Delaware State journal and statesman. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1855-1870, 1861-02-01

Spanish colonies the planting Of agricultural sal,
nenis there To few chosen spirits he had avowei
former to be his object while to subordlnses and I
public no gave out that he intended the latter Hen
NJ supposlon That his offence was only misdemeant
lswyeIs while George Hay, United States Attorney 1ss
ca ny William Writ conducted the prosecution At d
very outset o. the proceedings Burr aud his counsel sho
cd disposition to contest eyery inch VI the ground Al
IN TINS course they pertlnacousy continued through ds
and weeks OF argument 50 ably and fully as
secure repeated rulings in their favor as we'll sxr
Ing the trial to the ist Of August period Of over h
months In those arguments, we'll rs Throughout Il
h, burf ook an active part, especially in chall4nsn
We jurors MS bai pending the action Of The Gran
jury was increased to s2O'OOi but no aud his cluns
managed TO occupy the time Of The Court with motion
objections and Arguments, until Juue a. when The ran
Jury came in with indictments against Burr and Blai
nerhasset, charging each with mis1enoanor ma trn
They subsequently indicted Jonathan Dayton, l1ts
uni'ed States Senator from New Jersey; John smith,
senator from OHIO and sundry others all for ire
About ITO witnesses were summoned r the prnsrntian
Burr now appealed to tho discretion Of the Court moi
commit him, asserting that the Indictment had been al
tanod by PERJURY; but ho sent to prison prsyiou
" however he pleaded not guilty. On tue 10th Of Angus
acting ha Burr had acted ought to be hung burr cat,
ehzed him closely and rejected him. Most Of the veur
held tho same opinion TO get at their opinions require
long anu patient Investigation but the nth the name
was completed Burr was then commanded to stand ~
while the Indictment was read II charged him with ID
tending TO- disturb the peace Of the country to exct
"insurreeiion, rebellion aud against the said Unita
Estates on the tenth Of December In the year Of Chri
zone thousand eight hundred aud six, at certain plar
ana known oy tue name Of Blanuerhaseis islAnd
I'm the Comfy q Wood, and District Of Virginia, an
It.A
and arms unawfully, falsely, malleiuusy and traitor
"ously did compass Imagine, and intend to levy war
"nsurreetion, and rebelioR against the said United
estates" The second count charged him with coleeni
bodies Of armed at the time nd place and bro
eeodiug down tho Ohio ver for the pupoe Of capiufn.
New Orleans. The reading followed by a long anj
able opening from the United States Attorney after whri
| no called Gen. WIN. Eaton as witness Eaton testified
that In the Winter Of 1906 Burr told him he was oran
zing an expedition against the Spanish colonies and
exhibited maps aud documents showing tue feasibility
penetrating Mexico. lie denounced the President snJ
Government devoid and
could indemnify himself for his recent losses In frca by
joining the expedition as an officer burr subaanen
revealed his real Obj ec to be to excite revolution Wes
ofs Alleghanies establish an Independent empire there
with New Orleans for its capital aud himself It's chief lie
fAd Ills funds wore ampe that lie had 1900 mont that
Tennessee Kentucky, and the Orleans Territory az well
As the United States army there, We're all with hun Gen
Wilkinson then Governor Of Orleans Territory, was 10 b..
his commandment chief aud he and his army were In he
secured by the promise Of double aud raUns Burr
mentioned the names Of other officers being pledged to
MS enterprise anu II he could te,uro Truxton Pebble,
and Decatur she would turn Congress neck sud heels out
0f dlars assassnate the President Whist amounted 10
shat And declare himself the Protector Of energetic
"aovernment' He proposed to Eaton to gain the marine
corps and TO sound prsbe and Derstnr Eaton reasoad
With BUR- the folly and wickedness OF these projects
averring that the three Commodores vera inrorfupbe
that no would find 1t impossible to procure party Il men
IN this country to support projects so reasonable, and
that zone solitary word would destroy him." lurr asked
what II was. "Usurper," replied Eaton. But Burr de-
rinred the blow must be- struck Eaton declined having
ANYTHING to do with his schemes and communicated them
10 Government.
Commodore Truxton testified thst Burr sourlt fl, ,..
ach him from the navy, and to induce him u Join his
expedition holding out the prospect of making MIN Al
mTa Bnrr spoke oteapturing Havana aud other Spanish
ports aud assured him that many prominent men were
concerned In the plan lie deiRred that Mexico was rpe
for revolt, and was certain Of Burrs crosex
animation OF TruNt0n done In searching and mas
tefly manner, at the time with most rests-rfnl
courtesy as eeetuay 10 neutalze the virus his is
mony. He brought out the Commudore's unqualified
admission that all hts plans were 10 bo carried out only
In o. war with 81 ain.
