Clay listened and
temporized, but never, for a moment, yielded assent. Jackson, more
ardent, and a military man by nature, was carried away with the idea
for a time. He was well acquainted with the people of the West, and
especially with the population on the Lower Mississippi, and was the
man who recommended Burr to make first a descent upon Mexico, as I have
been confidentially informed, and sincerely believe. I have also been
informed that he dissuaded Burr from any attempt to excite a war of the
West with the East; but first to make Mexico secure, which they and
Wilkinson believed would be an easy matter. It was when Burr, having
abandoned his first enterprise, descended the Mississippi, that he was
arrested. This arrest was made by the acting Governor of Mississippi,
and at some point in that Territory, where Jackson had a store or
trading establishment. He was, with three of his aides, on his way to
meet Wilkinson, for the purpose of arranging matters. He escaped, and
finding things prepared for his interception, he made his way across
the country; but was finally arrested, on the Tombigbee, by an officer
of the United States army.
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