The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-03-29
IF BURR HAD KISSED
The Course Of Events Would
Have Been Different.
NO WAR OVER SLAVERY.
Whist Might Have Taken place Hed
Alexander Hamilton Been Spared
20 His Country.


Ss-ofyfkkuAe0 W JOnu Iaafk h1Qp6fh.D
It was before sunrise on the morning
o. the 18th OF July. I took the boat at
Forty-second street. New York. and cross
ed to the great trestle of the FL Dorado
heights went down the bank about thir-
~ rods to little iron railing. Inside Of
the railing is a small red stone, in which
Is set a bronze plate. telling that on that
stone. down by the river brink. 800 feet
below. Hamiitons head was laid when he
ieii- II was ninety-one 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 fooiishly or generously chosen the
wrong position. His enemy stood with the
sun at his back i said to myself: -Wha,
II Burrs pistol had missed
Consider the political situation in the
year lsH. 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 term. Aaron Burr was vice
president Of the United States. but could
not be his own successor. He had sue
ceeded. by an intrigue in the fourth presi-
Dental election. 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
Failing back into the vice presidency,
the defeated aspirant soon found that his
intrigue had destroyed his prestige with
his own party. He had shown himself
willing TO defeat the idol Of the Democra-
cy. Hamilton and his friends had refused
to support Burr, even as q measure OF po-
litical expediency, and 1t was for this rea-
son that the intrigue with the Federalists
q ~ I.4 Gttr~ .s.rr~.
stood In the years 1925. saw that he must
climb into the presidency. il at all, by
some other stairway. John Adams. the
hrst vice president. had succeeded Wash
ington. Jefferson, the second. had sue
ceeded Adams. Burr. the third. by his
fmprudent ambition. had kicked down the
ladder whereby he might have succeeded
JEFFERSON. Such. however had been his po-
Htical skill that he had put New York
into the Democratic column. Whether New
York could be kept in that column, and
whether Burr, by electing himself gov
ernor in 1901. might vault TO the presiden-
cy from the hitherto untried guberna-
torial stepping stone, depended upon the
political complexion and decision of New
York city.
That city held the balance Of power In
the state. and. IL in the state then In the
Union The decision Of the city depended
upon whether Alexander Hamilton or
Aaron Burr had the greater influence
Hamilton had lately been commander
or the American army-organized for the
expected war with France That war
passed with the ascendency of Bonapar,e.
Hamilton might well resign his place as
general-in-chief. return to his practice in
New York, and await the swinging of
the pendulum which should bring Fed
eral reaction against the now triumphant
Jefersonian Democracy, and watt him
iph cen has Of
ington and Adams.
Hamilton was a natural master. The
year 1904 found him so situated that he
might thwart Burr's purpose TO be govern
or OF New York. and. If that, then his
higher purpose to be president. The Fed
eraiists. for policy. had generally accept
ed Burr as their candidate for governor,
but the influence of the great leader pre-
vailed. and the election went to Morgan
Lewis. Burr suddenly found himself in
wreck. He could be neither vice president
nor governor of New York. and. il not
these. then nothing. His left wing mad
been broken by the intrigue against Jeffer-
son. and his right was now thrown into
the air by the Federalist detection. Hamil-
ton in letter to DIR. Cooper. had said
that he had "a despicabie opinion" of Col.
Burr's politics. Burr. with assiduous
scrutiny. discovered thus much Of an Of
tense. He challenged his mighty rival AID
missed.
In one sense history knowNaot IT, When
hypothesis Is intrssuced into human events
IL signifies no more than our ignorance
OF the laws that are working out the in
exoraNle results of destiny. There is
sense in which IL 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 to do with it. We
do not say he has nothing to do with II.
A few men have been dramatically so
great that they have detected the lines
of universal causstion- Hamilton was me
OF these and II Iarr's pistol had missed.
the historical forc-s Of the epoch would
we think have been strikingiy changed
I'm their course.
Alexander Hamilton was by great
measure the strongest intellect Of our rev.
oiutionary age. He was strong as 10 be
almost dangerous Considered as think
ing machine. neither Jefferson nor the
younger Adams was comparable with
him. Franklin may have been more ca
paclous more philosophical more humane.
as he was far more altruistic. but
conscious thinker of clear cut. steel fin
.shei thoughts Hamilton was beyond COM
pare the greatest OF them all. He did tho
constructive thinking for the whole era in
which he lived. lie cleared away the de-
hrls Of the Revolution and laid the founia-
lions OF that new political order which
I'VE have inherited. One OF the corners was
laia on the quicksanfs Of the Old political
order and went down in 1851 with cata-
clysns and Are and red flashes OF blood
went down 10 be rebuilt with an expendi-
ture hard for mankind TO bear. fer Shy
lock has been the architect OF the recon-
struction.
Bat IL Burr's pistol had u,issei' Ham
titor on the day Of his death was & wears
months ard tsay OF age. He was espec-
tally well preserved Though slight. he hat
a sinevy frame His tissue was clean and
strong his form symmetrical. all Of his
organs perfect tn their functions lie had
har,iiy ever known sickness. He could not
Tire His mind had scarcely vet risen 20
the climax Of energy and efficiency. On
fhe FIRST morning Of the nineteenth cen
fury re Was positively the greatest r0lst-
seal factor IN America. Jefferson himself
no; excepted. As for W ash Ton, he had
- The end 81 his career enacted Hamf;on's
thoughts L was his Unconscious pollcyNo
do We do not recall a single instances
ir which the serene Father cf Hts Cain-
try departed materially from the policies
ard iesGinK< % thar statesman whom he
rad hrst met. a boy Lieutenant OF the day
after The retreat from Long Island What
II Rurr's pistol ha1 missed
The Federal party went 30 p premature
death with the fail Of Hamilton That
party hal not measured ou; !ls days I,
~sS the party 81 construction fust as the
Democracy bad been the party II teStrllc-
,ien. The lsttsr cared not % b}lild. ana
the former cared aoI to destroy more
II issaEF plsfol hAt ulisss,l tls fo4iX ard
feeslsaess which marked the dec4denee Of