like Wilkinson and Innes, they preferred that the murderers should escape rather than that these facts should come to light.  Accordingly the interpreter did not divulge the confession of the villains, all evidence as to their guilt was withheld, and they were finally discharged.  The Spaniards were very nervous about the affair, and were even afraid lest travellers might dig up Owen’s body and find the dispatches hidden in his collar; which, said De Lemos, they might send to the President of the United States, who would of course take measures to find out what the money and the ciphers meant. [Footnote:  Do., letter of De Lemos.]

Wilkinson’s motives in acting as he did were of course simple.  He could not afford to have the murderers of his friend and agent tried lest they should disclose his own black infamy.  The conduct of Judge Innes is difficult to explain on any ground consistent with his integrity and with the official propriety of his actions.  He may not have been a party to Wilkinson’s conspiracy, but he must certainly have known that Wilkinson was engaged in negotiations with the Spaniards so corrupt that they would not bear the light of exposure, or else he would never have behaved toward the murderers in the way that he did behave. [Footnote:  Marshall, II., 155; Green, p. 328.  Even recently defenders of Wilkinson and Innes have asserted, in accordance with Wilkinson’s explanations, that the money forwarded him was due him from tobacco contracts entered into some years previously with Miro.  Carondelet in his letters above quoted, however, declares outright that the money was advanced to begin negotiations in Kentucky, through Wilkinson and others, for the pensioning of Kentuckians in the interests of Spain and the severance of the Western States from the Union.]

    Carondelet Refuses to Give up the Posts.

Carondelet, through De Lemos, entered into correspondence with Wayne about the fort built by his orders at the Chickasaw Bluffs.  He refused to give up this fort; and as Wayne became more urgent in his demands, he continually responded with new excuses for delay.  He was enabled to tell exactly what Wayne was doing, as Wilkinson, who was serving under Wayne, punctually informed the Spaniard of all that took place in the American army. [Footnote:  Draper MSS., Spanish Documents, Carondelet to Alcudia, Nov. 1, 1793.] Carondelet saw that the fate of the Spanish-American province which he ruled, hung on the separation of the Western States from the Union. [Footnote:  Do., Carondelet to Alcudia, Sept. 25, 1795.] As long as he thought it possible to bring about the separation, he refused to pay heed even to the orders of the Court of Spain, or to the treaty engagements by which he was nominally bound.  He was forced to make constant demands upon the Spanish Court for money to be used in the negotiations; that is, to bribe Wilkinson and his fellows in Kentucky.  He succeeded in placating