., page 103.] The proclamation thus frankly put the revolutionary
legions on the footing of a gang of freebooters. Each man was to receive
a commission proportioned in grade to the number of soldiers he brought
to Clark's band. In short, it was a piece of sheer filibustering, not
differing materially from one of Walker's filibustering attempts in
Central America sixty years later, save that at this time Clark had
utterly lost his splendid vigor of body and mind and was unfit for the
task he had set himself. At first, however, he met with promises of
support from various Kentuckians of prominence, including Benjamin
Logan. [Footnote: Draper MSS., Benjamin Logan to George Rogers Clark,
Dec. 31, 1793.] His agents gathered flat-boats and pirogues for the
troops and laid in stores of powder, lead, and beef. The nature of some
of the provisions shows what a characteristic backwoods expedition it
was; for Clark's agent notified him that he had ready "upwards of eleven
hundred weight of Bear Meat and about seventy or seventy-four pair of
Veneson Hams." [Footnote: Draper MSS., John Montgomery to Geo. Rogers
Clark, Jan. 12, 1794.]

The Democratic Societies Support Clark.

The Democratic Societies in Kentucky entered into Clark's plans with the
utmost enthusiasm, and issued manifestoes against the Central Government
which were, in style, of hysterical violence, and, in matter,
treasonable. The preparations were made openly, and speedily attracted
the attention of the Spanish agents, besides giving alarm to the
representatives of the Federal Government and to all sober citizens who
had sense enough to see that the proposed expedition was merely another
step toward anarchy. St. Clair, the Governor of the Northwestern
Territory, wrote to Shelby to warn him of what was being done, and
Wayne, who was a much more formidable person than Shelby or Clark or any
of their backers, took prompt steps to prevent the expedition from
starting, by building a fort near the mouth of the Ohio, and ordering
his lieutenants to hold themselves in readiness for any action he might
direct. At the same time the Administration wrote to Shelby telling him
what was on foot, and requesting him to see that no expedition of the
kind was allowed to march against the domains of a friendly power.

Shelby's Vacillation.

Shelby, in response, entered into a long argument to show that he could
not interfere with the expedition, and that he doubted his
cons