our Indian friends. A Treaty will soon be held & the Indians required to take a decisive resolution for, or against us. General Schuyler will not permit me to go to Canada till that is over, then if I can be spared, & there is a prospect of usefulness, I expect to go. Or if we can have a sufficient force & other supplies it will be the best method to enter thro' Oswego & sweep the country down to Montreal & settle matters fully with the Indians. To effect this we want, under the common smile of Providence, but one Riffle Battalion to join ours. The Indians will not fight ag riffle men.

Consultations with the General &c. will not admit me to enlarge. I wish I coud tell my friends how much I love them How highly do I enjoy the even distant prospect of an interview! I need not tell you & my dear Mrs Boudinet to comfort Mrs Caldwell as much as you can. I leave Deacon Ogden letter & that to the Congregation open for you, after perusal to seal & send.

With the kindest wishes, & tenderest affection, for you and yours
Your JAMES CALDWELL.

[Addressed:] Elias Boudinot Esq.

JAMES WILKINSON ON THE MEXICAN REVOLUTION, 1823.

The following letter from James Wilkinson is printed from the original manuscript in the New York Public Library. It was probably addressed to Thomas Aspinwall, who was at a later period U. S. Consul at London.

MY DEAR COL.

MEXICO April 17th 1823.

I cannot suffer my Friend Col. Campbell to depart hence direct for London, without sending you a testimonial of my remembrance & my Friendship.

If you have heard of my arrival in this Capital last Spring, you will be surprized at my continuance here, & my absence from my beloved Family-but Man cannot controul his destiny.

I came here to restore a Constitution shattered by hard labour, on the Delta of the Mississippi, in pursuit of that Independence which I would not barter (you know) for all the gifts & goods, subject to the disposition of the little Jesuit Maddison or his Bifaced successor Monroe; I was desirous also to take a peep at this celebrated & little known Region-unfortunately my Health has not been reestablished & and my Curiosity is more than gratified.

I was followed by certain claims of my Friends against this Country, for Cash, Arms & Munitions of War furnished during the Revolutionary conflict, to the Amount of $400,000 and have been detained here by delusive assurances, from the late Government, of a satisfactory adjustment, which I have still to seek, under the new order of things, which promise to be more auspicious. I am however preparing to depart hence about the commencement of June, for my dear Celestine & our beloved Son & Daughter, who reside in New Orleans.

The scenes which have occurred here since my arrival are well worthy record,

& may employ my feeble Pen at a future Day—they can but Interest you & therefore I will give you such conspicuous details as may be comprized in a Letter.

Yturbide has cheated his most intimate military associates, demonstrating in the last stage of Royalty, more of the Lamb than the Lion-more of the Spinster than the Soldier of courage & resource-by a ferocious sanguinary disposition in War, he acquired the character of dauntless Intrepidity-by a fine Person & the most seducing address he established strong prepossessions-and by the cunning of silence & reserve he imposed Himself for a Man of Intelligence-I have myself been deceived as to his physical Energy & his moral faculties, but have known for eight months, nay Eleven months, that he was made up of Ambition & Vain glory, & was a stranger to Integrity.

I first visited him when Generalissimo, on the 7th of May last, having previously passed Him a note of Ceremony, which he answered with a charming Billet doux -I was received with great Courtesy, & prattled to Him & his wife for more than half an hour during which he did not utter a sentiment-on the 11th I think. he returned my visit with the parade of two Coaches & six; and at that Interview he assured me, he should make the Carreer of our great Washington the model of his Conduct, i. e. to give Liberty to His Country & retire to private Life--yet on the 18th at night, at 20' after 11 oc: a chosen Serjeant & 2 or 300 selected men of his own Regt. with Drums, Trumpets & the firing of small Arms with Ball Cartridges, commenced an awful tumult, in which they were soon joined by thousands of the "Lepros", vagabond Indians or casts of all colours who infest this City, hailing Yturbide as Emperor & insisting on his Coronation; He appeared in the Gallery of his palace & affected to sooth the rioters, who became more violent & traversed all quarters of the City. The Troops were kept under arms in quarters by their Commanders, ready to suppress the riot, but no orders were receivedthe tumult was kept up until day Break when all became quiet, but a panic Horror had been excited, and a gathering of Troops around the Chamber of the Congress, when that Body met, alarmed them so much that they demanded the presence of the Generalissimo for their protection, and he was forthwith draged in his Coach by the Populace to the Hall of Congressional deliberations, whence he made an excusatory address for the Riot, the Galleries & every avenue being crowded by the Military in arms-so soon as he sat down a motion was made & seconded, to elect Him Emperor, which was opposed by two or three members, whose lives were immediately threatened from the Galleries, with the cry of "turn Him out put Him to Death" the Election then ensued & Yturbide was chosen by about 75 votes to 15, this majority being inadequate to a constitutional choice, & the dissenting members were obliged to seek safety by flight; on the 21st He took the oath of office, a most solemn one indeed, binding Himself to pay obedience to Congress, to support the Laws they had made or might make, Sacredly to respect the Persons & property of Individuals, &c. &c. on the 21st June he was crowned in a manner which I considered clumsy & be-tinseled; and extraordinary scenes of extravagance ostentation & folly ensued-in July I, in the frankness & Independence of my spirit, observed to the Monk Herrera, Minister of State "Tis rumoured Sir that your Imperial Master intends to reinstate the Jesuits to restore the Inquisition & to turn the Congress out of doors, now Sir mark the Words of an old Politician, if he does the one or the other he is a lost Man." he listened to me, smiled & treated

