REESE LIBRARY 
 
 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 Class 
 
CORRECT STATEMENT 
 
 OF THE 
 
 VARIOUS SOURCES 
 
 FROM WHICH 
 
 THE HISTORY 
 
 OF THE 
 
 aomintettatiou of 
 
 WAS COMPILED, 
 
 JLND 
 
 THE MOTIVES FOR ITS SUPPRESSION 
 BY COL. BURR: 
 
 WITH 
 
 SOME OBSERVATIONS 
 
 ON A. 
 
 X 
 
 NARRATIVE, 
 
 V I 
 
 BY A CITIZEN OF NEW- YORK. 
 
 BY JOHN WOOD, 
 
 AUTHOR OF THE SAID HISTORY. 
 
 \ 
 
 P^MED AKD 80I.D, FOR THE AUTHOR, BY Q, F. 
 

 
A CORRECT STATEMENT, &c 
 
 No task is more difficult or painful than a proper vindica 
 tion for a mistatement of the actions of party or of indivi 
 duals, occasioned by erroneous information or a too impli 
 cit confidence in intriguing characters ; yet no labour ought 
 to be esteemed more praise-worthy than an investigation 
 of this nature, a correction of errors and a research after 
 truth. The pride or obstinacy inherent in human nature, 
 too often refuses this tribute which virtue requires, and 
 men in general are unfortunately over-zealous to pursue 
 with avidity that road which ignorance once has dictated, 
 rather than to retreat into the more noble path of honest 
 integrity. The politics of America appear to a British 
 alien, on a superficial survey, only as a simple question 
 respecting the preference of aristocracy ; but, after a little 
 experience, and a more minute knowledge of parties, a 
 scene of faction and intrigue, pervading all ranks of society, 
 gradually unfolds itself, in a manner that must excite the 
 astonishment even of those best versed in the arts of Eu 
 ropean policy. The unwary foreigner, acquainted only 
 with those principles fixed by the constitution of the states, 
 readily embraces the cause of that party which appears to 
 show most address, and most zeal in defending the rights 
 of that people among whom he has chosen his future resi 
 dence. The real patriots of this description are most fre 
 quently men who conceal themselves in silent obscurity, 
 unwilling to mix in the bustle of the political world, until 
 
 
[ 4 ] 
 
 the invaded rights of their country call them forth to ac 
 tion, and expose to view their latent virtues. The licen 
 tious, the needy and the ambitious, are in general the ap 
 parent patriots of every country, whom accident most fre 
 quently introduces to the acquaintance of the unknown 
 stranger. With these men, who daily promise relief and 
 improvements to the people, he contracts an acquaintance, 
 partakes in their career of popular applause, and gradually 
 imbibes tenets that, under other circumstances, he would 
 have spurned with contempt. 
 
 Such is the unfortunate lot of most of the British patriots 
 who have emigrated to this country : intoxicated with that 
 love of liberty which an hereditary right has implanted in 
 the breast of every Briton, they view every stain which 
 tarnishes the edifice of their constitution with the deepest 
 regret, and, as if actuated by the frenzy of parental affection, 
 they wish for the total dissolution of the object nearest 
 their affections, rather tha*i be the painful witnesses of its 
 decay. Unable to accomplish their desires, in the mo 
 ment of mad despair they withdraw themselves from their 
 native homes, and as a last resource retreat to that country 
 which was colonized by their ancestors under like motives 
 and like patriotism. There it is their utmost ambition to 
 maintain those sacred rights of which they were deprived 
 in their own countiy, and trusting the sincerity of every 
 clamorous advocate of liberty as impressed with the same 
 sentiments, they enlist in his party and confide in his inte 
 grity, until some fortunate accident dispels the cloud of hy 
 pocrisy which veils him from their eyes, and discovers the 
 patriot from the impostor. 
 
 I might indulge more largely in this prefatory digression, 
 but vanity or prejudice would probably be attributed as the 
 
cause ; and were I to give a detail of those circumstances 
 which led myself to America, and of the first acquaintances 
 I formed upon my arrival, it would justly be deemed as 
 proceeding from an egotism, tedious to the reader and 
 unfruitful to the public. I shall therefore, without fur 
 ther apology, enter upon the subject which constitutes the 
 title of the following pages : 
 
 ON the 19 th of June, 1801, I entered into au agree 
 ment with Messrs. Barlas and Ward, booksellers in New- 
 York, to write a History of the United States of America 
 during the Administration of President Adams. As the 
 transactions which have since taken place, have arisen in a 
 great measure from the opposite characters of these two 
 booksellers, it may notbe improper if I bestow a little attention 
 on this circumstance. Mr. Ward is a young man of the 
 strictest integrity and honour, and as to politics has taken no 
 active part in favour of either party, but Mr. Barlas, unfor 
 tunately for himself and mankind, is in a degree a character 
 of a different complection ; with his acquaintances he pro 
 fesses himself the warmest friend to the administration of 
 Mr. Jefferson, and often insinuates that he has occasion 
 ally contributed to the aid of the anti-federal prints, while 
 to the public he assumes the modest appearance of clerical 
 indifference. Mr. Baiias, however, as being the oldest 
 partner in this business, had the preference given to him 
 in all matters of dispute. By our letter of agreement a 
 clause was inserted at the desire of Mr. Barlas, that the 
 work should be finished by the end of August or Septem 
 ber. I did not object to the clause at the instant of sub 
 scribing the articles, not doubting but Messrs. Barlas and 
 Ward would, for their own interest, allow the period to 
 be prolonged, if necessary. Previous to the commence- 
 
[ 6 ] 
 
 ment of the work, I had calculated upon my labour, rather 
 as a field of amusement than that of laborious research ; it 
 was impossible to have conceived that the annals of a go 
 vernment of a new country, such as the United States, for 
 four years, should be enveloped in mystery, cabal, and in 
 trigue, and that all the public prints should be a collection 
 of falsehoods fabricated by the hirelings of party ; but $ 
 soon discovered, that to investigate the truth from volumes 
 of newspapers devoted to opposite interests, would require 
 several years in place of a few months. Before the stipu^ 
 lated period was expired, I communicated my sentiments 
 to Mr. Ward, and requested a prolongation of the period, 
 to which he appeared to give his cordial assent, but upon 
 conversing with Mr. Barlas, they both insisted, I suppose 
 from the advice of Barlas, that the book should be finished 
 within the ti me prescribed, otherwise that I would forfeii 
 the penalty that I had agreed upon in my letter of the 19th. 
 of June. 
 
 Thus circumstanced, I was under the necessity of throw 
 ing together my materials, I may say without either pro 
 per arrangement or due consideration. Thjsse materials 
 were principally collected from the Aurora, Mr. Duane s 
 private letters, and Callender s works, besides some occa 
 sional hints I received from gentlemen in New-York and 
 Philadelphia. 
 
 My correspondence with Mr. Duane, or rather his let 
 ters to me, originated not through Barlas and Ward, as he 
 has stated in his letter in the Aurora, but from an applica 
 tion which I made to him respecting the letters of Curtius : 
 This application was made about the first of July, and 
 from that time until the month of October, Mr. Duane 
 
sent me, occasionally, information as to characters and 
 events, sometimes couched in the form of letters, and at 
 other times expressed in the form of history, leaving it to 
 my own discretion to alter the language or not. Notwith 
 standing this active part which Mr. Duane had in the com 
 pilation of the history, he is pleased to assert in the 
 Aurora of the 12th July, that it contains neither veracity 
 or dignity. Such an observation would certainly have pro 
 ceeded with more propriety from any other critic than Mr, 
 Duane, when the facts furnished by him are well known to 
 be the most false and libellous in the whole book. These 
 facts, as he termed them in his letters, related principally 
 to Mr. Adams, and compose almost all the anecdotes in 
 serted in the history respecting the late president. The 
 fallacy of the stories reported to me by Mr. Duane, I was 
 then ignorant of, but can now assure the public, that I have 
 been informed by persons more respectable than Mr. 
 Duane, that there is not the smallest foundation either for 
 the anecdote of the Alchemist, mentioned in page 503, or 
 for the stories respecting Mr. Adams and Doctor Franklin, 
 related in chapter XII. Mr. Duane was particularly sedu 
 lous in his letters in requesting that I should by no means 
 omit to describe, in the most pointed manner, the enmity 
 of Mr. Adams towards Dr. Franklin j but upon a fair inves 
 tigation of this matter, I have discovered that Mr. Adams 
 never displayed any marks of hatred to Doctor Franklin 
 himself, but only towards Bache die printer, who raised 
 Mr. Duane to his present eminence. This was certainly 
 an act of gratitude in Mr. Duane, but that species of gra 
 titude which ought to receive the severest censure, the 
 raising the reputation of a friend at the expense of his 
 enemy, and, without having the boldness to execute the 
 stratagem himself, to impose the task upon a stranger. The 
 character given of James Ross, of Pennsylvania, in page 
 
[ 8 ] 
 
 184, was drawn from the Aurora, but as to the truth of 
 the charges there adduced against Mr. Ros, I have not 
 had an opportunity of determining. The probability, how 
 ever, is, that they are false, as they have been reported by 
 Mr. Duane. The characters given of the members of 
 congress (who voted for the alien and sedition bills, that of 
 Mr. Bingham and Mr. Ross exeepted) in the history, from 
 page 182 to the end of the sixth chapter, were entirely ta 
 ken from Calender s Prospect, pages 122, 123, 124, 125, 
 144, 145, 146, & 147, of his first volume. The language 
 is a little altered, but the reader will perceive that the sen 
 timents are the same. The character of Mr. Bingham I 
 obtained from the friends of Mr. Duane when at Philadel 
 phia. I however am induced to suppose by other inform 
 ation, that although Mr. Bingham is not the brightest man 
 in the world, his enemies have extremely exaggerated his 
 faults. The articles entitled British piracy, were entirely- 
 extracted from Callender s works, his Sketches of America, 
 and Annual Register. The contents of the sixth chapter 
 of the History, from the commencement to page 168, 
 were drawn from the second chapter of the first volume of 
 Callender s Prospect. The account I have given of 
 Blount s conspiracy, and the negociation of this country 
 with the Directory of France, were collected from the 
 Aurora, as also were my remarks on the constitution of 
 Connecticut, and the characters of Mr. Trumbull, Mr. 
 Treadwell, Mr. Thomas Grosevenor, Mr. Thomas Sey 
 mour, Mr. Aaron Austin, and Mr. David Dagget, These 
 last are to be found in the Aurora of April, 1801. 
 
