o.;
A
r any.other jhln cqald excite Vf 1 nofot whether my comity ill elloij
uuntrw fctuftif Q&1 coue-tleJjiVuffrXoJrtcincss of conJict jh ihl
log that he, or
a party in this
nance him in sttaa plot of desperation, suui
"der" and trea6nrr Ileeplicd.'that -trer. per
haps, knew betteq'the dispositions xi the in-,
fluential citiiins of 'th? cjrrtrf thanlflldy
Ijold htm, one solitary word would destroy
Vim,1 ' Hefcstta,VHaVwbrtrri answered," U
furperlt lla amiltd at my hesitation, and
quoted some, great. examples in bis favour.,
observed to him, that I had lately travelled
from ojie extremejf the union to the other ; I
$nu, tnouga 1 iounaa uiversnyoi pouucai
'opinion amongs the pebple,hey appeared iini
ted at the most distant aspect ol national dan-'
er Y.That,yfo'r the 'section of the uftion:.tb
Vhtcli I belonged, I would voucby should he
succeed In ' the first instance here, he would
'within si -week! afterward have his tltfoat
nl kiii Vnt.f mil tin. , n.i' "r it""l
Though wild arid1 extravagant Mr.' Burr
'.last project ; and though fraught with' pre"
. 'nieditated aUufrhter. I felt' very easy on the
'subject, because ill defeat he had deposited
- in my own hands. I ilid not feel so secure
'Concerning that of disjointing the union.' B,tft
. the very interesting and. embarraswg stiua
'tiortin which hla'communications placed me,
fleffme, I confess, 'at a stand to know- How
to conduct mvself with propriety; He had
. committed no overt act of aggression aga'ttftft
flaw.' ' I cduld draw nothing from him' in wriU
'h$i iior could learn that he had expressed
tii plans to any person . neafr me by' whom
' testimony could beaupnorted. 11$ hud men
tiotied to me no person who were printl
'pally' and decidedly engaged With hint ex-'
w . ...-.1 , I .. I llf'll T '. J ' ' 'il.'i ...1.
eepuuenerM w iiKiiison-t' ir visum, ww
I lound was hit son-ih-Iaw and a Mf.
Ephraim Kibby, late a-captain of rangers
, in General Wayne's army. " Satisfied that
" Mr.' Burr' was resclutef In pushing this pro-
irwv oi icueuivjii.w uic.wtn ui lub nncunuy,
.and' apprehensive that it was too well- aid
,too extensively drganized 'to. bo easily sup
pressed : though I dreaded the Wight of Ms
character when laid ittthe.baUnce against
- ' iny solitary. aswrtumyT brought myself to
. 1 tlirt" iM.MiiiIrm Irt nrl(rii ' to defeat it few
i . Ptttinir him removed fi'dm1 kmon? ui. or to
; expose my sen to auxonsequences oy gis'
clauure oflnisiutentions Accordinelr. I wall.
. etl on tfws IVesident of the' United States ;
v ... aim ar.er ism: uesimory tonvcrnuiiwii,- in-
? which I aimed to draw his view 19 tbe west.
'wivd. I used the freedom' to sav to the Prfe
Mucnt t tUouglit Mr, liurr should be . sent
' tout ' f this country and' gave for reason,
that I Relieved h'nn dangerous in ir. , The
President aked where ' he should be sent f
v I mentioned London and Cadiz. The Pre
, -" aident thought the trust too important! and
Seemed to entertain a doubt of Mr. Cuir's
, ' integrity. . I intimated that no onef perhnpi,
' had utroiigef grounds to mistrust Mr. Burr's
i f 1 vrul nif(vtlv than mtfllff vpti'l llliirrt...
- ' ambition so much- nredominaced over' him
thut," when'placcd on an eminence and put on
h-ihonoi, respect to himself woul4 ensure
. ' hiifiUlityt Ilia talents were unquestionable.
I perrt-ived' the subject Was disagreeable to
- -the Prtfsdrfnt ! mid lo giv if the' shortest
; ' co'ii sc to the point, declared my concern that
..... ..... . -J Tr 7 V
' tie should, vilhin tlfhtftn months, fiJv an in.
