Logan and Ballinger, re-outfitted by John and Colonel Campbell, rested several days and resumed their journey; Logan to St. Asaph’s carrying Daniel Clark’s letter to David’s father, which he had promised to deliver immediately; and Ballinger bound for Lexington, where he expected to deliver to Wilkinson the sealed communication [pg 228] of Governor Miro and the three thousand dollars, which was the second payment from Spain for his traitorous efforts to make Kentucky a province of Louisiana.
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By some subtle shift of sentiment, the scheme of Miro and Wilkinson became very unpopular. It may have been partly due to the letter David Clark received. At any rate the quiet old farmer rode about the country and had many confidential talks with other farmers.
Wilkinson complained to Sebastian: “* * * things look blue; sentiment is shifting; conditions in Kentucky are no longer favorable. They seem to be straightening the kinks out of the new government; we may be in personal danger; our fair weather friends are deserting us; Brown and Innes have deserted and Fairfax grows timid.”
He was right. Conditions were not favorable. The Union was proving itself a capable organization. The states were forgetting their jealousies under the wise and firm administration of Washington. The constitution was in operation. Of all the men who had declared themselves in favor of Wilkinson’s project, only one now stood firm and that was Judge Sebastian. He subsequently was impeached and confessed his infamy.
Wilkinson was a scoundrel of more nerve, with greater capacity to deceive. He was twice impeached and each time acquitted. Long after Spain had parted with title to Louisiana returning it to France; and France in turn had sold it to the United States; long after he died in Mexico; access was obtained to Spanish state papers which established his guilt.
As early as January 8, 1788, Governor Miro in an official communication to his government wrote:
[pg 229] “* * * I have been reflecting many days whether it would be proper to inform D’Arges of the idea of Wilkinson and the latter of the errand of the former in order to unite them, that they may work in accord with each other, * * * Wilkinson * * * would be greatly disgusted that another person should share a confidence on which depended his life and honor. For these reasons I am not able to declare the matter to D’Arges, nor could I confide the errand of the latter to the former before knowing the intention of His Majesty about Wilkinson. The delivery of Kentucky to His Majesty, the principal object to which Wilkinson has promised to devote himself entirely, would assure forever, this province as a rampart to New Spain, for which reason I consider the project of D’Arges a misfortune.”
On May 15, 1788, General Wilkinson wrote a letter to Miro and Navarro, in which he said:
“I anticipate no obstacle on the part of Congress, because under the present confederation that body cannot dispose of men or money and the new government, if it succeeds in establishing itself, will encounter difficulties that will keep it without vigor for three or four years; before which time I have good reason to hope we shall complete our negotiations, and we will be too strong to be subjugated by whatever force may be sent against us.”