The Tell-Tale Heart - The Pioneer, January 1843 — reading text

with what lawyers of Louisiana. Nothing could be more profitable call the philosophy of the law— with its vast- —nothing more unjust, answered Aristides, ness and its wholeness — he was not familiar. and the Athenian people said no. Nothing He was neither a Hale nor a Mansfield, nor a could be more unjust— nothing more profitable, Parsons, neither a Pinkney nor a Martin, neither said Thomas Jefferson, and Louisiana was pur- a Kent nor a Story — but he was a something chased by the American Senate, and the Amer- between a Coke and a Saunders; full of re- ican people said yes. source and stratagem, ingenious, crafty and un- And now for the moral character of Aaron relenting ; learned, for the occasion, and more Burr. Washington knew him well, thought anxious to triumph by overreaching or out- highly of him as a soldier, but had no confi- tricking his adversary, than to succeed upon dence in his integrity. Hence he refused to the merits. In a word, he was a capital special send him to France instead of Governeur Morris, pleader, and could have cleared up the mystery when the latter was recalled at the urgent so- between a traverse upon a traverse and a tra- licitation of the democratie power, although its verse after a traverse, to your heart’s content, organs, Madison and Munroe, waited upon him after you had got puzzled over the ‘‘ books.”’ twice with the whole strength of their party, to He was a man to whom Shephard’s Touch- persuade or drive him into the measure. No, stone, or Fearnes’s Contingent Remainders and said Washington — I have no confidence in the VOL. I. — NO. I. 2  10 THE PIONEER. man’s integrity ; but I will nominate you, sir, great man’s confidence, by subscribing so far to (to Mr. Madison.) his opinions, even respecting marriage, as to Jefferson had no confidence in Burr — which, pretend that he had a daughter at Bentham’s to be sure, is only saying that Burr and Jeffer- service, without the formality of marriage— son were too much alike, ever to think well though he had only one in the world, and she a of each other. They werechildren of the same true-hearted woman, pure and faithful —a wife father —chips of the same block; and how and a mother. could either trust the other? But of this, the most damning stain that rests Alexander Hamilton had no confidence in upon the moral character of Aaron Burr, what Saree aa mee Be Burr ; for with all his delicacy and. caution proof is to be had? and his anxiety to avoid a duel, which was First, there are the declarations of Bentham, alike repugnant to his nature and to his reli- made while he and Burr were both alive, and gious faith, he could not bring himself to deny actually published to the world, in as plain that he had spoken of Burr as he deserved ; and language as the subject would bear, thirteen on the day before the meeting, with the solem- years ago. In the memoirs alluded to, the nity to be looked for on such an occasion, he charge stands thus. ‘‘ I might refer also to the records the following for whomsoever it might proposition made by Mr. B.—a father — concern after the morrow. touching the daughter he sent for, and who was ‘¢He (Col. Burr,) doubtless has heard of not long afterwards, I believe, lost at sea— but animadversions of mine which bore very hard I forbear.” upon him. I trust at the same time that the Next we have the evidence furnished by the world will do me the justice to believe, that J biographer and friend of Aaron Burr, proving have not censured him on light grounds, nor that for some reason or other, the daughter in from unworthy inducements. J certainly have question was sent for by her father while he had strong reasons for what I have said, though was under Bentham’s roof; that arrangements it is possible that in some particulars, I have were made to receive her there; and the rooms been influenced by misconstruction or misinfor- actually assigned for her by Bentham himself ; mation. It is also my ardent wish that I may and that for some reason or other, these ar- have been more mistaken than I think I have rangements were broken up, just when all the been.”’ preparations had been completed. Such was the testimony of Alexander Ham- Be it remembered also, that from first to ilton —at the near approach of death — con- last, there is no evidence in the life of Aaron cerning the moral character of Aaron Burr. Burr to show that his daughter was ever known The importance of that testimony in the view by Bentham to be either a married woman or a of Burr himself, may be inferred from the fact, mother ; while, on the contrary, it