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

From Jonathan Bellamy

 

 

Norwich, March 14Th, 1775.

 

 

To Do Justice To Circumstances, Which You Know Are Of The Greatest

Importance In Order To Form A True Estimate Of What A Person Either

Says Or Does, It Is Indispensably Necessary For Me To Tell You That It

Not Only Rains Very Generously, But That It Is As Dark As It Was

Before Light Was Created. It Would Be Ridiculous To Suppose That You

Need Information That Nothing But The Irresistible Desire Of Writing

Could Possibly Keep Me At Home This Evening.

 

 

I Had Received Your February Favour Only Just Time To Laugh At It

Once, When The Melancholy News That Betsy Devotion, Of Windham, Was

Very Dangerously Sick, Banished Every Joyous Thought From My Heart.

This Betsy You May Remember To Have Heard Mentioned Near The Name Of

Natty Huntington, Who Died Last December; And A Very Angel She Was

Too, I Assure You. You See I Speak Of Her In The _Past_ Sense, For She

Has Left Us; And Her Friends Are Sure She Is Not Less An Angel _Now_

Than She Was Ten Days Ago. Very Certain I Am, That If A Natural

Sweetness Of Disposition Can Scale Heaven'S Walls, She Went Over Like

A Bird. But I Believe We Must Leave _Her_ And All The Rest Of Our

Departed Friends To Be Sentenced By A Higher Board.

 

 

  "Transports Last Not In The Human Heart;

  But All With Transports Soon Agree To Part."

 

 

If Nature, In Spite Of Us, Did Not Take Care Of Herself, We Could Not

But Be Perfectly Wretched. Philosophy Is The Emptiest Word In The

Dictionary. And You May Observe, Wherever You Find Them, That Those

Persons Who Profess To Place All Their Reliance Upon It, Under Every

Affecting Circumstance Of Life, Do But Make Use Of The Term As A Mask

For An Iron Heart. "But" (As The Devil Said On Another Occasion) "Put

Forth Thine Hand, And Touch His Bone, And His Flesh, And He Will Curse

Thee To Thy Face." They Have As Little Fortitude As Anybody When

Sufferings Pinch Home Upon Them.

 

 

Thus Have I Relieved A Heart That Perhaps Felt A Little Too Full; And

If It Is At The Expense Of My _Head_, I Have Nevertheless The

Consolation That It Will Be Received Only As The Overflowings Of My

Present Feelings.

 

 

"When And Where Shall I See You Again?" Somebody Once Asked Me. The

Lord Only Knows. Perhaps At The Election At Hartford. If We Can Meet

_There_--There Will Be Time For Notice. But, Happen As It May, Be

Assured That I Am Your Most Sincere Friend,

 

 

Jonathan Bellamy.

 

 

"Stick My Compliments In For Him," Says Hannah Phelps, A Jolly Girl Of

Fourteen.

Chapter IV Pg 32

From Matthias Ogden.

 

 

Elizabethtown, March 18Th, 1775.

 

 

Since We Last Saw Each Other, The 15Th Of April Has Been My Mark, But

The Receipt Of Yours Of The 12Th Has Blotted It From My Memory, For

Which Nothing Could Atone But The Expectation Of Seeing You Here

Nearly As Soon.

 

 

I Read With Pleasure Your Love Intrigues; Your Anonymous

Correspondence With Miss -----, &.C., And, With As Much Seriousness,

The Part Relative To ----, Thaddeus Burr'S Overtures, &C.

 

 

_Steadily_, Aaron. Money Is Alluring, And There Is A Pleasure In

Gratifying A Friend; But Let Not A Fortune Buy Your Peace, Nor Sell

Your Happiness. Neither Be Too Much Biased By A Friend, Or Any One'S

Advice, In A Matter Of So Great Consequence To Yourself. Perhaps She

Is Worthy Your Love, And, If I Could Think She Was, I Would Not Say A

Single Thing To Discourage You. Be Cautious, Aaron; Weigh The Matter

Well. Should Your Generous Heart Be Sold For Naught, It Would Greatly

Hurt The Peace Of Mine. Let Not Her Sense, Her Education, Her Modesty,

Her Graceful Actions, Or Her Wit, Betray You. Has She A Soul Framed

For Love? For Friendship? But Why Need I Advise A Person Of Better

Judgment Than Myself? It Is Not Advice, My Friend; It Is Only Caution.

