“Unless it be of molasses,” commented Wirt, sotto voce. At this stage of the trial Blennerhassett noted that Martin was “more in his cups than usual.”
The defense counted heavily on the evidence of a Major James Bruff to discredit Wilkinson. Bruff testified that the General had held out inducements to him to join an expedition against the Spaniards. He stated that on a visit to Washington he had called on both the Secretary of War and the Attorney General and warned them that Wilkinson was acquainted with Burr’s plans and involved in them. According to his story, Secretary of War Dearborn replied that it would be impossible at this point for the Government to discredit Wilkinson.
The Government, however, had foreseen Bruff’s testimony and prepared itself to meet his charges. It had on hand as witnesses Lt. Edmund Pendleton Gaines—the same Gaines who had accepted Burr’s arrest—and a Commodore Shaw. These military gentlemen had traveled to Richmond in the same stagecoach with Bruff and testified that Bruff had announced in their presence that he was going to get even with General Wilkinson. Bruff had recently been sentenced by a court martial. The testimony of Gaines and Shaw supported that of Wilkinson who asserted that Bruff had long borne toward him an implacable hatred.
In replying to Bruff’s testimony Wilkinson artfully contrived to work into his evidence damaging details of Burr’s behavior at their meeting at St. Louis in the autumn of 1805, which hitherto he had been given no opportunity to present. He attributed to Burr a reference to the imbecility of the Government, the prophecy that it would moulder to pieces, and his observation that the people of the western country were ready for revolt.
“To this I recollect replying,” said the General unctuously, “that if he had not profited more by his journey in other respects, he had better have remained at Washington or Philadelphia; for surely, said I, my friend, no person was ever more mistaken. The western people disaffected to the Government! They are bigoted to Jefferson and Democracy.” The General no doubt was not unmindful of how that would sound when the President got around to reading the testimony.
Wilkinson concluded with a parting shot at Major Bruff: “But I can state before you, Sir [addressing the Chief Justice], and before God [turning his eyes up to Heaven and placing his hands over his heart] that this whole narrative is either a vile fabrication or a distortion of fact.” After a whole week of cross-questioning the General’s spirit was unquenched and his flair for histrionics as keen as ever.
During all these tedious proceedings the “culprit” Burr, too, contrived to enjoy himself. Even though he had confessed that he had been duped, Blennerhassett still could not resist the Colonel’s magic charm. The two were constantly in each other’s company. Blennerhassett found Burr as gay as ever and busy speculating on the reorganization of his projects just as though they had never suffered the least interruption. He observed to the Irishman that within six months all their schemes would be remounted. What was more, said the Colonel, they could remodel them in a better mould than formerly since they now had a clearer view of the ground and a more perfect knowledge of men.
Blennerhassett listened in silence while he thought to himself “... time will prove him as incapable in all his future efforts as he has been in the past.”
The day after the jury had declared Burr “not guilty” of a misdemeanor the Colonel celebrated at a dinner party which included Martin, Blennerhassett, and a cousin of Judge Prevost. The dinner itself featured all the delicacies Richmond’s lavish Main Street market afforded and it included also three or four wines.
“Splendid poverty!” Blennerhassett exclaimed.