 In the character of General Hamilton, which Mr. Duane 
 thinks proper to call a panegyric fraught with falsehood, 
 I have, certainly committed some errors, but the principal 
 
[ 9 ] 
 
 error is one, which detracts from the integrity of that able 
 officer in place of adding an undue lustre to his virtues. 
 The reader will easily perceive that I allude to the stale 
 story of Mrs. Reynolds. Following the mistatement of Cal- 
 lender, I have represented that woman as an amiable and 
 virtuous wife, seduced from the affections of her husband 
 by artifice and intrigue.. That woman, however, I have 
 been informed from the best authority, from the authority 
 even of her own acquaintances, to have been one of those 
 unfortunates, who, destitute of every regard for virtue or 
 honour, traffic with the follies of youth, and lay their snares 
 to entrap- the feeling heart and benevolent mind ; such was 
 the origin of her acquaintance with Mr. Hamilton, whose 
 unsuspecting generosity became the victim of her art and 
 duplicity. The dates in the article of his life, are also erro 
 neous, as well as the island of his birth, which was Nevis 
 and not St. Croix. The anecdote relating to Mr. Hamil 
 ton at the capture of the redoubts at York -town, I have 
 read in several histories of the American war j as also in 
 the Anti- Jacobin Review, in reviewing Mr. Hamilton s 
 letter to Mr. Adams, but Mr. Hamilton himself, I am in 
 formed, denies it. 
 
 Respecting the biography of Mr. Durr, which the writer 
 of the narrative calls a master piece of the Hyperbolic, the 
 materials for writing it were not furnished by Mr. IJurr, 
 as the narrative erroneously states. Mr. Burr and I have 
 been acquainted for about two years, but not intimately : 
 our acquaintance arose from being employed by Mr. Burr 
 in the line of my profession, as a classical teacher, in which 
 capacity I have received from Mr. Burr every mark of civil 
 ity, which might be expected. Mr. Cheetham was the 
 first person who acquainted Mr. Burr, that I was employed 
 in writing a history of the Administration of president 
 
 8 
 
t 10 ] 
 
 Adams, and I was informed -by Mr. Cheetham, that Mr. 
 Burr expressed a desire to see me respecting it; I accord 
 ingly saw Mr. Burr, but soon perceived, that although he 
 approved of the undertaking, he felt a proper reluctance to 
 give me any information on the subject; in the course of 
 the summer I saw Mr. Burr several times afterwards, but 
 our conversation, to the best of my recollection, respected 
 some pupils, acquaintances of Mr, Burr s, whom I was en 
 gaged in instructing, and not politics. In the month of 
 October, I waited one evening on Mr. Burr, to request he 
 would direct me to some person, who might have it in his 
 power to give me a correct statement of the capture of the 
 British Piquet, narrated in page 458. Mr. Burr very 
 frankly referred me to a captain Gardner, of a Newburg 
 sloop, who acted as his serjeant on that expedition ; in the 
 course of our conversation, Mr. Burr naturally dropped se 
 veral circumstances, that occurred during the war, by which 
 means, and the information I obtained from capt. Gardner, 
 together with Hardie s Biography of president Burr, and 
 the journals of the Senate, I drew up that imperfect sketch, 
 which I inserted in the history, which if incorrect, either as 
 to facts or composition, the blame alone is to be attributed 
 to captain Gardner and myself, and not to Mr. Burr. The 
 life of Mr. Jefferson was composed from a biography, given 
 of Mr. Jefferson in an English publication, entitled " Pub 
 lic characters of 1801," a small pamphlet published by 
 Hembold of Philadelphia, aad the Aurora. The anecdote 
 respecting lord Dunmore and Mr. Jefferson, I had from an 
 American student of Virginia, when at Edinburgh. 
 
 These were in short the principal sources from which I 
 compiled my history of the Administration of president 
 Adams. Several trifling incidents, which are scattered 
 
[ 11 ] 
 
 through the volume, I received from individuals ; but as 
 they are of no moment to one party or another, their detail 
 would be unnecessary, and to bring before the public their 
 authors would be an improper action. I shall, however, 
 add, that from the sources from which the history in gene 
 ral has been compiled, it would be improper for the reader 
 to place any reliance on the facts which it contains, or to re 
 gard the work in any degree as a correct statement of the 
 events which occurred during the administration of Mr. 
 Adams. 
 
 In November, 1801, Mr. Burr visited Philadelphia, as 
 the Narrative states, but upon what business I was igno 
 rant. Previous to his return, when the History was 
 nearly printed, several concurring circumstances which 
 took place, and which accident threw in my way, began to 
 unfold the views of those men to whom I had been attach 
 ed, and plainly discovered that I had been deceived in 
 most parts with regard to the characters and events which I 
 had described. To re-print the whole edition was an 
 expense which my situation in life could not admit, nor 
 was it to be expected that the booksellers would willingly 
 accede to such a proposal. Thus embarrassed how to act, 
 I expressed my doubts to Mr. Ward of the propriety of 
 sending forth such a volume to the world without taking 
 the advice of some person whose experience in the political 
 world was known, and whose legal abilities were undoubt 
 ed. Mr. Brockholst Livingston was the gentleman we 
 both agreed upon to whom the History should be shown 
 previous to its publication. Mr. Burr, however, in the 
 mean time, returned from Philadelphia, and chance having 
 thrown him in my way in Nassau-street, after the usual 
 compliments of the day, he requested I should bring him 
 a copy of the History that evening, which I accordingly 
 
[ 12 ] 
 
 did. Colonel Burr turned to the article relating to him 
 self, and observing some errors in the dates, which I borrow 
 ed from Hardie s Biography, respecting his father,- he de 
 sired that I should leave the copy with him until the next 
 morning, and that he would correct them. I called at his 
 house next day at an appointed hour, and found Colonel 
 Burr with the History before him. Perceiving from the 
 leaves being cut, that he had read great part of it, I com 
 menced the conversation by expressing a regret at those 
 circumstances which had led me into so many errors re 
 specting certain characters described in the volume, and, 
 at the same time, solicited his advice how to act in such a 
 critical affair. Colonel Burr first inquired in what manner 
 and upon what terms the History had been published ; 
 after being informed that Messrs. Barlas and Ward were 
 the proprietors, he said there was no other alternative but 
 to purchase the edition from them, adding, at the same 
 time, that as he knew I had compiled it from the best mo 
 tives to the republican interest, I should not be a loser, but 
 that he and his friends would defray the expense : He 
 therefore ordered that I should, without delay, make the 
 best possible bargain with Messrs. Barlas and Ward for the 
 edition and copy-right, but to conceal his name in the 
 transaction. 
 
 This is an exact statement of the origin of the first inter 
 view I had with Mr. Burr respecting the suppression of 
 the History. The Narrative states, that the errors I had 
 committed in his biography, would have made Mr. Burr 
 about fifty, whereas he stated himself he was not more 
 than forty-five years of age. This is a mistake; for al 
 though these errors tended to add a few years to the age 
 of Mr. Burr, yet Mr, Burr particularly expressed his only 
 
[ 13 ] 
 
 motive to have them rectified, was to show the world the 
 early misfortune he laboured under of having been depriv 
 ed of his mother when in the age of infancy, for I had 
 mentioned, in my History, that after the death of presi 
 dent Burr, the care of his education devolved on Mrs. 
 Burr. This circumstance I have thought particularly ne 
 cessary to notice, not only as a matter of justice to Mr. 
 Burr, but to expose the malicious intent of the writer of 
 the Narrative, who, to promote the views of his party, 
 and detract from the integrity of Mr. Burr, concludes 
 his paragraph by the following sarcastic expression : " To 
 one who is looking forward to the Presidency, to gain at 
 the age of fifty, five years on the side of youth, is no incon 
 siderable acquisition." 
 
 After leaving Mr. Burr on the morning of the 10th of 
 December, I waited on Mr. Ward and communicated to 
 him my desire of purchasing the edition and copy-right of 
 the History, with the intention of suppressing it, adding, 
 that a particular friend was anxious this should be done, 
 both on account of the republican interest which the publi 
 cation would injure, as well as from a personal regard to 
 myself ; and that if he and Mr. Barlas would agree to any 
 reasonable terms, my friend would immediately close 
 with them. Mr. Ward appeared entirely satisfied, but 
 said it was necessary to have the consent of Mr. Barlas, 
 who he supposed would agree upon the payment of all their 
 expenses. I saw Mr. Ward in the afternoon of that, day-, 
 after having conversed with Mr. Barlas, but was astonished 
 to find that Barlas could not be brought to an agreement, 
 except upon very extravagant terms. I saw Mr. Burr to 
 wards evening, and related to him my fears of the impos 
 sibility of treating with my booksellers, Mr. Barlas ia 
 
[ 14 ] 
 
 particular. Mr. Burr thought it an unfortunate circum 
 stance, but said he had no doubt if the danger of pub 
 lishing a libellous book was properly explained to them, that 
 they would agree ; he also inquired if I knew who were the 
 particular acquaintances or patrons of Mr. Barlas ; I men 
 tioned Dr. Wilson of Columbia college as one, upon which 
 Mr. Burr promised he should see that professor the next 
 morning upon the subject. In our conversation this even 
 ing, Mr. Burr observed, that independent of the libellous 
 matter, I had fallen iato several inconsistencies in my 
 description of characters, particularly that of General 
 Washington. Mr. Burr s opinion of the abilities of 
 Washington, I confess, was not the most favourable ; 
 but certain am I, that I never heard Mr. Burr express 
 himself in such derogatory terms of General Wash 
 ington as the friends and party of Mr. Jefferson and Mr. 
 Clinton always do. No one knows this so well as the wri 
 ter of the Narrative no one has heard so much abuse 
 thrown on the character of Washington in the companies 
 which he frequents as this same citizen ; but want of can 
 dour has caused him to attribute the opinions of his own 
 party particularly to Mr. Burr j for he knew the prejudice 
 of the public was greatly in favour of Washington ; he was 
 not ignorant that could this odium be thrown upon Mr. 
 Burr alone, that a principal point would be gained, and he 
 therefore has endeavoured to ruin the popularity of Mr. 
 Burr, by apparently reprobating those opinions which he 
 and his friends foster in private, and nourish together. 
 
