338 The Winning of the West 



men saw what Eastern politicians could not see 

 the connection between Burr's conspiracy and the 

 former Spanish intrigues of men like Wilkinson, 

 Sebastian, and Innes. They were loyal to the 

 Union; and they felt a bitter factional hatred for 

 their victorious foes in whose ranks were to be 

 found all the old-time offenders; so they attacked 

 the new conspiracy with a double zest. They not 

 only began a violent newspaper war upon Burr and 

 all the former conspirators, but also proceeded to 

 invoke the aid of the courts and the Legislature 

 against them. Their exposure of the former Span- 

 ish intrigues, as well as of Burr's plots, attracted 

 widespread attention in the West, even at New Or- 

 leans; 12 but the Kentuckians, though angry and 

 ashamed, were at first reluctant to be convinced. 

 Twice Daviess presented Burr for treason before 

 the Grand Jury; twice the Grand Jury declared in 

 his favor; and the leaders of the Kentucky Democ- 

 racy gave him their countenance, while Henry Clay 

 acted as his counsel. Daviess, by a constant succes- 

 sion of letters, kept Jefferson fully informed of all 

 that was done. Though his attacks on Burr for 

 the moment seemed failures, they really accomplished 

 their object. They created such uneasiness that the 

 prominent Kentuckians made haste to clear them- 

 selves of all possible connection with any treasonable 

 scheme. Henry Clay demanded and received from 

 Burr a formal pledge that his plans were in no wise 

 hostile to the Union; and the other people upon 



18 Gayarrfe, IV, 180. 



