The Indian Wars, 1784-1787 213 



ment with the Louisiana authorities, leaving the pre 

 cise nature of the arrangement to be decided by 

 events. 



The relations that he so promptly established with 

 the Spaniards were both corrupt and treacherous; 

 that is, he undoubtedly gave and took bribes, and 

 promised to intrigue against his own country for pe 

 cuniary reward ; but exactly what the different agree 

 ments were, and exactly how far he tried or in 

 tended to fulfil them, is, and must always remain, 

 uncertain. He was so ingrainedly venal, treacher 

 ous, and mendacious that nothing he said or wrote 

 can be accepted as true, and no sentiments which 

 he at any time professed can be accepted as those 

 he really felt. He and the leading Louisiana Span 

 iards had close mercantile relations, in which the 

 governments of neither were interested, and by 

 which the governments of both were in all proba 

 bility defrauded. He persuaded the Spaniards to 

 give him money for using his influence to separate 

 the West from the Union, which was one of the 

 chief objects of Spanish diplomacy. 29 He was 

 obliged to try to earn the money by leading the 

 separatist intrigues in Kentucky, but it is doubtful 

 if he ever had enough straightforwardness in him 

 to be a thoroughgoing villain. All he cared for was 

 the money ; if he could not get it otherwise, he was 

 quite willing to do any damage he could to his 

 country, even when he was serving it in a high 

 military position. But if it was easier, he was 



29 "History of Louisiana," Charles Gayarr6, III, 198. 



