The National tribune., 1900-10-18

| chllllneSS seemed to pervade the entire
assembly, and Harry Granger remarked
to young man at his side:
The people do not seem to enjoy
themselves"
There is coolness here"
Il have perceived it some time.
"Do you notice Hamilton and BurrT
Yes
Harry had scarce had his eyes off the
two men since they had seated themselves
at the table. Hamilton sat at the head
and Burr was half way down.
They have not spoken with each other
today
No; Col. Burr has not even looked al
him."
Politically they are enemies, but
friends"
Il supposed they still spoke"
Harry was uneasy. He knew not why,
! but he felt strange, vague feeling that
all was not right.
Through all the various stages of rich
meats and wines, continual gold and sill
yer dainties of earth, air, fire and water,
heaped up fruits, and that unnecessary
| article at this banquet, even in July-lce
the feast wore on.
Harry observed, or at least he thought
he observed, that Maude was very un-
comfortable. and the very thought gave
| him joy. 1t was very wicked in Harry.
but he could not help it. Asa Jarvis, nat
urally stupid, unable to borrow wisdom
| from his mother, who sat too far away.
| became silent, and she was in constant
dread of his falling asleep:
Are you acquainted with Gen. Hamil-
ton?' Harry asked his friend on his right.
| NO; but | have seen him."
| Il have never met him before. He is
a noble-loOking man."
| After moment Harry asked:
Are you Hamitonian or Burrite?
Il am q Jeffersonian; but if ever
hear that man speak," meaning Hamilton,
he might win me completely to his side.
| Really, are you so iDfatuatedE
Il never saw such remarkable man.
Harry glanced at the noble face, and
marked that it was pale, calm, and thai
| the eyes were sad Even then Hamilton
was slowly counting the hours and min
utes his unsparing enemy would leave hin.
with his friends, wife and children.
Alexander Hamilton was a shining spe-
cimen of n class of characters which
Great Britain produces in numbers-mel
| # administrative ability, of active and
suggestive intellects. The basis of Ham
ilton's moral character was noble and dis
| Interested; no man more noble in his feel
| ing than he; none more generous or NOR
| kind. He loved the country of his adOp
ton, and would have died to save it: thar
is, to convert it to his way of thinking
He was confident that the "crazy old
hulk of a Constitution" as he termed
It, could not last. A crisis was ap
| preaching. When it arrived, then tn
| FederaliSts would save the country b!
| giving it a Government that could gov
| ern. But Hamilton was an honorable
man; he could stand, he said, resolutel!
by the Constitution until the 'old hulk
| did go down; it should have the fairest
of fair trials. He was morbidly in earn
est. Gouverneur Morris, his friend, says.
in one of his letters, "Our poor friend
| Hamilton, bestrode his hobby, to the grea
annoyance of his friends" Hamilton :
| greatest hold on the people was his being
the man trusted and preferred by Wash
| ington. 1t was thought that Washington
liked him better than any other publ
man; for Hamilton, too, was an honest
man, and he had a rapidly suggestive mind
and fluent tongue. Though Hamilton wa
| honest, he was not honest as Washing
ton was honest. I'm the maddest party
contentious Washington's integrity was
| never shaken, nor questioned, except by
FOOLS" But in the strife of parties it is
charged that Hamilton more than once
advised measures which no man could de
| fend; but in America one has become So
accustomed to what is called political
tricks that what at any other time would
not be tolerated is permitted in the heat
| Of campaign, and the campaign lie is
common, while the campaign truth is the
| exception.
Hamilton was the opposite of Thomas
Jefferson, who was gentleman by birth.
| a democratic from conviction, and a re
Elective philanthropist by disposition.
These men, who should have been per-
| Sonal and political friends, by the drift
of their thoughts, became bitter enemies.
Both had the welfare of the country in
| view. Hamilton believed in a stronger
Government with a more centralized pow
| Taffa hAI, ~ h.
power among the people, and accused
Hamilton of being monarchist. Wash
| ington, first in wisdom as well as patri-
| Otism. took the middle ground, on which
our Constitution is based, and on which
| it will stand.
But while we are giving the relative
values of men, present and absent, it is
essential that the reader should know
something Of Col. Burr, Vice-President of
| the United States.
Despite his excellent family, Washing
| ton had probed his character. as we have
seen. Hamilton realized that although he
| was a man of great intellect and persever
| ence, he lacked the moral qualification es-
sential to man, and had always opposed
him.
For long time Burr had fuctuated be-
| tween the Federalists and -Federalists
| or Republican party, shrewdly bidding for
popularity, and taking advantage of fac
tiO0S. Being n foreigner Dy Dlftn, h3mll-
ton was barred by the Constitution from
being President of the United States, an
office to which Burr aspired and came so
| near obtaining. Burr spent his whole life
in making breaches in political parties and
in search of disaffected politicians whom
he won to his purpose.
But we have departed too far from the
banquet, and will turn to it at once The
feast proceeded, and then came the toasts.
Col. Aaron Burr responded to a toast So
ardently, coolly and genteelly that the
young thing with bare shoulders turned
TO Mr.. Datchery, who sat smiling and nod
ding, and remarked:
"Oh, what love of a man Is the dear
Colonel
"Indeed-indeedw and Mr. Datchery
nodded and smiled.
"See sweet Alice, how she listens, en-
tranced at every word that falls from the
great mans lips"
''She does, indeed" and Mr.. Datchery
again nodded his head like a trip-ham
mer, driving the nail of truth into her
assertion.
Gen. Hamilton was a grave sight at the
head of the table in state of dignity. He
made no speech that day.
do you observe" remarked Harry to
his companion, "that Col. burr has not
yet looked at Gen. Hamilton"
81 observe"
'"That is strange"
Could it be that Col Burr was going
to play the churlish part of an ill-natured
child.