Abridgment of the Debates of Congress, from 1789 to 1856, Vol. 2 (of 16)

by United States. Congress

[51] This speech is not reported.

[52] Not reported.

[53] Not reported.

[54] Son of Mr. James Jarvis, of New York, and midshipman on board the Constellation in the engagement of the 1st of February, who was killed by the falling of the mast.

[55] The First Meeting of Congress at Washington City.

[56] Citizen Talleyrand, retained under the Consulate as Minister of Exterior Relations, was the organ of our Ministers' communications with the First Consul, and his language and deportment on their arrival present a fine contrast to what they were in the time of the Directory, and of the X., Y., Z. subaltern intriguers. Thus, arriving in Paris on the 2d of March, they notify the Citizen Minister of that fact on the 3d, and the same day receive this answer: "The information which you have just communicated of your arrival at Paris, has given me real satisfaction. If you will take the trouble to call upon me at half-past twelve to-morrow, I will be exceedingly glad to have the honor of receiving you." They called as requested, and were treated with all courtesy; and, having expressed a desire to be presented to the First Consul, they received the next day the evidence that he had attended to their request and accomplished it, and giving the hour they were to be "so obliging" as to attend in the Hall of the Ambassadors, in the Palace of the Tuileries. And in notifying them that a commission was appointed to treat with them, he expressed himself with amiable politeness, "to remove a misunderstanding which comports as little with the interests as with the sentiments of the two Governments."

[57] Subject to the disapproval of Congress, and to remain in force until disapproved—this Territory being a copy in its Government of that of the North-west under the Ordinance of the 13th July, 1787, except in the anti-slavery clause.

[58] Nominated Secretary at War, May 7th, 1800. Nomination postponed on the 9th of May. Appointed May 13th Secretary of State, appointed Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, Jan. 27th, 1801. Died 1835.

[59] Twenty-two years afterwards this opinion was verified, and the system abolished, after thirty years of injurious existence—so hard is it to get rid of an evil establishment when it has once got foothold.

[60] This result was due, more than to any other, to General Hamilton, as the majority of the federal party were strongly disposed to support Colonel Burr—from doing which, they were impressively and successfully counselled by him. He was personally well with Burr, and ill with Jefferson, but took the public good, and not his own feelings, for his guide. He said of them, and of his own duty between them: "If there be a man in the world I ought to hate, it is Jefferson. With Burr I have always been personally well. But the public good must be paramount to every private consideration." The danger of Burr's election was imminent, as appears from a letter of Bayard's to General Hamilton, wherein he says: "I assure you, sir, there appears to be a strong inclination in the Federal party to support Mr. Burr. The current has already (January 7th) acquired considerable force, and is manifestly increasing. The vote which the representation of a State enables me to give would decide the question in favor of Mr. Jefferson. At present I am by no means decided as to the object of preference. If the Federal Party should take up Mr. Burr, I ought certainly to be impressed with the most undoubting conviction before I separate myself from them." This passage from a letter of Mr. Bayard, (who afterwards decided the election,) shows the imminence of the danger of Burr's election; and the answer to it, (with letters to other federal members,) shows that that danger was averted by General Hamilton. In these letters he depicted Burr as morally and politically a bad man, utterly unfit and unsafe to be trusted with the Presidency, and in circumstances to make crime his necessity as well as his inclination, and implored him to save the country from the "calamity" of his election. The sting of these letters, rankling in the bosom of Burr, produced the duel in which General Hamilton afterwards lost his life. A singularly hard fate! to die for serving his country, and that in the person of an enemy.