988. BURR'S (A.) TREASON, Decoys. [continued].
It is understood that
wherever Burr met with subjects who did not
choose to embark in his projects, unless approved
by their government, he asserted that he
had that approbation. Most of them took his
word for it, but it is said that with those who
would not, the following stratagem was practiced.
A forged letter, purporting to be from
General Dearborn, was made to express his approbation,
and to say that I was absent at
Monticello, but that there was no doubt that,
on my return, my approbation of his enterprises
would be given. This letter was spread open
on his table, so as to invite the eye of whoever
entered his room, and he contrived occasions
of sending up into his room those whom he
wished to become witnesses of his acting under
sanction. By this means he avoided committing
himself to any liability to prosecution for
forgery, and gave another proof of being a great
man in little things, while he is really small in
great ones. I must add General Dearborn's
declaration, that he never wrote a letter to Burr
in his life, except that when here, once in a
winter, he usually wrote him a billet of invitation
to dine.—
To George Hay. Washington ed. v, 87.
Ford ed., ix, 54.
(W.
June. 1807)
