The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1807-11-03

] be the h't and he fell tor ever.
| His ambition wss of TOO cager and grecdv an
appetiteto wait for 'scertsu rcpaft. lie witi'd
TO pluck his laureis ere they were blown; and
| they fs~n,eC tn wither in the bud.
Such Will ever be the fate Of premature am
h'fiou, IN 4 free country, where the people have
light enough to perceive what is right. and viz
tue enough TO prefer it.
Has any man ever exhibited more affecting
contraf between what he might bare been, and
what he rs, than this man? Twelve months
hence, he might have been the PreGdent of the
United States: and now he tands forth as
marked traitor. inful,ed delpiied, and funk in
10 Unbelievable infamy. And it ia not his uf
fortunes which have produced this revolution
but the want of that virtue, which is etiential
TO great,lciJ.
1t Us ridiculous 70 al.. what other opportuni-
ty had he OF rafting hiu,G-if to greatness but nv
fome enterprife ofth;s fcr. That he had loft
all chance of political prefermept under th7s~o-
vernment by the fufpicions which tine. preGden,
tlai election of isoo-I had RATED againa him
that thsfe fufpicions were unjuf and that she
country which conid thus abandon him, defer
we'd no better treatment At his bands. tsa
II "a. +. was nnjutly charged With confpiring a.
gsint the voice and libsrties of the people, why
dId he not attempt to convince them of his in
nocence! Why did he not e. down 70 a lie OF
benifiocncc : If he fe,ks reputation in the only
way. 10 which it can be truly ootsued, by the
diplay of great and energetic talents, why did
ne not Begin atrrfh feat hinfelf once more on
the thrt 'hold of politics and law, AS many great
| men have done before him and rife hy degrees
into public confidence and honour /? He could
rot have expected TO have at once infatuated
hmiet INTO the Offices of the highee truff. Ii
Sas vain an. ridiculous for him to afpire, as he
did, TO be the chief juftice of The fate of Penn.
iyivania or foreign minifter. When driven
from NvwYnrk by the unfortunate iGuc of his
duel with Hamilton, why did he not, retiring
sroo, the form of prejudice, which ragged againit
hm, hetake himfeif into fome hofptsble circle
of the Weftcrn Country, where the oppofition
OF his enerniss had not penetrated? Re was
deeply verified in the lore of law. Ths even his
warmeft enemies admit. Why did he rot then
once more appear at the bar, and sf!ert his pre-
teniions to refpee? Beginning at this point it
would perhaps have been esfy for him 10 have
confirmed the confidence of his friends and en-
created their number, until ut length he might
have obtained fnme political appointment from
the VOICE or the people. This was the career
which pstiiotfip and virtue might have prefcrib-
F! ed 10 him.
| Or il he found himfelf halted even in this
courie if the torrent of prejudice was too
ttrong againtt him TO permit him TO rife again
TO the furface, he might then have inflated the
example Of much greater men and Eat down in
contented and teit approving obicurity. Sure
ly; IT world have been more agreeable even to
| Aaron Burr himfeif thus to have pailed down
. the cool iequeitered vale of life" than 10 be
dragged into open day, with the brand of trail
| tor on his forhead.
! Or IT his foul was TOO afpiring far tbis lcwIy
! life. the theatre Of Europe wac open to him
| If he loved war, Europe was full of IL, If he
burned for military glory, the camps OF RufIia
| and France would have been open to his ambi-
ton. Bonaparte would no doubt have been
| proud to have employed 10 grssf a Eero in his
| iervice; and if Burr could have been contentcd
with being at leait the fecond mao in France,
the thing was at Leaf qUit6in bis sraEb We be :
| iieve however he would have been disappointed
in'his great elevation, although his honorable
friend Luther Martin has more than once re-
, pea.ed that Burr only wanted the opportunity
TO be as great man as Bonaparte. Yet certainly
with all MS caiualties, trip to Europe woulr
have been refource Irch mere worthy Of his
genius, than the parricidal attempt of turning
his arms aPant his native country.
And what then is TO become or this man,
when he e[,aprs from his profecu;ion in the
diitri6t Of Ohio OF his dfoofitions and de-
fires few men can doubt. But where are his
| meaDs FOR mitchell?
We DO not believe that heis altogether harm
lc!s. Perhaps many man who entitled
IA his plans is not vet brought TO light aud
hiitli a. Inc E9ilCatiOns or tnl9 cOniplTdcy Rave
been traced, we can never anticipate the danger
which nc nne6itates. Let rs therefore keep a vi
giant eye upon him. But the defeat of his plans
has almoit certainly psralized his power TO hurt
US. The government has fhewa its Grength
and Barr, his weakness. Many who Joined him
without understanding the full extent Of his
plans, will now perceive their Cleuiion. Some
who went ali lengths, will perceive heir i'm
practibiIity and ilirnk back from the danger
they have c!caped. And rs to new plans, there
viii Burr find new adherents9 Who can
heoce'orth truit man that has uniformly de-
ceived perhaps all hi: accompces unlefs If be
the virtuous DIR. Bollman Still let US keep an
eye upon him.
Some of the bet friends of the United States
feem to appTehend, that this man having ire
treVably forfeited the confidence Of bis own
country, and loft IN honorable chance of riing
into power, would play the part of Coriolanus
and 20 over to the Volfci. We cali the Spa
niards the Volfc, not becaufe they are 10 forr1-
dabIe TO Bs as was this proud rival of Rome,
bnr bec5uie they are contiguous TO our borders
and are likely to be thrown in collilion VITA us.
But tbefe feats feem rather to grow ont of an
idea, that Aaron Burr is fit for fuch a plan,
than that the Spaniards are ready TO receive
l.him. For how can f0fpicious nation Ike
Spain, Place any real confidence in fucb man
As Burr man, not like Coriollnus, who At
tacss them in the pallantry Of open fight, and
under the banners of his own country, but who
fra he Df =.