Memoirs of Aaron Burr, Volume 2.

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On his cross examination Commodore Truxton added "that he was very
intimate with Colonel Burr; that in their conversations there appeared
to be no reserve; that he never heard Colonel Burr speak of a division
of the Union; that Burr said his Mexican expedition would be
beneficial to the United States; that, so far from doubting Burr's
intention to settle the Washita lands, he was astonished at hearing he
had different views, which accounts were contained in newspapers
received from the western country."

From among numerous instances of Mr. Jefferson's idea of _honour_ and
_morality_, as practised by him and by his order pending that trial,
only one will be selected as a _sample_. Dr. Erick Bollman, the friend
of Lafayette, was arrested by the order of Wilkinson as a
co-conspirator with Burr. He was called as a witness on the part of
the United States; and in open court, the district attorney, Mr. Hay,
by order of Mr. Jefferson, tendered him a pardon, which he indignantly
refused, asserting his innocence of any act requiring a pardon.
Immediately after the trial, he published, under his own signature, an
account of what occurred between himself and the president. From that
publication, which was never controverted, sufficient will be
extracted to show Mr. Jefferson's _feelings_ and _principles_.

Bollman says, "In the month of December, 1806, I was seized and
arrested at New-Orleans by order of General Wilkinson, but in the name
of the United States. When I arrived at Charleston, Annapolis, and
Washington, the newspapers represented Colonel Burr as being at the
head of two thousand men, and they were ringing at the same time with
reports of his _pretended treason._

"These circumstances occasioned in my mind great indignation with
regard to the reports just mentioned, and great solicitude lest
General Wilkinson's conduct and Burr's situation might lead to
occurrences which Colonel Burr would deprecate, and which
involuntarily would put him in the wrong.

"I therefore requested an interview with the president of the United
States for two decided objects. 1st, To remove from his mind the false
impressions he had received with regard to treason. 2d, To endeavour
to convince him that the interests of the United States would be best
consulted by going to war with Spain, and giving countenance to the
expedition which Colonel Burr had planned.

"It appeared to me that this step might do some good, could do no
harm, and, in my situation, ought to be attempted. I saw the
president, together with Mr. Madison; and having first, when
questioned on that point, declared to the former that I had no
_personal motives_ for this interview, spoke to them to the effect
just mentioned. The day after the interview I received the following
note from the president, the original of which, in _his own
handwriting_, now remains in my possession:--

"'The communications which Doctor Bollman made yesterday to Thomas
Jefferson were certainly interesting; but they were too much for his
memory. From _their complexion and tendency_, he presumes that Doctor
Bollman would have no objection to commit them to writing, in all the
details into which he went yesterday, and such others as he may have
then omitted, Thomas Jefferson giving him _his word of honour_ that
they shall never be used against himself, and _that the paper shall
never go out of his hand_.'

January 25, 1807.

"I immediately complied with the president's request; and considering
the communication, in conformity with the tenour of his note, _as
strictly confidential_, I had no motive to be unusually guarded, or to
weigh every expression with more than ordinary care. The paper,
containing nearly twenty pages, was hardly finished, when I
immediately sent it to the president. I borrowed it from him some time
afterward when in prison, in order to take a copy, and then returned
it.

"The whole of it goes to the two points above mentioned, _viz_., to
disprove treason, and to show the expediency of war. It can give no
other ideas to an unbiased reader, unless one or two expressions,
improperly used, and for which the allowance ought to be made, that
the English is not my native tongue, are singled out, are considered
disconnectedly with what precedes and follows, and construed in a
hostile manner.

"The president had given _'his word of honour'_ that this paper should
not be used against myself; and yet _on it_ was predicated the
pretended necessity of a _pardon_ for my personal safety. The attorney
for the district (Mr. Hay), in open court, when offering me the patent
pardon, referred to it. Nay, when I indignantly refused that pardon,
he reminded me of the _horrors of an ignominious fate_, in order, if
possible, to change my determination. Is a paper not used against me
when, on account of its contents being misunderstood, I am thus
assailed with the _tender of a badge of infamy?_ Is _life_, in Mr.
Jefferson's opinion, _all_; and _character_ and _reputation_, which
alone can render it desirable, _nothing_? The great inquest of the
nation, after hearing a great variety of testimony, and particularly
that of General Wilkinson, _by an opinion nearly unanimous on my
subject, have absolved me from guilt!_ No indictment has been
preferred against me, though they have indicted various gentlemen in
different parts of the United States. Was it, then, becoming the first
magistrate of the Union, whom I had approached with some degree of
confidence, and with regard to whom neither my conduct nor my language
have ever been unfriendly--was it becoming in _him_, in a measure, to
forestall the opinion of the grand jury, and to stigmatize me as a
pardoned criminal?

