Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1866-12-21
Character Of Aaron Burr.

person ruined by Burr, charity would
suggest a burial of our remembrance
of the Exile's desolation. But the
victims of Burr are to be numbered
by hundreds. The base and the peaks
of society, alike, show the scratching
marks Of his fiery visitation.
He cherished no friendship; he re-
turned unhonored the drafts Of graft
tude. But for the deep affection
which he manifested towards his
daughter, bis sole merits seem to have
been GOODNESS and courage; and yet,
clustering as were the laurels which
they showered on his brow, his baser
passions so predominated that he held
it more glorious to Seduce a woman
than to shine in the field Of letters,
to scale the steps Of philosophy, or to
wave a banner yictoriously in battle.
He courted the statesman to profit
by his infuence-the millionaire to
obtain his mOney-and the world to
crafty his doSiroS He was tho moro
dangerous from the possession of ali
intellect massive, piercing and bril-
liant, united to a form at once hand
some and vigorous. His mind was
but the keen weapon with which he
hewed a path to conquest. That
weapon was Protean. If the victim
ever came fully under the gaze of an
eye whose light resembled lightning
imprisoned and forever playing in a
cloud black as death-he was forever
lost. Durr's conversation was irrasis.
tibly fascinating, for his hands swept
every chord of the human heart. He
strewed the rosy path Of the happy
with flowers Of a still brighter hue
he arched the troubled sky of the de
spending with the rainbow Of hope
he conjured up before the rapt vision
of the avaricious gold Golcondas anC
to the aspiring he pointed out the
Illuminated vistas of Glory.
Thus he stood: gifted and unprin
cipled; ruthless and terrible. The
want of great fortune alone, prevent
ed his presenting, in one vast Alpine
mass, that Evil which he accomplished
but too successfully in many details
Chance confined to valleys, compar
atively humble, the stupendous gla
ciers which only needed the rays o
the sun of fortune to devastate cont
nents.
1t may be asked: Is not his valo
on the battle-tields of his country t,
be remembered Ye5 That was
redeeming thing, No matter iron
what motive his military talents wer
exercised, our land reaped some ben
eft. But we are forced to doubt tn
patriotism of one who was so read
to forswear his allegiance; who tran
pied on so much that men hold sacred
and who regarded his exploits agains
royal tyranny less glorious than tn
moral destruction of human being
Age is expected to subdue; but wit
Burr the winter 0i time brought n
: snow to cool the lava of passion. A
four-score and six the crater wore
glow as ardent as at twenty. Ill
faculties Knocked at a century.
Age should bring the soothing cali
, of religion to prepare the tempes
I tost bark for its entrance into anothe
; and final sea: Burr died as he ha
lived, a practical Atheist. Age shoul
bring respect. Burr. expired as
e had existed, without the regard of tt
e good. His hoary hairs went down
e the grave, floating on the breeze Of il
> fanny.
La cunning, an Iago; in lust, Ia
quin; in patience, a Cataline;
pleasure, a Sybarite; in gratitude,
!. Malay and in ambition, a Napoleo
}, he affords the world an awful exar
:, pie of powerful intellect destitute
n virtue. His portrait would fifty a
pear in a circle of Dante's INFERNO
It Let no one accuse the writer
g stepping with sandalled feet throus
n the solemn sepulchre. Aaron Blu
g belongs to HISTORY. Such was tt
e lot he chose.