The Sun. — London, England, 1804-08-17 00:00:00

$C G V, 'E RAL lI.4MILTON•AND-Tig ;ICE. PRESIDENT BURR:- (FROM THE NE W-YORK V AYERS.) The fatal duel was occasioned, us otrr Readerelnovi, tly ,sotite animadv rsions by the General itpon the condnet of the Vice. President. The following Correspondence took place between them upon the ;übject of these animadvertdops, the Letters of the General being deemed unsatisfattory, Mr. YAW .N si was sent with a Challenge troth the Vice-Presi ! deat h which•was accepted. eorrespnndence between General 1-TA'ytt Lim, and Colonel BURK . , together with an explanAtion of the coaduti, motives; aid views, of General .HAt.ti; TON, written - with his own hand, the evening be. fore the-meeting took plaeei and only to ha ve be e n seen in the'deplotable event that followed. SIR, No. I. Nrw.York, June 18, i 80.4.. I send for your perusal a letter signed CHARLES D. Cour eR, which, though apparently published some time ago, ha; but very recently come to my knowledge. Mr. Van Miss who does me the favour to deliver thi,, will point out to you that clause of the_ letter, to which I particululy request your at. tent ion. You must perceive, Sir, the necessity of a prompt 'and unqualified acknowledgment or denial of the use of any rxpre,sion which would warrant the asser. lions of Dr. Coop / a . • I have the honour to be, Your obedient servant, ilarnillets. A. BURR, No. ST R, , tu Yor, 7100 20, illcse. / have maturely refletted on the ..tabjett of sour letter of the 18th inst. and the ruore I have,refiett: elf, the more I have bechm e convinced . that I . cOuld• • not, without manifest impropriety, make the avowal " • or disavowal which you seem to think necessary. The clause pointed out by Mr. Van Istess is in these terms, 4 ' J could derail tp you a still more despicable opinion ,which HAMILTON has expressed of Mr., Buttit." To endeaYour to di.cover the meaning of this de. ;laration, I was obliged to seek in the antecedent part of this letter for the opinion to which it referred, as having been already disclosed : I found it in these word.. • 46 General HiMetoet, and Judge Ken?, have p , otx to ared, in substance that they looked u p on M r . .3 be a dangerous man, and. one who ought tlo t to be . trusted with the reins of Gavernment." The laegtelge of Dr. Cooiza plainly.implies, that he conStd,red this opinion of you, which' he ittributes to Me, as a despicable one ; but he' al. - tims, that I have exeressed some °diet' still more without, however, mentioning to whom, when, or' where. It is evident, that the phrase . 44 still mote despicable," admits of infinite shades from very light to very dark. How am Ito judge al the degree intended or how shall I annex any precise idea to language so indefinite Between Gentlemen, 'despicable and more deep'," are not worth the pains of a distindion When, . therefore, you do not interrogate me, as to the opinion which is specifically ascribed to me, I must conclude, that you view it, as within the li. f. nits to which "the animadversions of political onto_ tents upon each othet may justifiably extend, and consequently as not warranting the idea of it which Dr. COOPIR appears to ;ntertain. If so, what precise inference could you draw, as a guide for Your conduit, were I to acknowledge that I had expressed-an opinion of• you still more despicable than the one which is' particularised How could You be sure that even this opinion had exceeded the bounds which you would yourself deem admissible between political opponents ? Out I forbear further comment on the embarrass. enti to which the requisition you have tnade ,,,‘?,ikuy lead s . Th e occas i on forbids a more ample Ito testrsu tation, though nothing could b e more easy than Pu t i t • prißettPeating that I cannot reconc i le i t with pro. deal r te Make t h e ac k now l e d gment or deniaLyou ntin re . , I will add, that I d eem i t inadmissable, on j usti ci P l et to con sent to b e i nterrogated as to ' the othe rs of of the inferences which may be drawn by ft9nl whatever I may have said of a political Itieunent in the cou rse o f fif teen years competion. e cie t h ere were no ot h er objeftion to it, this Is suf. a. , nr_t that it would tend to expose my s i ncer i ty 'le delicacy to injurious imputations from every Person ) w h o _ may, at an y t i me , h ave conce i ve d t h e 7 , Pert or my expressions, iliffetentlY from what I T,y then have intended, or may afterwards recol. explicitly any precise or drfinite oPPi n i" I may be charg ed an yllan. Mo re with having declared of re titan this cannot fitly be ex son x bi y ex ; and especially "ed 4°171 mne °' it cannot be tea. lion upori P a ‘i• l tett that 'I shall enter into an explana. adopt e d . ask so vague as that which you hive th e matter in r Tt) on more refletlion, you will see I .:ah onl y „ v i t " t e same light with me. If not, I thee o b si ,,,,..y the eirc,,,,„, ti ,„ e a, and must !abide h e l b u i c ." ce s* „ 1 !" 