the crime contemplated,
the acts done, and the legal course to be pursued, I thought it best to
send to the scene where these things were principally in transaction, a
person, in whose integrity, understanding, and discretion, entire confidence
could be reposed, with instructions to investigate the plots going on,
to enter into conference (for which he had sufficient credentials) with
the governors and all other officers, civil and military, and with their
aid to do on the spot whatever should be necessary to discover the
designs of the conspirators, arrest their
means, bring their persons to punishment, and to call out the force of
the country to suppress any unlawful enterprise in which it should be found
they were engaged. By this time it was known that many boats were under
preparation, stores of provisions collecting, and an unusual number of
suspicious characters in motion on the Ohio and its waters. Besides despatching
the confidential agent to that quarter, orders were at the same time sent
to the governors of the Orleans and Mississippi territories, and to the
commanders of the land and naval forces there, to be on their guard against
surprise, and in constant readiness to resist any enterprise which might
be attempted on the vessels, posts, or other objects under their care;
and on the 8th of November, instructions were forwarded to General Wilkinson
to hasten an accommodation with the Spanish commander on the Sabine, and
as soon as that was effected, to fall back with his principal force to
the hither bank of the Mississippi, for the defence of the intersecting
points on that river. By a letter received from that officer on the 25th
of November, but dated October 21st, we learn
that a confidential agent of Aaron Burr had been deputed to him, with communications
partly written in cipher and partly oral, explaining his designs, exaggerating
his resources, and making such offers of emolument and command, to engage
him and the army in his unlawful enterprise, as he had flattered himself
would be successful. The general, with the honor of a soldier and fidelity
of a good citizen, immediately despatched a trusty officer to me with information
of what had passed, proceeding to establish such an understanding with
the Spanish commandant on the Sabine as permitted him to withdraw his force
across the Mississippi, and to enter on measures for opposing the projected
enterprise.
The general's letter, which came to hand on
the 25th of November, as has been mentioned, and some other information
received a few days earlier, when brought together, developed Burr's general
designs, different parts of which only had been revealed to different informants.
It appeared that he contemplated two distinct objects, which might be carried
on either jointly or separately, and either the one or the other first,
as circumstances should direct. One of these was the severance of the Union
of these States by the Alleghany mountains; the other, an attack on Mexico.
A third object was provided, merely ostensible, to wit: the settlement
of a pretended purchase of a tract of country on the Washita, claimed by
a Baron Bastrop. This was to serve as the pretext for all his preparations,
an allurement for such followers as really wished to acquire settlements
in that country, and a cover under which to retreat in the event of final
discomfiture of both branches of his real design.
He found at once that the attachment of the
western country to the present Union was not to be shaken; that its dissolution
could not be effected with the consent of its inhabitants, and that his
resources were inadequate, as yet, to effect it by force. He took his course
then at once, determined to seize on New Orleans, plunder the bank there,
possess himself of the military and naval stores, and proceed on his expedition
to Mexico; and to this object all his means and preparations were now directed.
He collected from all the quarters where himself or his agents possessed
influence, all the ardent, restless, desperate, and disaffected persons
who were ready for any enterprise analogous to their characters. He seduced
good and well-meaning citizens, some by assurances that he possessed the
confidence of the government and was acting under its secret patronage,
a pretence which obtained some credit from the state of our differences
with Spain; and others by offers of land in Bastrop's
claim on the Washita.
This was the state of my information of his
proceedings about the last of November, at which time, therefore, it was
first possible to take specific measures to meet them. The proclamation
of November 27th, two days after the receipt of General Wilkinson's information,
was now issued. Orders were despatched to every intersecting point on the
Ohio and Mississippi, from Pittsburg to New Orleans, for the employment
of such force either of the regulars or of the militia, and of such proceedings
also of the civil authorities, as might enable them to seize on all the
boats and stores provided for the enterprise, to arrest the persons concerned,
and to suppress effectually the further progress of the enterprise. A little
before the receipt of these orders in the State of Ohio, our confidential
agent, who had been diligently employed in investigating the conspiracy,
had acquired sufficient information to open himself to the governor of
that State, and apply for the immediate exertion of the authority and power
of the State to crush the combination. Governor Tiffin and the legislature,
with a promptitude, an energy, and patriotic zeal, which entitle them to
a distinguished place in the affection of their sister States, effected
the seizure of all the boats, provisions, and other preparations within
their reach, and thus gave a first blow, materially disabling the enterprise
in its outset.
In Kentucky, a premature attempt to bring
Burr to justice, without sufficient evidence for his conviction, had produced
a popular impression in his favor, and a general disbelief of his guilt.
