New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-09-13
,,,,ss rea,,z,,on nm this desperate

IN the point Of riskng his own life 70 take la Oh NJ
rival He might even have entertained the lnsdic
hone-for though cunning and dexterous to re-
maTkable degree, he had no great EiebecI- '11. .
Hamilton killed OF dIsgracec, and thus removed or1
of the way he might yet retrieve ms desperate io
tunes. 100 n,
Among other publications made n me course u
the late contest were two letters by Dr cooper, .
Jealous partisan Of WIS, IN one o. "iHOA - - q
legged that Hamilton had spoken OF buri d e. a.
gerous man nho ought not 10 be trusted VITA tne
yclns Of government" II the other etieI aiteI ~
heating the above statement Cooper adde9, couIt
detail 70 you a st more desplcao,e oi-,.lon " i4'4
Co,a,sl tIsmil,on mas EXPRESSED OF Mr.. Bur
Inon tins latter passage BUR- seized as the means
OF forcng Hamilton INTO duel r or as astAs az
assistant therein he selected william T. al w.
a voung LAWYER one Of ms most attached parusais'
and moi less dark. designing. cool, and impacao.e
nan himself Van Ness was sent 70 Hamilton WIN
a copy Of Cooper's prlnied letter and note ron
Burr insisting upon prompt and unquallhed ac-
Acknowledgement or DENIAL OF the use Oh any ekpiea'
SONS which would warrant COopers assertions.
Perfectly well acquainted both with Burr and an
Ness and percelvLug as well from Van Ness con-
versation a from Buu's note settled nlehuoh 20
fix quarrel upon him. Hamilton declined any IN
mediate answer, promising reply IN WrithS Al MS
earliest convenience IL that reply ne caeo D'.Ii
attention 70 the fact that the word desperate,
however in It's general sigInhcatlon II might imply
imputatIons upon personal nonor as 10 "hIch e4-
plantations might be asked yet from Us connection;
a. used IN Dr. COOpers letter. u apparently ted'eu
merely 70 qualifications for political once, SUBJECT
as nothing more was said about the dehnlte state
ment referred to II the same letter, as TO "hlch IL
seemed 10 be admitted that 10 explanation was de-
mandable STU Hamilton expressed perfect
readiness 10 avOw or GlsavOU any sptclnc opinion
which he might be charged with having uttered 80
but added that he never would consent 10 De leilo-
gated generally 10 whether ne mad ever sdl1 any
thing IN the course Of fifteen years OF poLucal com
petltlCH 10 Justify nfeTences WnlCh DINERS HllEhs
have drawn thus exposing his cdndor and sincerity
10 INJURIOUS lmputatonS on the part OF all no might
have misapprehenced HIM. More than TINS, 20
rsTI rIrnt
me especially, 1t can not De reasonably ekpecleu
that | shall enter INTO any explanations upon basis
so vague as that you have adopted. uust, on more
reflection you will see the matter IN the same lgn'
II not can only regret the circumstance, ana must
ABIDE the CONSEQUENCES
Burrs curt rude and offensive reply began with
mtimatng that Hamilton's letter was greatly den
Gent IN that sincerity and dehcacy winch ne pro-
fessed 50 much to value. The eplthei IN question,
IN the common understanding Oft mpAedd lsnohoF'
1t having been affixed to Burr's name upon liamii,
tons authority, he was bound to say whether ne hdd
authorized It, either directly, or by utterng expires
SONS or opinions derogatory TO Burr's honor
twas apparent from this letter and II was suoSe-
Quenily distinctly stated by Van Ness thal what
Burr required was a general disayowal on the part
Of Hamilton OF any intention. IN any conversation ne
might ever have held, 10 convey mpIe deToga-
tory 10 the honor OF Burr
Granting Burr's night 20 make tins extraordinary
lnculsltlon into HamiltOn's confidential converse
tIonS and correspondence. II would have been qule
out OF the question for Hamilton To- make any sach
dsayowal HIS practice as a lawyer hid gwen nm
fun insight into Burr'S sWlndlng pecuuary traisac-
tons and he had long regarded HIM, IN ms private
as well as ms political character. a consuinmaie
villain, as reckless and unprnclpled As ne was cool,
audaclous and onterpnslng- an opinion when ne
had found frequent occasion to express more or less
distinctly while warning ms Federal friends against
the arts OF Burr.