"The paper was never to get out of the president's hands, but it is
_now_ in the hands of the attorney for the Virginia district. On the
23d of June, an occurrence of which the prints have taken no notice,
the grand jury came into court. Their foreman stated that one of the
witnesses had mentioned to him an important paper, written by another
witness, which was in the possession of Mr. Hay, and of which they
wished the delivery. Mr. Hay replied, that this referred to my letter
to the president, which was in his possession, but that he did not
consider himself warranted to give it to the grand jury. He also
declared it to be his firm persuasion that the paper was written in my
own handwriting; it has further appeared that he had occasioned
General Wilkinson to read it. Through him he had brought what is
falsely stated to be its contents insidiously before the grand jury.
General Wilkinson, when before that body, and, of course, on his oath,
did assert that he knew the paper in Mr. Hay's hands; that it was my
handwriting and my signature.

"The history of the proposed pardon will have flown over Europe, and
the impression of treachery to a friend--this more detestable, more
odious crime than any infraction of the laws of the country, because
essentially fraught with turpitude, will be blended with my name in
the minds of men who may never see _this_ letter. And if all this
injury could be inflicted by Mr. Jefferson without _ill will_, merely
from want of consideration, under the disturbing influence of _passion
and resentment against Colonel Burr_, notwithstanding his mature age
and the dignity of his station, it will amount to strong proof, at
least, that I, in my humble sphere and with a more youthful
imagination, may have become warmed with the beautiful prospect of the
emancipation of an enslaved kingdom; a project which Mr. Jefferson
himself approved of and connived at when planned, not by Colonel Burr,
but by Miranda; and that I may have engaged in it without meaning any
harm to the United States or their president.

"But since the measure of the pardon has proved abortive and
ridiculous, and since the fact of his breach of the '_word of honour_'
can no longer be denied, their tone is changed. As usual, I am abused,
not for the wrong I did, but for the wrong which has been committed
upon me. They insinuate, among other things, that at Washington I had
_obtained promises_ from Mr. Jefferson, and had _agreed_ with him, for
a pardon; that I refused it at Richmond, in order to have a pretext
for withholding testimony, on the ground that it would criminate
myself, though it is well known that such promise, such agreement
never took place; and that before the grand jury, during an
examination of upward of two hours, I answered, _without a single
exception, every question that was asked me_.

"When party spirit and passion go so far, it would be improper to
remain silent; and should what I have said in my defence operate to
the prejudice of Mr. Jefferson or wound his feelings, it is not my
fault.

"ERICK BOLLMAN."

Footnotes:

1. In July, 1798, Generals Hamilton, Pinckney, and Knox were appointed
major generals in the standing army raised that summer, _nominally_,
for the purpose of repelling a French invasion, at a moment when
France had not a ship of war on the ocean, and while British squadrons
were hovering on her whole coast.

2. On the 10th of June, 1835, Dr. Hosack, the friend and physician of
Colonel Burr, supposed that he could not continue but a few days,
perhaps a few hours. Mr. Burr was so informed, and was then asked by
M.L. Davis whether at any time he had contemplated a separation of the
Union. His reply was--"No; I would as soon have thought of taking
possession of the moon, and informing my friends that I intended to
divide it among them." While making the reply his indignation seemed
to be aroused.

CHAPTER XXI.

