Louisiana and Aaron Burr 247 



the seizers. The scheme came to nothing. No defi- 

 nite steps were taken, and the British Government 

 refused to take any share in the movement. Finally 

 the plot was discovered by the President, who 

 brought it to the attention of the Senate, and Blount 

 was properly expelled from the Upper House for 

 entering into a conspiracy to conquer the lands of 

 one neighboring power in the interest of another. 

 The Tennesseeans, however, who cared little for the 

 niceties of international law, and sympathized warm- 

 ly with any act of territorial aggression against the 

 Spaniards, were not in the least affected by his ex- 

 pulsion. They greeted him \vith enthusiasm, and 

 elected him to high office, and he lived among them 

 the remainder of his days, honored and respected. 51 

 Nevertheless, his conduct in this instance was inde- 

 fensible. It was an unfortunate interlude in an oth- 

 erwise honorable and useful public career. 52 



11 Blount MSS., letter of Hugh Williamson, March 3, 1808, 

 etc., etc. 



M General Marcus J. Wright, in his "Life and Services of 

 William Blount," gives the most favorable view possible of 

 Blount's conduct. 



