Memoirs Of Aaron Burr, Volume 1, Matthew L. Davis [book club suggestions .txt] 📗

Chapter XIII Pg 218

G. Was Unkind Enough To Remind Him That He Was Formerly Opposed To

That Opinion. There Was A Degree Of Insult In This Reproach Of Which I

Did Not Think G. Capable. I Truly Believe He Did Not Reflect On The

Tendency Of It. I Do Not Remember That He Is Apt To Take Such Unfair

Advantage Of His Friends. Happy They Who Can Make Improvement Of Each

Other'S Errors. The Necessary, But Dear-Bought Knowledge Of

Experience, Is Earned At Double Cost By Those Who Reap Alone.

 

 

Since I Left You, I Have Not Taken Pen In Hand Without Intending To

Write You. I Am Happy In Having Done It, For I Now Feel Perfectly

Relieved.

 

 

Tuesday, 15Th December.

 

 

Yesterday Was Partly A Day Of Business. The Evening Wholly And

Advantageously So. This Day Has Been Rather A Feint. Yates Engaged. I

Beg Ten Thousand Pardons Of Miss Depeyster; She Is Our Warm Friend And

Advocate. One Bogart, At Tappan, Is The Scoundrel.

 

 

Wednesday, 16Th December.

 

 

I Perceive This Letter-Writing Will Not Answer; Though I Write Very

Little, It Is Still Half My Business; For, Whenever I Find Myself

Either At A Loss What To Do, Or Any How Discomposed Or Dull, I Fly To

These Sheets, And Even If I Do Not Write, I Ponder Upon It, And In

This Way Sacrifice Many Hours Without Reflecting That Time Passes

Away. Yates Still Backward, But The Day Tolerably Spent.

 

 

I Have Also Been Busy In Fixing A Franklin Fireplace For Myself. I

Shall Have It Completed To-Morrow. I Am Resolved You Shall Have One Or

Two Of Them. You Have No Idea Of Their Convenience, And You Can At Any

Time Remove Them.

 

 

I Expect To Despatch Carlos To-Morrow. I Think I Have Already

Mentioned That I Wrote You From Kinderhook, And Also This Week By

Colonel Lewis, Enclosed To Our Friend At Sharon.

 

 

An Engagement Of Business To-Day And This Evening With Yates, Prevents

Me Preparing For Carlos As I Expected.

 

 

A. Burr.

 

Footnote Pg 219

 

 

 

1. The Lady Of The Hon. Stephen Van Rensselaer

Footnote Pg 220

 

 

2. The Sons Of Mrs. Prevost, Frederick And John B. The Latter Was

Judge Prevost, Of Louisiana. Mrs. Prevost Was Unable To Expend Such A

Sum On These Young Gentlemen. It Was A Means Adopted By Colonel Burr

Delicately To Assist, From His Own Purse, A Desponding Son Of Science.

Similar Instances Of His Liberality, In The Course Of His Life, Were

Numerous.

Footnote Pg 221

 

 

3. A Negro Boy Belonging To Colonel Burr.

Chapter XIV Pg 222

 

 

 

In The Autumn Of 1781, As May Be Seen By The Preceding Correspondence,

Colonel Burr Was In Albany, Preparing Himself For Admission To The

Bar. Judge Yates Rendered Him Essential Service On The Occasion. His

Friendship And Kindness Were Appreciated, And Gratefully Recollected.

At That Time Chief-Justice Richard Morris, Robert Yates, And John

Sloss Hobart Composed The Bench Of The Supreme Court Of The State Of

New-York. All These Gentlemen Were Friendly To Burr, And Treated Him

With The Utmost Courtesy; But For Judge Yates He Entertained, During

The Continuance Of His Life, The Most Profound Respect And Veneration.

