46 J UKES— EDWARDS 



duced a greater impression upon that body than 

 any other words ever spoken there. Every senator 

 was weeping, and for a long time no one covild 

 leave his seat or propose any business. It was a 

 sight for the nation to look upon and wonder. 

 For fourteen years he had been one of the most 

 conspicuous members of that body. 



Aaron Burr's ultimate ruin was wrought by his 

 colonization experiment in Louisiana. In popular 

 opinion, there was something traitorous in that un- 

 successful venture of his. In 1805 Mr. Burr paid 

 $50,000 for 400,000 acres of land which had been 

 purchased of Spain in 1800, before it passed to 

 France and then to the United States in 1803. Of 

 the motive of Colonel Burr we must always be 

 ignorant ; that he was not guilty of any crime in 

 connection therewith we are certain, for the highest 

 tribunal of the land acquitted him. President Jef- 

 ferson and the entire political force of the adminis- 

 tration were bent upon his conviction, but Chief 

 Justice Marshall, as capable, honorable, and incor- 

 ruptible a jurist as the country has known, would 

 not have it so. Unfortunately, the brilliant arraign- 

 ment by William Wirt was printed and read for 

 half a century, while the calm rulings of Chief 

 Justice Marshall never went beyond the court room. 



Why did a man of his capabilities, upon retire- 

 ment from the vice-presidency, attempt, at fifty 

 years of age to start life anew under such unprom- 

 ising conditions? Because he was suddenly politi- 

 cally and professionally ruined. Ruined because 



