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

Chapter XV Pg 273

To Mrs. Burr.

 

 

Albany, November, 1788.

 

 

I Received Your Affectionate Letter Just As I Was Going Into Court,

And Under The Auspices Of It Have Tried With Success Two Causes. The

Bearer Of This Was My Client In One Of Them, And Is Happy Beyond

Measure At His Success. Business Has Increased Upon My Hands Since I

Came Here. My Return Seems Daily More Distant, But Not To Be Regretted

From Any Views But Those Of The Heart.

 

 

I Hope You Persevere In The Regular Mode Of Life Which I Pointed Out

To You. I Shall Be Seriously Angry If You Do Not. I Think You Had Best

Take Less Wine And More Exercise. A Walk Twice Round The Garden Before

Breakfast, And A Ride In The Afternoon, Will Do For The Present, And

This Will Be Necessary To Fit You For The Journey To Long Island.

 

 

A Captain Randolph Will Call With Mr. Mersereau: _C'Est Un Soldat Et

Honnete Homme, Donnez Eux A Boire._ They Will Answer All Your

Questions.

 

 

Yours Truly,

 

 

A. Burr.

Chapter XV Pg 274

To Mrs. Burr.

 

 

Albany, 23D November, 1788.

 

 

I Thank You For Your Obliging Letter Of The 19Th. It Is Not, Indeed,

So Long As I Had Hoped, But Your Reason For Being Concise Is Too

Ingenious Not To Be Admitted. I Have, However, A Persuasion That You

Are At This Moment Employed In The Same Manner That I Am; And In The

Hope That Your Good Intentions Will Not Be Checked By Either Want Of

Health Or Want Of Spirits, I Venture To Expect A Much Longer Letter By

The Coming Post.

 

 

Your Account Of The Progress Of The Measles Is Alarming. I Am Pleased

To Find That You Yet Keep Your Ground. It Persuades Me That,

Notwithstanding What You Have Written, You Do Not Think The Hazard

Very Great. That Disorder Hath Found Its Way To This City, But With No

Unfavourable Symptoms. It Is Not Spoken Of As A Thing To Be Either

Feared Or Avoided.

 

 

I Have No Prospect Of Being Able To Leave This Place Before This Day

Week, Probably Not So Soon. You Must, By Return Of Post, Assure Me

That I Shall Find You In Good Health And Spirits. This Will Enable Me

To Despatch Business And Hasten My Return. Kiss Those Who Love Me.

 

 

A. Burr

Chapter XV Pg 275

To Mrs. Burr.

 

 

Albany, 26Th November, 1788.

 

 

The Unusual Delay Of The Post Deprives Me Of The Pleasure Of Hearing

From You This Evening. This I Regret The More, As Your Last Makes Me

Particularly Anxious For That Which I Expected By This Post.

 

 

I Am Wearied Out With The Most Tedious Cause I Was Ever Engaged In.

To-Morrow Will Be The Eighth Day Since We Began It, And It May

Probably Last The Whole Of This Week. Write Me Whether Any Thing Calls

Particularly For My Return So As To Prevent My Concluding My Business

Here. I Am At A Loss What To Write Until I Have Your Answer To My

Letters, For Which I Am Very Impatient.

 

 

Yours Affectionately,

 

 

A. Burr.

Chapter XV Pg 276

From The Commencement Of The Year 1785 Until The Year 1788, Colonel

Burr Took But Little Part In The Political Discussions Of The Day. In

The Year 1787 The Opinion Had Become Universal That The States Could

Not Be Kept Together Under The Existing Articles Of Confederation. On

The Second Monday In May, 1787, A Convention Met In Philadelphia For

The Avowed Purpose Of "_Revising The Articles Of Confederation_," &C.

On The 28Th Of September Following, That Convention, Having Agreed

Upon A "_New Constitution_," Ordered That The Same Be Transmitted To

The Several Legislatures For The Purpose Of Being Submitted To A

Convention Of Delegates, Chosen In Each State, For Its Adoption Or

Rejection.

 

 

In January, 1788, The Legislature Of New-York Met, And Warm

Discussions Ensued On The Subject Of The New Constitution. These

Discussions Arose On The Question Of Calling A State Convention.