appears that that all he asked of Hamilton was a general he was encouraged by Burr, who lends him her denial of a general charge — in other words, a picture, and sends Bentham’s bust to her along certificate of character: and failing to obtain that with a box of other ‘‘ combustibles,’’ to call from the scrupulous and tried soldier, the ac- her a ‘‘ dear little creature,’’ **‘ my dear 'Theodo- complished gentleman, and the conscientious sia,” &c., &c., and to enter into correspond- christian, he put him to death. ence with her. That Hamilton was a doomed man, years be- Long after the publication of the memoirs fore he fell by the hand of Burr, appears to be referred to, and three or four years after a certain; that Burr sought the quarrel, and review of the life of Aaron Burr, in the New meant to kill Hamilton at all hazards, is proved Yorker, where all the evidence touching this by the correspondence itself — for he refused to point is detailed, the following strange corrobo- specify anything capable of denial, and insisted ration turned up. In a copy of the memoirs, upon Hamilton's denying the inference made by and on the margin of a leaf on which appears another (Dr. Cooper) from the political conver- the original charge, the following entry in pen- sation of Hamilton! And, as if this were not cil, was made by the Rev. Mr. Pierpont, at the enough, we have Burr’s self-complacency request of the author, who had just heard him abroad, and up to the last hour of his life on state the fact in conversation. ‘‘ This reminds that particular, and his declarations to Ben- me that colonel William Alston, the father of tham, that he intended to kill Hamilton — for Joseph, who married Miss Burr, once told me which that great and good man looked upon him at his own table, that soon after the marriage to his dying day with horror and detestation, of his son to Miss B., her father, colonel Burr, - calling him a cold-blooded and atrocious ruf- had told him, (Col. Alston) that rather than fian. have had his daughter marry otherwise than to Judge Kent pronounced Burr — and so did his mind, he would have made her the mistress many others best able to judge of him in the of some gentleman of rank or fortune, who day of his strength, a dangerous man. But would have placed her in the station in society why dangerous, if he was not unprincipled? for which he had educated her.’?’ But,adds Mr. And Jeremy Bentham refused to put faith in Pierpont, in another note at the bottom of the him — regarding him as a professed ‘‘ man- page, *‘I believe, however, that not even pa- catcher,’’— notwithstanding all that Burr had rental authority or influence, could ever have been doing for a twelvemonth, to secure the brought the beautiful and accomplished Theo-  AARON BURR. 11 dosia Burr thus to prostitute herself to her fa- along period of time, he seemed to be gather- ther’s ambitious purposes.”’ ing and carefully preserving every line written Well then — thus far we have the evidence to him by any female, whether with or without that Burr had no principle to restrain him; reputation ; and when afterwards they were cast that he sent for his daughter to come and live into one common receptacle, the profligate and in Bentham’s house, after the birth of her child, corrupt by the side of the thoughtless and be- and that he had avowed a purpose correspond- trayed victim — all were esteemed alike valua- ing somewhat in its infamous nature, with that ble.” charged upon him by the biographer of Ben- Need one waste another word upon the man’s tham, on Seuthen's authority ; although it is moral character, after this? What were these certain that the daughter knew nothing of the letters kept for? And would not the man who father’s plans, and by no means probable that was capable of playing with so many priceless the father himself ever meant anything more reputations at such tremendous hazard to the than to cheat Bentham into a belief that in him peace of families, be capable of any other he had at least one thoroughgoing disciple, wickedness or basenéess, even that of falsehood among his ten thousand flatterers. or forgery, for the gratification of his abomina- The next piece of evidence is out of Burr’s ble vanity? What should stay him? For ‘‘ in own mouth — fortified by the testimony of his matters of gallantry he was excessively vain, biographer. Burr changes his p/an, on finding and often made himself the laughing-stock of his daughter in earnest about coming, and the his best friends.’? But how —how? By show- project is abandoned. Let it be borne in mind, ing the letters of the poor trusting fools that that Burr