Virginia Argus

From The Hudson N. Y. Bee.

MORE OF THE WESTERN SPECULATIONS.

When Comfort Tyler, esq. the newly invested agent in this mysterious, unaccountable, and very suspicious business, was in New-York, in August last, in the commencement of his undertaking, he met there with an inhabitant of this city, with whom he had some business, and on whom he called in this place, on his return to Onondaga. He informed this person that his business had unexpectedly called him from New-York to Philadelphia, where he was three days with colonel Burr and some other gentlemen not recollected; and that since his return to New-York he had dined and conferred much with Mr. Swartwout, (for whom it is understood Mr T. has formerly had an agency in land affairs in this state) Oliver Wolcott, a Livingston, and some other well known characters not recollected; that he had an offer of great consequence to him, and did not know but he should accept it, in which case he was to go on to Pittsburgh, where a house would be prepared for his family, while he should proceed further on himself. He spoke freely of his project and invited a gentleman to embark in it. The gentleman could only gather from what Mr. T. chose to disclose to him, that he was to superintend the taking possession or settlement of vast tracts of land containing millions of acres, of immense value, and wanted a body of assistants or settlers to accompany him. Not listening for a moment to his invitations, which at the same time were so very significant as to excite the gentleman's curiosity, Mr. T. gave him no specific information on the subject.

The New-York Spectator speaks of a design in Mr. Burr, in which he is said to have been some time engaged, to effect a separation of the western country, with the Orleans and Louisiana territories, from the United States, to form a separate government, with himself at its head, and to unite with the Spanish in occupying the Mississippi, &c. Time only can shew the truth or futility of these reports. But their importance is such, that every friend to his country must be interested in their result, and every publisher of a newspaper ought to declare their existence, and mark every circumstance that may corroborate or defeat their authenticity. Under these impressions, while we suspend our opinion, and hope the rumors we hear are unfounded, we give them to the public for their consideration.