This gave him an unfortunate opportunity of hastening his equipments. The
arrival of the proclamation and orders, and the application and information
of our confidential agent, at length awakened the authorities of that State
to the truth, and then produced the same promptitude and energy of which
the neighboring State had set the example. Under an act of their legislature
of December 23d, militia was instantly ordered to different important points,
and measures taken for doing whatever could yet be done. Some boats (accounts
vary from five to double or treble that number) and persons (differently
estimated from one to three hundred) had in the meantime passed the falls
of the Ohio, to rendezvous at the mouth of the Cumberland, with others
expected down that river.
Not apprized, till very late, that any boats
were building on Cumberland, the effect of the proclamation had been trusted
to for
some time in the State of Tennessee; but
on the 19th of December, similar communications and instructions with those
of the neighboring States were despatched by express to the governor, and
a general officer of the western division of the State, and on the 23d
of December our confidential agent left Frankfort for Nashville, to put
into activity the means of that State also. But by information received
yesterday I learn that on the 22d of December, Mr. Burr descended the Cumberland
with two boats merely of accommodation, carrying with him from that State
no quota toward his unlawful enterprise. Whether after the arrival of the
proclamation, of the orders, or of our agent, any exertion which could
be made by that State, or the orders of the governor of Kentucky for calling
out the militia at the mouth of Cumberland, would be in time to arrest
these boats, and those from the falls of the Ohio, is still doubtful.
On the whole, the fugitives from Ohio, with
their associates from Cumberland, or any other place in that quarter, cannot
threaten serious danger to the city of New Orleans.
By the same express of December nineteenth,
orders were sent to the governors of New Orleans and Mississippi, supplementary
to those which had been given on the twenty-fifth of November, to hold
the militia of their territories in readiness to co-operate for their defence,
with the regular troops and armed vessels then under command of General
Wilkinson. Great alarm, indeed, was excited at New Orleans by the exaggerated
accounts of Mr. Burr, disseminated through his emissaries, of the armies
and navies he was to assemble there. General Wilkinson had arrived there
himself on the 24th of November and had immediately put into activity the
resources of the place for the purpose of its defence; and on the tenth
of December he was joined by his troops from the Sabine. Great zeal was
shown by the inhabitants generally, the merchants of the place readily
agreeing to the most laudable exertions and sacrifices for manning the
armed vessels with their seamen, and the other citizens
manifesting unequivocal fidelity to the Union,
and a spirit of determined resistance to their expected assailants.
Surmises have been hazarded that this enterprise
is to receive aid from certain foreign powers. But these surmises are without
proof or probability. The wisdom of the measures sanctioned by Congress
at its last session had placed us in the paths of peace and justice with
the only powers with whom we had any differences, and nothing has happened
since which makes it either their interest or ours to pursue another course.
No change of measures has taken place on our part; none ought to take place
at this time. With the one, friendly arrangement was then proposed, and
the law deemed necessary on the failure of that was suspended to give time
for a fair trial of the issue. With the same power, negotiation is still
preferred and provisional measures only are necessary to meet the event
of rupture. While, therefore, we do not deflect in the slightest degree
from the course we then assumed, and are still pursuing, with mutual consent,
to restore a good understanding, we are not to impute to them practices
as irreconcilable to interest as to good faith, and changing necessarily
the relations of peace and justice between us to those of war. These surmises
are, therefore, to be imputed to the vauntings of the author of this enterprise,
to multiply his
partisans by magnifying the belief of his
prospects and support.
By letters from General Wilkinson, of the
14th and 18th of September, which came to hand two days after date of the
resolution of the House of Representatives, that is to say, on the morning
of the 18th instant, I received the important affidavit, a copy of which
I now communicate, with extracts of so much of the letters as come within
the scope of the resolution. By these it will be seen that of three of
the principal emissaries of Mr. Burr, whom the general had caused to be
apprehended, one had been liberated by habeas corpus, and the two others,
being those particularly employed in the endeavor to corrupt the general
and army of the United States, have been embarked by him for our ports
in the Atlantic States, probably on the
consideration that an impartial trial could
not be expected during the present agitations of New Orleans, and that
that city was not as yet a safe place of confinement. As soon as these
persons shall arrive, they will be delivered to the custody of the law,
and left to such course of trial, both as to place and process, as its
functionaries may direct. The presence of the highest judicial authorities,
to be assembled at this place within a few days, the means of pursuing
a sounder course of proceedings here than elsewhere, and the aid of the
executive means, should the judges have occasion to use them, render it
equally desirable for the criminals as for the public, that being already
removed from the place where they were first apprehended, the first regular
arrest should take place here, and the course of proceedings receive here
its proper direction. |