 In regard to General Dayton, Mr. Burr disapproved 
 that in a history of important events, personal transactions 
 should have a place ; that the letters between Dayton and 
 Childs proved nothing more than a commercial transaction, 
 which has been practised by many others besides Mr. Day- 
 
ton ; that the violence of party rage often threw the b lackest 
 colouring over the most trifling matters, which it did in the 
 transaction between Dayton and Childs ; and I believe he 
 might have added, that from the letters themselves, it ap 
 peared that Childs was indebted to Dayton to a consider 
 able amount. Mr. Burr also remarked, that I had been 
 led into an extravagant mistake with regard to the anecdote 
 I related of Mr. Hamilton at the capture of the redoubt at 
 York-Town ; that the Marquis de la Fayette was a man of 
 the greatest humanity, and that my information must have 
 been erroneous. Respecting Mr. Jefferson, the conversa 
 tion arose from Mr. Burr s observing, that I mentioned in 
 my History, that, in the first meeting of congress after the 
 election of Mr. Adams, Mr. Jefferson should have addres 
 sed the senate in an extempore speech : Mr. Burr told me 
 this was a mistake. Remarking upon the character of Mr. 
 Jefferson, I observed to Mr. Burr, that although I regard 
 ed the President as a man of sound judgment, and well fitted 
 to fill the office he now holds, yet, I by no means deemed him a 
 character of enterprise or of the first genius, understanding 
 by the word genius, a faculty of mind which Providence 
 has granted to a few individuals who have explored the 
 hidden paths of nature, and by their actions, have aston 
 ished the ordinary intellect of man. To this opinion Mr. 
 Burr appeared to give his assent, but never dropped a 
 single expression in any manner or degree disrespectful of 
 Mr. Jefferson. He seemed also astonished that I should 
 have represented Mr. Pinckney as a man of less integrity 
 than Mr. Hamilton, knowing the former, without any dis 
 paragement to the latter, to be a man of the strictest honour 
 in the United States. These were the substance of all the 
 remarks as to characters, which Mr. Burr made to me ; 
 what he may have said to others I know not, nor shall I 
 attempt to investigate. 
 
I 16 ] 
 
 I saw Mr. Ward on Friday the llth of December, and 
 represented to him the dangers which would await Barlas 
 and him, as well as me, from prosecutions, if the history 
 were published. He appeared to be of the like opinion, 
 but said it was impossible to convince Barlas, who had ta 
 ken the advice of his friends, and saw nothing in the history 
 that would be libellous ; he urged another objection to the 
 suppression, that a manuscript copy had been sent to Lon-- 
 don a few days before with a Mr. Hodson, by the ship Juli 
 ana, in order to be published, and unless it were recalled the 
 suppression could not take place. I immediately commu 
 nicated this intelligence to Mr. Burr, who was at dinner 
 with some company ; he came to the door and charged me 
 by all means, to order Messrs. Barlas & Ward to stop the 
 publication in London. The brig Recovery was to sail 
 that evening for Grecnock, and no other vessel was to sail 
 for several days. Messrs. Barlas and Ward agreed to r 
 write to Hodson to stop the publication, on condition I 
 should either give up the name of the person with whom I 
 was negotiating, or give them proper security for any loss 
 they might incur from stopping the publication in England. 
 This I was unwilling to do without orders from Mr., Burr, 
 and therefore I returned to his house, but unfortunately he 
 had gone out. The Recovery was to sail at six o clock, by 
 which circumstance I had no other alternative than to give 
 Messrs. Barlas and Ward the name of Mr. Burr, or drop 
 every idea of suppressing the History. In this dilemma, I 
 preferred mentioning the name of Mr. Burr, in expectation 
 he would never be known as the suppressor Messrs. 
 Barlas and Ward having given me an obligation for 30Q 
 dollars to that purpose. 
 
 I saw Mr. Burr upon Saturday the 12th, and informed 
 him, that orders had been sent by Mesy^-v Barlas and 
 
^v 
 
 1 [ 17 J 
 
 Recovery, to stop the English edition; 
 at the same time I put into his hands, copies of letters 
 which had been written for that purpose, with which he 
 seemed perfectly satisfied. The only difficulty which now 
 remained, was to compromise the matter with Barlas and 
 Ward, to effect which, Mr. Burr advised me to write to them 
 the following letter, and not the one which is first inserted 
 in the Narrative, which is incorrect, false, and erroneous. 
 
 GENTLEMEN, 
 
 HAVING discovered, lately, that the History of the 
 Administration of John Adams, which I compiled for 
 you, is, in several parts, false and erroneous, as it regards 
 public events, and entirely incorrect as it regards indivi 
 dual characters, I have the most anxious desire that it 
 should be suppressed, for which purpose I engage to in- 
 demnify you for the neat expenses of paper and print, and 
 to furnish you with an altered copy, fit for the press, in 
 the space of ten days the copy-right of which I assign 
 over to you in the same manner as the former. In the 
 event of your non-compliance, I shall feel myself under the 
 necessity to publish the above to the world, and also to set 
 on foot a new work in vindication of those characters I 
 may have injured, so that the whole of the malice and in* 
 jury done, which never were intended by me, may rest 
 on you alone. I remain, Gentlemen, your s, &c. 
 
 JN. WOOD. 
 
 NEW-YORK, 12 Dec. 1801. 
 
 To Messrs. Barlas^ Ward and Co. 
 
 I received an answer from Messrs. Barlas and Ward, 
 refusing my off-r ; but agreeing to suppress the work for 
 two thousand dollars, or fifteen hundred dollars with a new 
 
 C 
 
[ 18 ] 
 
 manuscript copy. These proposals neither meeting Mr. 
 Burr s approbation nor my own, it was necessary to fall on 
 some other expedient to suppress the work. Mr. Burr 
 naturally supposed, that if a new edition, having all the 
 errors and mistakes in the former corrected, and real facts 
 inserted, could ; be privately printed, and when finished, 
 to be offered to Messrs. Barlas and Ward, in exchange for 
 their incorrect and libellous book, they could not possibly, 
 even regarding their own interest, have the smallest objec 
 tion ; but if, contrary both to prudence and reason, they 
 should persevere in their plan of publishing the original 
 work, the only remedy was to publish the new edition, and 
 furnish them with an appendix correcting the errors in the 
 old one. This scheme, to which there can be attached 
 neither blame or censure, was alone frustrated by Barlas 
 and Ward daily lowering their demands, until at last they 
 offered to suppress the History for 110O dollars, indepen 
 dent of 10O dollars to Mr. Barlas for his share of the copy 
 right, Mr. Ward having relinquished his claim, in order 
 to receive the profits arising from the printing of the new 
 work. These were the terms finally agreed upon between 
 Messrs. Barlas, Ward, and myself, and with which Mr. 
 Burr appeared satisfied, when he left New- York for Wash 
 ington. The night previous to his departure I saw him, 
 and he informed me that he had given orders to W. P. Van 
 Ness to settle the business, meaning the payment of the 
 money. 
 
 Had this immediately been effected, most probably the 
 world would never have been made acquainted with the 
 transaction, and malicious characters would not have had an 
 opportunity of throwing their insinuations, and darting their 
 venom wivh impunity, as they have now done, against the 
 
[ 19 J 
 
 second character in the United States. The particular 
 cause of the failure of the immediate payment of the mo 
 ney, I am not acquainted with ; whether it was owing to Mr. 
 Burr, or the negligence of his friends, I know not. It 
 might have proceeded from Mr. Burr, hearing.his name be-- 
 came public in the business, which it did a few days after 
 his departure from New- York, owing to the folly of Barlas, 
 who ran among his friends, and particularly to Mr. George 
 Clinton and Mr. Cheetham, to advise with them (as he said) 
 how he should proceed against the Vice President. 
 
 Mr. Baiias, unfortunately, was made acquainted with all. 
 the steps and incidents which had taken place in the trans 
 action ; he knew the alterations which were to be made in 
 the second edition, and before the name of Mr. Burr was 
 revealed to him, I had acquainted him with the observa 
 tions which the person for whom I was negotiating had 
 made on certain characters in the History ; this was indis 
 pensably necessary, as Mr. Ward, as well as Mr. Barlas, 
 insisted on knowing the alterations which were proposed 
 in the new History. These were communicated, I sup-* 
 pose, by Mr. Barlas, to others ; so that in the course of a 
 few days, not only the name of Mr. Burr, as the suppres 
 sor of the History, but all the circumstances attending the 
 transaction, were known in most of the private circles in. 
 town. The friends of Mr. Burr had, therefore, in his 
 absence, a difficult part to act ; being ignorant, probably, 
 of the express orders which I received from Mr. Burr, in 
 order to conclude a bargain with Messrs. Barlas and Ward, 
 they naturally hesitated about the payment of the money, 
 conceiving, perhaps, that the transaction would tend to 
 hurt Mr. Burr with the Republican interest. As they 
 were all strangers to me, except Mr. Van Ness, no inter- 
 
[ 20 ] 
 
 course was held between us ; while, from a variety of cau 
 ses, I was on terms of intimacy with several of the friends 
 of Mr. Clinton. This circumstance unluckily created in 
 the minds of the former, suspicions of an unfavourable 
 proceeding in me towards Mr. Burr. This was repeatedly 
 suggested, and reiterated to me by Mr. Clinton s party, 
 whose views I did not then comprehend, and who did not 
 fail to endeavour to rouse, by every possible means, my 
 indignation against the Vice-President. The friends of 
 Mr. Burr, Mr. M. L. Davis in particular, were repre 
 sented as using every endeavour to blacken my character, 
 by reporting that I received no orders from Mr. Burr, re 
 specting the suppression of the History. Anxious to have 
 the disagreeable business in which I had engaged termi 
 nated, I wrote to Mr. Burr, then at Washington, request 
 ing him to order payment of the stipulated sum to Messrs. 
 Barbs and Ward ; and acquainting him, at the same time, 
 that they had formed the resolution of prosecuting for the 
 fulfilment of their agreement with me. Mr. Burr having 
 returned no answer to my letter, I regarded it as a matter 
 of equity due from me to Messrs. Barlas and Ward, that I 
 should furnish them with some document of the transac 
 tion which passed between us, as several accidents might 
 arise in the period of a twelvemonth which would deprive 
 them of the benefit of my evidence in a court of justice. I 
 therefore, without any hesitation, gave them an affidavit, 
 expressive of the orders which I received from Mr. Burr 
 relative to the purchase of the edition and cop} -right. 
 This affidavit was given by me, as both Messrs. Barlas and 
 Ward, and Mr. Tunis Wortman will declare, with no 
 other intention but to serve as a proof of the bargain, in 
 the event of my death or absence from New- York. Know 
 ing Mr. Barlas to be a man of weak mind, and in whose 
 
