, 1865-06-08
Qblfa9o Gribn1te.
TIE BURR TRAL.
A Probable Precedent in the
JEFF. Davis Case.
a Highly Interesting Account,

a uSM{ MttlCslil6 ACCOUNT
IFrorn the Cincinnati Comuerci,l,1
"Bulr's Conspiracy" as II Is likely to b.
tcnpts to gild or twhite.wash'' lis mcmoTy ~
led to the most remarkable series Of Statt
trials, which en1ven The dull annals of ouI
Judicial history. After the lapse Of more thau
halfa century. when the gravo has long since
closed oVeT all the actors Of those busy scenes,
an impending State trial Of commanding i'm.
portance lend to them sudden fntertst, To
present The reader condensed narrative Of
inc charges, proofs and result involved in
present article.
| There are few men in our carly history con.
corning whom more full records have been
preserved than Of Aaron Burr. The simple
report Of his trial 111s three ponderous o:ta-
yos. His friend and literary executor, Mat
thew L. Davis, has left us four more vol
nnes Of .Memolrs" and 'tPsivate journal" !"
! General Wilkinson. Whosc portentons MEM.
ol1a, a,Sas 'ssasd tn a. ISL, oecupy three huge
| prints henry and undjgested mass Of e1cul-
patorJ pleading, against the charge Of com
p1icity with Burr. Hammond,s stPulftica1
l HISTORY Of New 1olk" Is full of mcnrpira Of
this arch politician. Hamllton's mIsrailed
history Of the United States, y In which the
memofy OF the great Fede1Alist is filtered
through sevea monslrous octayos, br son
who 1nheltts nothing of his father but the
name, deals largely with Bufr's career, Jrf
ftison,s corTcspondence presents rs, atleugth,
win tue estimate OF the man who came near
defeating his election. and unsettling his nd
ministration. Collins '.KcntucEy" dssc1ihes
the descent Of the Ohio md the first arrest Of
buEr, at Lexington Nonettc's "Msslssippi''
gives the Development of tile Mot further
South; pickt It's "Alabama, contribntcs -
EraGhsc sketch Of Buu's arrest and Journey
TO richmond as prisoner; kennedy's"Wirth
dwclls with 1ardoDable establishment unou
the accessories and high dramatic iuternst of
the trial: Randall's "JetIrfsonn dcn5cts
Win exaggerated rhetoric, both tho tfaitor
end The treason Flanders and Van Sant-
Soord's Lives Of the Chief Justices" hare
each tull sketch of the trial, and Of Chief
Justice Marshalrs memorable exposition Of
TIE law Of tscaeon. 4 whole wilderness Of
partisan pamphlets sprung up about The man
and Ills character and doin:s; the papcrs Of
the lnckless Hlenne1hassett, published lust
year h5 Y. Il. sadatd, contribute new rcyela-
thc latest bfographer Of Burr, James Parton,
W his vivid portEaisure Of the mau's
personality, his abundance Of iucIirnt.
and skilliul condensation OF materials,
may DO said to have revived
al the interest Of former generation in Its
nero: But cantoI ccmpe1s Us to add that
Ar. Parton Is too eften the paneeyrist aud
epologist af Bcsr. eeduced by the ATTRACT
I've sice Of his character, hc has stnoothed over
hts moral and political obliuustits. The
guilt cf bis treason is almost lost In the bril-
nnney OF his talents; and we cannot doubt
cinattng biography Of traitor, ~ 70 T iarreiT ,sH1
cicu!ated Tor the th,ce years preceding the
outbreak Of our civil war, had q pernicions
influence In fostering the genus Of rebellion
and treason IN the minds Of Young mcn
throughout the lard. ltsauthor would bc tho
4e NV o*1%
prize, bnt whtn he unblushmglg rewards
mt1e Of praise than OF blame to the great
rtotot51e OF our modern traitors aud saced-
e1s, ne must he set aside, as IN unsafe teach
CT and an unworthy guide.
IT IS trne, indeed. TINT Aaron Burr was not
very TACT Of his acYuitt8l before high iudt.
Sial tribunal presided over By Caief Justice
Marshall himself, has not bccn without ia
influence In Diminishing the terrprs Of trra-
con, and smoothing the pathway Of rebellion
70 h1s successors, from John c. Calhoun down
ever Iemem 2ered, although the evidence |
made 1t a judicial Necessity, WIS fir. indeed. |
frtm verdict Of actual acqu!ttal. A rem.
dcItd bS the Grand Jury, unle. the LAW us
ta1d down by tle Chez Justice, 1t was simply |
= verdict a5 Of mot enilty Of treason, By the
Aaron Burr had not contaminated his rsims'
and could not be punished for the crime Ae
had not ccnsuMnatcd. It left him to 20
through life, branded with the guilt Of su &C.
ton which II was fully proved he INTENDED
% commit, and the verdict Of acqnittal, IN.
To be tantamount to n verdict OF conviction
upcn the testimony. The jury, In effect, pso-
by their remarkable yerd,ct--"not
guilty Of the overt net Of treason but Guilty,
rs 70 thc intent" )" and such will be the Irrc-
seIs'ble Judgment Of history.