'cation of pl , 1 1 11 after the 4. , !. Coot ie, was never seen I have receip t of your Letter x Cecee/ t,e Honour to be, .10. A. }Wastrels. . W. IR, No . 7„l:lovteird.Letvite4r ( . )f the zot h Nelu•Yer4, grim 21, 1804. grti . to. fi nd in !in" C" idered i t atte n tively, re instant has been this day `act' ikkieh it nothing of that sincerity and deli. Y 3u- Prufegb to value. • • f teto - the rie .. °P " s itten can never abstdve Gentlemen 1-keour, e "itrof a rigid adherence to the Laws of 04iin such r it . nd .. the rules of decorum. I neither p tvtiege, nor indulge it in others. The co th e . , ),,nr.non see,, of mankind af fi xes to the epi. • It has IlLoe4'l7.pr.COOPißs the idea of dishonour. - tely ti " Your Pun" apoliett to me-under the sanc. he has understodinde. The question is not, whether used it acoordi ° the meaning of the word, or has 4ccura CY; bur, to Syntax, and with grammatical 4 1vphe m i on, Whethe r you have authorised this 41 . 41, or 2 .n.ither direftly, or by uttering expres. ti me „ when„ i s derogatory to my honour. The 4il tri4l to • iS in your knowledge, but ho way "iselo he d me ' a s the itillumny has thisv fi rst been a n d . 4 o as to becom e the b'e of my . as the erri. su notice s a is present and palpable. You letter, has Furnished nie.with new f MOM to requiring a definite reply. "have the honour to be; • Sir, your obedient, Gintral Hamilton. A...13%711. On Saturday, June z 2, Gen. H. for the fiat time, called on Mr. P. and communicated to him the pie.- ceding Correspondence. He informed him, that in conversation with Mr. V'. N. at the time of receiv. ing the last letter, he mentioned it as rude and offensive, and that it was not possible for him to give it any other answer, tjian that Mr. BUR tt must take such steps as he might think proper. He said farther, that Mr. V. N. requested him to take time to deliberate, and then return an answer, when he might possibly entertain a different opinion,. and that he would call to receive it. That his replyto Mr. V. N. was, that he did not perceive it possible for hira to give any other answer than that he had mentioned, unless Mr. BURR would take back his last letter, and write one which would admit of a different reply. He then gave Mr. P. the letter, hereafter mentioned, of the 2 2ti June, to be de. livered to Mr. V. N. when he bhduld call on Mr. P. for an answer, and went to his country house. The next day General Hatt t LTON, teceited,while there, the following letter NO: Iv.. SIR, lOW 23, 1804.. In the afternoon of yesterday I reported to Cot. BURL the result of my last interview with you, and appointed the evening to receive his further instruc. tions : some private engagements, however, pre. vented me from calling on him till this morning. On my return io the city, I found upon inquiry, both at your office and house, that you had returned to your residence in the country. Lest an interview there might be less agreeable to you than elsewhere,. I have taken the liberty of addressing you this note, to inquire when and where it will he most convenient to you to receive a communication. Your most obedient and vet:) , humble Servant, Cenral Harilrar. W. P. VAN'Niss. Mr. P. understood from Genera! HAMILTON that he immediately answered, that if the communication was pressing he would receive it at his country house that day ; if not, he would he at his house in town the next morning at nine o'clock. But he did not give Mr. P. any copy of this note. No. V. Sig. NeW-York, ;SW 22, 18(544 ?bur first letter, in a stile too peremptory, made a demand, in my opinion, unprecedented and un. warrantable, My answer, pointing out the embar. rassment, gave you an opportunity to take a less exceptionable course. You have nut chosen to do it ; but by your last letter, received this day, con. taming expressions indecorous and improper, you have increased the difficulties to explanat►on intrin. sically incident to ;he nature of your applications. If by a " definite re ply" you mean the direa avowal or disavowal required in your first letter, I have no other answer to give, than that which has already been given. If you mean any thing diffe. rent, admitting of greater latitude, it is requisite you should explain. I have the honour to be, Sir, your obcdient Servant, dart?! Burr, Esq • ALEX; HAMILTON. This Letter, although dated on the 23i of June, remained in Mr. P.'s possession until the 2 5th, within which period •he had several convey sations with Mr. V. N. In these conversations, Mr. P. endeavoured to illustrate and enforce the propriety of the ground General HAMILTON had taken. Mr. P. mentioned to Mr. V. N. as the result., that if Colonel BURR would write a Letter, requesting to know in substance, whether, in the conversation to.which Dr. Coorte alluded, any particular instance of dishonourable condua was imputed to Colonel Btiait, or whether there was any impeachment of his private