[ 21 ] 
 
 promises of secrecy I could not place the greatest reliance ; 
 I stipulated, previous to making the affidavit, that it should 
 be deposited either with Mr. Ward or Mr. Wortman, and 
 on no condition whatever to be made public, or given to 
 Mr. Barlas. Whether Mr. Barlas made offers of it to 
 others, I know not; but if he did, it was without Mr. 
 Ward s authority, or mine ; and his attempts would have 
 been fruitless, as he could never have possessed himself of 
 it and Mr. Duane s story of Mr. Coleman s having of 
 fered a thousand dollars for the affidavit, must be a false 
 hood, for both Mr. Barlas and Mr. Coleman have suffi 
 ciently explained to the world their correspondence on that 
 head. 
 
 Messrs. Barlas and Ward, being possessed of this affida 
 vit, resorted, as the Narrative states, to Mr. Harison, the 
 Jate recorder of New- York, in order to have his advice, 
 who, I believe, after the facts were stated, entertained no 
 doubt of Mr. Burr s liability to the payment of the sum 
 agreed upon for the suppression of the edition. A prose 
 cution would then have been instantly instituted against Mr. 
 Burr, had not Mr. Wortman engaged to procure the mo 
 ney by subscription from the friends of Mr. Burr. This 
 proposal of Mr. Wortraan s was rather singular, when it is 
 known he never conferred on the subject with a single 
 friend or acquaintance of Mr. Burr s, except Mr. Van 
 Ness : he however contrived to quiet the minds of Messrs. 
 Barlas and \Vard for nearly a fortnight, by daily promising 
 them hopes of success without a prosecution ; but Messrs. 
 Barlas and Ward being at length tired out with delays, they 
 were resolved to wait no longer, and had come to the deter 
 mination of prosecuting, when Mr. Van Ness called one 
 forenoon upon me, and promised to pay the bum of one 
 
[ 22 ] 
 
 thousand dollars, on condition that all the printed copies of 
 the History should be delivered up to him: He added, at 
 the same time, that he did this entirely without the know 
 ledge of Mr. Burr, and was uncertain whether it would 
 meet with his approbation. I immediately communicated 
 this offer to Mr. Ward, who accompanied me to the house 
 of Mr. Van Ness, and the business would, in all probability, 
 have been immediately settled, had Mr. Wortman returned 
 a copy of the History, with which he had been entrusted by 
 Messrs. Barlas and Ward, as counsel for them ; but unfor 
 tunately this copy could not be procured! After repeated 
 promises on the part of Mr. Wortman to return it every 
 hour, he was at length compelled to confess that he had be 
 trayed his trust, by giving a loan of the book to an acquaint 
 ance at some distance from town. Thus Messrs. Barlas 
 and Ward were reduced to their former disagreeable sus 
 pense. The conduct of Barlas on this occasion was truly 
 laughable. If Mr. Burr was the object of his censorious 
 tongue before, Mr. Wortman was doubly so now ; and the 
 ears of strangers, acquaintances, and friends, were assailed 
 by the clamours of the clerical bookseller, narrating the 
 treachery of counsellor Wortman. Mr. Van Ness, how 
 ever, agreed, that if the book should make its appearance 
 within the period of a week, he would still adhere to his 
 promise. It was at length produced in a fortnight from 
 the specified time, and given by Mr. Ward into the hands 
 of Mr. Van Ness; but several obstacles now occurred, 
 which occasioned a procrastination of the payment. Mr. 
 Van Ness was justly apprehensive lest the copy which Mr. 
 Wortman had, was copied previous to being returned : a 
 bond was therefore required from Messrs. Barlas and 
 Ward, as also one from me, binding ourselves that the 
 History should never appear to the public. Barlas and 
 
[ 23 ] 
 
 Ward, after several days hesitation, at length complied ; 
 but as I had no other interest but to see the book suppres 
 sed, I refused to give any bond, but one in which I bound 
 myself never to publish the same History, reserving the 
 privilege, however, of publishing detached parts from it. 
 This precaution I thought particularly requisite, as I had 
 been informed by Mr. Cheetham and Mr. Riker, that Mr. 
 M. L. Davis, and other friends of Mr. Burr, were sedulous 
 in propagating a report that the History was highly aristo- 
 cratical, and therefore ought to be suppressed by the repub 
 lican party. I shall, however, add, in justice to Mr. Davis, 
 that I never heard the report from any other quarter but the 
 Clintonians, and it probably was intended by them for no 
 other purpose but to withdraw my partiality from Mr. Burr; 
 for every endeavour was used, both by Mr. Riker and Mr. 
 Cheetham, as well as others of their party, to persuade me 
 to give to the public a complete statement of all the conver 
 sation which passed between Mr. Burr and myself, res 
 pecting the History ; otherwise that I must consider my 
 self as having forfeited, not only their friendship, but that 
 of the republicans in general. This pressing anxiety on 
 the part of Mr. Riker and Mr. Cheetham, was certainly un 
 necessary, for by one means or another they had possessed 
 themselves of all the circumstances attending the suppres 
 sion, and were therefore fully as adequate as I was, if they 
 were possessed of candour, to give an accurate statement 
 of them to the world ; but, pursuing their ordinary policy, 
 they were desirous of imposing the task upon another, 
 well knowing the odium they would incur, by an attack upon 
 the Vice President, for a transaction which must be deem 
 ed of a laudable nature, when properly explained. Mr. Ri 
 ker, however, acted in this business in a much more culpa 
 ble manner than Mr. Cheetham. The latter ought, perhaps, 
 
[ 24 ] 
 
 from the ties of gratitude, to have conducted himself with 
 more propriety towards Mr. Burr ; but since he has declar 
 ed hostilities against the friends of the Vice-President, 
 his behaviour has at least been consistent ; he has not, like 
 many others, under the mask of friendship, darted the dag 
 ger of scandal at the head of Mr. Burr. He avows him 
 self his public enemy, and acts accordingly. Mr. Riker, 
 on the contrary, affects in the company with Mr. Burr s 
 friends, the greatest attachment to the Vice-President ; he 
 expresses his astonishment that it should be supposed he is 
 unfriendly to Mr. Burr; he protests, upon his honour, that 
 Mr. Burr will always retain his support, and in a fawning 
 courteous manner launches forth into ridiculous eulogiums 
 upon the abilities and the virtues of Mr. Burr, whom he 
 frequently declares to be one of the greatest men in the 
 Union; and, without any hesitation, places him in the group 
 of talents, over which (in Mr. Riker s opinion) Mr. Jeffer 
 son and Mr. De Witt Clinton preside. Yet this same 
 Deputy Attorney General, whom nature has only fitted to 
 act as the coxcomb of intrigue, with bows and smiles re 
 ceives the Clintonian faction at his nightly levees, and in 
 the warmest language of effeminate rhetoric declaims against 
 the Vice- President, approves of the proceedings of Mr. 
 Cheetham, and twists, and turns, and searches all the capa 
 city of his brains for new arguments against what the little 
 fellow is pleased to term, the little band. 
 
 Such has been the conduct of Mr. Riker : respecting the 
 Narrative, I shall not assert that either he, or Mr. Cheet 
 ham, Mr. Osgood, or Mr. Wortman, or even Mr. Clinton, 
 is the author. This was entrusted to me as a secret, and 
 it shall remain so on my part. I shall only observe, that 
 I had several conversations with the author, and those who 
 
t 25 ] 
 
 advised with him previous to the publication of the Narra 
 tive ; and repeatedly gave it as my opinion, that Mr. Burr s 
 motives were only to prevent the publication of a book which 
 he deemed libellous and incorrect. I confess, that at that 
 period, owing to stories which were artfully told me re 
 specting the attempts of Mr. Burr and his friends, to ruin 
 my character, I would have had no objections to have seen 
 a fuir statement of the case published, with such extracts 
 from the History, as to show that it was not wrote by a 
 " tool of Mr. Adams, and Mr. Hamilton s ;" which tale, 
 it was said, Mr. Davis propagated. Ifhe insertion of the 
 letters, excepting the first, which was false and incorrect, 
 was not objectionable, as they went to prove only the sup 
 pression of the History by me, as an agent of Mr. Burr s ; 
 but as to the comments and observations made by the writer 
 of the Narrative, as well as several mistatements regarding 
 the biography of Mr. Burr, and my conversations with him, 
 I opposed at the instant I saw the proof sheets, and imme 
 diately set about writing a correct statement of the Sup 
 pression, which I gave, when finished, to Mr. Ward ; but 
 which he, for several reasons, declined publishing. The 
 incorrectness of the Narrative, in this respect, I have made 
 no hesitation of declaring whenever the question was put 
 to me, and frequently, when a silent observer of the conver 
 sation of strangers, I have regarded it a matter of justice 
 due to Mr. Burr, to make the circumstance known. 
 
 The Narrative states, that Mr. Van Ness penned a cer 
 tificate, or paper of falsehoods, in order to exculpate Mr. 
 Burr from having had any thing to do with the suppre sion. 
 This is certainly a mistake ; Mr. Van Noss drew up a pa 
 per, giving an account of the transaction, to the best of his 
 knowledge ; but I refused to sign it, as I thought it prefer- 
 
 D 
 
[ 26 j 
 
 able, if it should be necessary to subscribe my name to any- 
 state rneht, that it ought to be public, and not private. 
 