 

 

By The Rules Of The Court It Was Required That Candidates For

Admission Should Have Pursued A Course Of Legal Studies Not Less Than

Three Years Previous To Presenting Themselves For Examination. Colonel

Burr Applied To The Court To Dispense With This Rule In His Case. The

Application Was Opposed With Great Zeal By All The Members Of The Bar;

And, As No Counsellor Would Make The Necessary Motion On The Subject,

Burr Was Not Only Compelled To Do It Himself, But To Argue The

Question With The Ablest Of The Profession.

 

 

After Hearing The Argument, The Court Determined That, As He Had Been

Employed In The Service Of His Country, When He Might, Under Other

Circumstances, Have Been A Law-Student, They Would Dispense With The

Rigour Of The Rule So Far As It Applied To The Period Of Study; But

That No Indulgence Would Be Granted In Reference To The Necessary

Qualifications. In Pursuance Of This Decision He Underwent A Severe

And Critical Examination By Some Of The Most Eminent Members Of The

Bar, Who Were Anxious For His Rejection.

Chapter XIV Pg 223

The Examination, However,

Resulted In A Triumphant Admission That The Candidate Was Duly

Qualified To Practise; And He Was Accordingly Licensed As An Attorney,

On The 19Th Day Of January, 1782. And At "A Supreme Court Of

Judicature, Held For The State Of New-York, At The City Hall Of The

City Of Albany, On The 17Th Day Of April, 1782, Aaron Burr Having, On

Examination, Been Found Of Competent Ability And Learning To Practise

As Counsellor," It Was Ordered That He Be Accordingly Admitted.

 

 

Soon After Colonel Burr Commenced The Practice Of Law In The City Of

Albany, He Invited His Friend And Brother Soldier, Major W. Popham, To

Join Him, And Pursue A Course Of Legal Studies. This Invitation Was

Given With His Accustomed Kindness. About The Period Of Burr'S

Marriage, Major Popham Replies.

Chapter XIV Pg 224

From Major W. Popham [1]

 

 

Fishkill, August 16Th, 1782

 

 

Yesterday I Was Accidentally Favoured With Your Friendly Letter Of The

3D Of May, From Litchfield, Which Was Peculiarly Agreeable, As It

Contained The First Official Accounts I Have Had Of You Since My

Leaving Albany, And Dispelled A Train Of Gloomy Reflections Which Your

Supposed Long Silence Had Suggested.

 

 

The Approbation You Have Given Of My Conduct, In An Affair In Which

You Have So Generously Interested Yourself, Is Very Flattering. A

Detail Of The Circumstances Which Rendered It Necessary To Postpone

The Prosecution Of My Intended Plan, Would Be Too Prolix For The

Subject Of A Letter. They Would Not Present One Pleasing Reflection;

And I Love You Too Well To Give You Pain. Suspend, Therefore, Your

Curiosity And Your Opinion, Until The Duties Of The Field Permit Me To

See You, When You Shall Be Satisfied.

 

 

I Hope The Alterations You Have Made In Your Plan Of Life May Equal

Your Most Sanguine Wishes. I Am Pleased That You Have Taken A House In

Albany, And Sincerely Congratulate You On An Event That Promises You

So Much Happiness. May You Long Enjoy All The Blessings Which Can Flow

From That Happy State, For Which Heaven Has So Remarkably Designed

You.

 

 

But Why Am I Requested To "_Say Nothing About Obligations_," While You

Continue To Load Me With New Ones? Or, Why Should I Be Denied The

Common Privilege Of Every Liberal Mind, That Of Acknowledging The

Obligation Which I Have Not The Power Of Cancelling? Yes, My Friend,

Your Generous Offer Claims My Warmest Thanks; But The Very Principle

Which Excites My Gratitude Forbids Me To Accept It. Dr. L Informs Me

You Have Written Twice To Me. One Of The Letters Is Lost. Will You

Speedily Supply The Deficiency? If You Can Spare An Hour From

Business, Retirement, Or Love, Let Me Entreat You To Devote It To Your

Friend. I Cannot Tell You How Much I Long To Hear From You. Adieu.

 

 

Yours Sincerely,

 

 

W. Popham.

Chapter XIV Pg 225