Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-08-14
THE RIVALS.
A Story of the Times of Aaron Burr and
Alexander Hamilton.
BY JERE CLEMENS.
CHAPTER XVII.

it.
Till this lest running over OF the cup
OF bitterness"
The treaty between England
France, and the United States, by
which the independence of the lat
ter was acknowledged, withered the
daring hopes of Alexander Hamil-
ton. and utterly blasted the Willy
schemes of his INSCRIPTIONS confed-
crate, Billings. That shrewd and
dangerous man at once understood
that all hope was at an end; yet ne
neither covered nor complained. TO
all outward appearance his bearing
was the same; but Notwithstanding
the seeming calmness Of the surface
a serpent had wreathed itself about
his heart, whose sting drove him on
and on, in quest of new excitements,
new plots, new conspiracies. In two
years afterward he set sail for
France, and it was long before he
was again heard Of in America.
Alexander Hamilton was perhaps
as deeply wounded and disappointed
as Billings, but for him theater was
still open in the new world, OF which
he resolved TO make the most. When
the army was disbanded, he turned
his attention, like Aaron Burr. to the
profession of the law. Like him he
studied hard, and like him he rose
rapidly. 1t was at the bar, after
wears of separation. that the rivals
met once more. Here the struggle
between them was resumed, but their
rivalry was divested of the bitterness
of former years. 1t was war OF
two giant intellects, in which neither
could stoop to envy, because envy
would have been an acknowledgment
of inferiority. Things continued In
this state until politics came in to
imbitter their relations. In this di-
vision of parties Aaron Burr took
the popular, or Democratic side
Alexander Hamilton the Federal; still
their intercourse was personally kind
and respectful, until the year 1890,
when Alexander Hamilton was sec
retary of the treasury, and his faith
er-in-law, General Schuyler, was a
candidate for reelection TO the Uni
ted States senate from the state Of
New York. Aaron Burr became a
candidate in opposition to him, and
in January, 1871, was elected over
the combined influence Of Hamilton
and Schuyler. From that day the
old enmity in the bosom Of Alexander
Hamilton sprung into a new and
more venomous life. Whatever Burr
advocated Hamilton opposed; where
ever Burr sought to climb, he found
Hamilton in his way. II was impos-
sible that Colonel Burr could misun-
derstand the extent and bitterness Of
this opposition; but then, as in the
past and throughout his after life,
he locked his secrets in his own
bosom, and made no complaint.
The career of Colonel Burr in the
senate is too we'll known to require
repetition here. In the third year Of
his service a great calamity overlook
him. The wife who had been the
best Of friends and counselors was
called away, and he was left with
none but little Theodosia to enliven
his home and soothe him amid the
perplexing cares which were gather
ing thick around him. This blow he
bore with his accustomed fortitude;
and the only indication the public
had of the intensity of his sufferings,
was the restless eagerness with
which he plunged into politics.
Before the expiration of his term,
the state of New York had become
thoroughly Federal, and General
Philip Schuyler was elected to sue
ceed him. To reverse this state OF
things, and bring New York into the
Democratic fold, was now the cher
ished object of his life. To this end
he devoted all his vast talents and
tireless energy. He succeeded, after
q contest unparalleled in the annals
Of the Republic, and in the year 1900
he was nominated as the Democratic
candidate for vice-president, on the
same ticket with Thomas Jefferson
This nomination, so gratifying at the
time, was the fruitful source of all
the woes that afflicted his after years
The result of the election was: JEFF
ferson 73, Burr 73, Adams g., Pinck-
ney "a, Jay /. Under the constitu-
ton as it then stood, an election by
the house of representatives be-
came indispensable to decide which
of the two highest on the list (Jef-
ferson or Burr) should hold the
office of president, and which the
office Of vice-president Of the United
States. Here was a field of opera
tions exactly suited to the genius OF
Alexander Hamilton, and his con-
duct during that period was such as
to justify old John Adams in the
declaration that he was the most
unprincipled intriguer in America
He writes to leading Federalists tc
hold out the bait of their support tc
Burr, but warns them at the same
time that that support must not be
given to him in reality. He tells
them that Jefferson is a libertine ir
morals, a radical in politics, and ar
infidel in religion; but adds that Burr
is the more dangerous man, and, II
elected to the presidency, he would
conduct the government a la Bona
parte. By such low and despicable
arts as these he sought the ruin Of
the rival whose power he had felt
and whose future influence upon the
politics of the nation he most dread
ed. Colonel Burr did not fall into
the trap, and yet he suffered all the
consequences that could have follow
ed If he had yielded fully to thu
temptation. The mind of Jefferson
was by some means poisoned agains
him, and no amount of evidence wa
sufficient TO remove the prejudice'
then imbibed. In looking back upoI
the history of that memorable con
test, il is difficult to conceive how
the belief ever could have obtained
that Colonel Burr was willingly th'
rival of Mr. Jefferson. Yet Ii die