234 The Winning of the West 



plans, and that the people at large were tending to 

 ward them. As time went on, he was obliged to 

 change the tone of his letters, and to admit that he 

 had been over-hopeful ; he reluctantly acknowledged 

 that Kentucky would certainly refuse to become a 

 Spanish province, and that all that was possible to 

 hope for was separation and an alliance with Spain. 

 He was on intimate terms with the separatist leaders 

 of all shades, and broached his views to them as far 

 as he thought fit. His turgid oratory was admired 

 in the backwoods, and he was much helped by his 

 skill in the baser kinds of political management. He 

 speedily showed all the familiar traits of the dema 

 gogue he was lavish in his hospitality, and treated 

 young and old, rich and poor, with jovial good-fel 

 lowship ; so that all the men of loose habits, the idle 

 men who were ready for any venture, and the men 

 of weak character and fickle temper, swore by him, 

 and followed his lead; while not a few straightfor 

 ward, honest citizens were blinded by his showy 

 ability and professions of disinterestedness. 50 



It is impossible to say exactly how far his differ 

 ent allies among the separatist leaders knew his real 

 designs or sympathized with them. Their loosely 

 knit party was at the moment united for one osten 

 sible purpose that of separation from Virginia. 

 The measures they championed were in effect revo 

 lutionary, as they wished to pay no regard to the 

 action either of Virginia herself, or of the Federal 

 Government. They openly advocated Kentucky's 



60 Marshall, I, 245. 



