Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1804-08-18

: "'' ""o "Ol'ff ""VHto you sec ut 10 flH6GSh
them, they 7riU haze tendency 10 tiace Me
matter in d firoher foin. Of tie4v, and hreve,.s
Unjust inlfireSSioss$.
Col. Burr cannot be justified for chal.
longing and fighting duel with Cen. Ha-
milton, principally,
because the practice is obnoxious 10
divine and human laws:
Because Mr.. Burr, from his elevated
station, and the influence his example
might have, was especially bound to obey
and respect those laws:
because until Tic expiration Of the
time Tor which he was eleeled, his life was
not his own---it was the public he
had no right to risk it in private quarrel.
Forthese and some subordinate reasons,
Col. Bnrr's conduct cannot, in my mind,
be justified.
Yet those who consider the practice of
avenging ones own injuries by the mode
OF dueliing as proper, and bellows that
d magistrate owes no Difference 10 the o.
pinlon, or regard 10 the honor Of his con.
stituents, cannot consistently condemn the
conduct of Col. Burr.
II is well known fact that Gen. Ha-
milton has long been in the habit of censur.
ing the conduct and eliminating the mo.
tives OF Col. Burr, with q freedom un.
common, perhaps unjustihabIe between
gentlemen and competitors. Gen. Ha-
milton acknowledges in the paper which
he LETT behind him, that -" his animadver-
sIons on the political principles, character
and views of Col. Burr have been cztrene-
~ SeUere, and on different occasions he,
in common with many others, has made
very uDdpora6le criticisms on particular
instances of the hriUatc cond.ci Of that
gentleman" He cofesses that Col. Burr
has " doubtless heard of animadversions
OF his that bore very hard uiton him; and
that II Is probable that as usual they 7oere
ACCOMPANIED 6Y some jdfsehoods." lie con-
tesses that " il is possible in some par,i-
culars he may have been influenced by
mIsconstruclion or misinformation," and
that sit is possible he may haze injured
Col Barr.'i-Yet in reply 10 Cal. Eurr's
tirst note, which any gentleman might
with propriety have written, and which /
think Gen. Hamilton might withou: dis
grace have satisfactorily answered, The
latter not only refuses any satisfactory ex-
PLANTATION, but throws out kind of def
ance, that ne will abide fhe consequences.
BY this expression he cuts off Col. Burr's
retreat, for had he not then challenged
Gen. Hamilton, those who now curse him
The most bitterly, would then have riai-
cu!ed hiin the most severely, and reproach-
ed him the most GENEROUSLY.
AS to General Hamilton's being, as is
frequently asserted by his trends, con,heH-
ed to take the field, / cannot discern any
conlfi'ttSio1. believe that acknowledge
menls from Gen. Hamilton, going bu, lit
tie further than those which he made in
the paper he left behind him, that " he
might have been influenced in what he
SAID OF MIR. Burr by misconstruGtion or
transformation" and that he might DOS
sloly have injured him." say l believe
mat Acknowledgements something more
explicit than these would have satisfied
Coi. Burr, and l do not think they would
have disgraced Cen. Hamilton. Or if
the Generals feelings would not permit
HIM to make any acknowledgment, could
he not have justified his refusal of a chaI-
lenge by explaining its inconsistency with
ms "rellglous and moral principles" the
Injury his wife and children" might suf.
Ter, the injustice his "creditors" might
sustain, and the want of any i'll will'' a.
gainst the challenger WAS not his cha
racier Tor courage too firmly established,
to be shaken by such refusal ?-Or need
ne have sacrificed his fear of God, his love
oil MS country, his affection Tor his wife
and childen, his reverence for the laws.
and every other important consideration,
TO The apprehension that without such a sa.
criiice his courage would be suspected?
conceive thai Gen. Hamilton was sub.
ject TO no mPulsion---that his conduct
was perfectly 1olmntary-.and that his
friends disgrace his memory when they al.
tempt 10 excite popular observation-disclosures
MS opponent by asserting that he was
wholly and solely To- blame. Sufficient is
the weight OF guilt which must rest on his
shoulders, without that OF Others beinr
imputed to him. Heretofore, when two
fought, If one fell, the Survivor was bur.
thened with no more than his proportion
OF the folly and crime. In matter 10
winch both consented, both were cousi
dsred equally blamable. When the son
OF Gen. Hamilton fell, even the father