1806: "Aaron Burr, Ex-Vice President of the United States"
The following speculative article appeared in the Richmond Enquirer in Virginia in February 1806 about New York state politics and Aaron Burr's mysterious trips. At the time, Burr had been vice president for Thomas Jefferson's first presidential term, but not his second term which was then in progress. Burr would later be accused of conspiring to form an independent country from U.S. territory; he would be arrested in 1807 and eventually acquitted of treason.
RICHMOND, 15th February.
AARON BURR, Ex-Vice President of the United States, arrived in this city the evening before the last, and left it yesterday morning, in the stage. Instead of those flattering attentions, which once accompanied the motions of Mr. Burr; which told whilst yet a distance, that he was coming, and spoke to him, when he arrived, a most affectionate welcome, he now moves through our towns and villages, an unknown and neglected stranger. Unlike Sterne's "Yorick," no "labour stands still as he passes along, no bucket hangs suspended in the middle of the well, no spinning wheel forgets its round," no attendant of the inn waits with eager and impatient curiosity to examine him, who was once the second officer in the union. A few weeks since Mr. Burr passed through this city on his way to the south; no one expected his arrival; few knew of his departure. Why this sudden change in the feelings of the people? It is not because the revolution of the wheel of fortune has brought Mr. Burr to the ground; it is not that he who was once the Vice-President of the union, has sunk down into obscurity of a privation station, but because such will always be the reward of men, who are supposed to have apostatifed from their principles, in a country where the people are enlightened enough to distinguish merit, and virtuous enough to honor it. In this country the people "may be wrong in their opinions, in their sentiments never."
As to ourselves, Mr. Burr might have continued to pass to and fro through our city in the same silent disregard, which we have lately entertained towards him, perhaps in too high a degree; but for a supposition, which gives him once more the air and importance of a public character. Why is it that at this time when the parties of New York are assuming a new arrangement, which gives to the friends of Mr. Burr an increase of numbers and of force, does this gentleman so suddenly go back upon his own footsteps and return to the north? It was impossible, that these two events, so contiguous in point of time and so seemingly connected in their objects, should not have connected themselves in our minds and given birth to a suspicion, which it becomes our duty to develop. It is only by peeping through such narrow "loopholes" that we shall be ever able to catch a glimpse at the designs of such politicians, as work in the dark. Conjecture must supply the place of fact; though facts may often contradict the conjecture.
New York is now divided into four distinct political parties: the Federalists, the Burrites, the Clintonians, and the Livingstonians. The three last are composed of men who formerly thought alike on political subjects, and who may still agree in their opinion about the present administration; but whose particular principles or subordinate interests have shaken to pieces. Their names sufficiently point out their leaders. Aaron Burr is the head of the first; the Clinton family, among whom DeWitt Clinton seems the most active, is the head of the second; and the Livingston family supporting and supported by their relation Morgan Lewis, the present governor of New York, is the animating soul of the left. What are the particular views of these parties, or what the merit of their respective file-leaders, we neither mean to explain, nor pretend to understand. A single fact about each may be sufficient to show that they are none of them altogether free from objection:
The character of the federalists is written at full length in the principles of the Adams administration.
The character of Aaron Burr is to be found in the history of the Congressional Session of 1800-1; at that time, though he may not, as has been generally supposed, have either offered proposition to the federalists, or received propositions from them, to elevate him to the presidency, it is certain that he possessed not sufficient magnanimity to assure them, after he had been pushed forward into a competition with Mr. Jefferson, as he has assured the republicans before the election, that he could not accept the office of President, though it were offered him Congress, and that he would connive at no project which was intended to defeat the acknowledged wishes of the people.
Morgan Lewis has received the suspicious support of the federalists at his last election, while as governor of New York, he has ratified the charter for establishing the Merchant's Bank, thought it had appeared upon satisfactory evident that this charter had been carried through the Legislature by intrigue and corruption.
DeWitt Clinton is at this time, not the only major of the city of New York with an exorbitant salary of not less than 12,000 dollars, per annum; but he is one of the members of the state Senate, and has been lately elected by the Legislature into the council of appointment, a body which consists of not more than four members, and is entrusted with the power of appointing the principal officers in the state. What opinion must a republican of Virginia entertain of such a formidable accumulation of influence and weather in the hands of a single individual?
We believe that we do not go too far when we assert that new projects have been lately framed in New York, for a new organization of parties. It was the wish of the Livingstons to form a coalition with the Burrites. "Assist us (said they) in re-electing Morgan Lewis, as our governor, and we will give you a carte-blanche, to be filled up with whatever conditions you may choose." The Burrites however refused the proposition, but they formed a new coalition. Mr. Swartwout, the intimate friend of Mr. Burr, has struck up a treaty of alliance, offensive and defensive, with DeWitt Clinton, on what terms & for what purposes, yet remains to be told. At the next election of governor of New York, it is probable that the parties therefore will be arrayed against each other in the following manner: The Federalists & the Livingtonstonians will support Morgan Lewis; the Clintonians and the Burrites will look out for some other candidate.
Is it too ridiculous to suppose that Mr. Burr is to be that favored man? And that Mr. Burr is traveling on to the north to reconnoiter the prospect before him?
Source:
"Aaron Burr," Richmond Enquirer published in Richmond, Virginia, on February 15, 1806. Page 3. Accessed through Newspapers.com
