The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-01-16
A FORGOTTEN CONSPIRACY
WHEN BURR TRIED TO MAKE HIMSELF EMPEROR OF AMERICA
Is AN INTERESTING BIT OF HISTORY

ciled to United States rule, Mexico
i%ncludinS Texas was still d Spanish,
province, and there was bitter feeling
in America against the Spaniards. Our
government was young and weak, nor
Well fitted to protect itself against any
general uprising within it's owr bor-
derS.
Such was the situation as Burr
found it. There were also MANY old
Revolutionary soldiers and swarms OF
other adNenturerS all over the coun-
Try who were Eager for excitement and
Ior new conGuestS. According to the
accusation made later. Burr planned
to combine these indictments and pio-
neerS into "A filiblsterinG army. swoup
down upon Texas and Mexico, capture
the whole Louisiana tract (making
New Orleans the rcbellion's head
puarters) induce the western states 10
leaN" the union and to carve out u
huge southern and western empire
with himself as its ruler. This do
main would have stretched from the
Gulf of Mexico 10 Canada and from
the Mississippi to the Pacific.
Such a plot today would be LAUGH
able. But at that time it stood some
chance OF success. MANY Americans
still longcd for a monarchy. The Young
republic had not fulfilled the ideals uf
many srumhlers. From documents
,'iu ieStilioHN IL seems certain That
Burr succeeded in interesting Il por-
tion of the army and more than one
famous statesman i'll so much of of
his conspiracy he dared reveal. lie
was also shrrWd enough to mask the
pilots earlier movements by pretend
Ing he was on II purely legitimate
western mission OF some sort. In his
supposed mission he managed to in
terest President jefferson. AndrcW
Jackson. General Wilkinson and other.
mon of note.
Using this as Il blind. he set to work
with AN almost diabolicni cunning to
recruit his iilihustcrin% army and t.
prepar" IL temporary headquarters foi
the rising. He bought thousands of
acres "f land on the Wichita river as Il
nucleus for tn" empire. His magnetic
personality enabled him to raise enor.
nous sums "f money and to cnlis,
hundreds of volunteers. lie even
claimed Brightly or wrongly that an
English fleet had agreed to cooperate
with him.
The plan was nearly ripe and the
first decisive blow was about to he
struck when General Wilkinson, who
was either Burr's dupc or partial ac-
complete. became alarmed and sent Sc
cret Word of the whole project as he
understood it. to President jefferson.
The president tool quick measures
w crush inc HSHlrcrtlon. burf was
arrested hcfor" he could consolidate
his schemes enough to defy the gov
eminent, and in May. 1907, was put
on trial for high treason. Through
his own crafty Wit M aidcd by An
drew Jackson and some of the best
legal talent in America. the accused
mar fought the charge against him
so brilliantly during Il six months trial
that the jury at last brought in a re-
luct3Dt mot p%lljltN' verdict.
But I'urr was forced to leave Ameri-
ca at once and was forbidden to re.
turn. 1t was many years before ht
ventured back in disguise to New
York. He died in lonely poverty in
1886. hated by most of those who still
remembered him as m of the great.
est Neutrality-suspicious." of history.
While a burglar has his fool streak