court-martial. Decatur's record was an illustrious one. But it is impossible to find in history or biography any such condemnation of Barron as has been meted out to Burr.

After Colonel Burr's departure from New York, his friend, Judge Van Ness, both by request and inclination, became his personal representative. He watched over affairs at Richmond Hill with as much solicitude as if he had been the actual owner. Another matter, in which he took particular pleasure in arranging a settlement, he had mentioned to Colonel Burr, but the latter refused to have anything to do with it beyond vaguely promising that he would bring a suit for libel against the editor of the American Citizen, if the attacks were continued.

One afternoon about dusk, Mr. James Cheetham, the editor of the American Citizen, sat in his office. He had learned of Colonel Burr's flight from the city and had made it the text of a particularly abusive and vituperative article. He had just finished it and read it through carefully, expressing from time to time his appreciation of his own handiwork. The door was opened and a man entered. Cheetham looked up; his visitor was Judge Van Ness. Van Ness did not sit down but, leaning his hand upon the back of a chair which stood beside Cheetham's desk, looked the editor squarely in the face, his dark eyes full of a fire indicating that his visit was not of a friendly character. "Are you the editor of the American Citizen?" inquired Van Ness.

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My name is Cheetham," the man at the desk replied.

"I did not ask your name," said Van Ness, "that is immaterial. I inquired whether you were the editor of the American Citizen?"

"I am proud to hold that position," retorted Cheetham, somewhat defiantly. Van Ness did not seem dis

posed to contest the editor's private opinion of his own merits, but continued:

"A short time ago, Mr. Editor of the American Citizen, you published in your paper a statement that Colonel Burr in his duel with the late General Hamilton wore a suit of silk underclothing, he having learned that such an article of wearing apparel would effectually stop an adversary's bullet. It is not necessary," said Van Ness, "for you either to deny or affirm that the article appeared in your paper. I know that it did, but the statement was a deliberate and intentional falsehood."

Cheetham half arose from his chair with an angry look in his face.

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Keep your seat, Mr. Editor of the American Citizen," continued Van Ness. "I am not done with you yet. When I have finished I will offer you any satisfaction that you, as a gentleman of honor, have a right to demand. In another issue of your paper,' continued Van Ness, "you published a statement that for three weeks prior to the duel, Colonel Burr was daily engaged in pistol practice in the grounds at the rear of his residence, with a view to perfecting himself in marksmanship. That, like the other statement which I have mentioned, was a base and wilful lie, originating in your own brain, Mr. Editor of the American Citizen."

Again Cheetham started up as if he would resent the sarcasm of the speaker's remarks, but Van Ness did not appear to notice him and continued:

"In the same issue in which you referred to the suit of silk underclothing, you stated that a large party of the friends of Colonel Burr met on the evening of the duel at Richmond Hill, and that a hilarious affair took place in which toasts were drunk, and a speech made by the host in which he declared that he was sorry he had not shot General Hamilton through the heart. This

statement, like the other two that I have mentioned, was totally false and had its origin only in your base and malignant nature. Now, Mr. Editor of the American Citizen," cried Van Ness, "you may stand up!"

As though unable to resist the tone of command used by his visitor, Cheetham pushed back his chair and faced the man who had, during the past few minutes, called him a deliberate liar three times in succession.

"While Colonel Burr is absent in the South, and while he is completing his official duties at Washington, I am his personal representative in this city, and I wish to say to you, Mr. Editor of the American Citizen, that if another article reflecting upon the character or integrity of Colonel Burr appears in the estimable paper of which you are so proud to be the editor, I will seek you out and horsewhip you whenever and wherever I find you. If you resist, I will shoot you as I would a dog and all good citizens will applaud my action. You are not fit to meet a gentleman upon the field of honor, and you will never have that opportunity, however much you may strive for it."

With these words, Van Ness left the office, slamming the door behind him. Cheetham sank into his chair, clenched his hands, and ground his teeth in rage. Then he sat for a few moments going over in his mind the events which had just taken place. With a muttered curse, he took the article which he had read with such expressions of satisfaction so short a time before, and, tearing it into small pieces, threw it upon the floor.

In December, Colonel Burr reached Washington and resumed his seat as President of the Senate. A large part of the session was taken up with the trial of Judge Chase who had been impeached. As provided in such cases, the Vice-President sat as judge while the senators constituted the jury. As one of the senators remarked:

"During the trial, Burr presided with the justice and impartiality of a saint and the rigor of a devil."

Then came the closing hours of Congress. VicePresident Burr delivered a valedictory which was extemporaneous. No verbatim report has come down to posterity. One of the senators being asked how long Burr spoke, replied:

"I don't know; it may have been ten minutes, or an hour, or a day. When Burr speaks, I hear nothing but his voice, and see nothing but his eyes."

At the close of the speech, many of the senators were in tears and unable to attend to the few remaining matters of public business. As in later years, the clock was pushed back in order that the senators might have time to recover their composure and finish their official duties with a due regard for senatorial decorum.

That night, one of the senators asked Colonel Burr to dine with him at a friend's house in Virginia. The affair was an informal but pleasant one, and it was quite late when the two friends reached the little promontory in front of what afterwards became the Lee mansion at Arlington, and looked down upon the Potomac to see if the boat which was to carry them across had arrived. The sleeping city lay before them under the white light of the moon. As they both contemplated the scene, his friend remarked:

"At our feet lies the capital of our great country." "I have no country!" replied Burr. "When tomorrow's sun rises, the only civic title to which I shall have a right will be that of an inhabitant of the world." Then he smiled, but with a quick resumption of his usual imperturbability and gravity of demeanor added, "But the world is wide, and there are many countries which need a deliverer to free them from tyranny and oppression."

CHAPTER XIII

IN

A PRESIDENTIAL STRATAGEM

N 1801, Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr reIceived the same number of electoral votes. The election was thus thrown into the House of Representatives. After thirty-six ballots, Jefferson was chosen President by a majority of one vote, and Burr became Vice-President. From that moment, Thomas Jefferson recognized Aaron Burr as his most formidable political rival.

When Jefferson, on the day of his inauguration as President, rode on horseback to the Capitol, tied his horse to a hitching-post, and went in to take the oath of office, he doubtless set an example of Republican simplicity, which in some respects was most commendable. But, by evincing in public so little appreciation of the dignity of the great office to which he had been elevated, he betrayed a contempt for official dignity, the contemplation of which is such a potent factor in creating the feeling that is known as patriotism, that was not so praiseworthy.

In the spring of 1805, it was recognized on all sides that Burr's reputed agreement or understanding with the Federalists to beat Jefferson, his defeat in the New York election for Governor, and his killing of Hamilton had effectually put an end to his further political advancement in the United States. Yet he was known by all parties to be a man of infinite resources and his every movement was watched with intense interest by them.