 Such was the origin an d conclusion of a transaction^ which, 
 though innocent and praise-worthy of itself, and which few 
 men, except Mr. Burr, would have had the generosity to 
 nave done, has yet been construed and twisted into a plot 
 against the administration of Mr. Jefferson. When I men 
 tion the name of our President, I trust it will not be sup 
 posed that I includ^ Mr. Jefferson In that band who have 
 raised the voice of calumny, not only against Mr. Burr, but 
 against every honest man, and every virtuous deed. The 
 promoters of this villainous scheme, it is to be hoped, are 
 only confined to the state of New- York : their views are not 
 to support Mr. Jefferson more than Mr. Burr, or, in short, 
 any one individual, but the idol of their party, Mr. Dewitt 
 Clinton. This is not denied, but proudly confessed in their 
 private meetings and secret circles ; and at the tables oF 
 their political debauch, the name of Dewitt Clinton, and suc 
 cess to his election as Vice President, frequently precede as 
 a toast, either the constitution of the states, or the states 
 man of Monticello. It is not my intention, in these pages, 
 either to be an advocate for Mr. Burr, or Mr. Jefferson j 
 but candour requires it, that when malice provokes popular 
 resentment against any individual, by unjust and crafty 
 means, the slander should be checked, and the lurking as 
 sassin of character, with his fawning treachery, exposed to 
 view. Mr. Deputy Attorney General Riker is not the only 
 personal enemy who acts in private against Mr. Burr; Mr, 
 Counsellor Wortman is not inferior in this respect but an 
 insinuating laugh covers the designs of the former, while 
 the mark of Cain stamped in the womb upon the forehead 
 ef the latter, holds him forth to the world as a person for 
 
honesty to avoid, and for prudence to guard against. Mr. 
 Wortman is, however, less to be dreaded on this account, 
 for in such a countenance treachery always displays itself, 
 and the schemes of infamy are easily defeated ; but the mo 
 dest smiles of Rikej* (from whose apparent sympathetic 
 eyes a ray of compassion perpetually beams) frequently be 
 guile the most guarded acquaintance, and deceive the most 
 wary opponent. There are others again who trim about oscil 
 lating in the medium between the Vice President and Mr. 
 Clinton. One of the leading characters of this description 
 is Mr. Qelston : this man, fearful perhaps of being displac 
 ed, makes ample amends for the political integrity which 
 his predecessor, Mr. Sands, displayed when in office, whose 
 only object was a just and faithful discharge of the import 
 ant trust vested in the collectorship of New- York. But 
 Mr. Gelston, if we may judge from his conduct, regards the 
 study and practice of political intrigue as of much more im 
 portance to the community, than the labour of investigat 
 ing the imports and exports of the state. Determined up- 
 n figuring on the theatre of politics, and of partaking in 
 that political bustle which accident has created, without in 
 curring the displeasure of either the President or Vice Pre 
 sident, he cultivates the favqur of both Clintonians and 
 Burrites, presses with great cordiality the hand of Mr. 
 Cheetham, dines with Mr. Burr, and with the utmost com 
 plaisance spends the evening with Mr. Clinton. Another 
 of these accommodating satellites, I am sorry to say, be 
 longs to that order of men whom Christian charity ought to 
 mark, and in whose actions Christian candour ought to be an 
 unerring characteristic. The reader, perhaps, may suppose 
 I wish to insinuate Dr. Linn, as several unjust assertions 
 were thrown upon the character of that worthy clergyman 
 in the History of Adams Administration, but the remarks, 
 
[ 28 ] 
 
 there made were from misinformation, and from an ignorance 
 of his works. The reverend gentleman here alluded to, is 
 a man whose name is as significant of his thoughts as it is 
 expressive of his actions : I mean no other than Dr. 
 M*- Knight^ who, while he courts the Clinton interest at the 
 table of the Governor of the State, opposes with the friends 
 of Mr. Burr the daring and ambitious spirit of Mr. Dewitt, 
 converses with Mr. Riker upon Divinity, endeavours to 
 prove the Christianity of Mr. Jefferson, and often laments, 
 it is said, a want of the same orthodoxy in Mr. Burr. The 
 champion and hero of duplicity is, however, Mr. Duane. 
 To recite the various tricks and schemes this fellow has 
 practised, since the death of Bache left him the editorship 
 of the Aurora, would compose a nauseous detail of several 
 volumes, but I shall here restrict myself solely to those cir 
 cumstances in his conduct which are connected with the 
 History of the Administration of President Adams. I 
 have already stated, that, in general, all the circumstances 
 furnished by Mr. Duane in his letters to me, proved after- 
 terwards to be the grossest falsehoods, most probably fabri 
 cated by himself, like his stupid tale respecting an inter 
 course which General Hamilton and I are said to have car 
 ried on by the means of a Scotchman, a tutor in Mr. Ha 
 milton s family, as if Mr. Hamilton, were he even inclined 
 to communicate his sentiments to another living in the same 
 place, could not do it but by the medium of a third person. 
 Mr. Duane was particularly unfortunate in this invention, 
 as it happens Mr. Hamilton never employed a tutor in his 
 family, neither Scotch or Irish, his children having been 
 educated at the public schools of New- York. 
 
 Duane, being afraid that the contents of his private let 
 ters would be made public after the History was said to be 
 
[ 29 3 
 
 suppressed, wrote me the following letter from Washing" 
 ton. 
 
 Washington, Feb. 7, 1802. 
 SIR, 
 
 Several applications having been made to me for the 
 History of John Adams Administration, which was to 
 have been sent me long since for sale, and as the delay 
 has tended to an imputation on my veracity, I think it pro 
 per to apply to you to give me such information on the na 
 ture of the delay as may enable me to justify myself. 
 
 Should you have relinquished the design of publishing, I 
 shall consider it as a matter of justice to me, that you return 
 such letters as I have addressed to you, communicating 
 hints and facts on the subject. 
 
 You will learn all that passes here from the public papers, 
 as well as it could be conveyed in any way but by the eyes 
 and ears. Strange occurrences have arisen here, but they 
 all tend to an ultimate good. Do the republicans in N. Y. 
 not mean to memorial on the judiciary repeal? Some in 
 fluential men should stimulate Dr. Mitchell on the imbe 
 cility of the naturalization bill, produced by the committee 
 of which he is chairman : My friend Cheetham should touch 
 that subject, and enter as much into details of arguments 
 and principles as possible, for the committee will other 
 wise sleep over it. Smilie, from Pennsylvania, an Irish 
 man, is the only member on it zealous and active. 
 
 This city increases in population, convenience and com 
 forts, and promises to be a great theatre of civil and politi 
 cal action in a few years. 
 
 I am, Sir, with respect, your obedient servant, 
 
 WM. DUANE. 
 
 
[ 3D J 
 
 Mr. Duane s observation upon Dr. Mitchell, and the 
 imbecility of his naturalization bill, is worth notice, as it 
 exemplifies, in a striking manner, the duplicity of his, 
 conduct ; for Duane was writing in this disrespectful man 
 nar of Dr. Mitchell to a stranger whom he never saw,, at 
 the very instant be was puffing up at Washington the poli 
 tical talents and oratorial powers of the chemical professor ; 
 abusing the trustees of Columbia college because they dis 
 missed the Dr. for leaving his charge, and sounding the 
 discoveries of Mitchell throughout the United States. 
 This was exactly a parallel of his conduct towards Mr. 
 Burr, when in this city at the book fair. He accepted of a 
 family breakfast from Mr. M. L. Davis, at which Mr. W. 
 P. Van Ness, Mr. Swartwout, and Capt. Sandford were 
 present. It was not the desire of Mr. Davis, or his friends, 
 to introduce the subject of the Narrative, which was then 
 making some noise iu the city ; they wished only to com 
 pliment Mr. Duane upon his arrival in New- York, and to 
 converse with him on general topics ; yet did Mr. Duane, 
 or his friends for him, propagate a report, that the breakfast 
 was intended as apolitical snare to entrap the editor of the 
 Aurora, and bring him over to the interest of Mr. Burr ; 
 that Mr. Duane, with manly fortitude, rejected all their 
 proposals, and listened to their arguments with contempt. 
 That while Capt. Sandford stamped with his cane, and 
 Mr. Davis bellowed with rage against De Witt Clinton and 
 Cheetham, Mr. Duane should have preserved a respectful 
 coolness of temper. Such was the story fabricated, and 
 put in circulation, to impose upon an ignorant populace ; 
 and to which Duane himself must have been, in some de 
 gree, accessary. That the deceitful editor wishes to im 
 press sentiments of the same nature upon the public mind 
 with regard to Mr. Burr, is evident from the following 
 sentence in his letter of the 10th July, published in the 
 
t 31 ] 
 
 Aurora. u 1 owe Mr. Burr neither gratitude for favovr 
 conferred, nor dislike for disservice ; of his disposition to 
 render me service I have had proof , of mine to maintain my 
 independence he is not ignordnt" iTo the friends of Mr. 
 Burr, Mr. Duane apologized for not taking an immediate 
 part in the dispute between them and the Clintonians ; but 
 promised he should do his duty to Mr. Burr in that re 
 spect, before the commencement of the Pennsylvania elec 
 tion. At a public dinner, in the house of Mr. Wortmah, 
 at which Riker, Cheetham, Jonathan Pearsee, jun. and the 
 leading Clintonians were present, Duane was invited ; here 
 it appears, that the Aurora editor found himself more at his 
 ease ; he heard (it is said) with infinite satisfaction, the 
 opprobrious epithets which were heaped on Mr. Burr, 
 entered himself into the spirit of their scurrility, and de 
 clared, the only reason which prevented him from aiding 
 the efforts of Mr. Cheetham, in his attacks upon Mr. 
 Burr, was the fear of dividing the republican votes in the 
 Pennsylvania election. The same sentiment he avowed 
 to several others ; and in particular to a gentleman living 
 at Newark. He told Mr. Ward, as also some of the 
 friends of Mr. Burr, that he approved of Mr. Burr s con 
 duct in suppressing the History ; and yet he asserts, in his 
 letter in the Aurora, that he thought it an extraordinary 
 transaction. Such was the duplicity and opposite conduct 
 of Mr. Duane, when in this city, towards Mr. Burr. 
 With the friends of the latter, he affected the warmest par 
 tiality towards the Vice-President. In company with the 
 Clintonians, he espoused their cause, and dwelt with plea 
 sure upon the dangerous intrigues of Mr. Burr; but in 
 presence of the moderate republicans, he protested his 
 intention was to remain an indifferent spectator to the dis 
 putes of both parties to be a partizan of neither, but to 
 support the present administration. With regard to my 
 