The excitement produced by Mr. Jefferson, Mr. Eaton, and Mr. Wilkinson
in relation to Burr's movements, exceeded any thing that can be well
imagined. That grave and dignified body, the Senate of the United
States, were _terrified_, or they were _used_ for the purpose of
_terrifying_ the good people of the country. On the 22d of January,
1807, Mr. Jefferson sent a message to Congress developing the
treasonable designs of Burr and his associates. On the 26th, with the
aid of General Wilkinson, a second message was transmitted on the same
subject; and, by _accident_, about the same time that this message of
the president was received by the House of Representatives, that
honourable body received a message from the Senate also, announcing
that they had passed a "_bill for suspending the writ of habeas
corpus_," and asking the concurrence of the house. This was carrying
the _farce_ too far, and a motion was therefore made and adopted to
reject the bill on its _first reading_. Ayes 113; nays 19. Thus the
bill was rejected.

During the years 1806 and 1807 Herman Blennerhassett kept a private
journal, in which are recorded the principal incidents arising out of
his connexion with Colonel Burr. Portions of it are interesting and
amusing. The entries confirm in every particular the statements of
Truxton, Bollman, and others, and repudiate the idea of treasonable
designs. That journal, having been transmitted from England, is before
me. From it a few brief extracts will be made. It appears that in
December, 1805, Blennerhassett addressed a letter to Colonel Burr,
expressing a wish to participate in any speculation in the western
country that might present itself to Burr. A Spanish war was hourly
anticipated, and Blennerhassett proposed to join Burr in any
expedition that might be undertaken against the Spainish dominions.

In August, 1806, in consequence of this overture, Burr visited
Blennerhassett at his house on the Ohio, and the next day rode with
him to Marietta, and there they separated, Burr being on his way to
Chilicothe. From Marietta to Blennerhassett's was about fifteen miles.
Some time after Burr returned to Blennerhassett's. Burr said that an
expulsion of the Spaniards from the American territory or an invasion
of Mexico would be pleasing to the administration; if it could be
accomplished without an open formal war, which would be avoided as
long as possible, from parsimony on the one hand and the dread of
France on the other.

Blennerhassett tendered his services to Burr generally. Blennerhassett
states that General Jackson and others were to join, and that the
general was in readiness to march whenever he should think himself
authorized by the position of the government.

EXTRACTS.

"The vivacity of Burr's wit, and the exercise of his proper talents,
now (at Richmond) constantly solicited here, in private and public
exhibition, while they display his powers and address at the levee and
the bar, must engross more of his time than he can spare from the
demands of other gratifications; while they display him to the eager
eyes of the multitude, like a favourite gladiator, measuring over the
arena of his fame with firm step and manly grace, the pledges of easy
victory."

"August 17, 1807. This led me to praise a pamphlet, _Agrestis_, which
Alston yesterday brought me, being two letters on Wilkinson's
proceedings at New-Orleans, which, for its arrangement and strength,
as well as for the imagery of the language, I observed would not be
unworthy of a Curran; at the same time inquiring who was the author.
Alston said that was not known. I then repeated the question to
Colonel M'Kee, who said it was a friend of ours; at least, Mr. Alston
was suspected. I mention this trifling occurrence for the sake of
observing that Alston was now silent, thereby appropriating to himself
the merit of the book, which his _wife_, I have no doubt, might
produce. To suppose Alston [1] the author would be preposterous."

