The National tribune., 1900-10-25
THE AMERICAN
- lIaS!CATILINE.
tCoutinusd from first page, !,

want her case investigated, atd the others
are in doubt" Ts" AGf
sit must not be investigated; it shall
not be Investigated cried Mr.. Datchery,
taking fire at once and nodding furiously.
Such an investigation would bring out
some facts that would ruin Col Burr"
Mr.. Black, who was a Datchery para
site, smiled sleepy sort of a smile,
rubbed his face with his hand, and in his
soft, easy voice continued:
81 have opposed an investigation, but
Darlington and Livingston are determined
to have it investigated at the next session,
and 1 hastened to inform you. They are
already taking evidence in the form Of
affidavits, and there are many damaging
stories aioat."
81 will crush them for this" said Mr..
Datchery, nodding his head savagely. Mr..
ID. meant what he said. Wealth was
power then, as it is to-day, and he was
at this time the richest man in Albany.
He had way of crushing people who did
not follow the paths laid out for them. He
was reyengeful, INSCRIPTIONS and did not
hesitate to make his power felt when he
found people opposing him.
Hadn't we better see Col. Burr and
get his advice?" asked Mr.. Black
Burr is inaccessible to-day" returned
Datchery. Perhaps we can see him to-
morrow"
The reader knows why Burr and Ham
ilton were inaccessible on this day. On
the 9th Of July, as soon as the Granger
and Datchery business was disposed of,
Gen. Hamilton executed his will, leaving
his property, after the payment of his
debts, to "his dear and excellent wife"
"Should it happen" said he, That there is
not enough for the payment of my debts
entreat my dear children, if they, or any
of them, should ever be able, to make up
the deficiency. 1, without hesitancy, com
init to their delicacy a wish which is die
tated by my own. Though conscious that
have too far sacrificed the interest of
my family to public avocations, and on
this account have less claim to burden my
children, yet l trust in their magnaniInity
to appreciate as they ought this my re-
quest. In so favorable an event of things
the support of their dear mother, with the
most tender attention, is duty, all the
sacrednpss of which they will feel. Prob
ably her own patrimonial resources will
preserve her from indulgence. But in all
situations they are charged 10 bear in
mind that she has been to them the most
devoted and best of mothers
The evening of the 10th came, and while
Mr.. hatchery and the parasitic Black
were discussing plans to shield Mrs. Chick
from an investigation intended to reveal
the truth of her, conduct Burr was plan
ming murder and Hamilton making ready
for eternity. How differently were these
two men occupied. In one chamber was
a great and noble mind wrestling with
pride and the established rules of honor
on one side ard love and Christian duty
on the other. While in the other chamber
was an ambitious, but low, groyeling
mind, mind full Of revenge and murder,
planning to make some dependent OH his
resources happy, but most specially to
screen guilty women from the scorn and
Indignation which they SO richly deserved.
In the long letter which Burr wrote that
evening there were no signs that the gen
tie blood of Esther Edwards was revolt
ing in the veins of her erring son against
the morrow's deed. There was tender
dignity in his farewell words to Theodos a,
his daughter, but no misgivings. He gave
her q number of minute directions about
the disposal of his papers, letters and
servants. She was enjOined to burn all
such letters as, if by accident made pub
lie, would injure any person. This, he
added, was more particularly applicable
to the letters OF his female correspondents,
specially including Mrs. Chick. To his
step-son, poor dear Fredricks," to "Na-
talie," to various friends, he requested her
to give certain tokens Of remembrance
His faithful housekeeper, Peggy, was to
have lot of ground and $50, and the 9th
er servants, Theodosia was urged to adopt
as her own. His Letter concluded with
the following touching words:
Il am indebted to you, my dearest The
odosia, for a very great portion of the hap |
piness which | have enjoyed in life. You |
have completely satisfied all that my heart |
and affections had hoped or even wished. |
With a little more perseverance, deter min
alton and industry, you will obtain all that |
my ambition or vanity had fondly lmaS-
ined. Let your son have occasion to be |
proud that he had such mother. Adieu!
Adeur'
Burr was an anomaly. He was n per-
verse mixture of bril!iance and intelligence |
with all that is debased and groveling |
He could give good advice in some things, |
but his example was never in accordance
with his precept.
On that awful night in the solitude Of |
his library Hamilton reveals to us the mis-
erable picture of an honest and gifted |
man, who from pride and accursgd Gus
tom had with the utmost deliberatiOn
made up his mind to stand as a target |
before one of the most merciless Of enc
mics, rather than be attainted Of cow
ardice He said that be had shrunk from
the coming interview. His duty to his re-
ligion, his family and his creditors forbade
il. He should hazard much and gain moth
ing by it. He was conscious of no i'll will
to Col. Burr, apart from political opposi-
tiGn, which he hoped had proceeded from
pure and upright motives. But there
were difficulties, intrinsic and artificial, in
the way of an accommodation, which
seemed insuperable; intrinsic, because he
really had been very severe upon Col.
Burr; artificial, because Col. Burr had de-
manded too much, and in manner that
precuded peaceful discussion of the diff
ficulty.
'As WELL" this. affecting paper con-