charafter ? Gen., HAMILTON would declare to the best of his recot. leCtion•what passed in that conversation ; and Mi. P. lead to Mr. V. N. a paper containing the sub. stance of what General H. would say on that sub. jcit g which is as follows : NO. VI, _ - 16 General HAM' LION says, he cannot imagine to what Dr. COOPER may have alluded, unless it were to a conversation at Mr. •TAyLott's, in Al. bany, last winter (at which Mr. TAYLOR, he, and Gen. 1-1, were present). Gen. HAMILTON cannot recoiled distindly the particulars of that conver. sation, so as to undertake to repeat them, without running the frisk of. varying, or omitting what might be deemed important circumstances. The expressions are entirely forgotten, and the specific ideas imperfedly remembered; but to the best of his recolledion, it consisted of comments on the political principles and views of. Col. Bout, and the results that be expelled from them in the event of his eledion as Governor, without refe. rence.to any particular instance of past condult, or to private charAfier." After the delivery of the Letter of the 22d, as above mentioned, in another interview 'with Mr. V. N. he desired Mr. P. to give him, in writing, the substance of what he had proposed on the part of Gen. HAM I LTON ; which. Mr. P. did in the words following : " 6 In answer to a letter properly,adapted to oh. tain from General HAM I Lro m a declaration whe. Cher he had charged Colonel 13tiatt with any parti. cular instance of dishonourable conduit, or.had im peached his private charader, either in the conver. sation alluded to by Dr. COovik, or in any parti. cular instance to be specified : "He would be attic to answer consistently with his honour, and the truth, in substance, that the con versation to which Dr. COOP ER alluded, turned wholly on political topics, and did not attribute to Colonel BURR any instance , of dishonourable con. dud, nor relate to his private charader : and in re. lation to any other language or conversation of General H. which. Colonel Butts. will specify, a prompt and frank avowal or denial wilt be given." On the etith June, Mr. P. received the following Letter: No. VIII. SIR, The letter whict► you yesterday delivered a e, sad your subseqUent comniunicettiun, in Cul. Bunnell ~~)1QiClf1~ , Ct nn aiSpi,sl:lor. on pan or lsen. 1-lANtlu - roN ‘ to come tota .satiaadory accommoda tion., The injury complained of, and the repara. Jinn expreted, are se definitely expressed in Cot. BURR'S letter of the- *lst inst: that there is not perceived a necessity for further explanation on his part. The-difficulty that would result from confin. ing the inquiry to any particular tithes and occa. sions must be manifest. The denial of a specified conversation only, would leave strong implications that on other occas:tins improper language had been used. When and where injurious opinions and ex. pressians have been uttered by General HAMILTON, must be best known to him—and of him only will Col. BURR inquire. No denial or declaration will be satisfattory unless it be general, so as wholly to exclude the idea, that rumours derogatory to Col. BURR'S honour have originated with General HA. MILTON, or have beets fairly infetred from any, thing lie has said. A definite reply to a requisition of this nature was demanded by Col. BURR'S letter of the 31st hist.; this being refused, invites the alternative alluded to_ in General HAMILTON'S letter of the toth. It was required by the position in which the con. troversy was placed by General HAMILTON on Fri. day last, and I was immediately furnished with a communication demanding a personal interview. The necessity ,of this measure has nor, in the opi. nits!) of Col. Bulk, been diminished by the Gent. tai's last letter, or any communication that has since been received. lam consequently again instrutcd to deliver you a message, as soon as it may be con. venient for you to receive it. I beg, therefore, you will be so good as to inform me at what hour I can have the pleasure of seeing you. .Your most obedient, and very humble Servant, W. P. VAN Nits:. Nathaniel Pendlrion, Erq. jaw 26. No. IX. SIR, JIM 26, 1804. I have communicated the Lester which you did me the honour to write to me, of this date, to Ge. neral HAstiLTON. The expettatii3ns now disclosed, on the part of Colonel BURR, appear to him to have greatly extended the original ground of inquiry, and instead of presenting a particular and definite c a se for explanation, seem to aim at nothing less than an inquisition into his most confidential conversations, as well as others, through the whole period of his acquaintance 'with Colonel BURR. While he was prepared to meet the particular case fairly and fully, ,he thinks it inadmissible that he should be expetted to answer at large as to every thing that he may possibly have said in relation to the charaCter of Colonel Buss., at any time,. or upon any occasion. Though he is not conscious that any