This shows conclusively that Washington's administration was in error in not acting with greater decision about the Spanish posts.

Wayne should have been ordered to use the sword, and to dispossess the Spaniards from the east bank of the Mississippi.

As so often in our history, we erred, not through a spirit of over-aggressiveness, but through a willingness to trust to peaceful measures instead of proceeding to assert our rights by force.
Murder of the Messengers to Wilkinson.
The Murderers Shielded.
The first active step taken by Carondelet and De Lemos was to send the twelve thousand dollars to Wilkinson, as the foundation and earnest of the bribery fund.

But the effort miscarried.

The money was sent by two men, Collins Owen, each of whom bore cipher letters to Wilkinson, including some that were sewed into the collars of their coats.