The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1883-09-19
AARON BCRR,S LOVE LETTERS.
What n Veteran New York Edi'"s ""s 10
Say About Thcm.

I'm his autobiography, Thurlow Weed ,
tells some interesting hrts about the /
cotrespondcnee Of Aaron Burr, which lie ,
learned from Mr.. Matthew j.. Davis,
who eas Burr's literary executor. For
nearly forty years, Mr. Davis was the
only reliable friend whom Burr had.
During his absence in Europe he corr s.
sponded only with his daughter and Mr..
Davis, the latter being the only person
who welcomed the return of the once
popular. Vice President. =,
Davis informed Mr.. Weed that Colonel
Bu,rs first inquiry ON landing was for
Mrs. Edei, q widow lady, once happily
and prosper6usly y situated, but who had
during Bnrrs absence supported herself
| and t~o daughters MS laupdresS.
Colonel Burr's first professional service
after his return was IN bringing the well
known eiectmeit suit, Which, after two
wears of litigation resulted Ill iayor OF
ihe Misses Eden, who, has Mr.. DAVIS
informed Mr., Weed conti1entially, were
the nattiral daughters Of Colonel Burr.
Colonel Burr made Mr.. DAVIS his literary
executor, with the understanding that
with The materials bcqueatled to nm Il
history of Lin life should be written
The confidential female correspondence
of Mr.. Burr constituted large portion
Of these materials, leaving MIR. Davis, so
far as he understood the views OF Colonel
Burr, Mt liberty to make such use OF
those letters as he might think proper
Says Mr., Weed:
"rhc preservation OF such letters
carefully filed, and, when either anon
ymous or with initials, having the
iuil name of the writer indorscd, was NJ
net of treachery aud hascuess of when
happily for society, few human beng
have been found capable. Bu' Colohe
Burr looked upon the matter with eye
and from standpoint still more unnai
, ural, for on the day before his duel wit.
t General Hamilton, in letter to III
1 daughter, Mrs. Theodosia Allen, be he
oueathed, in the event of his fall, thes
confidential letters to her, indicating
+ the boxes in which they would he foun'
$ and instrucing her to read them and +
D ourn all such as, if made public, wGni
$ injure any person. As, however, Ham
i iton instead of Burr fell. those letter
: we're preserved from 1904 to 1886, an
. then beoueathed without instruction
II Mr.. Davis. For two or three years bt
e fore Colonel Burrs death OCCASIONAL
+ visited him in company with Mr.. Davis
" and although generally reticent, he w
sometimes drawn into conversa'io
S about early and interesting events, a
u WAYS in the morbid spirit OF disal
e pointed man. His manner was qu
y and subdued, and although seldom i
'e iulsing in bitterness OF language,
s, never spoke nplroyluRly OF any OF u
ie distinguished men with whom he n
!e been associated. | frequently visit
lt Mr.. Davis while he was preparing J
el life of Burr, and had free access to
k, blue boxes which contained the con
to lcntial female correspondence. 7
IS letters we're from ladies residing in N
lc- York, Trenton, N. j., Philadelphia, p
a Richmond, Va, New Haven, Com
he Albany, N. Y, Troy, N. Y, etc, a
most of them from members OF we
he known families. In some cases the &C
ed respondence was literary or pnton
lis mt generally of more questional
character. In several instances the Il
lcrs embraced n period of several yea
concluding with charges OF treachel
iulschood and desertion. Mr.. Davis "
particularly anxious to restore NIL su
,ed letters to the persons who wrote the
les Two packages were delivered by J
ut Davis personally to ladies' residing III
dd, city Of New York. One package
OF transmitted to II lady i'll Richmond, Y
vas through General Scott. MIR. d.
lbi- earnestly requested me to delivera p'
raj age to highly respectable lady '
of whom / was acquainted, but when l
an clined that too delicate duty he C
in mitted them to the flames. 1t is du
ted the memory of my old friend Davis
,oil should say that, although poor n
rs, living upon the weekly compensation
SO. two guinens received for letters writ
ap- 70 the London Times, his honor and
ct, tcgrity resisted large offers of comp!ei
ter ton for Colonel Burr's confidential I
re. rcspondence. The late Major M.
red Noah was not only liberal in his OF
as Of money, but importunate in his
fill peals to Mr.. Davis. All, howe
re. proved Intellectual. Mr.. Davis mad.
the end of the matter by conslgning all
ich letters that had not been returne