The herald., 1896-04-09
FIRST GUN OF THE CIVIL WAR
4 PISTOL SHOT on THE HUDSON RIVERS
BANK IN 1894
How the Course of Events Was Changed by
the Death Of Alexander hsmilion Slavery
Wsui6 Have Been Abolished without
Blood siied-whst Tight Have Been
Copyright. ises. by John Clark Ridpath.

OF the 1lth OF July. j TOOK the boat at
Forty second street, New York. AID
crossed to the great trestle Of the El Do
rado heights. / went down the bank
about 80 rods TO little iron railing.
Inside of the railing is small red
stone. in which is set a bronze plate,
telling that on that stone. down by the
river brink, 800 feet below, Hamilton .
head was laid when he fell. Irwas 81
years ago at that hour. The light Of the
rising sun struck level across the city,
Just as it had flashed III 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 Bnrr'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 tho close Of his term. His
nephew, De Witt Clinton, ex-senator Of
the United States, "a 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-
sentatiyes, not that they hated him less,
but dreaded Jefferson more.
Falling back into the vice presidency,
the defeated aspirant 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 a
measure of political expediency, and it
was for this reason that the intrigue
with the Federalists had failed. Burr,
perceiving how matters stood in the
years 1923, saw that he must climb into
the presidency-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
10 untried gubernatorial stepping stone,
depended upon the political complexion
and dec ision of New York city.
That city held the balance Of power
IN the state. and, if in 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
dnence
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 his
place as general in chief, return to his
practice in New York, and await the
swinging Of the pendulum which should
bring Federal reaction against the now
triumphant Jeffersonian Democracy, and
watt him to the high seat as the sue
cessor Of Washington and Adams.
Hamilton was "a natural master. The
year 1904 found him 80 situated that he
might thwart Burr's purpose to be gov
ernor Of New York, aud, II that, then
his higher purpose to be president. The
Federalists, for policy, had generally ac-
cepted Burr as their candidate for gov
ernor, but the influence Of the great
Leader prevailed, aud the election went
10 Morgan Lewis. Burr suddenly found
himself in wreck. He could be neither
vice president nor governor Of New
York, aud, il 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 DR.. Cooper, had said that he had
"a despicable opinion" Of Colonel Burr 3
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-
01uu cscutr, IL rlpbliItH no more IMAM
our ignorance of the laws that are work
ing out the inexorable results Of destiny.
There il sense in which it is foolish to
speak OF All even: turned in this way or
IN that by the mere purpose and agency
OF man. The individual has little to do
with 1t. We do not say he has nothing
70 do with it, A few men have been
dypamically SO great that they have de-
dected the lines Of universal causation.
Hamilton was one Of these, and, if Burr 4
pistol had missed, the historical forces
OF the epoch would, we think, have been
Gtrikingly changed in their course.
Alexander Hamilton was by a great
measure the strongest intellect Of our
revolutionary age. He was SO strong az
70 be almost dangerous Considered az a
thinking machine, neither Jefferson nor
the younger Adams was comparable
with him. Franklin may have been
more capacious, more philosophical,
more humane, as he was far more al.
truistic. but as conscious thinker OF
clear cut. steel finished thoughts Hamil.
ton was beyond compare the greatest OF
them all. He did the constructive think.
ing for the whole era in which he lived.
He cleared away the debris of the Revo-
Iution and laid the foundations Of that
new political order which we have in