Burr saw all this, and determined to effect
its separation from the Union, and there to establish a new empire,
which should, ere long, control the destinies of the continent. It was
the conception of genius and daring, but required an administrative
ability which he had not, to consummate this conception. He
miscalculated his material. The people of the West were vastly more
intelligent than he had supposed them. They were not so simple as to
receive his views, and blindly adopt and act upon them. They canvassed
them, and concluded for themselves. At Pittsburgh he found a number of
adventurous young men (who had nothing to lose, and who were ripe for
any enterprise which promised fame or fortune,) to unite with him.
"He found Henry Clay in Kentucky, and Andrew Jackson in Tennessee,
young, enterprising, and full of spirit and talent. He supposed them to
be the men he sought, and approached both, cautiously revealing his
views; but, to his astonishment, the grievances of the West had not so
warped their patriotism as to dispose them to engage in any schemes
which threatened the dismemberment of the Union.
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