' turrtslion, if mt a rtvotulian, onttu Valers rf
' the ' Ui ulssibpU Tlw President answered.,
1 that he had ioi'mUch coiJUtnc i the injtrma
Jitu the inuvritf, -and ih attachment' tPtht
unioit of the ciitMuk of thai country t6 admit '
an afptthtntion ot the kindr-" I am happy that
. " events prove this confidence well placed. As
' no iiuerreiraturies followed mv exnression of
alarm I thought silence- on-the subject, at
that lime and place, bucsme me.. But I de
tailed about the Same time, the whole projects
. of Mr Burr to certain members of Congress.
'They belie veil colonel Bu-r capuble of 4ny
thing and agreed that the fellow ought to be
hanged ; but thought his projects too chime
f rical and his circumstances too desperate to.
five the subject the merit of serious conside
' ration. The total security of feeling in those
" to whom I had run the tocsin, induced roe to
' suspect my own apprehensions unseason..
Die, or at least too deeply admitted ; and, of
- course. I grew inditlerent about the subject
' ' Mr. Burr's visits to me became less fie
' qutnt; and hi conversation less familiar.'
' - He appeared to have abandoned the idea of a
krhei revolution but seemed determined
, on that of the Mississippi; and," although
. could perceive symptom of distrust in hini
' towards me, ha manifesttd great solicitude to
engage mo with.him.Jn the-cnterpriie.
Weary or his importunity, , and at once, to
i convince him of mf serious attachments, I
fern the oUWintoisttoth publics The
United States l'alsey totbe braid that should
plot to dismember, aui leprosy to the hand
irr win mir firaw in nei.nn inettutaii. m .
1 dotibt whether the sentiment wss better
understood by any of my acquaintance than
Colonel Burr. Our intercourse ended here
we mrt but' seldom afterward. ! returned
' to mr farm in Msssachusrlta, and thoueht
' ' no mors of Mr. Burr, nor his empire till some'
time Ute tit September or beginning of Oct o
', tcf, when i' letter from Marris Belknap, of
' Marietta, to Timothy ML. Dsnielson, fell in
' to my hands' at BrimfUId, which satisfied me
' that Mn Burr haJ actually commenced bis
' preparatory operations on the Oliio. I now
! Spoke, publicly of the f tet transmitted a co
- py of the lefter from Belknap to the depart-
l inrnt nf . atata. . end . lirnt lh aaVna llms
fai warded thrwighthe hands of the post mas- .1!
ttr general to the Presidsut of the U. States,
a trtateroent in shbstance, of what Is here a-
bote detailed conceniinprtUe Mississ'npl con-
spiracy of the said Cel. Aaron Burr which is .
said to have u$co the first iormal intelligence
rtcrlved by the. executive im,Ch iuhj?tt of
" the toa? hater betas In moiion.
affair. , The novelty of the duty might, peV
Hiaps, havemberiMd slrongcc4tsiads than
iiune... i ue uprigninesa oi uiy uucnuoua i
liouf will nof be Questioned; t xc r ; .;, -x j
1 he urte'rviews between colonel Burr and
Tnyself, from wiiich' the foregoing etatetneot
has resulted; were chiefly in this city, iu Uie
sipnths of February and March, last year.
YV IJ-J-iAivi uniuiv
.Washington City, Jan. 26, 1B07.
Strom to in open dourt this 36th day of Jan-
tiary. 180T.' r-.' .,-!.-; 'j.rit,
'... .,:, ...... W; BRENT, Clk.
: , ...,, i J ' . i "'J
-. In open court personally aipeared. Jamcf
IfOwrf Poitaldsqaf who being duly sworn, sle
poseth i and aaitlifc thi ho; was .ia.the city of
New-.Orieanaia.gwrOtlo.ans texritoryi and
the environs of saidj'cUy,; from the fil'teeni
oSiOqtobct ;t the Wrotji, .day 'of Uecmber,
iOfiHt6at tlRiog.thAaticrpari oi iiusynw
he was frexjuent,y; inj.JjlM! .company , of. Gene-.
