Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-06-19

the intriguer and the slanderer, he for
got that creeping things are sometimes
deadly. and permitted the reptiles tha'
had stung him to crawl away unharm-
ed. Silence was the only weapon ne
ever opposed to the most venomous Sc
cret ASSAULT silence which, however
it may illustrate the grand proportions
of his nature, was yet fatal to MS
character, and deadly in its effects up
on his worldly prosperity. More thar
mortal in his endurance, he paid the
penalty that all must pay for surpass'
ing their kind. Reasoning that theil
own fretful impatience under unjust
accusation, and judging others by
themselves, the large majority Of man.
kind are apt to conclude that cal
umny unrepelled must be true, and tc
their minds silence only proves the abb
sence of available defense. 1t Is moi
until the victim has passed away, and
much Of passion and Of prejudice has
died with him, that we begin to under
stand how it is possible for a proud
man, conscious Of rectitude, and de-
spising from his inmost soul the loath-
some character Of his assailants, had
rather take the chances of an unjust
condemnation than submit to the de-
grading necessity Of establishing by
proof his innocence Of infamy.
These were the alternatives pre-
sented to Aaron Burr. He chose the
latter-unwisely many will say-bu'
whether wisely or unwisely, it was the
conclusion Of mind never thrown
from its balance, and heart that was
never, In its most unguarded moment
betrayed into littleness. If he had
known who was his enemy, who was
the life and soul of the conspiracy, II
might have been different, since 1t Is
certain that he could have had no ex-
cuse for a contemptuous disregard OF
assaults from such a quarter. The
name Of that enemy-that rival-has
since become inseparably blended with
the history Of a continent. A West
Indian by birth, a soldier by nature
possessing talents of the highest order
a commanding person, and most
agreeable address, there was no sta
ton to which he might not aspire, as
there was unquestionably none to
which his attainments were not equal
Happy would 1t be for his own fame,
aNt nfh Ntyif
whom he was associated, If the pen of
history could rest here. But with that
brilliant intellect and manly bearing,
was blended a moral baseness that
charity has no mantle broad enough to
to cover. With him, every aim, every
object, every aspiration Of life center
ed in self. A soldier Of liberty, he
fought not to establish human rights,
but to gather laurels for his own In
satiate brow The intimate friend of
General Charles Lee, he deserted and
betrayed him upon the first appearance
of a cloud above his horizon. Indebt-
ed to George Washington for a thou
sand favors, he complained In private
of the asperities Of his temper and
questioned his justice. The avowed
partisan of John Adams during his
presidency, he yet denounced him in
his private correspondence as unfit
and incapable" and habitually spoke
of him to leading Federalists in terms
of harsh injustice. Boasting Of his
chivalry, he did not hesitate to pollute
the marriage bed. and add to the crime
of debauchery the despicable infamy
of betraying the woman who had trust
ed him. Whatever might have been
her guilt,
Her treachery was truth to him."
and when he rewarded her erring af-
fection by pointing her out as mark
for the public scorn, he became himself
an object too low for scorn to reach
Jealous, vindictive, unscrupulous;
ready to employ any means, however
vile, or resort TO any artifce, however
disreputable, Alexander Hamilton was
a man whose enmity it was dangerous
to excite, whose friendship 1t was
equally dangerous to trust. Aaron
Burr was already regarded by him as
a formidable rival in the race for glory
and this was sufficient of itself to gain
hi8 enmity, and insure his detraction.
To this was soon added the revengeful
venom of a rivalry of another kind. AT
the house of a friend he accidentally
met Adelaide Clifton. His judgment
was taken captive by the brilliancy OF
her conversation, and his West Indian
blood was turned to fire by her extra
ordinary beauty. The acquaintance
thus formed was not permitted to Ian
guish. Every moment of relaxation
from his military duties was devoted
to her. Day after day he was by her
side. Day after day he eXerted to the
utmost those fascinating powers that
he had as yet found no woman able tC
resist. That she was pleased with his
society and flattered by his attentions
admitted Of no question, and her prac-
ticed wooer spared no eXertion to im-
prove the favorable position he had
gained Quietly and artfully he hao
extracted from her knowledge OF hel
tastes, and her favorite pursuits; OF
the books she read, the authors she
most admired; the virtues most es-
teemed. and the vices most abhorred
With the hand of master he touched
the chords on which she had uncon'
sciously taught him to play. The evil
dent pleasure and the close attention
with which she listened. raised fiat
tering hopes in his bosom; and, ignor'
ant that her heart was anothers, ht
eXulted in the conviction that every
hour brought him nearer to the ac'
complishment of his purpose. VIVA
was that purpose? Honorable mar
riage? Oh, no! He had learned, by
diligent inquiry, that she was compar'
atively poor, and destitute of inf1uen
tial friends 1t did not suit his ambi
| tious schemes to link himself at suct
time. to one who would be clog up
on his advancement; or, if not an alb
solute hinderance, at least incapable
of pushing him up the ascent he wa
beginning to climb. Yet while his am
bition controlled his passion so far a
Il