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

Chapter XVIII Pg 414

Every Section Of The Democratic Party Felt The Necessity Of Colonel

Burr'S Being A Member Of The Legislature That Was To Choose The

Electors; But A Difficulty Arose. It Was Understood That General

Hamilton Would Personally Attend The Several Polls During The Three

Days Of Election; That He Would Counsel And Advise With His Political

Friends, And That He Would Address The People. Here Again All Seemed

To Feel That Colonel Burr Was The Man, And Perhaps The Only Man, To

Meet General Hamilton On Such An Occasion. But If His Name Was On The

Assembly Ticket As A Candidate, His Personal Exertions During The

Election Would Be Lost To The Party. To Place Him In That Situation

Appeared To Many Like Abandoning The Field Without A Struggle To The

Federalists. In This Dilemma, The County Of Orange Patriotically Came

Forward And Nominated Him As A Candidate On Their Assembly Ticket,

Thus Leaving Him Free To Act In The City Of New-York; And By The

People Of Orange Colonel Burr Was Elected A Member Of The Legislature.

 

 

All The Details Connected With The Formation Of The Assembly Ticket In

April, 1800, For The City And County Of New-York, Will Be Given

Hereafter. The Result Is Known. It Succeeded. The Legislature Was

Democratic. Presidential Electors Of The Democratic Party Were

Appointed. Colonel Burr'S Services Were Appreciated By The Democracy

In Every Section Of The Country, And He Was Nominated On The Ticket

With Mr. Jefferson For The Offices Of President And Vice President Of

The United States. By The Constitution, As It Was Originally Adopted,

The Person Who Had The Greatest Number Of Votes, Provided They Were A

Majority Of The Whole Number Given, Was President; And The Person

Having The Next Highest Number, With The Like Proviso, Was

Vice-President. When The Ballots Were Examined, It Appeared That Mr.

Jefferson And Colonel Burr Were The Two Highest Candidates, And That

Their Votes Were Equal. By The Provisions Of The Constitution, It

Devolved Upon The House Of Representatives Of The United States,

Voting By States, To Designate Which Of These Gentlemen Should Be

President, And Which Vice-President.

 

 

On Proceeding To The Ballot A Contest Ensued, Which Lasted For Several

Days, Producing The Most Implacable And Bitter Animosities; A Contest

Which Terminated In The Election Of Mr. Jefferson And The Ruin Of

Colonel Burr. Until Within A Few Years That Scene Has Been Completely

Enveloped In Mystery. A Part Of The Incidents Connected With It,

However, In A Fugitive Form, Are Before The World. But The Period Has

Arrived When The Question Should Be Met With Manly Firmness; When The

Voice Of History Should Announce To Posterity The Truth, The Whole

Truth, And Nothing But The Truth, So Far As It Can Be Ascertained. The

Generation Which Were The Actors In Those Scenes Have Passed Away. The

Parties Immediately Interested Are Sleeping The Sleep Of Death. Few,

Very Few Indeed Now Living, Understand The Nature Of That Contest. The

Curtain Shall Be Drawn Aside. The Documents Which Develop Its

Character, And Which Are Scattered In Fragments, Will Be Brought

Together, And Recorded (It Is Hoped) In A Permanent And Tangible Form.

Chapter XVIII Pg 415

It Will Be Seen That The Immediate Friends And Advisers Of Mr.

Jefferson, Until Within A Few Hours Of The Balloting, Had No

Confidence In Certain Leading And Distinguished Members Of Congress,

Whose Names Shall Be Given, But Who, On His Coming Into Power,

Promptly Received The Most Substantial Evidence Of His Kind Feelings

By Appointments To Office. The Clearest Evidence Will Be Presented

That Mr. Jefferson Entered Into Terms And Conditions With The Federal

Party Or Some Of Their Leaders; That The Honourable James A. Bayard,

Of Delaware, Acted On The Part Of The Federalists, And The Honourable

Samuel Smith, Of Maryland, At Present Mayor Of Baltimore, On The Part

Of Mr. Jefferson; And That Terms And Conditions Were Agreed Upon

Between Them Before Mr. Jefferson Could Be Elected; While, On The

Other Hand, It Will Be Demonstrated That The Charges Which Have Been

Made Against Colonel Burr Of Having Intrigued And Negotiated With The

Federal Party To Obtain The Office Of President Were As Unjust As They

Were Groundless. But "_I Come To Bury Cesar, Not To Praise Him_."

Footnote Pg 416

 

 

 

1. Manuscript Poem Of My Own.

Footnote Pg 417

 

 

2. From The Same.

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Publication Date: 09-01-2014

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