Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-07-27
THE RIVALS.
A Story of the Times of Aaron Burr and
Alexander Hamilton.
BY JERE CLEMENS.


unceremoniously shortened crowned
kind by a head. The followers Of that
king by head. The followers of thai
the most determined and unflinching In
his support. whom defeat confiscation
and the military execution OF their
friends, had failed to dismay, refused to
accept the offered amnesty of the great
usurper, and came over here, where
they were at least removed from his
personal presence. Unlike the Puri-
tans in almost everything else, they
had the same obstinate devotion to
their own opinions, and the same read
tillio. When Cromwell was taken away
on that tempestuous night was fit
ting close to his wild and stormy ca
reer, the sternest of the regicides, who
never could be brought to acknowledge
the lawful rule Of the house Of Stuart,
abandoned England and FASTENED hith-
er to add a new stock of obstinacy to
a market already more than sufficiently
characteristics Of the ancestry have not
been softened in their descendants by
the dangers and difficulties in the midst
of which they have been nursed. The
spirits Of such a people cannot be
broken. Their towns may be taken,
their armies may be beaten, but they
will gather head again, and, in the end
tire out foe of more than ten times
their numerical strength. 1t is imma-
terial to them whether they fight for
an abstract principle or against the
most palpable and CALLING oppression.
They have no idea of surrendeling a
principle because 1t Is Of no practical
importance, and still less Of retra citing
anything which they have once utter
ed. They have declared that these
colonies are, and of right ought to be,
free and Independent states" and they
will stick to the declaration until
England is compelled to acknowledge
1t by pecuniary exhaustion. Bear these
things constantly in mind. We do not
want assistance. If your position
should enable you to discourage our
French allies, in any way, in Gods
name. do it! Create jealousies be-
tween them and our troops, offend their
punctilious pride, and send them back
to France in disgust, If possible. You
and were not born in this country;
neither of us is tied to it by kindred or
by ancestral remembrances; neith-
er, of his afflicted by Utopian
dreams of philanthropy; we are la
boring for our own advance
ment; the means, though diff
ficult, are perfectly obvious. When
things do not work to suit us. we must
make them. this is no time for doubts
or scruples; you have extended your
hand to grasp a scepter, and 1 have
staked my all upon your success. A
failure after so fair a beginning would
be doubly mortifying, and fail We must
If this French alliance brings about a
speedy peace. If the war ends in one
year or two years from this date,
George Washington may place a di-
adem on his head; but it is doubtful
whether II would not be torn even from
his brow, and it is certain that If any
one else makes the effort, his reward
will be gibbet instead of a throne. To
remove him now would be of no avail.
The army must first get accustomed
to the sound of another name. They
must be taught that another can pilot
them through storms as we'll as he.
other as an unquestionable leader in
the event of his death; and to accom-
plish these things time is indispensa-
BILE. A protracted struggle is not mere
ly desirable but absolutely essential on
another account-it is necessary that
the people should become so satiated
with blood, so weary of plunder and
house burning, that they will be re-
luctant to engage in a new contest. and
quietly acquiesce in whatever choice
the army may make. You see l deal
plainly. and keep nothing back. Situa-
ted as we are, we must not only work
for the same end, but the means must
be also the same. Each one must know
all that the other proposes to do. and
the way in which he proposes to do it,
Il admit" replied Hamilton, "the
general soundness uf your reasoning.
and l have as little disposition as you
have to bring the war to a hasty con-
cluSion: but ] have not been, and
am not now, so sanguine of the result
England has not yet put forth tithe
Of her strength. She has undervalued
the Importance of the rebellion from
the beginning, and throughout the con-
test she has relied too much upon Tory
assistance. When her ewes are opened
to these faults-and the wonder is they
have not been opened before now-we
shall have an army upon our shores
sufficiently powerful to make the as
sistance of a French force very well
come, if not absolutely necessary tC
the accomplishment of our independ-
enCe. The difference between us is, tha
you underestimate the resources OF
Great Britain, and Overvalue the ca
pacity of the colonies for resistance
In my judgment, we shall stand II
need of allies before our independence
is acknowledged, and therefore | have
been disposed to extend a cordial vel
come to the French"
1T is an error, Colonel Hamilton
said Billings, emphatically, "a grievou:
error. | give Great Britain credit fol
vast resources for immense energy
perseverance, and skill i'm the art o
war | believe there is no power or
the globe that is able, single handed
to stand against her. | have admitted
that there was a time and a way II
which she might have reconquereC
these provinces. | know that she cal
still spread desolation and ruin owe
every portion of the land but, believe
me. Colonel Hamilton, she can do M
more. The people of America are nov
perfectly united; the few struggling
Tories i'm British pay are too inSignifi
cant to be counted: the country is toC
leXtenSive to be overawed by garrison
| towns: it will. therefore. require a