The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1901-01-24
eral one day asked. To which swartout

eral one day asked. To which Swartou
responded:
I'VE will revolutionize this territory
Iouisiana). where the people are al
ready to join us, and there will be some
Selling | suppose, Mt New Orleans. We
expect to be ready to embark about the
1st of February, and intend to land al
Vera Cruz, and to march thence to Mex
ico."
After moments careful thought, the
| General said:
There are several millions of dollars il
the bank at New Orleans"
I'VE know that full WELL answered
Swartout.
You certainly do not mean to seize pri
yate property?
I'VE merely mean to borrow, and will
return it, said Mr.. Swartout. I'VE AUST
equip ourselves in New Orleans. We ex>
pect naval protection from Great Britain
Some of the officers of our own navy are
so disguised with the Government they
are ready to join. and similar disgust
prevails throughout the Western country,
where the people are Zealously in favor OF
the enterprise. PilOt-boat-buit schooners
are contracted for the service along the
| Western waters"
BY seeming to acquiesce with the
scheme, and by shrewd course of cross
examination, such as would have done
credit to skilled lawyer, the General
managed to get from the young man all
the information he had to impart. Swart-
| out left the camp on Oct. IS, and proceed
ed down the river. When he was gone
| Wilkinson took Lieut.. Smith into his con-
| fidence and induced him to resign his COM
mission and start East with dispatch
for the President. TO pay his expenses
| to Washington the General furnished him
with $500.
The messenger left camp on Oct. II,
and delivered his dispatches to the Pres
ident Nov. %. On the 9th Jefferson is
| sued his proclamation, and sent it flying
| through the States, paralyzing the enter
prise as it flew, and filling the country
with CONSERVATION. This proclamation
announced that unlawful enterprises were
on foot in the Western States; warned all
persons Ito withdraw from the same with
out delay, as they will answer the con-
| trary at their peril, and incur prosecu-
| ton with all the rigors of the law" and
commanded all officers, civil and military,
| to use their immediate and utmost exer-
tions to bring the offending persons to
condign punishment.
Wilkinson was still in some doubt what
course to pursue, when he received letter
| from an acquaintance in NatcheZ which
decided him. This letter informed him
that a authenticated rumor was
afloat that plan to revOlutionize the
Western country had been formed, ma
tured and is ready to explode; that Ken
lucky, Ohio, Tennessee, New Orleans and
Indiana are combined to declare them
selves independent on She 18th of Noyem-
Der. Proposals have been made to some
of the most influential characters of st.
Louis, by an accredited agent of the con-
spiracy, TO join the plan"
The time to act has come, if Gen. Will
llinson would deliver his country from the
American Catiline who was planning its
destruction. He hastened to the Sabine
and made an arrangement with the Span
iards, whereby he could withdraw his
troops, sent forward an officer to begin
the work Of preparing New Orleans for
defense, and on Nov. "a arrived there him
self
The current belief was that the con-
spiracy extended from one end of the
Union to the other, embracing immense
numbers of the most wealthy and influ-
entail citizens; that 1000 armed men were
on their way to the scene; and that Burr
with a vanguard of 1000, was then de-
scending the river, and might be expected
at any. moment to fall upon the town; that
the city swarmed with his adherents, who
only awaited his arrival to throw off the
mask and assist in the reduction of the
place. Martial law was proclaimed; Will
kinson dispatched Lieutenant to the
British Admiral at Jamaica, to put him
on his guard against Burr's emissaries.
A public meeting, which Gen Wilkinson
addressed, was held. Gov. Claiborne fol-
lowed the General with n speech, in which
he exhorted every citizen to stand to the
defense of the country, topping on the
verge of ruin. 1t is hard for us at this
late day to understand how hear the coun-
try was on the verge of ruin. Had VIII
kinson and jefferson taken less vigorous
measures, Burr might have succeeded; had
he succeeded, our Republic, if it had ex-
listed at all, would not have been the
great Nation it is.
The volunteer battalion offered its SER
vices, its ranks being swelled by hundreds
of recruits, and dividing itself into com
panies the troops paraded day and night,
giving to the city the appearance of
garriSoncd town. New stockades were
constructed in all directions. A party of
GO men were stationed at a point some dis
lance above the city, and ordered to stop
and thoroughly overhaul every descending
craft. business was at standstill. The
crews of vessels in port, American aud
foreign, volunteered to aid in the defense
of the city.
As soon as Wilkinson found his course
of action sustained by the President he
began to make arrests. Swartout, Boil
man. Ogden and Adair were seized and in
more.
There were secret sessions of the Legis-
lature; there were proclamations from
Claiborne, and the Governors of the adj
jaccnt Territories. The Spanards were
alarmed. As the news sped on its way to
Mexico guards were doubled, forts were
repaired and garrisons were increased. The
Western States, agitated all Summer by
doubtful and conflicting rumors, soon
caught the infection of this new frenzy,
and increased its yifuience. Thus the old
year passed out and the new year entered
BY this time the Eastern States had
caught the alarm; jefferson received full
particulars of Swafiout's mission. Boil
man and Swartout had reached the seat
of Government, had been examined, and
discharged for lack of evidence.
Special messages from the President, at
tributing to Burr designs most treasonn-
BILE, were sent to Congress, where they
provoked excited discussion, for Burr had
friends and admirers in both branches of
the Government. Military companies from
New York, Philadelphia Baltimore and
Boston wrote t0kthe President, offering |
their services. The Senate, where Burr
had few friends, il any, passed an act sus
pending the right of habeas corpus; but |
the House defeated the measure by an |
overwhelming majority. Burr's friends |
were loud in their protestations of his in |
nOcence, and, being many and influential, |
for time it seemed as if he would re-
cover from the shock of the Presidents |
uraplamafion