The Neihart herald. [volume] (Neihart, Mont.) 1890-1901, 1896-03-28
Civil WARS FIRST GUN.
A Pistol Shot on the Hudson
Rivers Bank In 1904.
IF BURR'S PISTOL HAD MISSED.

How the Course Of Events Was Changed
by the Death of Alexander Hamilton.
Slavery Would Have Been Abolished
without Bloodshed- What Might Have
Boon.
Copyright, 1896, by John Clark Ridpath.l
".
1t was before sunrise on the morning
of the 1th of July | took the boat at
Forty second street, New York, and
crossed to the great trestle of the El Do
RADIO heights. / went down the bank
/ about 80 rods to little iron railing.
Inside of the railing is small red
stone, i'll which is set bronze plate,
telling that on that stone, down by the
river brink, 800 feet below, Hamilton's
head was laid when he fell. 1t was 81
years ago at that hour. The light of the
rising sun struck level across the city,
just as it had flashed in the face Of the
falling statesman. He had foolishly or
generously chosen the wrong position
His enemy stood with the sun at his
back. [ said to myself, What if Burr's
pistol had missed
Consider the political situation in the
year 1904. George Clinton, for the sew
enth time governor of New York, was
nearing the close Of his term His
nephew, De Witt Clinton, ex senator Of
the United States, powerful factor,
was mayor Of New York city Jefferson
was in the last year of his first term.
Aaron Burr was vice president of the
United States, but could not be his own
successor. He had succeeded, by an
intrigue in the fourth presidential cleo
tion, in tying the electoral vote with
jefferson, but the house had decided in
favor of the latter Burr had secured
the support Of most Of the Federal repre-
sentatives, not that they hated him less,
but dreaded Jefferson more.
Falling back into the vice presidency,
the defeated aspiTant soon found that
his intrigue had destroyed his prestige
with his own party. He had shown him
self willing to defeat the idol of the
Democracy. Hamilton and his friends
had refused to support Burr, even as
measure Of political expedency, and it
"oo Az tiIiS tlitb tlle
with the Tederalists had failed. Burr,
perceiving how matters stood in the
years 1923, saw that he must climb into
the presldency-if at abby some other
stairway. John Adams, the first vice
president, had succeeded Washington
Jefferson, the second, had succeeded
Adams. Burr, the third by his impru-
dent ambition, had kicked down the
ladder whereby he might have succeed
ed Jefferson. Such, however, had been
his political skill that he had put New
York into the Democratic column.
Whether New York could be kept in
that column and whether Burr, by elect
ing himself governor in 1904, might
vault to the presidency from the hither-
to untried guberiatoral stepping stone,
depended upon the political complexion
and decision of New York city.
That city held the balance of power
in the state, and, if i'll the state, then in
the Union. The decision Of the city de-
pended upon whether Alexander Hamil-
ton or Aaron Burr had the greater in
fuence
Hamilton had lately been commander
OF the American army--organized for
\ the expected war with France. That
war passed with the ascendency Of Bona.
parte. Hamilton might we'll resign bis
place as general in chief, return 10 his
practice i'll New York, and await the
swinging of the pendulum which should
bring Federal reaction against the now
triumphant Jeffersonian Democracy, and
xyaft hi fA III ~
cessor of Washington and Adams.
Hamilton was natural master The
year 1904 found him SO situated that he
might thwart Burr's purpose to b. gov.
ernor of New York, and, if that, then
his higher purpose to be president. The
Federalists, for policy, had generally &C
cepted Burr as their candidate for gov
ernor, but the influence of the great
leader prevailed, and the election went
/ to Morgan Lewis. Burr suddenly found
himself i'll a wreck. He could be neither
/ vice president nor governor Of New
I York, and, if not these, then nothing.
/ His left wing had been broken by the
intrigue against Jefferson, and his right
was now thrown into the air by the
Federalist detection. Hamilton in let
! ter to DIR. Cooper, had said that he had
"a despicable opinion Of Colonel Burrs
politics. Burr, with assiduous scrutiny,
discovered thus much Of an offense. He
challenged his mighty rival and killed
him But if Burr's pistol had missed!
In one sense history knows not If.
When hypothesis is introduced into hu-
man events, it signifies no more than
our ignorance of the laws that are work
ing out the inexorable results Of destiny.
! There is sense in which it is foolish to
speak of an event turned in this way or
in that by the mere purpose and agency
OF man. The individual has little 10 do
with it. We do not say he has nothing
to do with it. A few men have been
dynamically SO great that they have de-
fiected the lines of universal causation.
Hamilton was one of these, and, if Burr's
pistol had missed, the historical forces
OF the epoch would, we think, have been
strikingly changed in their course.
Alexander Hamilton was by a great
measure the strongest intellect of our
revolutionary age. He was so strong as
to be almost dangerous Considered as a
thinking machine, neither Jefferson nor
the younger Adams was comparable
with him. franklin may have been