government, is sufficient to shield him from the shafts of the slander. He was never known to be guilty of a dishonourable intrigue; much less of that low and pitiful act which the calumny by implication imputes to him.

The fabrication, however, tends to shew that Mr. Burr and his little band had some hopes (whether ill founded or not) of the defection of the three gentlemen, and that in the end they were woefully disappointed.

The next act of the executive which aroused the malevo. lence of Mr. Burr and his few adherents, was the appointment of Mr. Barnes to the office of district judge of Rhode-Island. This case is so well known that it cannot be necessary to detail all the circumstances which attended the appointment.

Mr. Ray Greene was, while a senator of the United States, appointed by John Adams, in the expiring agonies of his administration, and evidently in hostility to the constitution, District Judge of Rhode-Island. Such, however, was the precipitancy with which Mr. Adams endeavoured to organize a phalanx of judges to oppose the administration of his successor, that being written at mid-night, when all nature is inclined to sleep, his commission was made out for a circuit instead of a district Judge. It was accordingly returned to the proper department for correction; but Mr. Jefferson, sensible that the appointment was unconstitutional, and therefore void; that no appointment of right had been made, nominated Mr. Barnes in his place, and commissioned him during the recess of Congress. It appears that the political sentiments of Mr. Barnes were opposed to those of the exe

cutive. Whether this was known to Mr. Jefferson or not, we cannot determine; but we believe it was not. His great solicitude and care to obtain correct information of the fitness of candidates, ought to induce the belief that it was not; and this is our opinion.

The appointment however, furnished a plausible prétext for complaint, which was embraced with great zeal and keenness. It was represented as so odious in the sight of the citizens of Rhode-Island, as, in their opinion, so much at war with what they had expected from the administration of Mr. Jefferson, that his wonted popularity was no more in that' state. Nay, it was stated, upon the authority of letters said to have been received from influential men, that Mr. Jefferson occupied so small a space in the estimation of the citie zens of Rhode-Island, that were he a candidate for the Presidency at that moment, not one voice would be raised in his favour. This fancied estrangement from the executive, excited many sweet sensations. The clamour was loud; and though MR. BURR was the source of it, he had forgotten that, knowingly and with his eyes open, he prevailed upon the then Secretary of the Navy, General S. Smith, to appoint DANIEL LUDLOW, of the City of New-York, who bore arms against the revolution, to the office of Navy Agent for this District!

This exhibits the readiness with which Mr. Burr and his adherents availed themselves of "trifles light as air" to oppose and misrepresent the acts of the executive,

From the General Government, we turn our attention to the state of New-York.

It will be readily believed that Mr. Burr was displeased with those patriots in his own state who had opposed his am-, bitious projects. Smarting under the lash of disappointment, his resentments were alive; his pride wounded. In the fulness. of his chagrin he meditated revenge: he sought to glut it. By him all were considered enemies who had hindered his election to the Presidency.

In April 1801, the election for Governor was to occur. The chief magistracy had been occupied six years by a federalist. It was essential to make choice of a candidate of the most weight and influence, as such an one would be the most likely to succeed. And this success was necessary to confirm the recent republican triumph, and effectually discourage the federal party. It was conceived that Governor Clinton was the most likely person to answer all these expectations. The eyes of the whole state were turned towards him...

• Accordingly, the Legislature in their November session of 1800, made choice of the Governor. This judicious selection gave general satisfaction. Mr. Burr, however, who was then a member of the Legislature, was displeased with it. On his way from Albany to New-York he censured the measure in strong terms. He called on Chancellor Livingston, and endeavoured to excite in him resentment, by discolouring the motives and objects of the nomination. Could he have prevailed on the Chancellor to permit himself to be held up

a candidate on the federal side in opposition to the Governor, he would have attained a valuable object in effectually putting aside a formidable rival! It was believed that Mr.

Burr was offended because he was not himself nominated for + the governorship! It was known that, as there was no constitutional incompatibility, he would have gladly held at once Both that office and the Vice-Presidency, in case he failed in his endeavors to obtain by intrigue the first office in the general government.

So many disappointments following in quick succession to baffle his ambitious schemes, Mr. Burr was determined to satiate in some degree his thirst for revenge.

The Legislature of this State had passed an act to call a convention "for the purpose of considering the parts of the Constitution of the State, respecting the number of Senators and members of Assembly, and with power to reduce and limit the number of them as the Convention might deem proper, and also for the purpose of considering and determining the true construction of the 23d article of the Constitution, relative to the right of nomination to office" in the Council of Appointment. The Republican members of the Council had claimed a co-ordinate right with Governor Jay to nominate to office, which he opposed; in consequence of which, appointments were suspended until a construction to the article was given by the Convention.

It was falsely reported that General Hamilton was to represent Staten-Island in the Convention, and by some persons it was thought necessary that Mr. Burr should be there to oppose him. Mr. Burr never was very popular

M

in the city of New-York, and was still less so in the interior parts of the State. The county of Orange, in which the Federalists rarely oppose the Republicans, had been once prevailed upon to take up Mr. Burr as one of its Representatives in the Assembly. Application was again made to the county to elect him a member of the Convention. He was accordingly elected. This interference of the Vice-President, a high federal officer, with the internal concerns of the State, was viewed as improper if not impertinent. He had, however, selfish motives to gratify, and he cared little about the means, if he could accomplish the end.

Calculating with certainty on being clected in the county of Orange, Mr. Burr turned his attention to selecting himself such candidates to represent the city of New-York in the Convention, as would best suit the purposes he had in view. He cultivated with great assiduity the friendship of those whom he deemed most influential in the different wards of the city. Exercising an amiable superintending care over the poor ignorant multitude, he made out a list of the names of those citizens whom he wished to transact the public bu siness in the Convention, and carefully called them into his house one by one to beg their assent to be considered as candidates! What a good patriot! In this manner he vainly imagined he could secure the nomination of men devoted to his views. Never were our citizens more grossly insulted,

*It is believed that Mr. Burr is now so unpopular in that independent and virtuous county, that he could not get ten votes

in it.