New-York tribune., 1906-04-28
Attempts TO Found Independent
Empires ia the Southeast.

..sttve initials. Crown svo. ID Ss1. a {.
NoClurg & co
NJ. Brown has sought TO catch and TO pre-
-.-rs sor future generations OF American read
= something Of the romance Of tie reckless
- osventurers who invaded the Southwes;
80 after the Revolutionary War inspired
" s-ssrs Of gain and conquest. he has. at
~. allowed himself 10 be carried away
-. glamour OF their pretensions OF their
- or of their achievements. His effort has
60 -s.ber 10 scEape on the successive coats OF
,..,,.sb which local historians have literally
-l,ss "a the darker side OF their deeds, and.
-. giving the yyoald-be empire builders full
.s,r for their personal bravery and physical
-,rr.Ss 20 show forth their ambitions and eK-
- ,n tneir true oolors. So convinced is the
t.ho- n the wholly unwarranted nature of
-. ,nvasions OF Spanish and Mexican terri
.,s ~ the self-seeking character Of the
- buccaneers who led them. and so eagerly
,sre-rious is he in removing every Nesuge OF
-. overlavfng wh;tewash that IL is Impossible
= -ssist the feeling that his iaudabie essays at
.-,s-oratlon" have at times led him 10 scrape so
as.n as 10 damage the original fresco-
there is more than a suggestion OF the Man
- ,be Muck Rake" in the manner in which
81 Brown shows up" the disloyaity. the trea-
-, me brutality and the sordidness Of the SOL
FnrC
t5nesorns for themselves out Of the wide lanos
- ~ the Mississippi II is well, OF course. to
,,r- ,he truth Of even the uniTnportant incl
ao-,e NJ orr early history: and some, indeed. or
.bs anferprises described IN the volume were
,ourbt with veighty and far-rea ching conse-
,uanoes But even truth is relative, and doubt
lass events take on quite a different aspect when
seer in the glare OF the twentieth century
searchlieht than when they were viewed close
st band q century or more ago If the peculiar
so-ns OF personal endeavor Of which we read
thst Intimately led 20 national expansion are
40. in vogue to-day II is not because mems
natures have changed but because opportunity
Is lacking Wealth. leadership. dominion, power,
az dreamed Of and fought for much as
and more than-then. and gained by means no
more scrupulous OF other peoples rights What
,rs 6eprecate IN Ny Brown is not his wish 10
lsy haze the truth. but the lack Of balance which
10 ssrlavs in his apparent desire to nnaks the
truth take on as black a hue as possible He
docs not. however, permit the brief he carries to
bline him 10 the picturesque element in the
ambitious freebooters OF whom he writes. and
nov and again he lapses into free and easy
narrative style that is as undignihed, If not so
rsprehensible. as some OF the proceedings which
he recounts. and that scarcely comports with the
more serious purpose Of his undertaking.
Whether we regard these as major or minor
faults there can be no question that the author
has given us a very readable story Of group
OF highly entertaining adventures
Aaron Burr and James Wilkinson stand out
most prominently among the group OF Alibusters.
but more on account Of their Official erninence
than for their actual accomplishments. Burr
proved but q futile organizer and leader when
ne sought 70 translate his intriguing into action.
wilkinson was never anything but e schener,
making his reasonable dallisnce with Spain 8
source Of revenue, but abstaiuing from personal
participation IN any OF the expeditions into for
eigh territory. Yet his influence was too great
20 be disregarded, and It is significant that al
most every one Of the raid leaders whose deeds
are celebrated by Mr.. Brown had al one time or
another been associated with Wilkinson or had
come directly under his baneful sway. STILL
even without the irstigation Of this arfhcon-
spirator. the weakness Of Spain and Mexico the
fertility o. Texas. dissatisfaction with the at
teuuon given by the newly organized United
States Government 10 the claims and interests
Of the transsppalachian settlers. and the vague
uncertainty OF national boundaries, would have
offered inviting opportunities enough 10 its rest
less ana reckless border spirits. the bad men,"
Of those days. That European diplomacy took
into consideration the advantage 10 be gained
from leaving the questions OF sovereignty and
delnitation ss open as possible 70 contradictory
Constructions is shown by the remark made by
Napoleon 10 1Iarbois at the time OF the cession
d, Louisiana 70 President Jefferson's commits
si0ners
Marbos. who had really conducted the negotia-
hs had observed n the document lack Of deanite
sounaary descriptions Of the territory conveyed 10
NO" replied Napoleon hut II there is no OBJ
scgrity about them there you had better put one
Philip Nolan was the first of the Adventures
who rises u the rank Of an actual invader lead
ing an armed expedition of conquest into Texas.
Al the previous attempts had been nipped IN
the bud before they had q chance 10 bloom into
overt accornpI pIishnlent. Probably the insignih-
oance q the Iuoyement-he al no time had two
dozen followers in his "arny"-accounts for the
Successful inception q the enterprise. well as
for its sudden disaster The invasion derives
rs CHIEF interest in the volume from the narra-
ton Of the lively adventures OF Ellis Bean. who
succeeded 20 the command after Nolans death
only 70 suffer immediate capture and 10 spend
several years in confinement punctuateo by fire.
aue1t hairbreadth escapes and recaptures, and
who finally rose 10 high rank as revolutionary
leader IN Mexico. achieving wealth and wives
n two countries.
heuben keElpers seizure OF the t9eloN A@U~sS
district SIR Brown denounoes IL unmeasnrea
terms as provoked by personal animosity and re-
Veugs and characterized by unbridled cruelty
sao barbarty Yet Kemper rose 10 high honors'
and his conduct was condoned ~ not commended
by the community in which he dwelt. These
Circumstances. OF course. have no bearing on his
actions az q matter Of pure ethics, but scarcely
seer 70 be given their full weight by the author
IL considering them as historical events. The
expedition led by Augustus Magee, former
lieutenant IN the United States Army, was one