Parties Had Now Become Organized. The Friends Of The New Constitution

Styled Themselves _Federalists_. Its Opponents Were Designated

_Anti-Federalists_. The Latter Denied The Right Of The General

Convention To Form A "New Constitution," And Contended That They Were

Limited In Their Powers To "Revising And Amending The Articles Of

Confederation." The Former Asserted That The General Convention Had

Not Transcended Its Powers.

 

 

Colonel Burr, On This Point, Appears To Have Assumed A Neutral Stand;

But, In Other Respects, Connected Himself With What Was Termed The

Anti-Federal Party. He Wished Amendments To The Constitution, And Had

Received, In Common With Many Others, An Impression That The Powers Of

The Federal Government, Unless More Distinctly Defined, Would Be So

Exercised As To Divest The States Of Every Attribute Of Sovereignty,

And That On Their Ruins Ultimately There Would Be Erected A Splendid

_National_ Instead Of A _Federal_ Government.

 

 

In April, 1788, Colonel Burr Was Nominated By The Anti-Federalists Of

The City Of New-York As A Candidate For The Assembly. The Feelings Of

That Day May Be Judged Of By The Manner In Which The Ticket Was

Headed. It Was Published In The Newspapers And In Handbills As

Follows:--

Chapter XV Pg 277

"The Sons Of Liberty, Who Are Again Called Upon To Contend With The

_Sheltered Aliens_, Who Have, By The Courtesy Of Our Country, Been

Permitted To Remain Among Us, Will Give Their Support To The Following

Ticket:--

 

 

"_William Deming, Melancton Smith, Marinus Willet, And Aaron Burr._"

 

 

The Federalists Prevailed By An Overwhelming Majority. The Strength Of

The Contending Parties Was In The Ratio Of About Seven Federalists (Or

Tories) For One Anti-Federalist (Or Whig). Such Were The Political

Cognomens Of The Day. The Federalists Styled Their Opponents

_Anti-Federalists_. The Anti-Federalists Designated Their Opponents

_Tories_.

 

 

In April, 1789, There Was An Election For Governor Of The State Of

New-York. The Anti-Federal Party Nominated George Clinton. A Meeting

Of Citizens, Principally Federalists, Was Held In The City Of

New-York, And Judge Robert Yates Was Nominated In Opposition To Mr.

Clinton. Mr. Yates Was A Firm And Decided Anti-Federalist. He Was

Known To Be The Personal And Political Friend Of Colonel Burr. At This

Meeting A Committee Of Correspondence Was Appointed. Colonel Hamilton

And Colonel Burr Were Both Members Of This Committee.

 

 

In Their Address Recommending Judge Yates They State, That

Chief-Justice Morris Or Lieutenant-Governor Van Courtlandt Were The

Favourite Candidates Of The Federal Party; But, For The Sake Of

Harmonizing Conflicting Interests, A Gentleman (Mr. Yates), Known As

An Anti-Federalist, Had Been Selected, And They Respectfully Recommend

To Mr. Morris And Mr. Van Courtlandt To Withdraw Their Names, And To

Unite In The Support Of Mr. Yates. This Address Was Signed By

Alexander Hamilton As Chairman. Mr. Clinton, However, Was Re-Elected.

 

 

This Support Of Judge Yates Did Not Diminish Governor Clinton'S

Confidence In The Political Integrity, Or Lessen His Respect For The

Talents, Of Colonel Burr. A Few Months After The Election The Governor

Tendered To Him The Office Of Attorney-General Of The State. At First

He Hesitated About Accepting The Appointment; But, On The 25Th Of

September, 1789, Addressed His Excellency As Follows:--

Chapter XV Pg 278

To Governor George Clinton.

 

 

Sir,

 

 

In Case The Office You Were Pleased To Propose Should Be Offered To

Me, I Have, Upon Reflection, Determined To Accept It; At Least Until

It Shall Be Known Upon What Establishment It Will Be Placed. My

Hesitation Arose Not From Any Dislike To The Office, But From The

Circumstances Which I Took The Liberty To Suggest In Our Conversation

On This Subject.

 

 

I Have The Honour To Be

 

 

Your Excellency'S Obedient Servant,

 

 

 

A. Burr.

Chapter XV Pg 279

On The Receipt Of The Above Note, Governor Clinton Nominated Colonel

Burr To The Council Of Appointment As Attorney-General Of The State,

And