charges which arc in circulation, to the preju. dice of Colonel BURR, have originated with him, except one which may have been so cons'. dered, and which has long • since been fully ex plained between Colonel Buita and himself 7-. yet he cannot consent to be questioned general.. ly as to any rantomrs which may be afloat derogatory to the charaaet of Col. BURR, without specification of the several turnouts, many of them probably un known to. him. He dues not, however, mean to authorize any conclusion as to the real nature of his condutt in relation to Col. Buzz, by his declining so loose and vague a basis of explanation, and he disavows an unwillingness to come to satisfaCtory, provided it be an honourable, accommodation. His objection is, the very indefinite ground, which Col. Bulls has assumed, in which he is sorry to be able to discern nothing short of predetermined hostility: Presuming, therefore, that it will be adhered to, he has instructed me to receive the message which you have it in charge to deliver. For this purpose I shall be at home, and at your command, to.murrow morning from .eight to ten o'clock. I have the honour to be, respeCtfully, Your obedient Servant, NATHANIEL PENDLETON. William P. Pals Ness, Eq. No. X. spa,' • The letter which I had the honour to receive from you, under date of yesterday, states, among other things, that in General HAMILTON'S opinion, Colonel BURR has taken a very indefinite ground,' in which he evinces nothing short of predetermined hostility, and that General flmatt.ToN thinks it inadmissible that the inquiry shoti!ti extend to his confidential as well as other conversations. To This Colonel BURR can only reply, that secret whispers, traducing his fame and impeaching his honour, are at least equally injurious with rlanders publicly ut. tered. That General H. had at no time, and in no place, a right to use any such injurious expressions ; and that the partial negative he is disposed to give, with the reservations he wishes to make, are proofs that he has done the injury specified. ' . Col. Burin's request was, in the first instance, proposed in a form the most simple, in order that Gen. H. might give to the affair that course try which he might be induced by his temper and his • knowledge nt fads. Col. BURR trUSteti, with confi.. dence,• that from the frankness of a soldier, and the candour of a Gentleman, he might expect an. inge nuous declaration. That if, as lie had reason to believe, Gen. H. had used expressions derogatory to his honour, he would have had the magnanimity to retractthem ; and that if, from his language , inju. rious inferences ,had been improperly , drawn, he would have perceived the propriety of corretting errors which might•thus have been widely diffused. With these impressiOns, Col. Butta • was greatly sutprized at receiving a letter which he considered as evasive, and which, in a manner, he deemed not altogether decorOus. In one expettation, h.iwever, he was not 'wholly deceived, for the close of Gen. H's. letter contained an intimation that if Col.. BURR should dislike his refusal to aeknowltege or deny, he was ready to meet the consequences. This Col. BURR deemed a sort of defiance, and would have felt justified in making it the basis 'of, an immediate message. But as the comMunicatinn contained something concerning the indefiniteness of"the request, as he believed it rather the offspring of false pride than of tefiettion, and as he felt the utmost reluetance to proceed to extremities while any other hope remained, his request was repeated •in terms mbre,explicit. The replies and proposi ' titins ou the Nit of Gen. HAMILTON haveiin Col, i •Satile., - ...- - . - , •, i' • ' - • Colt nel Buell. disAvvis; ' 4l mtivet qf . psredetcr, , mined hostility, a charge by t which he thj.ilts insult added to injury—He feels, 41 a Gentleman s.:uld* feel when his honour .is itupetched or ass Ailed, an.l wititot4 sen:ations of liosOlity or wishes'of tevenge,; he is determined to vindicate that hon , ..tir at suea hazard as the nature of the case demands. . The lertgth to which this 'Correspondence haxex 7 tended,.only tending.tO prove that the satist - 40:lry redress, earnestly desired, cannot lit obtained, deems it useless to offer any prt.plsitiaft except,tht simple message which I Shall now have the hondar to deliver. . , I have t! , .e Honour to be, with greatre,spea, Your obedient and very humble Serv,anr, • W. P. NESS. Ifeineiday Jane 27, 180+. With this letter, a message has teceived,. such as was to be expefted, containing an invitatiott, which was accepted ; and Mt. P. informed Mr. V. N. he should heat from hiM next day as to futurt particulars. This letter was delivered to Gen..H. on the sane evening, anti a very short conversaticrn ensued tween him and Mr. P. who•was to call on him catty the next morning for a further conference. Winn he did so, Gen. H. said, he bad not understood 'wile_ ther the message anti answer was definitively con_ chided, Or whether another meeting was - to take place ftr that purpose between Mr. Y. aid Mr. V. ift4del the latter -impression, and as the last letter contained ma.tter that naturally led to ani. madvetsion,..he gave Mr. P. a pap'er of remarks, in his awn haud.writing, to be communicated at Mr. V. N. if 'the state of - the'atfair tendered it proper. In the farther Interview with Mr. V. N. that day; after explaining the causes which had induced Gen. li f sratl.Tort to suppose that the state of the affair did not render it improper,' he ofrered this paper to Mr. V. N.