CHAPTER II 



INTRIGUES AND LAND SPECULATIONS THE TREA- 

 TIES OF JAY AND PINCKNEY, 1 793" 1 797 



THROUGHOUT the history of the winning of 

 of the West what is noteworthy is the current 

 of tendency rather than the mere succession of in- 

 dividual events. The general movement, and the 

 general spirit behind the movement, became evident 

 in many different forms, and if attention is paid 

 only to some particular manifestation we lose sight 

 of its true import and of its explanation. Particular 

 obstacles retarded or diverted, particular causes ac- 

 celerated, the current ; but the set was always in one 

 direction. The peculiar circumstances of each case 

 must always be taken into account, but it is also 

 necessary to understand that it was but one link in 

 the chain of causation. 



Such events as Burr's conspiracy or the conquest 

 of Texas can not be properly understood if we fail 

 to remember that they were but the most spectacu- 

 lar or most important manifestations of what oc- 

 curred many times. The Texans won a striking vic- 

 tory and performed a feat of the utmost importance 

 in our history; and, moreover, it happened that at 

 the moment the accession of Texas was warmly fa- 

 vored by the party of the slave-holders. Burr had 



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