The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1852-02-11

amples are so rare, rising high above all
personal and private considerations--al
spirit magnanimous aud self-sacrifcing
10 the last, however in this instance un.
called for and misiaken--that he ac-
cepted the fatal challenge. "The abl
i,y To be in future useful" such was his
own statement Of his motives, whether
in resisting mischief or effec,ing good
in those crises Of our public affairs
which seem likely to happen. would
probably be inseparabe from confor.
unity with prejudice in this particular"
With that candor towards his opponents
by which Hamilton was ever so noLy dis.
tinguished, but Of which SO very seldom, in
deed. did he ever experience any return, he
disavowed in his paper, the last he ever
wrote, any disposition 10 afix odium to
Burr's conduct in this particular case. Tie
denied feeling towards Burr any personal III
will, while he admitted that Burr might aat.
urally be influenced against him by hearing
! orslrong animadversons in which he in
duged,a and which, as usually happens,might
probably have been aggravated in the re-
port. Those animadversions, in some cases,
might have been occasnned by misconstrnc-
ton or misrepresentation, yet his censures
had not proceeded on light grounds nor from
unworthy motives. From the possibility,
however, that he might have injured Burr,
as well rs from his general principles and
temper in relation to such affairs, he had
come 10 the resolution which he left on rec
ord, ard communicated also to his second.
TO withhold and throw away his first fire and
perhaps even his second; thus giving TO Burr
double opportunity to pause and reflect.
The grounds of Weehawk. on The jersey
shore,oppJsiIe New York, were At the time
the usual field If these single combais, then,
chiefly by reason of The inhame1 state of po,
liical feeling, Of frequent occurrence, and
very seldom ending without bloolshed. The
day having been fixed, and the hour appoint
cd at seven o'clock in The morning. the
parties met. accolnpai ned only by their scr'
onds. The barge men, as well as DR.. Ho
sack the surgeon mutually agreed upon, re-
msined, as usual, al distance, in order, il
any fatal result should occur, not TO be wit.
nesses The parties having exchanged sal
utaions, the seconds measured the distance
of ten PAGES; loaded the pistol made the
other preliminary arrangements /; and placer
the combatanis. AT the appointed signal
ourr took deliberate aim, and fired. Th,
ball entered Hamllton's side, and as he iel
his pistol too was discharged. Burr ap
preached him, apparently somewhat moved
hut on the suggestion OF his second, the sur
geon and barge men already approaching
he turned and fastened away, Van Mes
cooly covering him from their sigh BY open
ing an umbrella. The surgeon found Ham
illon half lying, half sitting on the ground
supported in the arms of hissecond The pal
lor Of death was on his face. Doc tor" h
said, this is mortal wound;" and, as
overcome by the effort of speaking, h
swooned quite away. As he was carried
across the river the fresh breeze revive,
him. His own house being in the count r.,
he was conveyed at once 10 the house Of
friend, where he fingered for twenty fou
; hours in great agony, but preserving his com
posure and sell-command to the last.
The news of his desth, difrused ihfoug
, the city, produced the greatest excitemen
Even that party hostility, Of which he ha
, been so conspicuous an object, was quelle
for The moment All were now willing t
admit that he was not less patraIic than 6
BILE, and that in his unlimely death-for h
WINS only in his for.y-eighIh year-ihe cour
try had suffered an irrepalable loss. Til
> general feeling expressed itself in publ
2 ceremony, the mournful rompof which th
, city has never seen equalled.