Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1901-07-10
"a DREAM Of EMPIRE, !"

ing the above title, although work
of fiction and one that has it's tradition
al pair Of lovers floating down the Ohio
as they have floated down the stream
Of romance for more than two thous-
and years, has in it much more of real
truth than many books that bear his
4 toric titles. Thepicture of the blunder-
ing, pedantic Blennerhassett and of his
dashing, ambitious wife are very much
like the descriptions given by the old
er people of Marietta thirty or forty
years ago. 1t is not strange that the
story of this tragedy on the Ohio has
been treasured with so much interest.
When the white settlers came to the
valley OF the Ohio there were scarcely
any red men along it's banks; the home
of the tribes was far to the north or
away on the waters of the Tennessee.
The story of that other race who once
inhabited this region was buried, in
| their mounds and ramparts and the
scenes of their busy life covered again
| with dense forest Hence, the new
race found no stories associated with
the beautiful sites which they had cho-
! sen, The Ohio had along it's banks
works as old, perhaps, as the Roman
towers on the Rhine, but there had
| been no continuity of race to preserve
| and build up it's traditions. No won.
der, then, that the sad story of the
Blennerhassetts has touched the hearts
| of all who live in this region. Many
OF our readers, no doubt, will eagerly
read this vivid retelling of an old but
always interesting story.
Harman Blennerhassett, born in
Hampshire, England, at some date be-
tween 1854 and 1857. educated in Ire
land for the profession of the law,
came to Marietta with his family in 1897
and the next spring purchased the up
| per lobe of the island which still bears
his name. 1t is in the Ohio river four
teen miles below the mouth of the Mus
! kingum. Here he fitted up home lux.
urious and grand for those times-a
veritable palace in comparison with the
plain homes at Marietta and Belpre. In
this beautiful home he lived until 1907.
In 1905 the tempter and destroyer came.
1t is often said that Satan is the real
hero of Paradise Lost, as lMephistophe-
les of Faust So we can not help think
| ing that Aaron Burr is the hero of "a
| Dream Of Empire" The captivating
| scoundrel wins the admiration of the
| reader as he stole the hearts of the peo.
| pie of theohio Valley in 1866. A fill.
| clustering scheme to seize some of the
Spanish territory of Texas, scheme no
better and probably no worse than that
OF Lopez in 1851, of Walker in 1860, or
of many others that have been favored
by Americans, was interpreted by the
sycophantic worshippers of the reign
| ing Jefferson, and especially by the
| drunken General Wilkinson, into plot
to destroy the Union. That Burr was
not unwilling to see the West become
an independent empire is probable, in
deed almost certain. There were many
true men in Kentucky and Tennessee
who felt even at the beginning of the
nineteenth century that Spanish mis-
rule in North America should be ended,
who was expelled from the United
States Senate for entering into plot
in 1867 very similar to that formed by
Burr ten years later, did not for that
reason lose any of his popularity in
Tennessee. But Jefferson could not
neglect the opportunity to crush his
hated rival, Aaron Burr. Governor
Tiffin detained the boats which had
been built on the Muskingum; the ' .r-
ginia militia ravaged the beautiful
island home; Burr and Blennerhassett |
were taken to Richmond and there, af-
ter a tedious trial, released. A little |
later. Blennerhassett's house was |
burned the land was seized by credi- |
tor and the family with small rem
nant of their property went to Missis-
sippI. Nothing remains of the build !
ings; even the foundations were dug up |
long ago, and part of the site is now
covered by bowling alley and dancing
hall erected for picnic parties.
Next month we hope to give a few
more particulars about the Blenherhas-
sett family and their home.-Martin r.
Andrews in Ohio Teacher.