New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1858-03-12
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE.
TIE ATLANTIC MONTHLY UPON AARON
UJTRR

BURR.
| To The Edito, Of The " y. Tribune
SIR: Mr.. Punch informs that the end Of all con-
troversy is-"Youre another With gratitude to Mr.
Punch for the suggestop charge the author of the
article upon Aaron Bun in the March number of The
Atlantic Monthly with careessne.s Misrepresentation
al ignorance.
First: As TO the carelessness The reviewer re-
counts what he considers the Of Aaron Burrs
abrupt departure from the family OF Gen. Washington,
and then says:
mir Parton, expans'ion i: that Hamilton probably i'm
difficulty with thi. theory which the autcr supp ,.Gn:
BUR- ws.hington- family Hamilton probably not
scqsntsd with the he did not enter he staff until nine
Respecting the sentence in this passage which pur-
ports TO be quoted from my book assert these three
thngs First the sentence is not in my book second
w. DO sentence resembling ii is in my book; thirdly,
DO allusiOn to Hamiltohs inuring Burr in the esma
ton Ct his General IN that connection IN my
book. The reviewer sets up image OF his own crea-
ton and then shows his dexterity in knocking it down.
If were to initiate the manner OF this reviewer, l
should style such conduct forgery. But | will be
juster than be, and call IT, what it probably is the eX.
IRENE OF carelessness.
The reviewer quotes my remark, that Cob Burr. IN
four years after fairly entering the political field
advanced fret to the highest honor of the bar next
TO seat in the National councils, and then to COM
petition with Washington, Adams, Jeferson and Gin
ton for the Presidency itself The reviewers COM
ment upon these assertions is: H could hardly
" have crowded more into a single paragraph
| maintain the truth of every one OF those asser
tOns. In my book am particular to explain, that
tics in the early part Of lis career in New-fOrk aud
served two sessions in the Legislature, he did
not I" fairly enter" the political felddid not to use
his wife snguage tuIn politician, until about the
year 1879. In September OF that year, he was sp-
pointed Attorney General of the State of York.
In 1871, he was elected to the Senate of the United
States. In 1893, his name appeared in the Presden
tial canvass and he received electoral vote In
1896, Hamilton wrote to Rufus King in London 81
is now decided that neither jefferson nor Burr can
- be President. The event will not a little mortity
Burr" This shows that Hamilton hadapPrehended
the possibility of Aaron Burr succeeding Gen. Wash
ington in the Presidential chair And even this great
advance had been achieved in about siz years
The reviewer revives the stale caumny which
really hoped had put to rest forever. of Bnrrs in
riguirg for the Presidency against Jefferson IN 1871.
lie says that the evidence exculpstng Burr - con.
" sists Of statements made several years after
What ignorance is this How carelessly has this
writer read the book which be pretends TO review
The -oRrinciag evidence of BuIrs innocence of in
trgue that occasion was given al the tame by HI:
political opponents in confidential letters to political
friends never intended TO the light. Mr.. Bayard
of Delaware, for example who gave the election to
Jefferson, and was the best'informed mar IN W ash
pgtOn respecting the interior movements of both par
ties wrote thus to Hamilton few days after the cleo
THE mean. existed elec,ius Burr this required h
operation BY dsceng IA great hocthesa and tempt,
ing two mot ncoruPbe he might 'ecuied m''nS OF
Judge Cooper father of the novelis) wrote, in the
| midst of the struggle:
Had Barr ytIiag for h~.e[ Ge SOuid long tbs
| Judge Cooper Federal member Of the House,
and most eager for Burr's election. No charge was
for the Presidency, and every who repeats it,
that the evidence s easily accessible convcts him.
self NOT Of error but of ignorance.
| And this reviewer is ignorant. He does rot even
know why the Federasts were so mad to make Burr
President in 1901, though the stands out con-
spicuousy IN the letter. and literature of the time
" Burr's promotion, wrote Gov. Rutledge of South
| Carolina, will be prodigiOusy affecting to the Vr.
" gina faction, and must dsjjoiut the (Republicau)
:" party. That was the Ieasor. Ii WAS 10 spite the
Democrats "siic tie Vireinans, and wound Jetfer.
that the Federalsts voted for Burr for eight days
in the House of Representatives. word from Burr
would have made him President Of the United States.
He declined the unworthy contest. As my friends
he wrote, they would dshonor my views and suit
my feelings by suspicion that would submit 10 be
instrumental in counteracting the wishes aud the
| "pectatons Of the United Ststes.
The reviewer tells Us that Burr gave 10 the Repub
lcsn party al undecided support. Albert Gallatis
stated about the year 1896, that he had examined
with care and attention the journals Of the Senate and
could not discover that Col. Burr had given
Anti-Republcan or even an equivocal vote, while
member Of that body. Gen. Van Ness testlles tina
Mr. Gaatin frequently declared this. The re-
viewers acquaintance with the journals Of that day Il
slight indeed, or he would know that the name Of
Aaron Burr, early Is 1894, was Identified with all
The great Democratic measures, and m particular that
his speech against Jays treaty widely celebrated,
and contributed much beth to his own elevation aud
to the success OF the party.
The reviewer is out too, in his microscopic crit.
clsa. Most falsely asserting that my book "abounds
IN the language used in sporting circles he offers As
one example the Shskespearan phrase " As civil
orange which, think, Beatrice addresses TO Bene-
ucki lie doubts the correctness of my genealogy of
Ie naii family which dispose Of in sentence, a.
souSn y cost me some days labor and correspond
ence WIN foreign country to arrive at cert ainty
Peotps tne orlgI OF the race omitted my author
Hes on inns ONT because discovered at the last mo-
MEM tbal the new edition of ALIENS Biographical
dictionary contains sufficient information on the sub.
JeCt 10 suosah'late my statement. The reviewer is
ohly nan Hght IN bis assertion that Hamilton vas
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT at twenty. As Gen Washinetons
and he held the nominal rank of lieutensntcolonel
but Odd not command IN that capacity until he was
more than twen,y-one. Respecting the imbeciIe
delcAtey aliudes have been assured tba, bs foT
tuna;e lady was imbeele from her bgth.
Tie review, id skor'. sIeryaded with error II b.