t 32 ] 
 
 putting his letters into the hands of Mr. Burr, it was nei 
 ther improper, nor by any means a breach of confidence. 
 They were wrote to me for the avowed purpose of publish 
 ing their contents to the world ; no secrecy was attached to 
 them no private matters were contained in them, nor was 
 there a single expression prohibiting me from quoting Mr. 
 Duane as my authority for the facts which they contained. 
 Had they been founded in truth, and not fabrications, Mr. 
 Duane could have had no cause of complaint. This is 
 evident from the anxiety which he expressed to have them 
 returned j he dreaded the consequences of others seeing 
 them, and probably imagined, were I the only person who 
 had perused them, he might very ingeniously have it in 
 his power to dispute their contents ; for as to breach of 
 confidence in respect to letters, Duane ought to blush when 
 he uses the expression. A man, who was partly the means 
 of ransacking, in a clandestine manner, the books of a 
 public office who did not hesitate to publish to the world 
 the contents of letters evidently intended for the post- 
 office who glories in being the discloser of secrets and 
 the unfolder of private caucuses, ought to veil himself 
 from society j to look to his own heart for consolation, and 
 not appeal to the world, from whom he can only expect 
 jnsult and bitter reproach. 
 
 The publication of the History, after being suppressed, is 
 the only circumstance which can attach any blame or cen 
 sure to the friends of Mr. Burr; this was certainly an un 
 guarded act, but it was done without Mr. Burr s know 
 ledge, I suppose, to exculpate his character, and show the 
 world his real motives for suppressing it. 
 
 This act, I confess, irritated me not a little against the 
 friends of Mr. Burr, Mr. Van Ness in particular, and oc- 
 
[ 33 ] 
 
 casioned a short letter which I addressed to him on the oc 
 casion in the American Citizen ; soon after the appearance 
 of my letter to Mr. Van Ness, several queries were put to 
 me in the Citizen, evidently with the design to draw forth 
 some fresh information respecting Mr. Burr, and the sup 
 pression. Who they were wrote by I know not, although 
 from several circumstances Mr. Riker appeared to me at 
 the time to have been the author ; he expressed a particu 
 lar anxiety the first evening of their appearance, when I was 
 in his company, that I should answer them, and for several 
 days afterwards whenever he met me in the street, with a 
 smiling countenance he would address me, " well. Wood, 
 when are you to answer those Queries I" 
 
 During a temporary absence from New- York upon some 
 private concerns, it is well known that the editor of the 
 Citizen fabricated a story that I was bribed by the friends of 
 Mr. Burr to abscond ; no insinuation could have been more 
 infamous than this. Mr. Cheetham must have been well 
 satisfied from a letter I wrote to Mr. Jonathan Pearsee, jun. 
 his intimate friend, that this was not the case. Mr. Cheet 
 ham, in short, was the only editor in New-York who had 
 it in his power to have contradicted the report of my ab 
 sconding ; in place of which he gave the story additional 
 currency by stating it as a question, whether or not the little 
 band had sent me off. This very circumstance alone is suf 
 ficient to prove to any person of candour or common un 
 derstanding, that the attacks made by the editor of the Citi 
 zen, upon the conduct of Mr. Burr, proceed not from mo 
 tives of justice and patriotism, but from personal enmity, 
 and a desire to exalt his patron Mr. De Witt Clinton, to 
 the Vice Presidency of the United States. The enmity of 
 Mr. Cheetham towards Mr. Burr, has been attributed to 
 
 E 
 
[ 34 ] 
 
 various causes : I have endeavoured to investigate them, 
 and it is with regret, I must confess, that I can trace the 
 malice of this editor to no other source but that unnatural 
 disposition which is found in the breasts of some men to 
 stab, when opportunity offers, the heart of their greatest 
 benefactor and most generous friend. Mr. Burr was cer 
 tainly the friend and benefactor of Mr. Cheetham, not from 
 any political motives, but from a desire of befriending to 
 the utmost of his power every foreigner who arrives, that 
 appears possessed of a show of talents and industry. Mr. 
 Cheetham dare not deny that it was at the intercession of 
 Mr. Burr alone, that Mr. Denniston accepted him as his 
 partner in the American Citizen. The conversation which 
 passed on that occasion is worth narrating, as it will exem 
 plify Mr, Burr s zeal for having an impartial and well con 
 ducted paper in the city, while it will prove Mr. Burr s 
 aversion to scurrility and personal abuse. After Mr. Burr was 
 appointed Vice-President, Mr. Cheetham waited upon him 
 and expressed a desire of becoming the editor of the Citi 
 zen, acquainting Mr. Burr at the same time with tjie ex 
 travagant demands which David Denniston required for the 
 half of the establishment; Mr. Burr desired Mr. Cheet 
 ham to call upon him at an appointed hour along with 
 Denniston. The original editor of the Citizen entered Mr. 
 Burr s apartment without being introduced, upon which Mr. 
 Burr inquired, with his usual politeness, the name of the 
 stranger; Mr. Denniston, without giving time to Cheetham 
 to answer, replied, " I am the editor of the Republican 
 paper." What " Republican paper ?" Mr* Burr naturally ask 
 ed. The " American Citizen," replied Denniston. " You 
 certainly do not call the American Citizen a Republican 
 paper," was Mr. Burr s answer, knowing that the stupidity 
 of the American Citizen at that period did no honour to 
 
C ss ] 
 
 cause. Mr. Deimiston apologised in the best possible 
 manner for the weakness of his talents, by candidly con 
 fessing he had received no education, and had just come 
 from the plough. Mr. Burr, struck with astonishment at 
 the ignorant simplicity of the man, inquired the motives 
 which induced him to abandon his proper occupation, and 
 commence the editor of a newspaper. Mr. Denniston an 
 swered, " Sir*) my cousins the Clinton family Insisted upon 
 my going to New-Tor k after the death ofGreenleaf, as they 
 were unable to find a person so proper to support the cause 
 >f Republicanism" Mr. Burr, more and more surprised,., 
 asked if his cousins assisted him in the editorial depart 
 ment. " No (said Denniston) I do.it all myself, and think 
 it done very well." Several other observations followed on. 
 the part of Mr. Burr, which are unnecessary to mention; 
 but which so mortified the then editor of the Citizen, thatr 
 he willingly accepted Mr. Cheetham as a partner upon 
 Cheetham s own terms. The truth of this conversation I think 
 the reader may rely upon ; I had it from two persons who re 
 ceived it from Cheetham and Denniston, who certainly would 
 never fabricate a story that throws a stigma upon one of the 
 partnership. I have every reason to suppose that it was 
 Mr. Burr s desire that there should have been an impartial 
 paper in New-York, devoted to the interest of no particular 
 individual but to principle alone. Had the Citizen been con 
 ducted on that plan, it would have received not only the 
 patronage of Mr. Burr, but of every independent Federalist 
 and Anti-federalist, and of every honest man who might 
 be desirous. of knowing foreign and domestic transactions 
 without the alloy of scurrility, and the rancour of personal 
 calumny, But the mind of Cheetham and his talent of ex 
 pression being only adapted for the vilest productions, 
 the American Citizen soon degenerated from a mass of in- 
 
f 36 ] 
 
 coherent absurdity into that of Billinsgate abuse, defaming; 
 the brightest characters and vilifying the most virtuous 
 citizens. It was then and then only, that the friends of 
 Colonel Burr, and several independent republicans stepped 
 forward, and regarded it their duty to withdraw their sup 
 port from the paper ; and, if Mr. Cheetham pleases, he has 
 it in his power to favour the public with a number of names 
 which were ordered to be erased from his subscription list 
 long before any attack upon Col. Burr ever appeared. 
 
 After my return to New- York, about the first of July, 
 Mr. Riker and Mr. Cheetham again set on foot a new 
 scheme in order to drag Mr. Burr before the public. A story 
 was reported by them, to me, in the most plausible manner, 
 that Mr. Burr censured my conduct in the severest terms ; 
 that Mr. M. L. Davis propagated, upon the authority of 
 Mr. Burr, that there was not a single truism in the Nar 
 rative ; and that I had never seen Mr. Burr above once or 
 twice in my life, and then only for a few minutes ; in short, 
 that all the circumstances relative to the suppression, must 
 have been fabricated by myself. They advised, as the 
 only possible means to vindicate my character, to write 
 to Mr. Burr, requesting him to meet, upon those points, 
 in presence of two of his own friends and two of mine. 
 Mr. Riker, and Mr. Jonathan Pearsee, jun.* at the 
 same time offered their service on my part, in order to 
 examine the Vice-President. The following letter was 
 accordingly drawn up by me, under erroneous impressions, 
 in presence of Mr. Riker, who prohibited his own name 
 to be mentioned, although he pledged his honour he would 
 meet on the subject. 
 
 * Mr. Pearsee was not present when the proposal was made ; but at 
 the request of Mr. Riker, who sent Dennjston to bira on the business, he 
 immediately complied. 
 
SIR, 
 
 MY character and veracity having been considerably 
 affected, owing to a report circulated by Mr. M. L. Davis, 
 and your other friends, that I received no orders from you 
 respecting the suppression of Adams History ; I consider 
 it necessary to give to the world a correct statement of that 
 business ; but previous thereto, would esteem it a favour 
 if you would oblige me with an interview, in presence of 
 four gentlemen, two of whom you will be pleased to name, 
 as I shall take the liberty of naming the other two. If 
 this mode of interview should not meet with your appro 
 bation, you will be so obliging as to fix upon any other 
 manner of communicating our sentiments, or meeting to- 
 gether, otherwise you will pardon me if I interpret your 
 silence on the subject as an entire refusal of the request. 
 I remain, with the greatest respect, 
 your obedient servant, 
 
 JOHN WOOD. 
 Pine-street Academy, 4th July, 1802. 
 
