Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1883-07-03
A STORY OF AARON BURR.


A Man Who Fascinated by His Presence
and Yet Inspired Dread.
Aaron Burr enjoyed the repu'a-
ton of having delivered the NEST inn
pressive speech ever uttered in the cap
itol, when he took leave of the senate
as its presiding officer. have heard a
senator who was present state that
nearly everyone was in tears and so
unnamed that 1t was nearly half an
hour before they could recover them
selves sufficiently to chocsea president
pro tenn. The characteristics Of Vice
President Burr's manner appeared to
have been elevation aud dignity, a
consciousness of superiority, etc; moth
ing of the whining adulaiion, those
canting, hypocritical complaints OF
want OF talents, assurance OF Dis en-
dcavors to please them, hopes OF their
favors. etc. On the contra
ry, he told them explicitly that
he had determined topursue Il conduct
which his judgment should approve,
and which should secure the suffrage
of his own conscience, and lie had
never considered who else should be
pleased or displeased although
II was but iustic. on this OCCASION 10
thank them for their de.erence aud
respecr to his Official conduct, the con-
sent and uniform support lac had re-
ceiyed from every nipmber, for their
prompt acquicsccuce in his
decisions. and To remark, TO
their honor that they had
never descended 10 a single motion OF
passion or embarras sment and 40 far
us he was from apologiZiDg for his de-
fects he tod them that on reviewing
the decisions he had had occasion to
make, there was no one which, on re-
ne lion, he was disposed to vary or re
tract.
Burr was un1uestionably one Of the
most rem irkable men that our couii-
try has ever produced. The designs
which clouded his name in his own
day with the suspicion and charge of
treason differed very little from the
occupation of Texas by citizens
of the United States, the tenn
porary independence of the
territory so detached from Mexico, and
then its final Incorporation into this
Union, and with his duel with Hamil-
ton, in which the great financler fell.
Burr was victim To the barhar Jus
customs Of those days, and he killed q
popular favoritc. Other vices clus.
ter around his name. But they
cannot present him even to the
eye of moral Judgment al
less than an "archangel fallen"
When boy, residing with my pa.
rents in New York, at the corner oil
Maiden lane and Broadway, used to
SEES Burr pass every morning and after.
noon, AS he went to and from his law
office. Tall soldier-like, and
walking with q soidier-like air, he ut.
To-
and people would stop and point him
out to others after he had gone by.
One day | was In the law office OF
Allen Dye, where my uncle, the late
Allen Dodge of Hamilton
was studying his profession, and
BUR cane in TO inquire about
case in which he was counsel. re-
garded him with dread, yet was fas
cinated by the courtesy of his manner
the pleasant expression of his bright
keen eyes, and the gentlc, winning
tones of his voice. He was al
that time virtually an out
cast from The circles in
which he had once been leading
figure. Very poor, he took cases which
other lawyers refused to touch, and ht
often found it difficult TO procure the
ncoessaries of life. Y'et he never
lost his dignity and self-resrect, anG
appeared amidst the trials aud vicissi
illdes Of his old age to enjoy that
peace and serenity which only u quiet
conscience can bestow. He was, un.
doubtedly, the frat political "boss" OF
the state OF New York, and 1t WAS by
following his advice that Nan Burei
passed from office to office, until he be
came president Of the -nited States. -
Ben {'cFtftY P0Dye's RecOHfctions.