MJdKkesil&tnoajid.vUiied. the. .General
the day after Ins arrival at New-Orleans. On
this occasion taw papdRcnt-received m couli-
dence from, Wferal Wilkinson iniormation
to-the following pwport--That the . Geera
bad 'undoubted and iodisputed evidence of , a
treasonable liejgij formed by Aaton Burr and,
others to dismember the union, by a separa
tion of the, western states and territories from
the 'AUantisMate'-nthat New-Orleans was
in inimediatOr.uanRer.And that he had conclu
de(UUialr ceram'omiso with the SpaniArdu,,
so as to be ablcto' withdraw his troops inr
stantly to thi -the .immediate oljcpt of attack
and great , 'vulnerable point That he had re
ceived a letter , from Burr holdinir forth jrreat
inducement to-him to become; a party, of
which. he showed me the orieinal in cypher,
and another writteu paper, purporting to he;
ftdecypheredcopy ot the letter. ', lie. expres
sed gteet ind'tguation at the plot and surprise
that one so well acquainted with him as Burr
should dare to tnaktf. to hiin'ao;tieerading &
proposal,. atHl.ctclared his determination at
ceteatmir the emcrpriee, or perching in tne
tlcri)pU He Observed in addition that there
were, many. agents ol Mr. liurr , then, ii the
town, who had already been assiduous in
their visits,, arid towards whom he, was deter
mined to act with cautious ambiguity, so as
at the same time to become possessed of the
whole extent of She plar, the persons enga
ged, and the tune pf Ha execution, and also
to nrcveut any attempt on his person, of which
he declared he had serhus apprehensions Of
the number ot these agents lie was not aware,
but mentioned the name of two ot whom he
was certain, Messrs, Jlollmaa and Alexander
From time to time, as this deponent had in-
lernews With General .Wilkinson, he infor.
med this deponent that he had received ddi
tional information respecting the moveneuts
and designs of Burr by means of these agents, i
of whom he considered. Boltmaa as the prin
cipal. Jn the course, of these; transactions,
this dcponenfwas'employed by General Wil-:
kinson in the Copying of certain, papers and
documents ancT preparing ceijin dispatches
for tjse generil government, which the gene
ral intended to. forward by the brig Thet'ts.--
Whilo thus employed at the General's lodg
ings, this deponent oaf , remarked upon two
different occasions, a person knork for ad-
, mittance at a door with a window in, oppo '
site the table wherAthtsdeponentwassittinp;,'
who this deponent was Informed byGencrul
. Wilkinson wee : Dr. Uollmau. Upon these
occasions the General has suddenly risen"
from his sest, and accompanied this person
in a number of turns up and down a balcony
in the front of the bouse, apparently engsged
in. deep 'conversation.. Upon the.latlercf,
these occasions the general on his return iuto,
the chamber'sa'nl 40 this deponent, " that Is
u Dr. Bollman, his Infatuation is truly ex
traordiniry, ;x.rsis.ls m bis belief that I
M am with Burr, nd has this moment shewn
me a letter fromuhe latter, in which,' ho
M ssys that hr is to.beat Matches on the SOtd
December. with ,two thousand men, thai
4000 will follow In the course of a few days.
' and that he couja with the same ease, have
M produced double that number." General
Wilkinson theft observed ttut he hadobtsiu,
ed all the information he wanted, an J that
the affair would not be kept ranch longer a
secret from the public. ; -
Whenthis deponent left the city of Sew.
Orleans the luhsbitsnU of that city were in
a state of great alarm and apprehended a se
rious auackfidin Mri Burr and his confede
rates, Jiis'deponeiit understood that mer
cantile business was much embarrassed ami
grcst fears were entertiiped of considerable
rieral stasiTationof buiine n 'aid Jne
danger was credite,d'therc.a matterpf iub-
no noignciy : i nai ungauier Sccir-,r ,t-
kinsori with lhs.arniy ol thnvUnueft ajatesj
was at New-Orleans, occuuied in tne mosi
clive military preparatioiis for tljef defence of
the place j repainag the lorts, mounting can
non, ollectior ammunition; Jzc, Aliunde r.