the observation with ridicule, yet He a few days after asked me to send for my Family & consent to remain in the Empire. I laughed in his Face & answered "not for one half of it" and to those circumstances I ascribe the deceptive game subsequently played on me-on the 26th August under the pretext of a conspiracy against His Majesty, and during the obscurity of Night, Men of the first Rank & Fortune soldiers & citizens were torn from their wives & about sixty Persons were put in confinement, including 23 members of Congress. This outrage spread general dismay among a poor spirited corrupt community, & men spoke in whispers-in a few weeks the discontents increased & the Ladies began to clamour audibly, the Congress in course plucked up courage, & began to oppose the Usurpations of the Tyrant, who still held out the Idea of a Constitution, on which he required a Veto, which demand was scouted by a great Majority-He then demanded of the Congress the reduction of their members from 203 to 60 which was also rejected; finally on the 31st Oct. He turned them out of doors & instituted a provisional Hunto of his own choice see "Acta de instalacion" enclosed-on the 10th of November His Majesty determined to go to Xalapa, from thence to tamper with the Spanish Commandant of St Juan de Oloa for the surrender of that fortress, which commands Vera Cruz, but his first proposition was promptly rejected -He had previously sent for Santana Commandant of Vera Cruz, a former favourite & consummate villain, to inveigle Him to this City, for the punishment of some misconduct in Command. Santana arrived at Xalapa & knowing his Master discovered his design-he therefore feigned an excuse to remain behind, when the Emperor set out on his return from Xalapa, and a few Hours after retraced his steps to Vera Cruz, where he immediately declared for the reunion & Independence of the Congress & set up the Cry of Republicanism—this happened the 2nd December-a Column of 2 or 3000 men was soon after ordered, under Majr. Gen'. Echavarri to beseige the place which was accordingly invested, but on the 3rd Feby. the beseiging force joined the beseiged.

For the ensuing Events I will refer you to the Bearer Col. Campbell, whom I recommend to your particular acquaintance, as a Gentleman of worth & Intelligence, who has been here three months & is master of the varied & Interesting Scenes of that Period; and to this source of information I have added a file of Papers which may give you the proceedings of Congress down to the 15th Inst.

My beloved Celestine with our charming little Son & Daughter are in New Orleans, where I hope to embrace them in the Month of June-it has pleased the Almighty to take our Eldest Twin daughter to Himself. This child at five years of age was too perfect for this World.

If Mrs Aspenwall be near you embrace Her for a stranger, who wishes Her every happiness, and if you have Children I will implore our God to bless them— farewell dear Sir & believe me ever your affectionate Friend & Brother Soldier.

JA: WILKINSON.

This scral is for your own indulgent Eye. Write me at N. O. on receipt of it. and give me all the important news we expect from Europe. J. W.

The Holy Continental alliance in attempting to coerce the Will of Spain, & restore Her to a state of grinding despotism, may I hope rend the shackles of all

Europe, & pave the way to the rational liberty of Mankind. The People of England will be on the side of the oppressed, but what will be the course of the Government on the contrary should the rights of Man be abandoned of God, in further punishment for his sins, and Ferdinand be restored to plenary Power, I presume the legitimates may turn their Eyes & their Arms this way, in which case we must begin to look at Home, because we are the original Sinners, the Parents of Revolution & a standing Monument of Reproach to the Governments of the World -On this ground alone can I account for the extraord[i]nary appointment of General Jackson as Envoy extraordinary & plenipotentiary to this Government, for he is certainly as little qualified for the business of diplomacy, as any man of the least distinction in our Western Wilds-but if the Levy of ten thousand Gallies should become necessary on the Western Waters, to aid this People in any Emergency, then indeed he is the first man of the U. States-but the Papers say he has declined the appointment, which, if true, is a wise determination on His part-You will consider it almost incredible, but the following are facts-that the formation, discipline, composition, Arming & subsistence of Military Corps, are little understood here-and as to the array of Battle & the Art of War, beyond the Helter-Skelter combats of Guerrillas, are utterly unknown- It is decidedly my opinion that a well appointed Column of 15,000 British or French Troops, after a single Combat, might march directly to this place, which would assure the conquest of the Country, divided as the Population is & always will be-A single Troop of strong active dragoons would bear down a whole Regt. of their lean, lank, diminutive Cavalry, without Boots & with Broadbrimmed Hats of various instead of Helmets. But these opinions are offered you in confidence. Again I repeat, excuse this hasty scral.

[Endorsed:] Gen'. Wilkinson Rd. 26 July.