The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1869-01-24
NUMBER 81.

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Italian languages, and was an admirable writer,
as some pieces of her poetry sufficiently show.
The people thought the rich Irishman some-
thing of an oddly, and wondered why he did
not hustle about and speculate, like the rest Of
them. They knew he was . highly educated
man, and recommended him to the Governor Of
Virginia for the magistracy The Governor
sent him q commission. But the literary her
NIT feared it would take him from his books
and the care of his two or three little children,
and he declined to serve.
Such was the new home of the Blennerhas-
setts and their way of life for eight years. In
1905 came change, which drove them out Of
their paradise on the Ohio.
One evening, i'll the fall of 1905, while Blen-
nerhassett was absent from the island, the SER
wants ran in to his wife to say that . gentle
man and lady were walking on the lawn. and
admiring the place. She invited the strangers gers
in, and was pleased to learn that they were
Aaron Burr, late Vice President Of the United
States, and Mrs: Shaw. Subsequently Mr..
Burr wrote to Mr.. Blennerhassett (who was in
New York on q visit to his old friend, Thomas
A. Emmet), and after complimenting him ON
the score of his superiority, invited him to con-
jim hand. This was, in fact that great con
spiricy business with which Burrs name is so
historically connected The affair was very
jumbled and very inchoate, and nobody can say
what it might have led to. But it certainly
meant mischief He commenced by teIlinS
Biennerhassett that the United States was
to bear hand and get up a river expedition
down the Mississippi. No harm in that. He
also said he had purchased the Bnstrop proper
ty, of millions of acres, in North Louisiana.
which property the undertalxers could have
among them on very easy terms. No harm in
that, either. The result was, that on the Ohio.
the Mississlppi aud the continent rivers of the
great Valley, great number of persons either
felt anxious to join in that movement, OF wished
it well.
But Burr would have the AotiIla. and On
somewhere-to that estate of his on the Qua
chita, in Louisiana-and the work went on
Blennerhassett knew that west of the Missis-
sippi there were wide and fertile regions unoc-
cupied, and he believed that he could get a
farm as large as German principality for
merely going after it in good company. Like
all bookish people he had grand ideas, and
to be realized in the wild southwest carried
him away. He won his wifes consent, and en-
tered heartily into the project. Burr, accom-
panied by his extraordinary daughter and her
husband, Gov. Joseph Aston, Of South Caro-
lima, visited the island in August, 1906 and
Blennerhassctt undertook, with him and Others
batteaux. The noise Of the expedition ran
| through the West, and, in fact, over the whole
country, and "Burr and Biennerhassettv were
names in eve-ybody's mouth.
But President Jefferson was not asleep. He
sent orders to the Governors of the riverino
States to stop Burr, who, going down to Ken
tucky, was arrested by the Governor on q
charge of treason, but there was no one to give
evidence against Linn, and they let him go.
Meantime Blennerhassett tried to sell his
home to Mr.. Mercer for $4,000, and did what
the boats werc surprised by the Virginia milf
tia; and Blennerhassett, hearing that Col.
Phelps, of the same militia, was coming to tho
island to arrest him, took hurried leave Of his
wife and children, and, with Tyler and the men
then the island, escaped down the Ohio.
On the 18th, the whole fofilla, under Burr,
Blennerhassett, Tyler, Floyd, Ellis and Dean,
was at the mouth of the Cumberland.
Meantime the militia Of Col. Phelps took
possession of Blennerhassetts beautiful resi-
dence. Mrs. Bfennerhassett quilted her happy
home forever, and joined her husband az the
entrance of Bayou Pierre.
The expedition never went further, as all the
world knows. Burr and Blennerhassett were
arrested, tried and acquitted.
Blennerhassett was now free i: but the island
was his homo no longer. Being mortgaged
for a large sum, it passed into the hands of his
chief creditors.
The life of the Blennerhassets now passed
from sunshine into the shadows, which only
grew darker towards the close. With the
remnant of his means, Herman purchased q
farm of thousand acres, in Claiborne County,
near Gibsonport, Mississippi, and got some
slaves TO work it, and raise cotton and other
produce. But he was no manager and though
his wife became his steward and directress, and
discharged her duty with wonderful energy
they were not fated to thrive.
In 1919 the Blennerhassetts went to Canada
He went over to Ireland, in 1872 to look after
some old property claim, and see what his
former friends could do for him. His wife and
CONTINUED ON Eighth PaRel