Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1860-10-18

OF that river brightly glowing ..
From the eternal foustan flowing
InterestinE Particulars of Aaron Burr's
- Treason.
A correspondent of the New York Times
furnishes the following points connected
with the history Of Burr's great guilt;
Before Blennerhassett came to America,
and while Burr was yet young lawyer in
New York, another intriguing, ambitious
and rather brilliant man appeared on the
stage Of Western politics. This man was
James Wilkinson, who commanded the
American army on the st. Lawrence in
1913, and who, at the time l speak of, was
an officer of the army holding important
posts. InflF87, this man went first to New
Orleans, where be established a commercial
house, and then returned to Kentucky.
Louisiana was then q province of Spain. The
Spanish authorities formed the idea of sepa-
rating the Western country from the Union,
and making Spanish empire in the valley
of the Mississippi. For this purpose they
interested Wilkinson, Judge Sebastian and
many other leading men in that enterprise.
The more patriotic part of the community
utterly rejected the plan; but there is no
doubt that many Of the leading characters of
Kentucky were implicated in the Spanish
Association" which was then formed Judge
Sebastian was tried, and found guilty of re-
ceiving $4,000 per annum from the Spanish
Government.
Wilkinson was also tried, but acquitted for
want of direct evidence. 1t was proved,
however, that he corresponded in cypher with
the Spaniards, and was amply supplied with
Spanish gold. Passing by nearly twenty
years, we ind Wilkinson, with that singular
faulty which at that time marked the mill
tary appointments of the Government in
command Of the army, invading Canada on
the 81. Laurence. He had become dissipated
and lost his energy. He was drunk in the
cabin of the boat when the gallant Scott,
commanding the advance, was already in
the precincts of Montreal, which he could
have easily taken. Just then Wilkinson or
dered a retreat, and the fruits of the cam
paign were lost. Armstrong was then
Secretary of War, and the disgrace of the
army was reflected upon him. Half a dozen
years after the New York Review was pub
lished, and in it, Armstrong, who held
most caustic pen, reviewed the life and con-
duct of Gen. James Wilkinson. Taking up
the Spanish affair and Burr business, Arm
strong proved incontesHbly that Wilkinson
was either traitor to his country or his
friend. On his trial, however, Wilkinson
had taken the last alternative and excused it
on the ground of extraordinary patriotism
The Spanish Association and the proceed
ingS at the time constitute the preliminary
chapter to the Burr affair.
Burr, after the death of Hamilton, dis
graced before the public turned his eyes to
building up an empire on thei Western 'front.'
ier, as Houston, Walker and others have
done since. The material to be used was the
great horde of adventures ever ready for
new enterprise, and the assumed idea that
the Western people would be ready to sepa-
rate from the Union if they could secure the
navigation of the Mississippi. There is most
abundant evidence to show that disunion,
the separation Of the Western States, was
one of the objects in view but not the only
one. Burr having lost all caste at the North,
entered ON career of speculation. One OBJ
ject was Mexico-another, the separation of
the United States. In the Marietta Gazette
were published articles, suggested by Burr,
and written by Blennerhasset sounding the
people of Ohio and Western Virginia on that
topic. Afterward he confined his views to
the separation OF Louisiana. His cypher
letter TO Wilkinson mentioned among other
things, the seizure of Baton Rouge.
] shall not go over the details of this af-
fair, but ! shall merely refer to the sort of
characters Burr dealt With-especially as
some Of these persons have become histor-
ieal. On the llth Of July, 1904, Burr shot
Hamilton. On the I'd of March, 1915, he
took his celebrated leave of the Senate. On
the 29th Of April he was at Pittsburg.
From Pittsburg he went down the Ohio,
and passed over to Cumberland. In July he
spent day with Andrew Jackson-a man,
said Burr, in many points after nay own
heart. In the course of this trip, aud sub
sequent ones, his associates were James Will
kinson, Jonathan Dayton, John Smith, (Sen-
ator from Ohio) Samuel Swartwout, Her
man Blennerhasset, Andrew Jackson, Com
fort Tyler, &c.
These were all men remarkable for specu.
lative enterprise, and in their SUBSEQUENT
career have been somewhat known 70 the
people of the United States. James Wilkin-
son has been exhibited as a reckless. dissi-
pated, unprincipled man. John Smith was
expelled from the United States Senate.
Samuel Swartwout became a notorious de-
faulter. Jonathan Dayton was laud spec
ulator. Herman Blennerhasset went forth a
ruined man, and his wife was buried in New
fork by the charity of an Irish Society.
Andrew jackson was, by the battle of New
Orleans, made President of the United States
The HoMR INFLUENCE OF SMALL, DouysrIc
FAULTs.-A writer thus speaks of the fatal
influence OF small faults On the peace of
households: "Homes are more often dark
ened by the continual recurrence of small
faults, than by the actual presence ofany de-
eided vice. These evils are apparently of
very dissimilar magnitude; yet it is easier
70 grapple with one than the other. The
eastern traveller can combine his forces, and
hunt down the tiger that prowls upon his
path but it Is scarcely possible for him to
escape the mosquitoes that infest the air he
breathes, or the fieas that swarm In the sand
he treads. The drunkard has been known
to denounee his darling vice, Che slave 10
aress are st ana exIravaganee her besetting sin;
rude dogmatieal manner, and the hSndre3
nsmeless negligenees that spoil the beauty
OF association, have rarely done other than
proceed till the action of disgust and gradual
alienation has turned all the currents of af-
lection nom their course, leaving nothing
but barren track, over which the mere
skeleton OF the companionship stalks alone"