 One difficulty, however, presented itself who should 
 be the bearer of the letter ; as it was thought a matter of 
 importance, that it should be delivered into the hands of 
 Mr. Burr by some person of character, and not sent by the 
 post-office. Cheetham and Denniston at once volunteered 
 to be the bearers ; but I objected to the propriety of either 
 of them going, as it evidently would have been insulting 
 Mr. Burr. Mr. Riker, therefore, proposed Mr. Jonathan 
 Pearsee, jun. as a proper person. Mr. Pearsee, accord 
 ingly, was spoken to, and accepted of the embassy ; but 
 after having the letter in his possession a few hours, he 
 declined going. Mr. John Fellows, on account of his 
 gigantic figure, was the next person who was requested to 
 
[ 38 } 
 
 wait on Mr. Burr ; but Mr. Fellows, after some hours 
 hesitation, objected to the mission. Mr. Crygier was then 
 applied to, as being an, acquaintance of Mr. Burr s; but this 
 gentleman^ after consulting with his friends, also refused 
 the honour which Mr. Riker wished to confer upon him. 
 Several other persons were afterwards named by Mr. 
 Riker, to whom Dcnniston was dispatched, in order to 
 solicit their acceptance of being letter carrier in a business 
 of importance to the party ;. but nobody being found of 
 hardiness enough to face Mr. Burr, Cheetham and Dennis- 
 ton at length thought of resorting to a taylor, who has 
 lately been appointed messenger to the commissioners of 
 bankruptcy. This poor fellow, although honest enough, 
 was too stupid either to perceive the intent or meaning of 
 their scheme, and would proudly have accepted of the 
 offer, had not his friend, Ferguson, the new made secre 
 tary to the said commissioners, been present ; who, by 
 expatiating on the necessary etiquette to be observed in 
 entering the Vice-President s apartment, entirely discon 
 certed the nerves of the taylor, and frustrated the plan of 
 Mr. Riker. I mention these circumstances only to expose 
 the low cunning which Riker and his friends, who are 
 destitute of all candour, practise in order to effect their 
 political designs j for in any other case, anecdotes of this 
 description would appear trifling. As to the letter, which. 
 I afterwards sent by a servant, it was not a matter respect 
 ing which I was very anxious. I confess I took some in 
 terest to ascertain how far the sincerity of Mr. Riker and 
 his friends was to be relied on ; as I hate no manner of 
 doubt, had Mr. Burr complied with the request contained 
 in the letter, that the Deputy Attorney General, notwith 
 standing his honour, would have shrunk from the inter 
 view like a felon conscious of his guilt. The office thi&. 
 
[ 29 ] 
 
 man holds, alone entitles him to any respect, either at the 
 bar, or in private ; stripped of the dignity which the 
 Clintouian interest has conferred, he would soon fall back 
 into his former station, neglected and despised, a frivolous 
 conceited coxcomb, and quibbling attorney. 
 
 After the statement which I have given of the suppres 
 sion, and for the truth of which, Mr. Ward, as well as 
 others, will Vouch, I believe there can be no man, how 
 ever indifferent to the politics of parties, who will not rea 
 dily allow, that the odium which has been thrown upon 
 Mr. Burr, in the transaction of suppressing the History, 
 has not only been unfounded, but altogether the effect of 
 the jealousy and ambition of men, who are destitute of 
 generosity, and who interpret every indifferent act, as a bar 
 thrown in the road of their own preferment. But it fortu 
 nately happens, that calumnies of this nature, without in 
 juring the individual upon whose head they are intended to 
 fall, are of service to the public. They serve to bring for 
 ward such characters as Osgood, Wortman, and Riker, 
 who would fain be thought to take no part themselves, but 
 meanly skulk behind the shoulders of some fellow like the 
 editor of the Citizen, and give their bully such advice as 
 they have neither spirit to avow or defend. I am almost 
 ashamed to sport so often with the name of the Deputy 
 Attorney General, but his conduct towards all parties pro 
 vokes resentment, while the insignificance of his person 
 and abilities, which are distorted by conceit, also rouse 
 indignation, and make the creature at once both hateful and 
 contemptible. 
 
 The reflections which the editor of the Narrative offers 
 on the suppression, are in the highest degree trifling and 
 
[ 40 ] 
 
 absurd. His first assertion is, that the right of purchasing 
 literary productions, by individuals, is more pernicious 
 than the regular abridgment of the freedom of the press 
 by law. In answer to this, I shall only observe, that while 
 printers devils can be bought, and characters such as the 
 author of the Narrative, can bribe, the suppression of lite 
 rary productions, by individuals, will always prove abor 
 tive, and will ultimately tend only to make the intended 
 suppression notoriously public. The author of the Narra 
 tive, in his disingenuous style, proceeds, u This practice 
 (the practice of suppression) is peculiarly inauspicious in 
 a Vice-President ; it is ominous of a subtle, dangerous, 
 and unfriendly disposition ; it bespeaks a desire to cherish 
 vice by concealment, and to elevate it upon the ruins of 
 virtue." The above language might be pardonable in a 
 man ignorant of the contents of the suppressed work, or 
 who had reason to believe that its publicity would benefit 
 mankind ; but what epithet of reproach will not the reader 
 bestow upon this political hypocrite, when he is informed, 
 that he not only had a printed copy in his possession, but 
 had perused it, and confessed to his friends its inaccuracy, 
 
 and libellous nature. Yet these are facts, which, when 
 
 necessary, can be proved. With his natural effrontery, 
 he judges of the feelings of the public by the coldness 
 of his own, and affirms, that it will not be believed that 
 Mr. Burr would voluntarily offer twelve hundred dol 
 lars to shield Mr. Wood from federal prosecutions. As I 
 have already stated Mr. Burr s motives for the suppression, 
 I shall not discuss this question with the Narrative writer, 
 whose heart is callous to every mark of benevolence, who 
 feels not for the frailties of others, but rejoices at the vices 
 of the world, and is overwhelmed with sorrow at the ap 
 pearance of virtue. He says also, that the story is too 
 
t ] 
 
 Quixotic to be accredited in this age of reason. This is a 
 subject upon which, if I pleased, I might torture his soul, 
 and compel some precious confessions. I could ask the Nar 
 rative writer who the infidel was, that established Driscol 
 and his tempk of reason in this city, and what the infidel s 
 motives were afterwards for withdrawing his money which 
 he lent to Driscol ; whether or not his intention was to 
 publish privately the same Temple of Reason, and to pro 
 cure his friend, blind Palmer, to be the editor. I could, 
 moreover, put a number of serious questions to the Nar 
 rative writer ; but I shall not, as Callander has done his 
 antagonist, suspend him on a gibbet for the basest of crimes ; 
 nor like Doctor Rigdum, trace the vaporous school where 
 he learnt his ethics. I shall rather leave the flaming pam 
 phleteer, who now, under the banners of Riker and Wort- 
 man, scorches the little band, to sink with his patriots into 
 that obscurity into which they are all fast hastening. 
 
 The public may, however, ask the solution of one ques 
 tion, why Mr. Burr should have been desirous of conceal 
 ing his name in a transaction which was certainly laudable. 
 No circumstance attending the suppression can be better 
 explained than this ; it is evident, from the letter addressed 
 by me to Barlas and Ward, that it was not Mr. Burr s in 
 tention that I should abandon the idea of writing a correct 
 History of the last administration. He was only desirous 
 that the incorrect edition should be buried in oblivion ; that 
 it should never be known that there were men Who assum 
 ed the appellation of republicans, and were themselves 
 cither natives or citizens of the United States, base 
 enough to fabricate falsehoods, and in the most plausible 
 manner, to impose them upon a stranger, in order to send 
 them forth to the world in the pompous form of an octavo 
 
 F 
 
[ 42 ] 
 
 volume. The suspicious and cold hearted Clintonian, 
 may still demand, why this correct edition did not take 
 place ; an answer is ready, and which will carry convic 
 tion to -every honest mind, The folly of Barlas, with the 
 malice of Riker, Wortman, and Cheetham, made the 
 original suppression public ; at the same time, they veiled 
 the transaction in such mysterious cloathing, as rendered 
 any farther interference on the part of Mr. Burr, highly 
 improper. As to the after publication of the History, it 
 was done, as I have stated, without Mr. Burr s knowledge, 
 and in his absence ; nor did this even take place until Mr. 
 Van Ness had certain information that Mr. Cheetham and 
 others had purloined copies in their possession ; and that 
 there was every probability of spurious copies being pub 
 lished in different parts of the United States. 
 
 There are several trifling incidents which I have stated 
 in the preceding pages, that it may be necessary to explain 
 before I take my leave of the subject of the suppression. 
 I have mentioned that I informed Mr. Burr, that Doctor 
 Wilson, of Columbia College, was an intimate acquaint 
 ance of Mr. Barlas, and probably would have it in his pow 
 er to persuade him to accede to reasonable terms. Mr. Burr, 
 I understand, waited for that purpose on Doctor Wilson ; 
 the conversation which passed between them I believe was 
 short, as the Doctor was under the necessity of attending 
 the duties of his class at the hour at which Mr. Burr called. 
 Doctor Wilson certainly declined interfering in the business, 
 but his reason, I believe, was not that mentioned in the 
 Narrative, u That the work was to be suppressed to favour 
 some federal gentlemen, whose characters he did not ad 
 mire." I rather imagine his motives proceeded from a 
 desire of avoiding any political controversy, which he pro- 
 
[ 45 ] 
 
 bably imagined would take place, if the suppression became 
 public. I mention this not with the intention of throwing 
 a reflection upon Dr. Wilson, but to destroy any erroneous 
 impression which the note in the Narrative respecting him, 
 may have occasioned. 
 
