The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-10-30
Famous Quarrels Which Have Taken
Place Between Public Men.
ONE OF WASHINGTON AND JEFFERSON
Their Quarrel Was One Regarding
Ideas..NOt So Was the One Re.
tween burr and Hamilton, Nor Cali
hOun and JacksOn..The Blaine'
COnkling Fight.
From the Globe-Democrat.

he was surrounded ON all hands py
enemies. and his chief opponent was
Thomas jefferson, the founder OF the
Democratic party. In this case, now
ever the animus was entirely lmper-
sonal. The man who drafted the Decia-
ration of Independence was not AMI
mated by jealousy of the general VINO
led our soldiers in the revolution. IL
was rather a battle of ideas. Washing
ton represented the Federalists, from
whom sprang the Wings, the predeces-
sors of the Republicans of today. Ihe
cardinal plank of Federalism was tnat
the union of states represented ma
tiOn, and that the federal government
was invested with power to alter
amend or abrogate the laws of the
various subdivisions, or states. When-
ever in the Judgment of the congress
and the executive. 1t was for the IN
terests of the whole country to do So
The JeffersOnians, or Democrats, mann
tained that the power of the federal
government was limited by the laws
agreed to when the individual states
ratified the articles of confederation,
and that the states We're independent
of the general government in the en-
actment and enforcement of all laws
not surrendered or nominated IN the
bond of union.
BURR AND HAMILTON.
The great Democratic leader was the
first victim of personal enmity. born
of the inordinate political ambition OF
Aaron Burr, who, foiled in a plot to
capture the presidency, was forced TO
accept second place to the man who
was his hated rival. But the difference
between Burr and jefferson scarcely
warrants the term feud. That is re-
served for the long battle for the as
1,at, IDr,Np nd h.lx off nI
Revolutionary financier, Alexander
Hamilton. The latter was the son-in-
law of that brave soldier, General
Philip Schuyler, who. though sraunch
Federalist himself. with his party in
control of the New York legislature. was
defeated for the position of United
States senator by Burr, a nominal
Democrat. Hamilton always MAIN
tanned that Burr had secured his elec-
tlon by the use of money and prom
ises of place and power, and he regis
tered a VOW that he would right the
wrong of which his fatherin-law had
been the victim. He succeeded, hut in
pursuing his vengeance he met with
death. When Burr's term expired Gem
eral SCHUYLER was sent as his success
sOr to the senate. Burr could not stand
the inactivity of private life. and he
sought and secured an election as
member of the assembly of the state of
New York Then he fastened his eye
upon the gOvernorship as a sure step
ping stone to the presidency, which had
once been almost within his grasp. He
entered the race, but was beaten Ivy
Morgan Lewis whose campaign was
managed by the sagacious Hamilton.
This campaign was marked by scan
dal and bitter personalities. and 1t Is
reported that Hamilton was injudic
ious enough to indorse some newspa-
per aspersions upon the character of
Burr, rejecting upon the latter's in
tegrity as a man and faithfulness as an
official.
This gave Burr the opportunity he
had longed for, and he Immediately
sent Hamilton challenge to fight a
duel. Hamilton was by no means
coward, but he knew that Burr was
one of the most skillful swordsmen in
America, and dead shot. to boot. The
young statesman temporiZed. hestated
and attempted to effect a reconciliation,
but Burr. aristCcrat by birth and as
sociations. chafed under the accusa-
tiOns that had been made during the
campaign, and would not listen to sug-
gestiOns of compromise or apology. He
branded Hamilton as a coward and q
pOltroon, and made him the butt of his
insults on every occasion that offered.
At a reception in New York Burr found
his opportunity to insult Hamilton 50
grossly that attempts at Cancellation
were out of the question. and so at
o'clock on the morning of the eth
Of July, 1904. the adversaries faced each
other on the heights of Weehawken
Hamilton fell, mortally wounded. at
the first shot, and with the ending of
this brilliant mans life came Burr's
ruin.
CALHOUN AND JACKSON.
The second great feud was between
John c. Calhoun and Andrew Jackson.
Calhoun was of the aristocrat type
while jackson represented the sturdy
Scotch-Irish pioneers, who, hewers of
wood and drawers of water, blazed the
way for civilization in the south and
west. The personal enmlty of those
great men had its origin in the attitude
OF calhoun as member of the cabinet
when jackson was prosecuting the war
against the SeminOles in 1917. 1t seems
that Old Hickory, in some cases at
least. had taken to himself the power
of judge, jury and exccutioner and
stood not upon the order of hanging
traitors. but hanged them at once His
was summary punishment in every in
stance and he reckoned not whether
his victim was Indian, American or
foreigner
Finding that petty Spanish official
mad been guilty of treason, according
to his soldier judgment, Jackson order
eo MN 10 be strung up to the nearest
tree. This led to difficulties and danger
OF war with Spain. During the discus
sion OF this case Calhoun made bitter
attack on the hero of New Orleans.
scoring him for ignorance and incapac,
ity. This was during IA cabinet meet
ing, when everything is said and done
rr,da hn Nf
years later. through ex-Secretary of the
Treasury Crawford. the story was told
to Jackson, who determined to renav
the great southerner by baking his po-
litical ambitions. His opportunity came
soon enough. The backwOodsmen of
Tennessee, proud Of their rough and
ready soldier, elected him to the United
States senate In 1921, and the legislature
conferred upon him a greater honor, for
they at the same time gave him unan-
1mous endorsement for the Democratic
presidential nomination.
The great leaders in Washington
laughed loudly and long when this bit
OF news reached them, and one of the
party organs gave place to a satirical
eulogy of "old leather breeches. the
backwoods president" Enemies of Cal
houn years aftefward conveyed the in
formation to Jackson that the former
was the author of this screed, and THIS
intensified the weather-beaten warriors
hatred for the "curled darling of capital
society" The old soldiers boom grew
apace. and when the campaign was
ended 1t was found that Jackson had
received ninety-nine electoral votes
He was the leading candidate. but his
opponents united on John Quincy Ad-
ans, and the latter was chosen.
Jackson bided his time. and in 1928 all
the opponents of Adams gathered about
him. and he was elected by handsome
majority; but the wave that landed
him in the White house swept Calhoun
into the vice e-DreSidenfial chair then a