The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1932-09-16

GFeSlueuI Oh the OnlIeu States, was
on trial for his life and the charge against him
was that of committing a crime which was a
threat to the safety of not just one person or a
group of persons but to the safety of the whole
nation, the crime of high treason.
Although Burr was acquitted by what was
substantially a Scotch verdict of mot proven,
my lord" and historians are still doubtful to
whether or not the famous Burr Conspiracy"
was actually reasonable scheme, the name Of
Aaron Burr has come down in popular belief
among our galaxy of scoundrels" second only
to Benedict Arnold. Whether not ne has been
assigned such a place justly or unjustly is
matter over which again historians disagree
The only thing certain is that he was shining
example of brilliant and promising career
ruined by consuming ambition which would
brook restraint.
Few Americans have had a more checkered
career than had he. The son of the first presi-
dent of Princeton university and grandson Of
the distinguished Jonathan Edwards, he had
fine heritage to live up to- At the outbreak Of
the Revolution he enlisted in the patriot army
Becoming tired of inaction during the siege Of
Boston, he accompanied Arnold on that officers
Inflated expedition to Quebec and returned from
1t with the rank of major and a brilliant repu-
tation for courage and ability. Next he became
a member of Washington's official family, but
an antagonism which developed between the two
led to Burr's withdrawal and his acceptance Of
a position aide to General Putnam.
In July, 1777 Burr was promoted to the rank
of ieutenant-colonel and placed in command Of
a regiment at the head of which he won a
skirmish Hackensack. At the head of
brigade he distinguished himself at the Battle
of Monmouth, but in ITO resigned on account
of poor health. In 1888 he began the practice of
law in New York and won distinction in
that profession. 1t was an easy step into poll
tics and he soon proved himself to be master
politician. After holding various state offices he
went to the United States senate in 1901, and
rapidly rose to the stature of presidential
timber"
In the Presidential election of 1900 Burr and
Thomas Jefferson, the Democratic-Republic
candidates, each received 70 electoral votes,
tie which threw the election into the house of
representatives, which strongly Federalst.
After balotng for week, ten votes were cast
for Jefferson and four for Burr, and under the
Constitution as it stood then this made Jeffer-
son President and Burr, Vice President. Be-
cause of political jobbery with the Federalists,
Burr lost whatever regard the leaders among
the new party held for him. Then he became
involved in a bitter struggle for supremacy in
New York politics and because of the antagon-
ism of Jefferson all the patronage was thrown
to Burr's rivals the Clintons and the Living
stons. Accordingly he accepted Federalist sup
port in the gubernatoral race of 1904, alli-
ance Wnlcn was 1ougnt Dltterly Dy Alexander
Hamilton. The result was the defeat of Burr,
who held Hamilton chiefly responsible for his
humiliation Then followed the famous Burr
Hamilton duel in which Burr's pistols ended the
great career of Washington's secretary of the
treasury and made Burr political and social
pariah.
Discredited in the East where he had been
a leader, Burr turned to the West to recoup
his fortunes, hoping to capitalize the unrest
among the Westerners where talk Of disunion
was rife. Crossing the Aleshenies he arrived
at Blennerhassett's island in the Ohio river
where lived Hartman Blennerhassett wealthy
Irishman, who had settled there in 179S. To
Blennerhassett Burr proposed wild scheme of
raising an armed force in the Old Southwest,
driving the Spaniards out of Mexico and estab-
fishing a great southern confederacy composed
of these conquered Mexican possessions and
the American territory west of the Alleghenies
where the sentiment for dsunion seemed so
strong
Blennerhassett enough impressed by
Burr's scheme to mortgage his vast possessions
hoped to gain the aid of Great Britain In car
rying out their scheme and, further to insure
the success of the plan, Burr the support
of General Wilkinson, then governor of Louisi-
ana territory, commander of the United States
Amy and las two-faced a villain served
the United States government
Throughout 1905 and 1906 Burr developed his