 It has been stated that Mr. Wortman betrayed his trust 
 by lending the History, which he received from Messrs. 
 Barlas and Ward, with the express orders only to peruse 
 it himself, but on no consideration to allow that privilege to 
 another. This circumstance merits a little attention, as it 
 will serve both to unfold the species of integrity which 
 Wortman possesses, as well as from some circumstances 
 which attended the absence of the book, to lead the reader 
 to the main prompter of the Narrative. After Wortman 
 had the book in his possession, I requested the loan of it 
 from Mr. Ward, in order to show it to Mr* Riker, to 
 have his opinion on several libellous passages, as at that 
 time Messrs. Barlas and Ward had not decided whether 
 they would prosecute Mr. Burr, or publish the History. I 
 accordingly received the book and gave it to Mr. Riker ; 
 but the evening previous to Mr. De Witt Clinton s depar 
 ture, for the seat of government, Mr. W T ortman sent for the 
 book, as he said it would affect a suit against Mr. Burr, if 
 the History should be lent out or read. Yet, notwithstand 
 ing this declaration of Mr. Wortman s, it appeared before 
 ten days afterwards upon Mr. Van Ness s application, to 
 have all the copies in his possession, that Mr. Wortman 
 himself gave the book away to some acquaintance, who, 
 most probably was no other but Mr. De Witt Clinton, both 
 from the circumstance of his requesting to have it the even 
 ing before that Senator left town, as well as from the length 
 of time which elapsed after being demanded by Mr. Van 
 
[ 44 ] 
 
 Ness, until it was returned. No other conclusion, in fact, 
 can be formed ; for if the book had been sent to any indif 
 ferent acquaintance, Mr. Wortman, as he was obliged to 
 confess his breach of trust, would have had no objection to 
 have mentioned the name of the person in whose possession 
 it was -, this openness would even have palliated his guilt, but 
 to have revealed the name of De Witt Clinton, would have 
 at once unhinged the design of the faction, and brought to 
 view the Grand Master of the Great Band. If we consider 
 Mr. Wortman, as acting upon this occasion the humble ser 
 vant of Mr. Clinton, he certainly deserves the merit which 
 is due to a dark intriguer, and in this respect his coun 
 tenance by no means betrays his conduct ; but I hope the 
 circumstance will also serve a useful purpose, and remain a, 
 lasiing index of the degree of confidence which may be 
 placed in Counsellor Wortman. 
 
 I have mentioned that I had several interviews with the 
 author of the Narrative, previous to the publication of that 
 pamphlet. The reader will, therefore, naturally expect that 
 J should know the sources from which he had received his 
 information. When the Narrative writer declared to me 
 his intention of publishing a statement of the business, he 
 drew from his desk a parcel of sheets containing all the cir 
 cumstances relating to the suppression, which he had col 
 lected from every individual, who, like Barlas, had folly 
 enough to be duped by the crafty Clintonian. I objected, 
 after reading them, to a number of the incidents which he 
 had either fabricated himself, or had been imposed upon 
 him by others. I attempted to reason with him upon the 
 impropriety, as well as stupidity, of publishing a state 
 ment which I should disprove, and which would be demon 
 strated not only incorrect, but as proceeding from malicious 
 
[ 45 ] 
 
 motives ; he heard, with a sarcastic smile, my account of 
 the business, and said,, whatever might be -written, he would 
 engage Mr. Burr should not contradict it. The writer of 
 the Narrative, from a long acquaintance with Mr. Burr, 
 knew that his natural disposition, independent of the station 
 which he holds, would never suffer him to descend to a. 
 paper war with a writer of pamphlets. From Mr. Burr, 
 therefore, he thought he had nothing to fear ; and he pro 
 bably imagined, from the circumstantial proofs which ac~ 
 companied his Narrative, as well as the friendly terms 
 upon which he and I stood, that I would not call the truth 
 of his statement in question, even although he had the 
 assurance, or rather baseness, to insert in it a false and in 
 correct letter, with my name subscribed, having been un 
 able to procure a copy of the original one. 
 
 Respecting the proposed corrected, or second edition of 
 the History, the Narrative mentions, that Col. Burr, " was to 
 furnish materials for writing new biographies of the Presi 
 dent, Mr. Hamilton, C. C. Pinckney, Dayton, &c. He was 
 also to supply him with such matter as would make the 
 work appear almost entirely new.. It was determined that 
 the negotiation should be prosecuted with less vigour; that 
 it should be carried on in such a way as would be nearly 
 equivalent to a suspension. During this relaxation, Mr. 
 Wood was to compose a new history of the administration, 
 preserving such parts only of the old one as accorded with 
 the views of the Vice-President : And, as expedition 
 was the soul of the expedient, an assistant to Mr. Wood 
 was to be procured. Mr. Cornelius Van Ness, brother to 
 Mr. William P. Van Ness, was mentioned by Mr. Burr, 
 as a trusty person, and truly fitted for the office. This 
 young gentleman was to arrange the facts, and to lay them 
 
[ 46 ] 
 
 before Mr. Wood, sheet by sheet, in such order as that he 
 might easily give to them his classical dress. As the 
 sheets were thus written, they were to be sent to Mr. 
 William A. Davis, the printer, who, it was supposed, 
 could work off an edition of twelve hundred and fifty copies 
 (the number of Barlas and Ward s edition) in twelve or 
 fourteen days* This was to be done with that secrecy and 
 promptitude which characterizes the movements of the 
 Vice-President." I have thought proper to transcribe this 
 paragraph at large, to serve as a specimen of the wanton 
 faculty which the writer of the Narrative possesses for fa 
 brication. Mr. Burr, as I have already stated, only in 
 tended to have pointed oat the different mistakes inta 
 which I had been led ; and if a new edition had gone on, 
 to have, perhaps, directed me to sources where I might 
 have had a view of the transactions of the administration, 
 without that mixture of falsehood and scurrility which is 
 found in newspapers devoted to opposite parties. 
 
 The letter which I addressed to Mr. Van Ness in the 
 American Citizen, after the publication of the History, will, 
 without doubt, be seized upon by Mr. Riker and his friedn s; 
 every sentence will be scrutinized, and every word laidhold 
 of by the critical paw of the Citizen, in order to show my 
 enmity to Mr. Burr : but even that letter will, by every 
 candid person, be regarded only as the effect of a momen 
 tary difference, when both Mr. Van Ness and myself la 
 boured under eroneous impressions, when we were both 
 deceived and when the artful cunning of Clintonian depen 
 dents had created in a manner a temporary animosity be 
 tween us. I spoke in that letter something about Mr. 
 Van Ness having threatened prosecutions. In the queries 
 which were afterwards put to me in the Citizen, I was ask- 
 
t *r ] 
 
 cd what these prosecutions were ; I promised to answer 
 the question at a future period. I now embrace the oppor 
 tunity. Mr. Van Ness justly supposed, that most proba 
 bly there would be prosecutions instituted against me by 
 some of the federal party, unless a proper explanation 
 was given. He was inclined to believe I suppose from male 
 volent reports, that so far from apologizing for the mistatc- 
 ments I had made in the History, I was resolved to persevere, 
 and insist upon their correctness, at the same time that I would 
 calumniate Mr. Burr, for his endeavours to suppress the 
 work. This was the only idea I am certain Mr. Van Ness 
 entertained, when he mentioned the phrase prosecutions. 
 
 I have been compelled, more than once, in the course 
 of the preceding pages, to mark the folly of the bookseller 
 Barlas. Nothing can be more irksome or disagreeable than 
 to torture beings of his description ; it affords no amuse 
 ment to the reader, and only pain to the writer ; but, as 
 almost all the unfortunate incidents which have taken place, 
 and all the noise respecting the suppression, have originated 
 from him alone, it was, on my part, an unavoidable duty. 
 The fretful uneasiness the suspicious anxiety the ser 
 vile meanness, and the hypocritical cunning which he dis 
 played every moment, were perhaps never equalled by 
 any of his profession. His racing about, from friend to 
 foe, to inform them of his transaction with the Vice-Presi 
 dent^ cannot be better described than in Pope s humorous 
 description of Bernard, in the Dunciad ; and with these 
 ludicrous lines, I shall take leave of my friend Barlas. 
 
 As when a dab chick waddles thro* the copse, 
 On feet, and wings, and flies, and wades, and hops, 
 So lab ring on with shoulders, hands, and head, 
 Wide as a Windmill all his figure spread 
 With Arms expanded Barlas row d his state. 
 
[ 48 ] 
 
 The designs of the Clintonians are also apparent, from 
 another pamphlet published by the writer of the Narrative ; 
 but the assertions there made, it is not my intention to 
 disprove or discuss. I wish neither to be the advocate of 
 Mr. Burr nor Mr. Jefferson, or in short any one individual 
 in preference to another in America. The mistakes into 
 which I have been led, both as to characters and events, 
 ought to be a caution to every foreigner, not to embark too 
 rashly in the support of any party, either federal or anti- 
 federal. I have, however, considered it a task, which I 
 particularly owed to those whom I have involved, and 
 whose names I have dragged before the public, to give this 
 correct statement of the political transaction in which I 
 have been engaged. At the same time that I take this fare 
 well of party controversy, I must declare, that no one 
 laments more than I do, the unhappy differences which 
 have arisen among the citizens of the United States. 
 
 The cause of republicanism suffers more by such divi 
 sions, than by either the fetters of kings, or the dungeons 
 of despots. The real friends of liberty are truly disgusted, 
 while the pretented patriot rejoices at the prospect before 
 him, and hopes to share in those spoils which ambition 
 and discord have created. I am well aware, that an infidel 
 host, regardless either of truth or honour, will pour forth 
 the venom of their malice against me ; but their arguments, 
 as well as their billingsgate, I shall leave to the credulity of 
 men, whom ignorance may cause to be ensnared. I know 
 the pitiful advantage that will be taken of unguarded words 
 that may have been dropped in the moment of error, when 
 breathing the noxious fumes of Clintonian abuse, and when 
 surrounded, if I may be allowed the expression, by an en 
 crustation of the vilest deceit. I think I see the villainous 
 
[ 49 ] 
 
 mind of the Aurora editor, searching every nerve of his 
 dark and poisonous brain for fresh ideas of calumny and 
 slander. I behold the Citizen bully, in the chamber of the 
 Deputy Attorney General, with Wortman at his elbow, 
 and the basest fabrications before him. Perhaps this Ian- 
 guage may appear too passionate perhaps it may be 
 thought to savour too much of that of my enemies ; but it 
 is the expression of truth, the sentiment of my breast, and 
 the words of experience. I have now done my duty to my 
 self and the Citizens of the Union. It belongs to them, 
 and not to me, to discard the factious ; and to advise all 
 honest men to unite for the benefit of their country, and the 
 preservation of their Constitution, 
 
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