"August 23, 1807. My revery was soon broken in upon by the appearance
of Mr. Douglas with a stranger. I should rather have said by two
apparitions; for it was now near nightfall, and Douglas no sooner
appeared than he turned on his heel, saying, 'Colonel Duane, sir,' and
ran down stairs. The surprise of this interruption the stranger, whom
I had never before seen, did not suffer to endure long enough to allow
me to invoke the angels and ministers of grace for my protection. I
was already within the grasp of this Gabriel of the government. He
seized my hand, and bade me dismiss my surprise, however natural it
might be, on his appearance before me. I handed him a chair, and said
'I had lived long enough in this country to be surprised at nothing it
could produce or exhibit, but yet desired to learn from what cause I
had the favour of this visit.' 'Having heard Mr. Douglas observe,'
said he, 'that you would be pleased to see me--' 'Sir, Mr. Douglas has
made a mistake; he must have meant somebody else.' 'No matter,'
continued he; 'having known and seen your present situation, I could
not as a man, as an Irishman' (here he digressed to show me how he
both was and was not an Irishman), 'I would not leave this town
(Richmond) without warning you of the sacrifice now preparing to
appease the government by your friends, of which you are destined to
be the victim. You cannot desire any other key to my meaning than the
course the defence has this week taken. But if you think the
government will not cease to pursue that justice they possess the
means of ensuring, and suspect, as you ought, the designs of those you
have too long thought your friends, it might yet appear no better on
my part than a nominal service to give you these cautions: I have
therefore sought you, not to tender you words, but deeds. The only
return on your part will be that care of yourself which will find a
shield in _my honour_' (here he very awkwardly struck his breast, and
grinned a ghastly smile), 'and that confidence I can _command_ in the
government whose good faith is not misplaced in the zeal I have
testified to serve it.' To this harangue he added violent
protestations of his wishes to serve me, saying, that for that purpose
he would put off his journey back to Philadelphia, which otherwise was
irrevocably fixed for Wednesday, and would now, or at any time
hereafter, go to Washington for me, where _nothing he should ask would
be refused him_. In thanking him for the frankness and zeal with which
he cautioned me against my friends and a negligence of my safety, I
assured him I was not afraid to meet the prosecution, as I expected I
should before my arrival here, without counsel or friends; but, from
present appearances, I was more curious than interested to learn what
were those means the said government possessed of ensuring justice.
Finding by his answer that he was now disposed to allure me into a
confession of having written certain papers in the hands of the
prosecutors, I told him, the warmth of his offers to serve me could
not make me forget either his situation or my own with relation to the
government; that I cared not what writings should be charged upon me;
that I should admit none till fairly proved, which, if any such should
ever appear, I would justify, if necessary, on the scaffold. He now
summed up the objects of his mission, whatever produced it, with abuse
of Burr, Tyler, and Smith, _acknowledging that he had been served
gratis by Burr in the most handsome manner_; that the others were more
concerned against the government than I was; but swearing that he
believed, if I did not follow his advice, they would make a scapegoat
sacrifice of me for their deliverance."

"August 25, 1807. I asked Alston, 'Would you wish to see my notes of
what passed between Duane and me?' 'Yes,' said he, 'very much.' I then
read to him the minutes I had taken on Sunday evening, with which he
seemed highly pleased, and said they ought to be published. To this I
told him I could not accede. * * * * * * I informed him that Duane had
intimated that government had got possession of one of his letters to
me. 'One of my letters,' cried he; 'I never wrote to you but two upon
business of a private nature; and, by G--d, any other letter they can
have of mine must be a forgery.' 'To be sure,' said I; 'or, at all
events, from the favourable course things are now likely to take, such
a letter could do no harm.' 'But what did the rascal,' continued he,
'state to be the purport of the letter?' 'Nothing more,' said I, 'than
that you and myself were equally involved in all Colonel Burr's
projects. He then abused Duane, and repeated his wish that my notes
were published."

"September 13, 1807. I visited Burr this morning. He is as gay as
usual, and as busy in speculations on reorganizing his projects for
action as if he had never suffered the least interruption. He observed
to Major Smith and me, that in six months our schemes could be all
remounted; that we could now new model them in a better mould than
formerly, having a better view of the ground and a more perfect
knowledge of our men. We were silent. It should yet be granted, that
if Burr possessed sensibility of the right sort, with one hundredth
part of the energies for which, with many, he has obtained such
ill-grounded credit, his first and last determination, with the
morning and the night, should be the destruction of those enemies who
have so long and so cruelly wreaked their malicious vengeance upon
him."