- the firm pursuasion ai?d .belier that such an
' attack was meditated, ' and about Very speedi-
v ly to takVplace by nhe'aaid B; and hi
confederates j this deponent knows mat the
genetal.was defcidedly f optmoo,' froiahe
most satisfactory information, that the said,
Burr and his comedecat,es , wervadr.ancing
with an armed force against the place and
further this deponent saith not.'i t:
Signed,
mm , tirri1 davt
ij ... !. WK.vviL.oum j
,Snorn.td in.opeo:coutU vxinjlj-ji,
87th.day.of JtnsiiOJi 'i i,o ..i.. '
The deDositon of Ensien W. ...MEAD,
is' precisely similartto .that of lieqt. Wilson,.
exceprtlHtt the .former states that he. left N.
tJileanj onthe-19th.ot.lJecentber
WILMINGTON.:
jcesday; fe'ruary it,
i8or,
THE ship .JrfuiU'Jrancts, capt. Sijliman,
arrived at ChBiUstpn on. the.Sth, inst. b 3
days from Bordeaux, furnishes, French' ac
counts to the latter end of Decembers
the Tm vf Thursday eyening.: ... ?
It appears from the French Bulletins
(thirty-nine in number) that the two armies
met on the SethNove'mber t The Russians
under, the command! of Gen.; Benigseti', at
tempted Jo1 prevent the Preach from entering
(warsaw ; hut were eyerthrovnn, and pursued
as fars Clonic. t The Grand Duke of Berg
enjered: Warsaw ohihe 28th f and the Rus.
aian troops had recrossed the Vistula, with
ai intention to remove into the heart of the
couhtryi- The Russiana have, declared war
against the Forte j.Choczinf and Beuder are
.surrounded by their troops they have eW
crossed the Dorcisltr, and pushed on as far
as Jassy ; . , -
. Marshal Davottst has crossed the. Vistula,
and established . his headquarters before
Prague. The Emjerqr fit France bad his
.head-quarters at Posen on the, 9th December.
' The fortresses' of Ciogan and Rasseh
Inn gh, have surrendered to the Bavarian jar
my .under Jerouio Buonaparte fiVl;.
A suspension pf arms was conclude jj .by
LucchcMni, the Prussian minister, on the
1th November but the king pf Prussia
for reason,' that a part of his states, were
occupied by, the Russian! ; that he was eh-
tirelv 'in" their dependence s and therefore
could not execute the stipulations ,'bT the'er-
.rnlslice--:-'-' :. V'?' V,-. -.,-r--rrf ' -'
Eighty thftusand Fretjch consctips are ot
' dered to be raised for the year 1 80?.' " ' -
The foregoing intelligence .we have' c61
'lected from the French papers. The last
verbal accounts, however, which we hive
received from the gentlemen who came pas.
sengers In the ship, are, that it was whisper.
eJ, when they sailed, that the advanced
I "guards of the French Emperor had been cut
to pieces by tne Kusstan troops.. Ihe loss
was said to be tram eighteen to twenty thou
sand men. l his inionnation was generally
credited at Bordeaux-but no printer dare
rive it Publicity. '- V r
General Hutchinson and suite arrived at'
Copenhagen on the 6th December, on their
way to rctersburgli.
of EngTandj hjever carries on upon tbev t
CoitinentVtride iu English mercuandizei .
by thar-mean favour her designs, and ten- ;
tiers himself her accomplice.
in. inai ui toimun v i-jiioi.u, .w.
thy iu every-respect of the fiTst ajjeb of bar- ,
barky', lias been to the advantage of that
power, to tho detriment of all others.
, 8th. A That it 1 a hatural 'right to oppose v.
the enemy with the arms fie ruuke use ,of, ;
and to fighfr him iu the, san maimer us ho
fights, when he .forget all idea of justice,
and all liberal aentiuientSj the result ol uvi
Juatiou amongst "men. ' ' 1:.
