uppose, when he had been unseated by the contestant of his
election, (a Mr. Spaulding,) Jefferson, to appease his wounded
feelings, had appointed him secretary to the Mississippi Territory. He
was a vain man of very small mind, and full of the importance of his
official station." I remarked that he was a brother-in-law of mine. "I
was not aware of that, but I am sure you are too well acquainted with
the truth of the statement to be offended at my stating it." I
remarked: "Colonel, I am thoroughly acquainted with General Mead, and
equally as well acquainted with all the circumstances connected with
your acquaintance with him. The adventure of Bruensburgh has been,
through life, a favorite theme with the General, and I doubt if there
is living a man who ever knew the General a month, who has not heard
the story repeated a dozen times." He dryly remarked: "I should have
supposed the episode to that affair would have restrained him from its
narration;" and the conversation ceased.

I shall have much more to say of these two in a future chapter. At
this time Colonel Burr was old and slightly bent, very unlike what he
was when I first met him; still his eyes and nose, brow and mouth,
wore the same expression they did fifteen years before. About the
mouth and eye there was a sinister expression, and he had a habit of
looking furtively out of the corner of his eye at you, when you did
not suppose he was giving any attention to you.

CHAPTER XV.

CHANGE OF GOVERNMENT.

GOVERNOR WOLCOTT--TOLERATION--MR. MONROE--PRIVATE LIFE OF WASHINGTON--
THOMAS JEFFERSON--THE OBJECT AND SCIENCE OF GOVERNMENT--COURT ETIQUETTE
--NATURE THE TEACHER AND GUIDE IN ALL THINGS.

During the year 1820 I was frequently a visitor at the house of
Governor Oliver Wolcott, who then resided in Litchfield, Connecticut.
Governor Wolcott was a remarkable man in many respects. He was
originally a Federalist in politics, and enjoyed the confidence of that
party to an unlimited extent. His abilities were far above ordinary,
and his family one of great respectability. He was a native of
Connecticut, and after Alexander Hamilton retired from the Treasury
bureau in the Cabinet of Washington, he succeeded to that position. He
filled the office with credit to himself, and to the satisfaction of
his chief. He had, after considerable time spent in public life, left
Connecticut, to reside in New York. Subsequent to the war, and when the
Federal party had aband