Other witnesses proved that Burr had contracted far
the building OF numerous boats at Marietta, and the
purchase Of large quantities of provisions that IN Dem
bor b dy Of thirty to my men had assembled Blan
nerclassets island most Of whom armed and who
appeared to be commanded by Col c, mort Tyler Rlt-
nerhasse told one witness they going down to take
Mexico; that Burr would be King " Mexico. and his
daughter, Mrs ASTON would at his death become Queen
At midnight on the 18TH of December these mos suddenly
decamped In four boats and went down tho river in con.
sequence vf the leaders having learned that Government
troops after them and that wero out r the
arrest OF Burr and Blannerssset The PARTY had bnt
four boats, all those built Marietta as we'll s te pro
visions ordered there having been seael by the Autor
ties. II was distinctly shown that BUR- was moi AZ Tia
Island with this armed party and that he had been n
only once twlcs previously If this assembling con
litued the overt set Burr not shown to be person
ally participant His counsel had ueissyerngy insisted
In every Stage Of the trial that the prosecution i.t first
prove the re act and that the design sufficient
to convist They now moved the Court exclude any
further evidence from the Jury aud stop the prosecution
alleging that Burr not being present the island NJ me
time Of tho assembago, could not DO principal in th,
treason that no waging Of war nor the use oi force had
been provrt and that evidence relevant To CON
meet him with others, and to thus make him traitor by
relation until the Others were shown to have committed
an act Of treason, which act they denied the ssembag
on tho island to be.
This motion gave rise to an elaborate argument i'm
which all the counsel both sides repeatedly addressed
the Cont 1t occupied ten days aud, with tho opnion uf
Judge Marshall, Ellis 100 pages Of the report Ii il la It,
sell comprehensive Treatise the law Of treason rich
In authorities, with lucid app aiions to the point al
issue Il in the progress this great argument that
William Writ electrified vast audience with his npa.
stoned apustrophe; "who is Dlnnnorhassetf" aud bs
touching description Of Blnnusrhassett ntseen,I MI
dorAl Paradise In the Ohio RYer-'a slrubh-ry that
shenstOnu might have enved blooms him miisif
that might have charmed CALYPSO aud her nympbs *
thiH. An library
'him; philosophical apparatus oilers to him all tic
secrets aui myferies of nature; peare trannmv ,,J
lnnoconee shed their mingled dely around him aud
80 crown tile enchantment OF the scene wife who is
said TO be lovely even beyond her sex, aud gaee with
every accomplishment that render irresiHbla had
blessed him with her love, made him the father OF
her children The Court sustained the motion 10 stop |
The trial Judge MARSHALL charged that testimony
relative 10 the conduct declarations Of the prisoner
elsewhere, and subaequent to the transaction Blau
nerhassots Island can he admiite1 because such tes
mony Icing IN IT'S nature merely coTroloratye, aud |
incompetent TO prove the act in Itself IL Irrelevant
until ihte be proof Of the overt act by Two Witnesses
MT Hay for tie proiseution aer having taken time
cad the charge for which purpose the Court been
ournsd announced that he had neither argument nor
violence further TO offer to the Jury lie had examined
he opinion Of the Court and must leave tho case with
be Jury The Jury thereupon retired, and in short
line rel urned with the following verdict;
We of the Jury say that Aaron Burr Is not proven 10
guilty under this indictment by sny evidence submitted
o us. We therefore end him Not Guilty.
Burr Immediately objected the phraseolofy Of this
written verdict and the Court directed the usual one Of
Not guilty. to be recorded le was then ds,barueJ
lnd his bail the Indictment for misiemesnor reIucei
9 $1,000 On examining closely the evidence adduced
Is clear that Bnrrs main object 10 invade Mexcn
evelutioniIs u aud establish Government Of his own
i Is tue that he and BlannehAsset had purchased te
basltOp grant OF oOIUOO Of land on the WAsha
md that they used that fact blind their real ahsct
10 protested to rely the eonnvanre Of ten Wikus1n
hen 10 command At New Orleans aid him in master.
~ mat city, as well as even to further His letters to
Wilkinson written In cipher, extraordinary mssives
The former really hAd share Ia the plot II was also
art Of Buirs plan to dlHuenher the Union lust as other
ratois seeking 10 divide 1t now lIis mysterious
movements Ia The West created widespread aisrm aud
lled tho masses to defeat his plans Bul had his paIy
nt been so quickly broken up It's force was utterly dis
Ioporntd to the hazards Of any OF bis projects Those
hu Wera TO do the lighting Kept In the dark as 10
there Or ON what errand they bound liuner men
Iere not real feiuced into Joining him aud al no time
Ad he more than leo followers. Had they reached the
pansh provinces, they would have persed ~ misetnhv
Miranda men, or the Wretoh9d victims whom Walker
'iueed into Nicaragua The crest lesson taught by hi
reason lies In the fact that It roused the Government to
rompt and vigorous exercise Of its powers M snnner
'as tho President apprisod Of II than measures were taken
crush IT, There was no parley held with the traitors
lie leader once Nieeresideni Two United States sena
RS, aud various Prominent men, were promptly arrtsd
nd brought into Court. Relatively the ogerument MAS
stronger then than now. Yet the contrast lrtwern
ateron outrageous patriotism and Buchanan coward
imbeeility, is AS remarkable ~ II Is humatinr