The Republican., 1889-02-09
Politicians in the "Good OldTlmes.

Politicians in the Good OldTlmeS.'
The recent abortiye atterpt in a
libel suit brought by a cFgyman
against newspaper to summon the
President of the United Sites as a
witness, recalls the fact tht this is
not the first but the secondime this
sort of thing has been aiempted.
The first occasion en- who it was
resorted to was in the tril of the
great New Yorker, Aaron Burr. for
alleged treason, and the President
who was then concerned wasThomaS
jefferson.
In Jefferson's case the attempt was
! carried one step further tha in the
recent case of President Ceveland
In this latter affair the residing
judge on the libel trial absOltely re.
fused even TO consider TIN idea Of
summoning the Presidents wit.
ness, hut in the affair of Brr Presi.
dent Jefferson was seryd with a
summons, to which he psl no at.
tention.
The "reminiscences connected with
this Jefferson Burr affair ate of in.
terest not only in themselves, but
especially at the present tim, when
Presidential politicts absorb % much
attention.
People talk of DIVIDED parties and
personal politics to-day, but tbs easr
times of this republic were pOlitk
cally even more "divided" and per.
sonal" than at this writing. And no
four political magnates of to-day are
more bitterly unfriendlv with each
other than were George Washington
with Thomas Jefferson and Aaron
Burr, Jefferson with Washington
and Burr, Alexander Hamilton with
Jefferson and Burr, and Burr himself
with all the other three.
Jefferson had been in Washington's
Cabinet, hut had not "got along"
with him, and after he left his Cabi-
net he indirectly used his influence
against his former chief. Washing.
ton was aware of this, and on one
occasion publicly spoke of Jefferson
as "a profound hypocrite."
But both Jefferson and Washing
ton agreed upon one point-a distrust
of Aaron Burr. Washington at one
period had been friendly with Burr,
but the latter's loose social life often.
ded him, and subsequently blinded
him to his better qualities. And
then Hamilton's influence over
Washington constantly prejudced
the latter against Burr.
| To such an extent did Washington
carry his distrust of Burr that when
he recalled Gouverneur Morris from
his mission to France he positively
thrice refused to appoint Burr as his
successor, though such men as Madi-
son and Monroe urgently pressed the
appointment.
AS for Jefferson, he constanesyA-
garded, and with ample reason
Aaron Burr as his chief rival for DO
litical place and popularity.
Nor did Jefferson hesitate to resort
to what would now be regarded a:
undignified and doubtful personal
and political methods to get the best
of his rival. Thus he counted him.
self in as President, as against hi:
fellow-candidate Burr, by admitting
in his own favor the doubtful vote oI
Georgia.
And several of the prominent men
who were originally in favor Of
Aaron Burr for President were in.
duced by promises of future Office:
to change their votes. if not theil
preferences. from Burr to Jefferson
Thus Congressman Finn, of Neu
Jersey, an original Burr man. chang.
ed his vote in Jeferson's favor and
received an appointment as revenut
officer under Jetferson's Administra,
tion. Livingston, of New York an.
other original Burr man, voted for
Jefferson, and was by him appointed
United States District ATTORNEY q,
New York, while General Bailav
| who followed Livingston's examnla