—but he declined receiving, ir, alledgirtg that he considered the Correspondence closed by the acceptance of the message tie delivered. Mr. P. informed Mr, V. N. of the inducements mentioned by General fiamttroti in those remarks, for the postponing the meeting until the close of the' Circuit ; and as this was uncertain, Mr. P. was hr let him know when it would be convenient. On Friday, the 6th of July, the Circuit heine closed, Mr. P. gaVe this information, and that Genf.` HAMILTON would he ready at anytime after the Sunday following. On Monday the particulars were arranged, and the Public are but too well.acquainted with the sad result. The paper above alluded to is as follows : H. Remarks on the Letter of June 27, 1804. Whether the-observations on this Letter are de.: signed merely to justify the result which is indicat. eel in the close of the Letter, 'or may be intended to give an opening for rendering any thing explicit which may have been deemed vague heretofore, can only be judged of by the sequel.. At any rate, 'it appears to me necessary tilt to be niisunderstood. Mr. PE SDI, ETON is, therefore, authorited to say, that, in the course of the present discussion, writ.. ten or verbal, there has been no intention to evade, defy, or insult, but .a sincere disposition to avoid extremities, if it could be done with : propriety. With this view General IL had been ready- to en. ter into a frank and free explanation on any and every subje& of a specific nature; but nut to an.. swer a general and abstraet inquiry,' embracing a period too long for any accurate recolleaion, and exposing him to unpleasant criticism's from, or un pleasant discussidns with any, and every person who may have understood him in an unfavourable sense. This (admitting that he could " answer in a manner the most.satisfaciory to Colonel Bursa) he should deem inadmissible in principle- and precedent, and humiliating in praglice. To this, therefore, he can never submit. Frequent allusion 'has been made to slanders said to be in circulation. Whether they are openly or in whispers, they have a form and shape, and 'might be specified. If the alternative alluded to in the close of the letter is definitively tendered, it must be accepted ; the time, place, and manner, to be afterwards rep, 'med. I should not think it right, in the midst of a Circuit Court, to withdraw my services from thosi who may have confidedimportant interests to me, an d expose them to the embarrassment of seek. ing other Counsel, who may not have time to be sufficiently bastruded` in their causes. I shall a l so want a little time to nuke some arrangement re. speding my qwn - affairs. The following is the narr4iive of the Duel, the General's Will, DUEL. COlnno BURR arrived first on the ground, as had beep previously agreed ; when General HAM r LTorf iiiived; the miles exchanged saint at ions, and the Se. coeds mceeded to make the:, Thar Measure 4 the distance, ten full paces, lino cask iuid far "the aoice of position,' as also to deter Mine by whom the word should he givens; both of which fell to the Second of General HAMILTON. They then proceeded to load the pistols in each others presence, after which the parties took their stations. The Gentleman who- was to give the word, then ex. plained to the. parties 'the rules which were to govern them in firing, which were as follows The parties being placed at their stations, the Second who gives the word . shall ask them whether they are ready; being answered in the. atlizmative; he shall say s' presort ;" alter this the patties shall present and fire when they please. If one fifes before the other, the opposite Second shrill say one, two, three, lite,--and he shall then fire l os e hi, fire."-,—He theft ;piked it theYwere prepared? being answered in the affirrmative he gave the word ',petit, as was agreed on ; both parties pre,..ented, ticid' lived in succession.; the intervening time is not. exprevsed, as the Sectulas do not precisely Agree on that point. The fire of Colonel BURR took eff ., et, and Genral 1-lArat LTnti almost instantly fell. Coc, BURR then 'advanced towards General titoti t-Tot, with a manner and. geslttte that appeared( to Geivetea HAMILTON's tritod to be expressive of regret, but, without speaking, turned Diwut, withdrew, ing urged trurri ;he field by hit iti.:lli3 ) as has been