Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1858-01-22
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But little more than fifty years has g!'ded
by since the ewes of the whole country were
fixed upon a court room in Richmond, where
a trial was going on, destined for the snaghl-
tude of the offence charged upon tue parry
arraigned, and for the brilliant forensic us
plays which it elected, TO be classeo with the
prosecution az linst N"rres and the inPeacH-
nent of Hastings. Never, beyond uouu''
in the history OF America had there been
collected within the walls Of a temple otjus-
tice 70 many mendist pgu'shed for high and
various gifts. A jurlst, whose equa! the
world had not seen since the death OF Mans
! field. sat upon the bench. One of the wit
nesses was Andrew Jackson, and the foreman
of the grand jury which brought IN the bill
of Indictment was John Randolph of Roa'
nuke. The prisoner himself was hardly IN.
ferIor 10 intellectual endowment either to the
eminent counsel engaged for the defence and
for the government land among these Luther
Martin and William Writ were opposed t.
each other) or to the other parties to whom
we have alluded, while he had filled larger
space in the gaze Of the world, for be had
been Vice President Of the United States
The reader knows, OF course, that we are re-
terring to the trial of Aaron Burr.
What was Burr's offence? lie was charg-
ed with treason against the United States in
covertly designing to effect dismember-
mcnt Of the coniederacy, in connexion with
scheme for the iOrcible suhjugatiOn OF Next
CO. The result of his trial, as we all know,
was verdict Of acquittll, yet Burr walked
out of the court room at Richmond free but
ruined mao, thenceiOrth TO be ciaSsed with
the outlaw and the advcnturer, and to wan
der over the earth with the mark OF lniamy
upon his brow. And WHY? Because, how
ever the government had failed ID establish
his purpose TO dismember the Union, II was
made clear that ne had intended an armed
descent upon nelghDoring natl1u--a giant
scheme of land-piracy--aGd the moral sense
of the people III those pure days recoilea
from the preparation OF such wickedness,
and branded with lasting shame the man
who would carry fire and sword INTO tor
eign land with which We were at peace, tor
bis own personal ACKNOWLEDGMENT. And
! from that day to this Burr's name has been
the synonym for disgrace and the tarthest
reach Of political Getractivn has never gone
beyond comparing It's victim to THIS remar,
! kable person. remarkable tor his unrlvalled
powers and his awful degradation.
Was the verdict pronounced on Burr by
his contemporaries q Just one? Modern hi-
osraphers have attempted to mitigate the
depth of shade which enshrondS him. but IN
valu--all that they can do is 10 set oil the
darkness of his guilt by the portrature OF
certain graces of department and amenities
OF domestic life. And yet, if we are ~ estl'
mate the turpitude of Burr by the standards
which have been applied TO Walker, we
should say not merely that he was an ll-used
man, but that the greatest achievement OIL
his lite was that unaccompllshed one tor
which he received 80 much approhrlum -
Walker has gone farther than Burr by carry
ing war with all its dreadful consequences
into foreign country Tor his own wicked
aud selfish ends, and yet Walker Is her(
and missionary of reiorm,-Bah. inner.