Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1834-09-25
LETTERS TO NJ. VAN buren,.
LETTER Ill.
ALBASY, Sept. 9th 1884.

! hAhNSts Dept. oAO 1904
To the Hon MARTIN Pan BiRen
S1R, Before proceeding TO notice your
official acts, shall briefly fecur TO two in.
f, cidents which may be considered Indicative
Of the cast OF your mind. You well know,
SIR. that Tor time you was employed in
the office of the late Judge William p.
! Van Ness. You may remember, and il
! you do not, you ought. the circamstan ces
under which you was first noticed by that
4 gentleman. Whether he was or was not,
entitled to your gratitude, it was unneees
/ sary TO enquire. Judge Van Ness was the
/ friend OF Col. Burr. lie wrote pamph-
let, under the signature of .arisiides, de
tending the then Vice President, aud at
! lacking, in violent aud libellous manner
several OF bis most distinguished opponents
| ~ the State Of New York. You knew
Mr.. Van Ness 10 be the author. Shortly
after the publication of this pamphlet, it
was aseertaiaed that the Judge had been
betrayed. Upon you sir, suspicion rested,
Mr.. Van Ness entertained no doubt, to the
day Of his death, that you had divulged
the secret. You knew his impressions.
but it IS believed did not know the source
from whence they were derived nor was
you able 10 eradicate them. After the
lapse of years: il was asserted, most prob
ably by friend of yours, that you had
made tho communication 10 Judge Spen-
Ger. The Jadge denied the allegation !;
and this denial, as TO himself, has been
considered, by some, evidence of the ial
silly Of The charge.
! But, sir, there is another version Of this
story, Ii it be true that you betrayed the
confidence Of your patron, 1t was done.
directly or Indirectly 10 the late De Witt
Clinton This remark ia not made hastily
/ nor unadvisedly Judge Van Ness rccclg
ed this information from Governor Clinton;
or he shame(ully misrepresented Mr.. Gin
ton. will now state a fact You oryour
friends may pursue the inquiry ii it is
deemed discreet and prudent.
In the winter Of lS2a Judge Van Ness
was in this city. When here. he was in
the habit Of visiting me. One day he
came to my house. As soon as he entered
the room, il was perceptible that he was
under an excitement, The question was
pu, TO him" Judge what alls you ?" lie
paused few moments, and then replied :
al have been conversing about Van Bu-
rem. can never think of him. IN connex
ion with my pamphlet, (.fr'stides) without
| feeling indignant" Again. after pause
/ he proceeded -" met +. NJ. beekman
| in State street. We had some converse
ton. explained TO him Van BuTens
perfdy tod him, that some time alter
the publication of .!4risiides. met De Witt
! Clinton in the city Of New York. lie
came up and gave me his hand /; and while
holding my hand in bis. he stated thai my
confidence had been betrayed by Van BdF
rem. The remark embarrassed me great
| ". Mr.. Clinton perceived it; and then
added, Judge, do not give yourself any
uucaslness DO advantage VIII be taken
Of it,"
Now, sir, such was the statement made
by MIR. Van Ness in 1922. With Mr.
Beekman have never spoken on the sub
iect. | have never before repeated the
conversation. Mr.. Beekman is yet alive
in Hudson He can say whether such an
interview took place between Judge Van
Ness and himself. in this city, at the time
specified. In 1922, the parties were all
living Among others Philip >. Parker.
You will understand the aluson. If MIR.
Van Ness made this statement 10 MIR
Beekman, about t,oenty years after the
pamphlet was published, and while Mr.
Clinton was yet in being can there be any
doubt OF bis having detailed to u, The 10
teryiew with accuracy? And II true. who
can be made to believe that Gov. Ciintor
misrepresented the facts to Mr.. Van Ness.
do not intend to press the subject;
present the case without comment. Ii Is
evident, however, that Judge Spencer
denial does not meet IT.
There is another circumstance. which
will notice, tending TO place your yeraclty
in early life, in questionable shape.
You was instrumental ia getting up pc
tition to the legislature, to enquire into TIN
: titles of what was termed the manors
You pretendedto believe that this property
r belonging to the Van Rensselears and th'
Liyingst0ns, was eseheated You wa
charged with having written letter TO
gentleman. think Abel Whallon, in whc
/, il was said, you remarked, that altho' th
: titles could not be impaired, yet agItatn
, the subjects before the legislature. woui
hare a good political effect You denie
ever having written letter OF such an ini
port. Now, sir, feel myself authorize
to say, that such letter was written b
YOU, and that among other persons wh
read or possessed it, was the venerabl
: Mr.. Van VechIen, of this city do M
. after whole generation have passed ava.
q pretend TO accuracy, as 10 the details b'
:, in substance, the case is truly stated, an
at the time of its occurrence, nearly thiri
|, wears ago, it added nothing TO your fam
- for correctness. nor your character as
D man of honor Indeed, it was iacetious
remarked, that you was born for a poet
With such propensities, and such qnall
cations you became politician. You al
il sometimes spoken of as having taken
20 % mart in the revolution Of 1898. Ridiculou
~ You was student and minor, long all
! the election of Mr.. Jefferson in 1901.
~ is true, formerly heard your friend III
r. now, believe, resident. IN the cl,y
';r New York, tell the story how IN looo'
q, frequently took you out TO Coxsackie'
,f. the purpose of training you up as an ei
of tioneerer.
=. Your political career. SIR, commenc
> in 1919. Ii commenced as an oppon
Of the war, and the friends Of the war ;
he an opponent OF southern statesmen =,
no southern policy. My next letter shan
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