Year: 1860




Hamilton, (for if any one ever slew his ad
versary in duel with murderous heart
and murderous hand, it was Aaron Burr,)
and from the celebrated speech of Writ on
the trial of Burr for treason, which was
one OF the favorite specimens of oratory on
which we were wont to try our youthful
powers. One Of the most beautiful passa-
ges in this eloquent production is that in
which the orator describes the home Of
Blannerhassett, on the lovely island in the
Ohio which still bears his name, where he
created around him, by his wealth and re-
fined taste almost second Eden, and where
he lived in the bosom of his lovely FAM
lily, almost in primeval delight, until
the willy tempter entered. As of old,
the paradise was changed, desolation over
spread this refined home, the labor of
years was wasted upon wild speculation,
bis own life was blasted, and his wife,
whom he had watched with such jealous
care, that even the winds of summer were
not suffered to visit her too roughly, was
found at midnight on the banks of the Ohio,
where "her tears were mingled with the
torrents, that froze as they fell"


From these two passages in the life of
Burr, in which by different means, but with
the same selfish and ambitious ends in
view, be had trampled upon law, human
and divine, and had brought desolation and
woe into homes that had been scenes of
domestic bliss, had pictured to my youth
ful mind one whose very appearance would
fail to awaken a thought OF sympathy or
tenderness.


have just as little respect for the name
Of Aaron Burr now. Notwithstanding
the recent efforts of popular writers to re-
deem it from deserved infamy, it will never
cease to be execrated until public and pri-
vate virtue becomes a Kissing and bye
word, and he who outrages both is exalted
to honor. If ever there was thoroughly
bad man, it was Aaron Burr. He was as
near being destitute of conscience as any
man that ever lived. Though having so
much occasion for it, he did not attain even
TO the dignity of remorse. But took up
my pen to speak of the contrast which
sometimes exists between our ideal of a
man and his actual presence.


In the summer of ls-, while yet boy,
1 was coming down the North river. The
steamer touched at Hudson just before
dark, and among the passengers who came
on board was small decrepid old man
with long white locks hanging upon his
shoulders. As be tottered on board he
was barely able to support himself by
cane. He walked 10 the afterpart of the
boat, descended to the cabin, and took his
seat in corner, perfectly abstracted from
everything around him, and as wholly neg
lected by every one on board. Not per-
son spoke to him, although it was well
known who he was. When the supper
bell rang, lie gathered up himself with
great effort, but owing TO his great mfr
nifty he was unable to reach the table until
it was full, and he tottered slowly back to
his seat. At the second table, at which l
sat, noticed him attempting to put on
his spectacles, using both hands, but it was
with the greatest difficulty that he sue
ceeded, bis hands shaking violently, as with
palsy. No one paid him the slightest
attention during the evening, and as much
unnoticed as if unknown, he retired for the
night, after having sat in silence and soi-
tude. He appeared like the most pitia
Bile wreck of man, and yet there was not
one who gave him the least token of SYM
pathy.


A few years after, attended his fnne-
raj in the College chapel at Princeton,
where his remains were brought to be laid
by the side of his honored father A fu-
neral discourse was delivered by the Pres
ident of the College, Rev. DIR. Carnahan,
and an account of his last hours given by
the clergyman who attended upon him, but
then, as since upon their repetition by bis
biographer, they failed to impress me with
the belief that even at the last there were
any kindling of repentance in his hardened
heart. The following is the statement of
the clergyman who ATTENDED him in his
last hours.


II said to him, in this solemn hour of
your apparent dissolution, believing as you
do, in the sacred Scriptures, your accoun,a-
bility TO God, let me ask you how you feel
in view of approaching eternity; whether
you have good hope, through grace, that
all your sins will be pardoned, and God
will in mercy pardon you for the sake of
the merit and righteousness of his beloved
Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, who in love
suffered and died for US the agonizing, bit
ter death Of the cross, by whom alone we
can have the sure hope of salvation?' To
which he said with deep and evident emo
.ion, 'On that subject am coy,' by which
l understood him to mean that on sub
ject of such magnitude and momentous in
terest, touching the assurance of his saliva
tion he felt coy, cautious las the word de-
notes, to express himself in full conf
dence."


The clergyman certainly gave him suf
ficiently full and explicit confession Of
faith to subscribe, and with an inquiry SO
leading, and urged by such solemn consid-
erations, and while he was in the very ar
ticle of death it appears very remarkable
that Burr did not make some favorable re-
ply. It is to be accounted for only upon
the supposition that be continued to the
last in his dreadful apostasy from the God
of his fathers. Instead of regarding his
reply as an assent to the clergyman's con-
fession, l look upon it as equivalent to say
l.. -. L..