Dcsrous. however. to deprive Burr of any possible
excuse for persStlng IN his muTderouS intentions
Hamilton caused paper 10 be transmitted to hun,
through Pendcton, brother lawyer. who acted as
his fnCnd IN tins matter 10 the effect that, properly
addTessed-for BunS second .c tier war considered
too insulting TO admit Of reply-hc should De VIII
ling to state that the conversation alluded 10 by Dr
Cooper, so far he could recall II. was wholly In
relation to politics, and did not touch upon Burrs
private character nor should ne hesitate 10 make
an equally prompt ayOWal or dlsavOwal as 20 any
other particular and specific conversation as 10
which he might be questioned.
But as Burr only object was to hni preieXt Tor
a challenge since he never could have expected the
general dlSayowal he demanded, this offer was pro-
nOunced unsatl SiacoIy and a merc EVASION ana
again. "a second time, dlsavOWng IN the same breath
the charge made against HIM Of predetermined hos
ulity, BUR- requested Van Ness 10 deliver chal-
lcnge- Even after its delivery, Hamilton made a
further attempt al paclhc arrangement III second
papCT dCnVng any attempt 10 cNddC, OF intention 20
dciv or insult as had been insinuated, with parlcu
lar reference TO the closing paragraph of tiaimtoh
first letter IN BuTrS observations, through an Ness
on IIamn0ns FIRST paper But thus second paper
Van Ness refused TO receive on the ground ;hdi the
challenge had been already gwen ana accepted II
was insisted, however, on Hamlons paTi a. the
Federal Circuit Court was III session, IN when ne
had many important Cases that the meeting should
be postponed I'LL the Court was over since he was
not Wiling. by any act OF ms, TO expose ms clients
To embarrassment loss, or delay.
THE DUEL.
Ii was not AZ ali IN the spirit Of the proiessed duel
isl II was not upon any paltTy point OF honor thd'
Hamilton had accepted tins extraordinary chalthse'
by which i Was attempted 10 hold INN auSwerdbie
,or u
banded about IL conversation ana ~ the cwspdptTs
for W or three years past The pItctlce ot duels
he utterly condemned indeed, he mad himself al
ready been victim 10 III the loss oi his eldest son,
a boy of twenty IN political duel some two years
prey iouSlV. As a private citizen. - man under
The influence of moral and religious sentiments, a.
husband LOVING AID loved, and the i@ther OF hHmtI
and dependent family. as Doctor AonOIdoil as
posed, whose debtors might suffer nN ms dedth, ne
had every motive for avoiding the meeting 20 ne
stated III paper which, under premont,on OF MS
fate, he took care 10 leave behind hun II was 4n
his character of public man 1t Ma in that loi'
spirit Of patriotism, OF which examples are 80 rare,
rising high above all personal and private consldeIa'
uonS--a spirit magnanlmOuS and SeliSacrhclhs 10
the last, however IN tins instance urcalei Tor and
m>iaken-ihat hc accepted the fatal challenge
I" The ability TO be IN future useful, such was hiS
own satomt nj O. his motives. whether IN resisting
mischief or efcctlng good lu those crl>i>es Of or
public affairs which are likely 20 happen, would
probably he nseparable from "a conformity with
prejudice IL this particular
w IN t!dt cdiidoi toNhIu> Ms ".t'Ni'"'' 'N "ui't
Hamilton was ever ~ nOOly distinguished, bht 81
which so very seldom. indeed dlche ever experience
any return he dlsayoNed III THIS paper. tie last ne
ever wrote. any disposition 20 mix any odltm 10
Burr conduct m tins particular case lie denied
feeling toward Bum any personal III VIII. while ne
admitted that Burr might naturally be influenced
against ham hy hearing of strong amnadN er>ou> IN
which he had INDUCED. and which. Is usually hap
pens might probably have been aggravated N the
report. Those amlnadyersions, IA some cases,
mehi have been occasoned by mlScon>trucron or
transformation vet hs ccnsureS HAD not proceeded
or hghl grouucS nor from UNIV OIthy motives. FROM
the possibility, however THAR BE might have injured
per IN relation 20 such affairs he had come 10 the
resolution which he leit on record and cOmmuuca-
ted also t. has second. 20 withhold and throw away
h. trst ire. anc perhaps even ms second thus
giving 10 Burr double opportunity 20 pause and re-
acCt
The grounds Of WeehaWA. on the Jersey shore,
opposite NeW-No rk. were d, that time the usual