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

Court Formed A Council Of Revision, And Had A

Qualified Negative On All Bills. If They Considered A Bill

Unconstitutional, They Returned It To The House In Which It

Originated, With Their Objections; After Which, If It Received The

Vote Of Two Thirds Of Both Houses, It Became A Law. This Bill Was

Returned On The 9Th Of March By The Council, With Their Objections,

And, Two Thirds Not Voting In Favour, It Was Lost. These Objections,

In Substance, Were Precisely What Had Been Urged Against It By Colonel

Burr On The Floor Of The Assembly. The Petitioners Were Forty-Three In

Number. The Bill Gave Them Unlimited Powers In Some Particulars. It

Did Not Incorporate Their Successors, Only So Far As They Pleased To

Admit Them.

Chapter XIV Pg 237

They Might Hold Landed Estate In Perpetuity To An

Unlimited Amount, Provided Their _Income_ Did Exceed Fifteen Hundred

Pounds Beyond Their _Outgoings_. Their By-Laws Were To Be Approved By

The City Corporation; Thus, By Rendering The One Dependant On The

Other, Either The Mechanics Would Influence The Magistrates, And The

Powers Of The Corporation Of The City And County Of New-York Be Made,

At Some Future Day, Instruments Of Monopoly And Oppression; Or, Which

Was More Probable, The Corporation Of The City And County Of New-York

Obtain A Controlling Power Over The Mechanics, And Thus Add To The

Extensive Influence Which That Corporation Already Enjoyed, Thereby

Rendering It Dangerous To The Political Freedom Of The People. Such

Were Some Of The Objections Entertained And Urged By Colonel Burr

Against This Bill. The Great Body Of The Community Were Prepared To

Sustain Him; And, Before The Succeeding Session Of The Legislature,

The Intelligent Among The Mechanics Were So Well Satisfied With The

Correctness Of His Views, That A Similar Application Was Never

Afterward Made,

 

 

From The Year 1785 Until The Year 1788, Colonel Burr Was Unknown As A

Politician. His Practice Was Extensive And Lucrative. His Domestic

Relations Seemed To Occupy All His Leisure Time. His Family Was Large,

And To Direct The Education Of His Children Was To Him The Most

Delightful Employment. His Zeal For Their Improvement Is Evinced In

Some Of The Preceding Letters. His Own Health Was Precarious, While

That Of Mrs. Burr Caused Him Constant Alarm And Apprehension. He Had

But One Child, A Daughter; But The Children Of His Wife By Her First

Husband (Colonel Prevost) He Reared As His Own, And With All The

Tenderness Of An Affectionate Father. The Subjoined Letters Present

Mrs. Burr In A Most Estimable Point Of View, While They Cast Some

Light Upon Colonel Burr'S Character As A Parent And A Husband. They

Cannot Be Read, It Is Believed, By Even The Giddy And The Thoughtless

Without Feeling An Interest In The Destiny Of Their Writers.

 

 

In The Office Of Colonel Burr, As Students, Were His Two Stepsons,

Frederick And John Bartow. When Absent From Home On Professional Or

Other Business, One Of Them Frequently Accompanied Him As An

Amanuensis. On These Occasions All His Instructions In Relation To

Lawsuits In Which He Was Employed As Counsel, Or Papers Connected

Therewith, Were Communicated To The Attorney Or Clerk In The Office

Through Mrs. Burr. She Appeared To Be Held Responsible For The

Punctual And Prompt Performance Of Any Duty Required Of Them. To Him

She Was Indeed A Helpmate; For She Not Only Had Charge Of His Domestic

Concerns, But Was Counselled With, And Intimately Associated In, All

His Business Transactions.

Chapter XIV Pg 238

To Mrs. Burr.

 

 

Princeton, April, 1785.

 

 

I Had Just Embarked In The Stage At Paulus Hook When I Learned That It

Went No Further Than Newark; So That, After Being Three Hours Close

Packed With Rabble, I Trudged An Hour More To Find A Conveyance To

Elizabethtown, Where I Arrived At Eight O'Clock, Chilled, Fatigued,

And With A Surly Headache. A Comfortable Bed And Tea Made Amends.

 

 

We Arrived Here At Six O'Clock This Evening. I Am Fortunate In

Company, And Find The Travelling Much Less Fatiguing Than I Imagined.

Remind Frederick Of The Business With Platt. Write Me By The Nest

Post, And By Every Stage. If I Should Even Have Left Philadelphia, I

Shall Meet The Letters. Speak Of Harriet, And Sur Tout Des Trois

Theo'S. Adieu.

