Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1849-06-16
Gistorifal.
THE CHARACTER OF AARON BURR
BY WILLIAM WALLACE.

If Bcnnerh asset had been the only per-
son ruined by Burr, in the prosecution of
his enterprises, charity would suggest
burial of our remembrance of the eXile's
desolation. But the victims of Burr are
to be numbered by hundreds. The base
and the peaks of society, alike show the
scatching marks of his fiery visitation.
He cherished no friendship-he return
ed unhonored the drafts of gratitude; he
kindled by the fireside of hospitality the
flame of lust, and felt little pleasure in bid
ding adieu to the Lares of his host, until
the dearest that fourshed in their shadows
were sacrifced.* The mans whole being
centered on the pivot of selfishness. But
FOR the affection he manifested towards his
daughter, his sole moral merits seem to
have been courage and coolness and yet
clustering as We're the laurels which they
welded to his brow-his baser passions so
predominated that he held it more glorious
to seduce womanf than to glitter in the
field of letters, to scale the sleeps of philo-
sophy, or to wave banner victoriously ly in
battle.
He courted the man to corrupt his wife
the statesman to profit by his influence
the millionaire to obtain his money
and the world to crafty his desires. He
was the more dangerous from the possession
of an intellect, massive, piercing, brilliant,
united TO frame at once handsome and vig-
orous. His mind was but the keen and
resistIess weapon with which his passions
hewed way to conquest. That weapon
was Protean. But few could escape its
ever changing attack. If the victim came
fully under the gaze of an eye-whose
sharp light resembled tightening imprison-
ed and forever playing in a cloud as black
as night-he was lost. Burr's conversation
was irresstably fasci inating-his had swept
over every chord of the human heart. He
strewed the rosy path of the happy with
flowers of still brighter hue he archet
the troubled sky of the despouding with the
rainbow of hope; he conjured up before
the wrapt visions of the avaricious, noun
tains of gold; and to the aspiring, he point
ed out the shadowy vistas of glory.
Thus he stood, gifted, unprincipled, ruth
less and terrible. The want of forum
alone prevented ms presenting Ill one iuiiu
dreadful and overwhelming mass, that evi
which he accomplished but too successful,
, in manv details. Chance confined to val
leys, comparatively humble tempest
which only waited for release to devas
tate continents.
IT may be asked: "ls not his valor o
! the battle fields of his country to be re
memberedt' The answer must be, eyes.
That was a redeeming trait. No matte
Il from what motive his military talents wer
exercised, our land reaped some benefit
: But there are many persons who VIII doul
: the real patriotism Of one who was so read
TO forswear his allegiance,t who tramPlt
= on so much that was sacred, and who he
even his exploits against tyranny as ie
: glorious than the moral destruction OF n
II man being.
,. ;. Age is expected to subduei but wi
:. Burr the winter of time brought no sno'
: TO cool the lava of passion. AT four SEQ
a and six, the crater wore glow as ardent
a. al twenty. His faculties Knocked at a ce
tury. Age should bring the soothing ca
Of religion, 10 enable the barque which