Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1859-07-11
ROCHEPoRT, Mo, June


Editor Star: Although Parton's life of Aaron
Burr has been for some time before the public.
have but recently read it, and find it sufficient
ly amusing medley of fact and fiction; distin-
guished for Greeley's philosophy and Dumas his
torical veracity, worked up in the tcm-boy ST OF
Fanny Fern. Many of his departures indeed from
the rero, also wide of the ben trOput0 as to
deceive only the most careless. But there is one
misc hevous falsehOod well calculated to mislead,
because garnished with many circumstances as
Dame Quickley's account of Falstaf's oath to
make her NV lady, his wife, sworn upon paraI-
9Th goblet, sitting in her dolphin chamber at
the round table, by a sea coal hre, upon Wednes
day in Whitsun week, when the prince broke his
head for likening his father to singing-ma OF
Windsor.
After writing that Gen Jackson had approved
the object of Burr secret expedition, and that by
his patronage Of the notorious Swartwout the old
hero recognized his ancient ties with the old fill
buster, he adds that the General subsequently
changed his feelings or his policy in this regard,
in confirmation of which he tells this story: That
in IS2S Congress passed pension act, under whic
Burr claimed about SIOO,OC0; that his application
was repulSed, when, learning that daughter of
the Secretary was about to be married to clerk In
the Department, he ordered his agent to offer
SO 600 to the latter, if favorable decision could
porous train, when Gen. Jackson impetuously cut
Il of declaring that there must be rascality in
ANYTHING pertaining to Burr.s
Now, the act referred to was passed in Nav,
1873 Went into operation very soon there iftrr
under rules prescribed by the Secretary of the
Treasury, by which it's entire scope and efficacy
were explained, and which were known t, the
whole country before the 4th of March, 1898, when
gen. Jackson was frst naugurated Would anv
Secretary have been shameless enough to depart
from those rules. for any BRIDE in case, too so
notorious as that of Aaron Burr,
But the Secretary never bad any original adm
cation Of such cases. They were examined at the
Pension Office, to which the application il adj
dressed; whence, if the claimant be dissatisfied
he may appeal to the Secretary which appeal Is
accompanied by report of the Office explaining
the grounds Of its action. And there was no clerk
under Col Edwards who could not have sboyUn
that any such pretended claim Of BUR- was too
prepOsterOus for discussion The act of Is.ls sim
ply provided that any officer of the Cont mental
army who had SeTutd 90 The end OF the ,caT an
thar army, should receive during life pension
never 10 exceed $500 per annnm. commencing the
Sd March, le2G Computing, then. to the end of
Jacksohs term, and allowing him to have had
the shadow of claim, his accumulated pension
could have amounted only 20 sc 600. for which be
was to have paid Sl0,OUO down. But IL is motto
rious that Burr did not s-rve in the Continental
army to the end of the war, and had resigned be
fore October l7SU. q think when the resolut ON
was passed in aid Of which the act Of 1873 was
enacted.
This resolution provided that officers OF ia.
Continental army who should thence continue in
service to the end Of the war should receive half
pay during life, which was subsequently com
IniIted to five years full pay IL Burr had been
entitled To this, he would have received IL at The
close OF the war; If he had not done So neither the
act OF lS2o nor any Other authorized the Depart
Inent TO settle it, Congress alone, by special act
having that power. Nor can remuneration for
property lost during the Revolution be made by
any other branch of the Government
Truth may be less piquant to some appetites
than slanderous inventions, but in affecting
the memory of the dead, and even the fair fame OF
our institutions, 1t should be known. V.