The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1900-11-29

timacy and friendship sprang up between
him and Burr, and Jackson, with all hi
stubbornness, stood Burr's friend In hi!
darkest hour.
During the Administration Of Johr
Adams, the Union, to the backwoodsmen
had not the sacred charm it possesses to
day. The noise of party contention filled
the land. and there were sages and states
men who declared that the Union seemed
to hang together by thread, which might
break at any moment. Western men could
not but speculate upon the effect disrup
ton would have on their political condi
ton.
The great West was not quite content
in 1905. The acquisition had reduced the
malcontents to a very considerable minor
| ity, but then there were those who were
| dissatisfied with the monOpolizing of the
great Federal offices by the politicians of
the East, and who thought it absurd and
| unreasonable to be connected with a Gov
| eminent whose Capital was a two-months'
| journey distant. Nine-tenths of the peo-
pie, however, though they ray have grum-
| bled little, were attached to the Union,
| were proud of its President, and were
| fervently devoted to the Democratic ideas
| which he had made familiar to their
minds.
Aaron Burr caught the wrong impress
| sion of the people of the West, as he also
| believed the West willing to revolt, and
| that it only needed a strong, bold leader,
Il second Napoleon. to build up a mighty
Empire that would soon oyershadow the
original Ii colonies.
While friends were planning to send
him abroad as u Foreign Minister, to Sc
cure him place in the Army or place him
in Congress, he was holding secret con-
ferences with people, gathering clans, and
preparing to destroy the very Government
which he pretended that he wished to
serve.
When Mathew Lyon called upon him in
the Winter of 1905, he found him with
party holding a secret conference, which
Burr explained was the discussion of
Western land scheme. When Lyons urged
him to go to Tennessee and run for Con-
greSS, he seemed to give the idea but little
favor. As soon as he was alone the ex-
Nice-President said:
"A Congressman from Tennessee in
deed! / will be the Napoleon of the
Western Hemisphere, and have Nations
at my feet"
Burr was 4 rapid traveller. and when
he set out on a journey seemed to have
wings. He was in the West, in the South,
and tantalizing his enemies by near ap-
proaches to New York and New Jersey.
The question was on eyerybody'S lips:
What is Burr doingT
Old Grandsire Granger shook his white
locks sagely, and declared:
He's up to some deyilment, now. We kin
depend ont; he's up TO some big scheme,
an We better watch him.
His grandson kept secret his recent in
terviews with the conspirator, but chung to
the promises made him as a drowning man
clutches at straw.
While the great and ambitious, the
wicked and vile were plotting and schem-
ing for their personal welfare, regardless
Of consequences to Nations and indiyid-
uals, honest but simple Jem Bounder still
lived at Perth Amboy, in his plain, imam
bilious manner. Again and again had he
overhauled the old trunk, sometimes i'll
doubt, sometimes in hope; and again and
again had he thought of taking the cOun-
sci of some one better informed than him
self, but always deferred it, lest cherished
hope might be blasted. After each ex-
animation he closed the trunk, locked it,
and shaking his head said:
1T be all there-mayhap some day we
be master rich, and then wife she be Il
gret Teddy"
The Winter of 1901 and 1905 was very
hard on the poor people along the Atlantic
coast Jem Bounder found that the fish
refused to bite or be Melted, and Jem was
in hard luck; still, he continued TO enter
tain faint hope in the contents of that
mysterious trunk; but during the hard
Winter the grim monster, starvation,
seemed to haunt the poor fisherman, and
drove from his mind the mystery il con
tanned. ....
1T be master hard, wife, to live on the |
bleak, cold coast, when for five months
in the year one dare not cast act. 1t be |
hard, lass, and there be better land, bet |
ter home for 'ee."
what be We sayin'. Jem Bounder:''
STEADY, lass, and | tell. Harry Gran |
ger be gone to Ohio"
$50 he be-
Great country that, wife," remarked |
Jem, taking his pipe from his mouth for |
a moment to emit IA puff Of smoke.
so | hear tell
Now. good wife, why not we go to |
Ohio as well as Harry: There be plenty, |
people say; there he plenty"
But &c don't live on land, Jcm. It's |
the sea as furnishes us food