Shout treason : $b the trial of Aaron BurrBeirne, Francis F.
History
Shout treason : $b the trial of Aaron Burr
Beirne, Francis F.
Burr Conspiracy, 1805-1807; Burr, Aaron, 1756-1836 -- Trials, litigation, etc.; Trials (Treason) -- United States
After further wandering in Kentucky, Taylor testified that he at
last came up with Blennerhassett and that they set out together on a
return journey to the island. He pictured Blennerhassett as shrouding
himself in mystery and, when people at the inns along the way inquired
Blennerhassett’s name, Taylor was instructed to tell them it was “Tom
Jones.” Blennerhassett also directed Taylor to call him that.
Taylor said Blennerhassett began to inquire for young men who owned
rifles, explaining that he and Burr had bought land and wanted young
men to settle on it. To this Taylor replied that he would like to go
along if he could take his wife and family with him. But, according
to his testimony, Blennerhassett replied that he would have to have
further consultation with Burr on that point.
Then, according to the witness, Blennerhassett paused and after a
moment’s hesitation said: “I will tell you what, Peter, we are going to
take Mexico, one of the finest and richest places in the whole world.”
Taylor went on to say that Blennerhassett told him Burr would be king
of Mexico, and Mrs. Alston, Burr’s daughter, was to be queen when Burr
died.
Taylor said he inquired of Blennerhassett what would happen to the
young men when they found out that the expedition was against Mexico,
after they had signed up to settle the lands. He quoted the latter
as replying: “Oh, by God, I tell you, Peter, every man that will not
conform to order and discipline I will stab; you’ll see how I’ll fix
them.”
The witness said he then remarked to Blennerhassett that people were
spreading the rumor that he wanted to divide the Union. According to
Taylor, Blennerhassett explained that he and Burr could not do that
themselves. All they could do was to tell the people the consequences
of it. Blennerhassett, said Taylor, pointed out that the people in the
western states now paid $400,000 a year to the Government in taxes
and received no benefit from it. What a fine thing it would be if
they could keep the money among themselves on the western side of the
mountains, make locks, build bridges, and cut roads.
The District Attorney now took over the witness. He wanted to know if
Taylor was not on the island at the time of the assembly. On being
answered in the affirmative he asked if the men had guns. Taylor
replied that some of them had and that they went hunting. He could not
give the exact number that were armed. Further questioning brought out
that Taylor did not know whether the weapons were rifles or muskets.
He said the only pistols he saw were Blennerhassett’s. He added that
the men had powder and lead and that some of them were running bullets.
He admitted that at no time had he seen Burr on the island and that he
understood he was not in that part of the country at the time.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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