The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1851-12-03

""'S BE-" W So"sey iHipreesions oefoshtofy
to the honor Of Burr.
Granting Burr's right 10 make this extra.
Ordinary irquisiton into Hami'lon's con
tidsn,ial conversions and cores spondence, it
would have been quite out Of the question
for Hamilton TO make any such disayowal.
His practice as lawyer had given him full
insight into Burr's swindling pecuniary trans.
action, and he had long regarded him, in
his private az we'll az his political char
acier, as o consummais villain, as reck
less aud nnprincipled as no was cool, aud,.
cioss and en,e'pfising --au opinion winch no
had found frequent occasions TO express
more or less distinctly while warning his fed.
eral friends against The arts Of Burr
DESTROYS, however, to seprive Burr Of any
possible excuse for persl.ling in his murder.
Gus .Sicn,ons, Hamilton caused paper 10
be transmitted TO him through Pcndeon,
brother lawyer, who acted as his friend IN
this matter, to the effect that, If properly ad.
dressed for Burr's second letter was consd.
cred too insulting TO adssi, Of Il reply-ho
should be willing 10 state that the conyersa-
ton alluded 10 by DR.. Cooper. 50 far as he
cIuld recall it, was wholly in relation TO
polil c., and did not touch upon Burr's pri.
yate character nor shculd ne hesitate 10
make an equally promp, svowal or di.a'o~el
10 any other particular ard specific con-
versa,ion as 10 Which hemighl be ques.
toned.
\ Bot Mr.. Buir's ohy object was TO fad q
pretext for challenge, Nnce he never could
have expected the general dissvowsl which
he demanded, this offer was pronounced
unsaiisfaciory and mere evasion and a.
gain a second time. dI.arowipg in the ssme
breath The charge made against him Of pre-.
determined hostility, Burr sqiesied Van
Ness to deliver n challenge. Esen after
its delivery Hamilton made further at
Temp, a, sp,cihc arrangement 10 second
paper. denying any attempt TO evsde or
jatea;ion 10 defy or ,nsslt, ss had been iHsin
ualed, with particular reference TO the clos.
ing paragraph OF Hamilton's Gfs .ouer in
Bufrs obssrvstions, through Van Ness on
Ilsmilton's FRS, paper. But this second pa
; per Van Ness refused TO receive, on the
ground that the challenge had already been
gwen and accepted. 1, was insisted, how.
ever. on Hamil,ons part, as the Federal
! Circuit Court Vas IN session, in which he
had many important cases, that the meeting
f, should bo postponed I'LL the Court vas over,
since he was not willing. by any act of his
9 or expose his clients 10 embarrassment, less
. or delay.
I,wss not OF all in the spirit OF profes
! sed duost it was not upon pairy point o.
Q honor lha, Hamilton had accepted this ex
,raordinary challenge, by which twas at
d tempted to hold hin ansserase for the nu
q msrous impuia,ions on Burr's character, ban
0 died sbou, ia conversation aud the newsps per-
o for two or three years past. The practices
d Of duslins he utterly condemned; indeed, hi
u had himself already been n victimto it 10 tn.
!. loss of his eldest son, a boy OF twenty, IN
h political duel some two years previously. A
a private CITIZEN, as a man under the n1i
e rnce Of moral and religious sentiments, as
d husband loving aud losed. and the father Of
n numero and dependent fsmilIy, as debto
:. honofabIy disposed, whose creditors nigh
suffer by his death, he had every motive 70
;. avoiding the meeting. So he stated IN a pa
:, per which, under a premonition Of bis fat
no took care TO leave behind him. |, was i
his character Of public man; il was in tbs
" lofty spirit Of patriotism, Of which example
are so rare, arising high abovc all persons
and private considsralioos--a spirit Of MAJ
unanimous and self sacrificing TO the last, how
10 ever inthis instance uncslled for and misti
''s ken tina, he accepted The fatal challenge
'" The ability to be in future useful, " sue
was his statements of his motive, /" wheth,
'e' in resisting mischief or effectng good
er those crisis Of our public affairs which see
nd likely TO happen, would probab bly, DO iasepar
al bio from conformity with prsludcs ia tn
ION particular.
" With that candor towards his opponen
~" by which Hamilton was ever 80 nobly disli
'ay gui,hsd, but Of which so very seldom, inde
wy did he ever experience any return. be d.