The Indian Wars, 1784-1787 233 



desire to retain as long as might be the monopoly 

 of the trade with New Orleans. 



The Intendant Navarro, writing to Spain in 1788, 

 dwelt upon the necessity of securing the separation 

 of the Westerners from the old thirteen States ; and 

 to this end he urged that commercial privileges be 

 granted to the West, and pensions and honors show 

 ered on its leaders. Spain readily adopted this pol 

 icy of bribery. Wilkinson and Sebastian were at 

 different times given sums of money, small portions 

 of which were doubtless handed over to their own 

 agents and subordinates and to the Spanish spies; 

 and Wilkinson asked for additional sums, nominally 

 to bribe leading Kentuckians, but very possibly 

 merely with the purpose of pocketing them himself. 

 In other words, Wilkinson, Sebastian, and their in 

 timate associates on the one hand, and the Spanish 

 officials on the other, entered into a corrupt con 

 spiracy to dismember the Union. 



Wilkinson took a leading part in the political agi 

 tations by which Kentucky was shaken throughout 

 these years. He devoted himself to working for 

 separation from both Virginia and the United States, 

 and for an alliance with Spain. Of course he did 

 not dare to avow his schemes with entire frankness, 

 only venturing to advocate them more or less openly 

 accordingly as the wind of popular opinion veered 

 toward or away from disunion. Being a sanguine 

 man, of bad judgment, he at first wrote glowing 

 letters to his Spanish employers, assuring them that 

 the Kentucky leaders enthusiastically favored his 