You Have A Difficult Part To Act. If You Reject, She Curses: If You

Pity, She Takes It For Encouragement. Matters With Me Go On Smoothly.

 

 

I Am Now Making Up A Party To Go To The Falls, To Be Ready Against You

Come. My Best Regards To Mr. And Mrs. Reeve. I Remain Happy In The

Enjoyment Of -----'S Love, And Am,

 

 

Your Unfeigned Friend,

 

 

Matt. Ogden.

Chapter IV Pg 33

After The Decease Of President Burr, Lyman Hall Was Intrusted By The

Executors With The Collection Of Sundry Debts Due To The Estate. A

Removal, And His Various Avocations, Prevented His Performing That

Duty With The Necessary Promptitude. In Consequence, The Heirs Were

Exposed To Loss. A Friend Of The Family, The Rev. James Caldwell, Of

New-Jersey, Wrote Him On The Subject, And His Answer Is So Honourable,

That It Is Deemed Only An Act Of Justice To An Upright Man To Record

It Here. It Is Another Instance Of The Integrity In Private Life Of

Those Patriots That Planned And Accomplished The American Revolution.

It Will Be Seen That Mr. Hall Was A Member Of The Congress Of 1775

From The State Of Georgia.

Chapter IV Pg 34

Philadelphia, 17Th May, 1775.

 

 

Rev. Sir,

 

 

Since I Saw You, And Afterwards Mr. Ogden, In Georgia, I Have Written

To My Attorneys And Correspondents In Connecticut, To Give Me All The

Information They Could Obtain Respecting The Affairs And Concerns Of

The Late President Burr, Left In My Hands; Which I Had Delivered Over,

Before I Left That Colony In 1759, Into The Hands Of Thaddeus Burr, Of

Fairfield; But No Satisfactory Answer Can As Yet Be Obtained. One

Debt, Indeed, Has Been Discovered, Of About Forty Pounds New-York

Currency; But The Bond On Which It Is Due Is As Yet Concealed.

 

 

On The Whole, I Find That It Is Not In My Power To Redeliver Those

Securities For Moneys Which I Was Once In Possession Of; Nor Have I

Received The Moneys Due On Those Which Were Good; But Am Determined

That I Will Make Just Satisfaction To The Claimant Heirs (Orphans) Of

The Late President Burr. It Is, I Know, My Indispensable Duty, And I

Have For That Purpose Brought A Quantity Of Rice To This City, The

Avails Of Which, When Sold, Shall Be Appropriated To That Use. I

Should Be Glad That You, Or Mr. Ogden, The Executor, Could Be Here To

Transact The Business, And, On A Settlement, Give Me A Power Of

Attorney, Properly Authenticated, To Recover Any Part Of Those Moneys

I Can Find Due When I Shall Arrive In Connecticut, To Which I Propose

Going As Soon As The Congress Rises. As I Am In Congress, I Cannot See

You Directly; But, If Liberty Can Be Obtained, Shall Wait On You Or

Mr. Ogden, Or Both, In My Way To New-York, In A Few Days; But I Think

Mr. Ogden, The Executor, If It Will Suit, Had Better Come Here And

Settle It. I Mention Him Because I Suppose He Is The Proper Person To

Discharge Me, And Give Me A Power Of Attorney.

 

 

I Am, Reverend Sir,

 

 

With Esteem, Yours,

 

 

Lyman Hall.

 

 

The Rev. Jas. Caldwell, _Elizabethtown_

Footnote Pg 35

 

 

 

1. A Relative Of President Witherspoon.

Footnote Pg 36

 

 

2. Uncle To Colonel Aaron Burr.

Footnote Pg 37

 

 

3. Subsequently Governor Ogden, Of New Jersey, And Brother Of Matthias

Chapter V Pg 38