 

 

A. Burr.

Chapter XIV Pg 239

To Mrs. Burr.

 

 

Philadelphia, April, Saturday, 1785.

 

 

I Did Not Write You On Friday, As Promised In My Letter From

Princeton, For Which I Will Apologize When We Meet. I Arrived Here In

Good Plight On Friday Evening. Augustine Came Down About Noon On

Saturday. We Have Made Some Satisfactory Progress In Our Business.

Seeing The Great Men Of Other Countries Puts Me In More Conceit Of

Those Of My Own.

 

 

I Shall Be Released On Tuesday Evening, Which Will Permit Me To See

Thee On Thursday Morning. Mr. Colt Will Inform You About Every Thing.

Unfortunately, A Gentleman With Whom Part Of Our Business Is Has Left

Town. If He Should Return To-Morrow Morning, I Shall Be The Happiest

Of Swains On Wednesday Morning. I Am Very Minute In These

Calculations, Because I Make Them Very Often. Does Theodosia Employ

Herself Ever In The Same Way?

 

 

I Have Been To Twenty Places To Find Something To Please You, But Can

See Nothing That Answers My Wishes; You Will Therefore, I Fear, Only

Receive

 

 

Your Affectionate

 

 

A. Burr.

Chapter XIV Pg 240

From Mrs. Burr.

 

 

New-York, April, Saturday, 1785.

 

 

I Persuade Myself This Is The Last Day You Spend In Philadelphia. That

To-Morrow'S Stage Will Bring You To Elizabethtown; That Tuesday

Morning You Will Breakfast With Those Who Pass The Tedious Hours

Regretting Your Absence, And Counting Time Till You Return. Even

Little Theo. Gives Up Her Place On Mamma'S Lap To Tell Dear

Papa--"Come Home." Tell Augustine He Does Not Know How Much He Owes

Me. 'Tis A Sacrifice I Would Not Make To Any Human Being But Himself,

Nor Even To Him Again. It Is The Last Time Of My Life I Submit To Your

Absence, Except From Necessity To The Calls Of Your Profession. All Is

Well At Home. Ireson Gone On His Intended Journey. Morris Very Little

Here. The Boys Very Attentive And Industrious; Much More So For Being

Alone. Not A Loud Word Spoken By The Servants. All, In Silent

Expectation, Await The Return Of Their Much-Loved Lord; But _All

Faintly_ When Compared To Thy

 

 

Theo.

Chapter XIV Pg 241

To Mrs. Burr.

 

 

Since Writing To You Last Evening, Every Thing Has Conspired To Harass

And Delay Me. I Was Really In Hopes Of Surprising You On Wednesday

Morning; But Am Now Most Unfortunately And Cruelly Detained Here Till

To-Morrow Evening; Shall Therefore, With The Usual Luck Of Stages,

Embrace You On Thursday Morning.

 

 

I Have Been Walking, In The Course Of This Day, Hunting Offices,

Records, &C., &C., Above Eight Hours, And Am Not Fatigued. I Must

Really Be Very Robust. Thine,

 

 

A. Burr.

Chapter XIV Pg 242

To Mrs. Burr.

 

 

Albany, April, 1785.

 

 

I Arrived Here On Tuesday Evening Very Late, Though Little Fatigued.

Wednesday Afternoon I Went With Sill To Bethlehem (Nichols), Drank

Tea, Supped, And Breakfasted. I Am Pleased With Our Friend'S Choice,

Of Which More Next Tuesday Evening. I Am Vexed You Were Not Of My

Party Here--That We Did Not Charter A Sloop. I Have Planned A

_Circuit_ With You To Long Island, With A Number Of Pleasant &C.S,

Which Are Also Reserved To A Happier Moment.

 

 

I Shall Succeed In All Mrs. Clarke'S Business Except That Of The

Lands, In Which I Hope Little.

 

 

I Feel Impatient, And Almost Angry, That I Have Received No Letter

From You, Though I Really Do Not Know Of Any Opportunity By Which You

Could Have Written; But It Seems An Endless While To Wait Till

Saturday Night Before I Can Hear From You. How Convenient Would A

Little Of The Phlegm Of _This Region_ Be Upon Such Occasions As These!

I Fear Very Much For Our Dear Petite. I Tell Every One Who Asks Me

That Both She And You Are Well, Because I Abhor The Cold, Uninterested

Inquiries, Which I Know Would Be Made If I Should Answer Otherwise. Do

You Want The Pity Of Such? Those You Thought Your Very Good Friends

Here Have Forgotten You.

 

 

Mademoiselle Y. Is Very