The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-03-04
AARON BURRs FEMALE CORRESPONDENCE
From the Albany Journal,

| rum the AlodhJ Jourhdl,
For the vindication," not less of the "fame
of Colonel Burr's +" Literary Executor" than O
the truth of history, we feel it duty to stat,
i facts, within our own knowledge, which, bu
for provocation that will be deemed an " &C
qmttance," we should never have publicly re
vealed.
! Colonel Burr not only preserved, but with
scrupulous care, filed the letters he received
His correspondence, especially with the female
sex, was extensive. Much of this was evident
| ly with the educated and re6ned-much of il
showing his association with the gifted and the
! pure OF mind-much more with those whom
! his "wiles had undermined and poisoned
| These were, however, found in common with
letters from an exceptionable class and of an
/ offensive character. All were carefully an
,dorsed, with the places, dates, and names Of
/ the writer's Where letters were signed with
! initials, or were anonymous, the full name an
| peared in Colonel Burr's handwriting. With
many of these letters were copies of Col. Burr's
replica.
! We remember q most interesting series be-
tween Colonel Barr aud West Indian lady OF
nigh culture, taste, and purity, who for a long
time combated and resisted the false and' fataI
teachings of the tempter, only in the end to ex.
! empllfy the experience of those who first en-.
ouIc onu tucu en- GRACE GrrOY.
Tie night before Col. Burr met Gen. Hamil.
ten, ae wrote letter to bis daughter Theodo.
ala, Mrs. Alston,) in which he beaueathed his
correspondence, contained, as he says, 4" in six
blue boxes," 20 ser, with the request that those
which would "injure" the writer's should be
burned. In his will, referring to these blue
boxes again, as containing his Confidential
Female Correspondence" be says to his dauph.
ter You will find in them something to
| amuse, much to instruct, and more to forgive +"
but, as General Hamilton, instead of Colonel
Burr, fell, these " blue boxes " remained in the
possession of Col. Burr, and came, after his
death, into the hands of his Literary Exacu.
I tor"
During our long and close intimacy with the
late Mathew 4. Davis, and particularly when he
was engaged in writing his Life of Burr. we
enjoyed, con6dentially, the privilege, at his
house in Cherry street, of perusing the materi.
ais out of which that History was woven. The
Confidential Female Correspondence was
before US, with all its strange and startl;nc
revelations. We thought and felt then. as We
think and feel now, that only devil incar.
nate-some fend in human shape let looae
upon the earth to scourge our race-could have
deliberately pi eserved such evidence of his own
perhdy-tor many OF these Letters were written
"s1en, aAo contained scathing i'm.
precahons-and OF the frailty of others.
t ra, therefore, OF doing gross wrong .
70 Ooi Burr, IN this respect, Mr.. Davis, by sup.
spttessing tnat correspondence, relieved the
character of Burr from deep and general eye.
Grafton. Like Thomas Moore, Who suppressed
the personal Memoirs of Lord Byron, Mr..
DAVIS, governed by kindred sense of what
was due to society, is entitled to DOM mendation
rather than reproach. Nor was the sacrifice
/. an Inexpensive ene. Mr.. Davis was tempted,
. hy large pecuniary offers, to give this Cores.
pondence to the public. The late M. NJ. Noah,
we remember ss among those who offered Mr..
Davis handsome sum for the Letters Bot
he always, and with great emphasis, declared
that they should never appear, either to blast
Mr. Burr, or wound the feelings of persons
whom they compromised.
Some of these Letters were returned by Mr..