I f We Irave resolved to'Upply to tog land the
usages she has consecrated In her iharmme
legislation. " V ' " "' '' '"
The dispositions of the present decree will V
,ba constantly considered as the IuiKlamental
' principle to the Empire, until England haa v
. ii... ii.-' .,Tx.-.r :
the same, on land, as in sea ; that she can- '
not extend it to private propertyV of whatever ;
nature jsoeverj gaor to the persona of indivi-' -;duuls1foreign
to the proftAsjon of arms, and '
that the light of blockade must be restrained :
'to fortresses really Invested by sufficient forcea. '-
' We have in c'onstquence decreed, and do
"decree 'what -follows -': ; ' ..-"-,
; .' Art-.. ' the British islands are declared '
in a state of blockade, ;:- '
j H," au vcoiiinierce'ana correspondencs
l with the Brftisn isistncgiareroiiibited. ra
'consequence, the' letters, or packets addres- ' -
sell ciuiicr w,-",b""'M ' v "KiiaiilllKl. ,
.. r-:.. u: ,?wt:. i. ..... t
.or wruien lucniinuwi inuuoge, snau not
k .j' ' r 1 I. -i ., - . at . . i . , m .'
commerciul ftiltirei lr conscntiente of the
einbarr,o"wli!ch hsdbeerMiijSosed-that Ce
neral t il Vinson was taking strong mesiures
ol defence, and that' four hundred persona
wiTr'e' Xhtn actually cnjjageiTln Ihi fortiflcv
tionsof the' city. - , . .
- And furthfifthH deponent tfalth not." ' -J
AS, L. DONALDSON. .
1 Sworn to in open ecurt. ' " ' " .-'
,s ! , ! ' W. BRENT, Clcrr.'
January 55, l80Tr -
t . i sse " '
" 'DEPOSITION ' '
Y t , " :Y '". ' ' .
, Lieutenant F, IPilson,
I left Nee-Orleans on my wsy to this c5t
on the I Sth of December last I at that time,
and Tor some time preceding, the strongest
apprenensions ana oeuti uniTcrsaiiy prevail
ed among the inhabitant of ihi city, that
Aaren Burr and hi confederates had prepa
red an armed forf e, acd were advancing to
attack and plunder the city. In consequence
of which the crciUU alarm frctiUctft
IMPERIAL DECREE.
In tur Imperial Camp at Berlin, November Httt
1800.
NAPOLEON.
Ejurxio&jsr tks Faxacu Ann kimo or
' JTALT. '.. w'Y V !
Cansideririx-
1st. That England does pot admit the
rights ef persons, universally allowed by all
polished nations.
3d. That she regards as an enemy, every
Individual belonging to the enemy's state,
ajid in. consequence makes prisoners of war,
not only all the crews of. vessels fitted out
for war, but also the cre'wsf merchantmen,
and even the merchants and commercial a-
Rents who go voyages, for the purpose of
,3 That she extends to vessels an3 com
mticial merchsndixe, and to the property of
individuals, the right of conquest, which can
only apply to what bebngs to the state of the
- enetwy, " . -
iuu Thst she calends to eommercial
towns and ports unfortified, to harbours and
.mouths -of rivcrsthe'riifht of blockade.
which conformably to the r.-aion and custom
of all civilized DaUobs, b applicable only to
fortified places. . , .
, That she declares places blockaded, before
which she has not even a single ship of war,
altboueh a placets only btocssded when it is
Invested in such a manner, that no attempt
. n ...1. a - . I fl . ' . . .... .
vu us uiaua iu iiu(.u l, WIlOOUl IDCUT-
ring an imminent risk.
. 'I hat she even declares in a stste ef block
ade, places which all her united forces would
he Incapable of blockading) entire coasts, and
a whole Empire.
5th. That these monstrous abuses of the
rlgbt oi blocksde, have no other object in
view but to prevent the commonicstion be
tween nations, and to raise the commerce
and ladustry of England on the ruin of the
Industry and commerce of ihe Continent.
