Evening star., 1914-07-26

H1N4A der" The HamtOn-Burr interview (aS
GA<DS it called in the stately language OF the
time) by far the most famous duel ever
fought on the American continent and one of the most
deplorabe 1t the life of one and utterly ruined
the brilliant public career of the other. ,, -.
As focus glasses on the Weehawken shore OF the
Hudson in the light of day, is difficult to believe
our eyes, There they stand in the cool air of the early
rnorning-the Vice President of the United States and
former Secretary of the Treasury facing each other with
loaded pistol in hand Only once has the phenomenon
appeared in our history and certain that it can
never again occur. .<-
It was not so much the exalted station of the two
that made the encounter tragc was the personality
of the antagonists that made the meeting OF such dramatic
interest," Aaron Burr the best known in the
country Tall and soldiery in his bearing, with keen,
bright eyes, he fascinated both and women with his
engaging personality He minister's son. and seems
to have worked diligently to maintain the questionable
reputation that supposed attach itself to the OF
preachers And he grandson of the famous Jonathan
Edwards one of the sternes theoogians that ever acu-
lated the simple religion of Christ. Burr was now forty
eight He was lawyer and politician and in both pro-
fessions just the kind of that Alexander Hamilton
could tolerate.
Hamilton was ortyseven and at the zenith of his public
career He was unquestonably one of the ablest men
produced by the of those stirring times When the
battle of Lexington fought he was college boy of
eighteen but shortly afterwad he was Captain OF ar
tierv At nineteen he Lieutenant Colonel on the
personal staff of General Washington, and his judgment
was then so sound that he remained the personal adviser
to the commander in chief throughout the war In l7sO
he had married the daughter of General Schuyler and
became Major General After the death of Washington,
Hamilton was commander in chief Of the American army.
But his chief distinction springs from his wonderful in
tellec and creative financial ability He made Secre-
tary of the Treasury because Washington said that he was
the only man the country who delivered the goods The
difficulty of the Job due mainly to the fact that there
was no Treasury to be Secretary Of: it to Hamilton
to make Treasury and he made it. Fortunately for the
country the constructive work had been done before he
met Aaron Burr at Weehawken that fatal July morning.
Hamilton had long held Burr in profound contempt;
but he had no personal i'll will toward him. Burr the
other hand was personally emttered by Hamltons per-
sistent opposition him. and he refused longer tolerate
it. When Burr just missed being President of the United
States he knew that Hamilton mainly to blame for
his losing the that would have elected him in the
House of Representatives And when he refused be
soed by his election Vice President and sought be
Governor of New York instead again it Alexander
Hamilton who blocked the game Burr cannot therefore
be greatly blamed for bitter feelings.
The immediate of the duel letter that Dr.
Cooper had written to Philip Schuyler. 1t in this
sentence "I assert that General Hamilton and Judge
Kent have declared in substance, have looked upon
Mr. Burr be dangerous and who ought not to
be trusted with the rens of government" The letter
eventually fell into Burs hands, and he promptly
to Hamilton and asked if it that he said it.
The resulting correspondence does not shed additional
luster Hamiton's He had been saying much
things about Burr for long tme but when
showdown he fell back upon legal suberfuges and de-
nanded that Burr state the specific time and place when
specific conversation was supposed to have specifically
occurred. Hamilton knew of that if he admitted
having used the words he would have them publicly
fight and he had the best in the world for
wishing to fight Letter after letter passed back and FORTH