The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1901-10-07
BURR AS VICE PRESIDENT.
HIS DUEL WITH HAMILTON And
THE CONCLUDING DAYS
OF His Remarkable Career.

| aCter, and with remarkable preSClenct
of his future career, Hamilton declared
that Burr was "a Catiline, bankrupt
beyond redemption, far more cunning
| than wise With great apparent cold
ness, he is the most sanguine man il
the world. He thinks everything pos
sble to adventure and perseverance.
A serious charge against Burr In this
contest, and one which did much to in
/ lure his standing in after years. was
that he intrigued with his political en-
emies, the federallsts, to secure theil
votes in the house. This charge is not
clearly sustained by the facts, but it
was generally credited. Fooled in his
ambition to secure the highest place in
the government, he accepted the second
with his usual self-poise, and presided
over the senate with grace and dignity.
Near the close of his term occurred the
famous trial before the senate of Judge
Chase, over which Vice President Burr
presided with the dignity and impair
TALLY of an angel, but with the rigor Of
demon" as a contemporary reported.
In taking his leave of the senate at the
close of his term he made an eloquent
forewell address, which strangely i'm
pressed that dignified body and drew
tears from many auditors. During the
term of his vice presidency he lived
when in New York city in extravagant
style, keeping a French cook and q
large retinue of servants This lavish
expenditure. added to his reckless use
of money in rewarding political SER
vices and aiding needy applicants, en-
tailed upon him heavy embarrassments.
To relieve himself Of these he sold all
of his splendid suburban estate at
Richmond Hill, except the mansion and
few acres around it, to John Jacob
Astor for one hundred and forty thou
sand dollars Even this sum, princely
for those days, was soon expended and
he again found himself heavily in debt.
The summer of 1904, the last Of Aaron
Burr's tenure of office, was marked by
tragic event which, more than any
that had preceded it, turned the cur
rent of his destiny and confirmed it's
downward course-his fatal duel with
Alexander Hamilton. That eminent
statesman had been for years, as we
have SEEN his most determined and
formidable opponent, ever ready with
untiring persistence to block the path
of his political aspirations. When Burr
discovered that enemies, inside as well
as outside of his party, had succeeded
in cutting off all his hopes of renomi-
nation for the presidency, he turned to
his state and appealed to its people for
election TO the governorship. Again
{ he great influence of Hamilton was ex-
erted against him. and Morgan Lewis
was elected governor by large major
ity Whatever may be said Of Burr's
indifference to injuries, it is
difficult to avoid the conclusion that,
stung beyond endurance by Hamilton's
persistent hostility Burr now deter
mined to compass his enemy's downfall.
as pretext an ambiguous re-
mark attributed to Hamilton, Burr, af-
ter some correspondence, challenged
him to duel. Hamilton accepted the
challenge, and spent the intervening
time in arranging his business affairs,
while, according to abundant evidence,
Burr spent hours each day practicing
with his pistol at mark, thus prepar-
ing with malice aforethousht what was
TO be a deliberate murder, however len
ently social custom might regard it.
On the morning of July II, 1904 when
Hamilton appeared at the appointed
place of meeting, secluded spot on the
bank of the Hudson under the heights
Vt Weehawken, he found Burr and his !
second busy in clearing the ground.
When Pendleton, Hamilton's second, |
asked him If he would have the hair
'pring of his pistol set he replied dui
lily, mot this time" for he had deci- |
led not to aim at his antagonist, at
east in the first fire. Are you
'eady?" said Pendleton, and as he gave
hoe word present Burr took delibe- !
ate aim and fired Hamilton fell on |
lis face, his pistol going off in the air. !
As the surgeon, who had been hiding. |
hurried to the spot, Burr's second held |
IN umbrella over his principal to screen |
lin from detection, and both hurried |
IF. When raised to a sitting position,
Hamilton said feebly, This is mortal
wound" and tainted. In the boat he
aid, "Pendleton knows l did not intend
O fire at him." He died the next day.
from that scene Aaron Burr passed to
lis irrevocable destiny to become ere
eng an autcast from his native land
nd a wanderer on the face of the
arth
Such was the vogue of dueling at that
ay that Burr evidently believed that !
he death of Hamilton would create
My a brief passing excitement. But
,hen at noon a bulletin board in the
ity presented this announcement,
General Hamilton was killed this
lorning by Colonel Burr in a duel"
he hearts of all men were strangely
1oved The death of so eminent
tatesman, whose services to the repub-
C were valued by discerning minds
ext to those of Washington himself,
'as an event not to be lightly forgot
,n. All but few firm friends fell
way from Burr. He was indicted for
lurder both in New York and New
ersey, and he wrote to his daughter:
The subject of dispute between the
NO states is Which shall have the
onor of hanging the PRESIDENT"
Avoiding these states, he went at
nee TO South Carolina. where duelng
as lightly regarded, and in the follow
le December resumed his duties as
ice-president, of which notice has al
aadv been taken. In April, 1905. he
lrned westward, sailed down the Ohio
nd Mississippi rivers, and in June ar
we'd at New Orleans Whatever adj
or reasonable designs he
lay have formed at this period, he
GEMS to have relinquished them for