Itlu That luchleirj tho cTldcatobint
be 'allowed to-pass at the post-offices, 6nd'
shall bo seized. ' . . , , , i
Hi; .Evir'y English subjectj'of whatever
p'rofesiion or' Condition sot vpr, who, shall ho '
found in the countries occupied by our troops,
or by' those of 'our allies, shall be made as '
prisoner of war.. -...''"
- IV-All magazines, merchandize ' and
property whatsoever, belonging to an Enc-
iMi kUDjecij snau ue ueciarca a tawtul prize.
v. ii.t iiwc iu feiigus.i mercnanaise is -forbidden
; and all merchandise belonging tp
England, or comelng' tr'om lis manufictoris
and colonies, is declared a lawful prize, 1 ' ,
VI. 1 tie halt ot the produce of the con-Y
fiscation of merchandise and property, de-'
clared a lawful prize by the preceding articles.
snau oc crojHoyeq io inuemnny the merchapta
lor the losses they nave sustained by the cap
ture of their merchantmen by English crui-
ters. - - .
VII. ' Ko vessels cominc;, directly 'front'
England, or from, the English colonics, 'or
having becn 'theie 'since the publication"?
the present decree, shall be received into 'any
Viu. Lvery vessel which, by means of a
false declination, thulllransgres (he, above
clause, sh'll le 'stizedj and the vessel and
cargo shall be' coiiSscated as if they wcrd
...... t. . .' . . .
cngiisn prvpenj. t . ,
IX. , Our ppzc tribunal at Paris shall pro
nounce Mum .sentence in all disputes which
may arise in our Empire, or in the countries
occupied.ly the preach arany, relative to the
txecution ot the present decree. Our prize
tribunal at Milan, ahi.ll pronouoco final sen
tence in f all such like disputes which may
arise throughout our kindonvof Italy.
X. Communication thsllbe made of the
present decree, by our Minister for .Foreign
Affairs, to the kings of Spain, Naples, Hol
land, and Etiuria, and to. our other allies,
whose subjects are victims, Tike our own, of
the injustice and. barbarity of the English
maritime U'gislulici. . '
XI. Our Ministers, for Foreign 'Affairs,
of War, Maiine, I insnces, and Police, and
sUoojir I'ost-Mas'.ers General, are charged,
caches far is concerns him, with the execu
tion of the present decree.
- (Signed) -- NAPOLEON. -v
v By the Emperor,
The Mniiltr Secretary of State,
II. B. Maiit.
Extract ef letter rem Charleston, dated Feb t
9th, to a gentleman in thU town
u The tmenpected news we hsve received
from England, has brought every thing to a
stand, so much so, that not a sale has been
made for these four days, either of rice or .
cotton. Our ha'ibour Is full of ships, and .
freights excessive dull.' Some merchants whr
have several Dutch ships laden with rice and
ready for sea, have expressed a determination
to unlade them and lay the ships up in ordi-
Extract ef a letter Jrowi'd respectable house in "
" Londtn, to their torreipor.dcnts in Charleston, '
dattd - . ' . ' .
, ; , mLoidoii, Dec,3, I80o."
"Nothing new in politics, except that we
iwsnew rmttjern arrTnjfagenieiit bctweea
- - ... -. - wli.uii vi ,uc crenen ar
my, in which the laner .had been roughly
handled. The King of Prussia, who haa
spurned with indignation Buonaparte's over
tures for negotiation, has, with 40,00Omen,
effected a junction with the Rnssians and
would soon have 0,000 Bflofe Russia bst
actually 300,000 men on their march, so that
we have some gleam of hope left so sale of
pioduc y " .. "
, . , , CitflrUiton', hbruarj 9. ,
By the htlg CvpatMii, capt. Toaaar, ar
med ytsterdsy, In 1$ dsyt fiom New -Or.
leans, we have received the pipers of that ci
tato the 31st ult. The paper are entiielf
silent on the present situation ef that country
tut we lean, ? crbally, that the city still con
tinued '.n the grestest state of fermentation
many arrests had taken piece amonj the
tnost conspicuous persona arrested, were,
Ccctrst-Jsaii Aeaii, late a Senator in Con
gten cf the United Suits, fioraihe itiUtl