"September 16, 1807. I was glad to find Burr had at last thought of
asking us to dine with him, as I was rather curious again to see him
shine in a _partie quarrie_, consisting of new characters. We
therefore walked with him from court; Luther Martin, who lives with
him, accompanying us. * * * * * The dinner was neat, and followed by
three or four sorts of wine. Splendid poverty! During the chit-chat,
after the cloth was removed, a letter was handed to Burr, next to whom
I sat. I immediately smelt musk. Burr broke the seal, put the cover to
his nose, and then handed it to me, saying--'This amounts to a
disclosure!' I smelt the paper, and said, 'I think so.' The whole
physiognomy of the man now assumed an alteration and vivacity that, to
a stranger who had never seen him before, would have sunk full fifteen
years of his age. 'This,' said he, 'reminds me of a detection once
very neatly practised upon me at New-York. One day a lady stepped into
my library while I was reading, came softly behind my chair, and
giving me a slap on the cheek, said, "Come, tell me directly, what
little French girl, pray, have you had here?" The abruptness of the
question and surprise left me little room to doubt the discovery had
been completely made. So I thought it best to confess the whole fact;
upon which the inquisitress burst out into a loud laugh on the success
of her artifice, which she was led to play off upon me from the mere
circumstance of, having smelt musk in the room.' I have given this
anecdote a place here only to convey an idea of that temperament and
address which enables this character to uphold his ascendency over the
sex. After some time Martin and Prevost withdrew, and we passed to the
topics of our late adventures on the Mississippi, in which Burr said
little, but declared he did not know of any reason to blame General
Jackson, of Tennessee, for any thing he had done or omitted. But he
declares he will not lose a day after the favourable issue at the
Capitol (his acquittal), of which he has no doubt, to direct his
entire attention to setting up his projects (which have only been
suspended) on a better model, 'in which work,' he says, 'he has even
here made some progress.'"

"September 20, 1807. I found Burr, just after a consultation with his
counsel, secretly writhing under much irritation at the conduct of
Judge Marshall, but affecting an air of contempt for his alleged
inconsistencies, as Burr asserted he (the judge) did not, for the last
two days, understand either the questions or himself; that he had
wavered in his opinions before yesterday's adjournment, and should, in
future, be put right by _strong language_. I am afraid to say _abuse_,
though I think I could swear he used that word. I learned from Major
Smith to-day a confirmation of what Colonel de Pestre had also
mentioned to me, that Burr sets off immediately for England after his
liberation to collect money for reorganizing his projects."

"September 22, 1807. I have seen a complete file of all the
depositions made before the grand jury in Burr's possession. It must
be confessed that few other men in his circumstances could have
procured these documents out of the custody of offices filled by his
inveterate enemies. Burr asserted to-day, in court, that he expected
documents that would disqualify Eaton as a witness."

"September 26, 1807. Wilkinson, in his examination, confessed that he
had altered the cipher letter, and sworn that there were no
alterations."

"Of Dudley Woodbridge, [2] it must not be concealed from those who may
have access to these _notes_ that, although he is reputed to have
given a fair, candid, and to us an advantageous testimony, _he has not
yet told the whole truth, having suppressed my communication to him of
our designs being unequivocally against Mexico_, which I suppose he
kept back because he embraced and embarked in the plan on the first
mention of it to him, though he afterward receded from it upon his own
reflections or counsel of others. Such is the address with which
ingratitude and dishonesty are made to pass in the garb of integrity,
like towcloth under fine muslin."

"October 8, 1807. I called on Burr this morning, when he at last
mentioned to me, during a short tete-a-tete, that he was preparing to
go to England; that the time was now auspicious for him, and he wished
to know whether I could give him letters. I answered that I supposed,
when he mentioned England, he meant London, as his business would
probably be with people in office; that I knew none of the present
ministry, nor did I believe I had a single acquaintance in London. He
replied, that he meant to visit every part of the country, and would
be glad to get letters to any one. I said I would think of it, that I
might discover whether I had any friends there whom it would be an
object worth his attention to know, and took leave. We can only
conjecture his designs. For my part, I am disposed to suspect he has
no serious intent of reviving any of his speculations in America, or
even of returning from Europe if he can get there."

After Colonel Burr's return to the United States from Europe, he
received several letters from Blennerhassett; in two of them he refers
to a suit which he commenced against General Andrew Jackson, in Adams
county, Mississippi territory, for a balance due Burr. In reply to an
inquiry made on the subject under date of the 4th of October, 1812, he
says, "I allude to an account between yourself and Andrew Jackson, in
his own handwriting, on which appears a balance in your favour of
$1726 62," &c. He then speaks of other papers, and adds, "As to the
manner in which I obtained the papers, it happened to be discovered
that the portmanteau you left with me, to be transmitted to Mr.
Alston, which lay at my disposal in the house of Mr. Harding, near
Natchez, was broken open by his servants. On this discovery I called
for the portmanteau, found the lock torn off, and some papers tumbled
and abused, which had seemingly been all opened. I observed and took
out the above document. The rest, with a silk tent, await the
disposition of your orders."

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