St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1896-03-07
aett mansion the center about which

open-handed hospitality, making FIRE.
quent trips to the east to visit friends
as well as to make purchases. They en-.
tertained lavishly for the times and for
the surroundings, and the fame of their
hospitality reached far and wide.
Such was the island home, and such
were its Inhabitants, when the serpent
entered this Eden and wrought its
ruin. Aaron Burr was one of the most
fascinating of men. A graceful man.
OF handsome aquiline features, with
high mental endowments and in pos
session of rare conversational powers.
| he had the instincts of vuItllre and
was eternally scheming for his own
| personal qualification and aggrandize-
| ment, reckless of the ruin and misery
his selfshness wrought. His career had
been brilliant untilswhell, as vice pres
ident of the United States during Pres
ident Jefferson's first term, he imbrued
his hands in the blood of Alexander
Hamilton and brought upon himself
the eNecration of his eountrymen. It
was then he formed the Napoleonic
conception, and apparently feasible one,
of wrestling from Spain the empire of
Mexico, and from the United States the
vast and almost unsettled solitudes of
the Mississippi valley, there to organize
a magnificent empire, of which he was
TO be imperator.
Burr had heard Of Blennerhassett,
Of his wealth, and of his influence over
the rapidly-increasing population of
the Ohio valley, and he resolved to enlist
him in the enterprise. In the spring
of the year 1906. Burr appeared upon
Blennerhassett island. and was the re-
cipient Of distinguished attentions at
the hands of its hospitable owners. It
is not my purpose to follow in detail.
the intrigues and intricacies of the
dealings between Burr and Blennerhas-
sett. Suffice it to say that both host
and hostess were charmed. He was a.
artless as a, child. Familiar with the
secrets of state, he spoke of the prospect
of war with Spain and of the ease WITH
which the Mexicans with little help.
might throw off the Spanish yoke and
establish an Independent government.
Having taken the first step, he went
on his way. The next autumn, however,
Burr and his beautiful daughter, Theo-
dosia, made a short visit to the island,
and in the following winter, Mr.. and
Mrs. Blennerhassett were lured east for
the purpose of further interviews, and
il is presumed that they entered into IL
sort of partnership for land speculation.
was incapable Of trea-
son, and it cannot be doubted, as it ap
peared afterward at the trial, that Barr
adroitly Teiled his real purpose from
BIN by the projected land speculation.
In the summer of 1906, Burr came
west, and active measures were taken
to organize an expedition. The in
triguer had such influence with Blen-
nerhassett's wife that she readily per-
suaded her husband to pledge himself
for the payment of expenses. Fateauy
sufficient to carry 800 men were built
and provisioned at Marietta, and Col.
Burr visited many settlements in Ohio
md Virginia to engage enterprising
and hardy young men as recruits, and
he speedily secured the required num-
Der. Each eInigrant was required to
bring a rife and blanket. The little
colony was organized with military pre-
'ision,' for it's leader was an accom-
plished soldier Every one was to re-
ceiYe the gift of 100 acres of land. Burr
told them that President Jefferson, who
was very popular in the west, approved
d the expedition. Confidently, he as
sured them that, while their expedition
was a peaceful one and its object the
of a vast tract of land pur-
chased of Baron Bastrop, still
here was the certainty Of war between
he United States and Spain, in which
event Mexico would free herself md his
.o1ony would have the mo1ding of c
yrand empire on the foundations Of
democratic equality, and they might en-
'ieh themselves beyond the dreams of
'omance.
Meanwhile news of Burr's doings had
cached the east. and President Jeffer-
,on became alarmed. He knew Aaron
Burr thoroughly, and was well aware of
lis ambition and his powers of il trigue.
he governors Of Ohio and Virginia
we're called upon to suppress the expe-
lition. The militia was called ont, ard
he boats and stores were seized. A de-
achment of militia from Wood county,
"a, landed upon the island, became
trunk from the liquors IN the cellar,
nd pilagd and burned the house and
Burr and Blennerhas-
ett were both arrested for treason, and
we're tried and acquitted.
In the next two years Blennerhassett
ost his island home. and he found him.
elf with a family upon his hands, but
With his riches all gone, and in their
lace mountain of debts. However,
lie learned enough to write book, in
which he involved not only Burr in trea-
enable acts, but also Gov. Aston, OF
outh Carolina, Burr's son-in-law Al
ton paid $4,000 rather than have the
ook published Blennerhassett then
cotton plantation near
Iatchez, but the war of 1912 ruined
ommerce, and he removed to Canada.
Iere he became bankrupt and was
orced to subsist until his death upon
he bounty of sister. Mrs. Blenner-
asset, thrown upon her own resources,
eturned to America to prosecute her
lain for the destruction of her home
n the Ohio island by the militia, sub
isting meanwhile upon the income of
few shares of bank stock and the .
harity of her friends. She died. how
yer, in 1912. Just as she had her PEE