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

To Colonel Burr. New-York, 12Th January.

 

 

Honoured Master,

 

 

I Have Received Your Letter Of The 4Th Inst., And It Gives Us Great

Happiness To Hear That You Are In Good Health, As All The Family Are

Except Myself. I Was Taken Sick On The 30Th Of Last Month, So That I

Have Not Been Able To Go To School; And As I Am Better Than I Have

Been, To Write These Few Lines; I Am Too Weak To Write Mrs. Alston,

But Elenora'S Child Is Well. The Woman Came Here The 7Th Of This Month

For The Money, And Harry Went To Mrs. Van Ness The 9Th, And She Said

That Mr. Van Ness Did Not Tell Her Any Thing Of It, And She Could Not

Give It.

 

 

Peggy.

Footnote Pg 391

 

 

 

1. Theodosia'S Preceptor.

Footnote Pg 392

 

 

2. A Coloured Boy.

Footnote Pg 393

 

 

3. A Coloured Man, The Slave Of Colonel Burr.

Footnote Pg 394

 

 

4. Theodosia Had Now Entered Her _Twelfth_ Year.

Footnote Pg 395

 

 

5. Natalie De Lage Was The Daughter Of A French Lady, Who Was Once A

Member Of The Family Of The Princess L'Ambaul. Natalie Was Adopted And

Educated By Colonel Burr As His Child. She Married The Son Of General

Sumter, Of South Carolina.

Footnote Pg 396

 

 

6. A Slave Of Colonel Burr'S.

Footnote Pg 397

 

 

7. A Servant Of Colonel Burr.

Chapter XVIII Pg 398

 

 

 

The Preceding Correspondence Not Only Introduces The Reader Into The

Social Circle Of Colonel Burr, But Into The Bosom Of His Family. It

Develops His Character, So Far As The Most Sacred And Confidential

Communications Can Develop It--As A Friend--A Husband--A Parent--And A

Master. We Are Approaching A Period, However, In His History When The

Scene Is To Be Changed. In The Spring Of 1794 Mrs. Burr Died; And In

1801 His Daughter Was Married, And Removed To South Carolina. Thus

Terminated, In A Great Measure, All Those Domestic Relations And

Enjoyments Which Had Afforded Him So Much Pleasure, And Connected With

Which Be Had Indulged The Best Feelings Of His Heart.

Chapter XVIII Pg 399

Colonel Burr Was A Member Of The Senate Of The United States From The

4Th Of March, 1791, Until The 4Th Of March, 1797. During This Period

He Continued To Practise The Law. He Was In That Class Of His

Profession To Which Belonged A Hamilton, A Harrison, And A Livingston.

The Partiality Of Some Of His Friends May Have Placed Him At The Head

Of The Bar. His Opponents Ranked Him Second _Only_ To Their Particular

Favourite. As A Speaker, Colonel Burr Was Calm And Persuasive. He Was

Most Remarkable For The Power Which He Possessed Of Condensation. His

Appeals, Whether To A Court Or A Jury, Were Sententious And Lucid. His

Speeches, Generally, Were Argumentative, Short, And Pithy. No Flights

Of Fancy, No Metaphors, No Parade Of Impassioned Sentences, Are To Be

Found In Them. When Employed On The Same Side Of A Cause With General

Hamilton, It Was His Uniform Practice To Permit That Gentleman To

Select His Own Place In The Cause.

 

 

It Has Often Been Remarked That Colonel Burr'S Character Could Not Be

Better Drawn Than It Is In A Short Sketch Of His Father, By Governor

Livingston. "Though A Person" (Says The Governor) "Of A Slender And

Delicate Make, To Encounter Fatigue He Has A Heart Of Steel; And, For

The Despatch Of Business, The Most Amazing Talents, Joined To A

Constancy Of Mind That Ensures Success In Spite Of Every Obstacle. As

Long As An Enterprise Appears Not Absolutely Impossible, He Knows No

Discouragement; But, In Proportion To Its Difficulty, Augments His

Diligence; And, By An Insuperable Fortitude, Frequently Accomplishes

What His Friends And Acquaintance Conceive Utterly Impracticable."

 

 

In The Year 1793 Albert Gallatin Was Appointed A Senator Of The United

States By The State Of Pennsylvania. On Claiming His Seat In January,

1794, A Petition Was Presented Against His Admission Into That Body,

On The Ground That He Had Not Been A Citizen The Requisite Number Of

Years. The Subject Was Referred To A Committee Of Seven. Their Report

Elicited A Warm Debate, Which Continued For Several Days. Colonel Burr

Took An Active Part, And Greatly Distinguished Himself In Support Of

Mr. Gallatin'S Claim. His Colleague, Mr. King, Had Taken The Lead

Against The Right Of Mr. Gallatin To A Seat. John Taylor, Of Caroline,

Virginia, Addressed A Note To Colonel Burr, In Which He Says--"We

Shall Leave You To Reply To King: _First_, Because You Desired It;

_Second_, All Depends Upon It; No One Else _Can_ Do It, And The

Audience Will Expect It."

 

 

On The 28Th Of February, 1794, The Senate "_Resolved_, That The

Election Of Albert Gallatin To Be A Senator Of The United States Was

Void, He Not Having Been A Citizen Of The United States The Term Of

Years Required As A Qualification To Be A Senator Of The United

States."--Ays 14, Nays 12.

Chapter XVIII Pg 400