Rnf rxA anf]rfps%o |
~e should preface our sketch Of the trial by
aDy outline OF Bur1's character OF ht.torI.
We fhali assume fiat cur readers ore tolcrn-
oly familiar Nth both. It was In The dflh
rear OF Jtherton's administration, (1eOj,l
Ihat We End llts restless political adFentusef
'cias alton Of TIC Western country. and an |
nrasion Of Mexico. Ills duel With Hamilton
1ad taken placc the year before. His term as ]
flce PRESIDENT OF the United Statcs had 1uat
4ptreds leaving him, at the age Of tlfsy yeara,
Vi his splendid abilities at their cIim.r-
consummate lawyer, and adloit and hith-
rto successful politician, but viii, Q stain
lon Als name G man ost;acfsed and Stunned,
l1cfange law practice anuihllated, o-er.
IN snesasa Ia. With asntS.ln f word, maa .ita
4 am to be dis5raachl.tl, i, aud in NeT :te1s.v I
o he hanged Haxing substantial OBJECTIONS {
&c did Seek it. ..@l0 {
During The year 1906 BUR- travelled through 8
ne Nesl ana South, rcSolring in his fruitful J
,o1 aud aEg1andiz:ment. The od;,1ni Of his T T
ecent actions did not extend tere, where the | !
hatacter Of Successful ducilist xas rather
fncus than ufsrcpntable. His ready ability /
M Winning 1nanncrs secured him universal 3
IN society. while political and
ere irresIstibly drawn to his scompsu!onship. c
|e visited Cincinnati, Louisville, Nashville,
lew Oitcaus and St Louis, and, n coch =
lace, threw cut hints Ct soiae splendid en- I
'rpr'Ee, shortly to be Set on foot, while be =
} be returned to Congress from Iuiians 1
ennessec CT Lo1i.lana- a
Returning TO the East he now eoueht to 4
'eage leading ci1Icera Of the army ard nayy
his schemes. He sptnt the winter Of 1866 e!
fhil5delphia and Washington, where be U
- Visited By many persons, with whom be p
i'd leng interviews, with great air Of mys- y
! and preeanton, always Seeing cach alone, y
I'd thus heing able 10 work upon all by d!f. d
rent methods, md TO present his scheme e
edlfled to SIT every phase Of character. e
laolg tie officers whom Burr thus up n
oached were Wilklzson, Eaton, Decatur. q
-eblc ind TIuIIon. According to the cy. y
ence Of Eaton, lie developed a plan for u
taplshtng sn Independent government n1
est Of the ALcehHn!es, and Organizing an =,
Pedltion against the Spanish provinces OF =
enco and Ie1as, holding out visions Of 70
ch command and boundless wealth. New Il
leans VAS 70 be the capital Burr was to ba p
EeIe'en. 1or This @Iepublican" appears to q
re itublbc1, In his later yenrs, great con y
nPt fur Democratic forms OF government. u
the objections Of Eaton, who sought to y
nW him out by suggesting thst such IN y
would be speedily suppressed by =.
IT 1eiorled that il he could only secure tho q q
'rinc corps aEd gain over the naYal officers, ci
Noild Turn Congress out of doors into the p
tomac, assssslnate the President. seize on se
Treasury, and declare himself the protec- u
' o. an energetic government" This !,I ~
lpAcGn1c programme was sp:ced with much | IL
use Of Je1lerEen and the Weakncss Of the y!
Fctnnent; for Burr knew that Gen. Eaton ~
s diecontentea nj the shabby treatment he
aGa rs signal Services in the Trlpolitan Ct Ct
fhe only officer who appears to have lent lii
[hnE car to Burr's scheme Was Wilkinson, 50 go
man n, OF great ambition, tgreelous vanity, 1ft
dl3apidatcd fortune BE wis then Com. Ill
Eder-ln-cliief Of the United States Army, Pr
ha1 Just been made Governor Of tho new II
acquired Louisiana. In spite Of the fact Or
1t Wilkinson aflerward deserted Burr. and de
9 the Chief Instrument In bringing him to az
tee, 1t Is difficult 10 resist the conclusion sh
u bis tcady cooperation, for more than a crl
II, win burr's enterprise, YVES something an
re lnbn sn assumed part, put on to cutrap On
I've. til
}urT's cl'cf contederates we're B1cnnc,has- sp.
!, Swar; won't, Boliman, Dayton, Tyler. and 1t
'yd. Probably, five hundred persons, IN mt
had engaged to cooperate IN his gIand mi
tme, and these were scattered all over the Vel
ion. lie expected TO enlist from i've to to
cen thousand more. md departed, in Au- me
It, l606, On another Western tour, 10 set inE
notion tic working machinery Of the plan me
leu had, heretofore, existed bnt In theory.
first act was to purchase. for a small sum MI
:Esh, mud 1Rrce one on credit 4OO. .0Oj trt
cs Of land on The Washita River, thus iur- I'd