The Diary and Letters of Gouverneur Morris, vol. 2 - Online Library of ...
The Diary and Letters of Gouverneur Morris, vol. 2 - Online Library of ...
The Diary and Letters of Gouverneur Morris, vol. 2 - Online Library of ...
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<strong>Online</strong> <strong>Library</strong> <strong>of</strong> Liberty: <strong>The</strong> <strong>Diary</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Letters</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Gouverneur</strong> <strong>Morris</strong>, <strong>vol</strong>. 2<br />
prudent to censure others. All this must, somehow or other, be reconciled. He was in<br />
principle opposed to duelling, but he has fallen in a duel. I cannot thoroughly excuse<br />
him without criminating Colonel Burr, which would be wrong, <strong>and</strong> might lead to<br />
events which every good citizen must deprecate. Indeed, this morning, when I sent for<br />
Colonel Smith, who had asked an oration from me last night, to tell him I would<br />
endeavor to say some few words over the corpse, I told him—in answer to the hope<br />
he expressed, that in doing justice to the dead I would not injure the living—that<br />
Colonel Burr ought to be considered in the same light with any other man who had<br />
killed another in a duel; that I certainly should not excite to any outrage on him, but,<br />
as it seemed evident to me that legal steps would be taken against him, prudence<br />
would, I should suppose, direct him to keep out <strong>of</strong> the way. In addition to all the<br />
difficulties <strong>of</strong> this subject is the impossibility <strong>of</strong> writing <strong>and</strong> committing anything to<br />
memory in the short time allowed. <strong>The</strong> corpse is already putrid, <strong>and</strong> the funeral<br />
procession must take place to-morrow morning.”<br />
“A little before ten [July 14th] go to Mr. Church’s house, from whence the corpse is<br />
to move. We are detained till twelve. While moving in the procession I meditate, as<br />
much as my feelings will permit, on what I am to say. I can find no way to get over<br />
the difficulty which would attend the details <strong>of</strong> his death. It will be impossible to<br />
comm<strong>and</strong> either myself or my audience; their indignation amounts almost to frenzy<br />
already. Over this, then, a veil must be drawn. I must not, either, dwell on his<br />
domestic life; he has long since foolishly published the avowal <strong>of</strong> conjugal infidelity.<br />
Something, however, must be said to excite public pity for his family, which he has<br />
left in indigent circumstances. I speak for the first time in the open air, <strong>and</strong> find that<br />
my voice is lost before it reaches one-tenth <strong>of</strong> the audience. Get through the<br />
difficulties tolerably well; am <strong>of</strong> necessity short, especially as I feel the impropriety <strong>of</strong><br />
acting a dumb show, which is the case as to all those who see but cannot hear me. I<br />
find that what I have said does not answer the general expectation. This I knew would<br />
be the case; it must ever happen to him whose duty it is to allay the sentiment which<br />
he is expected to arouse. How easy would it have been to make them, for a moment,<br />
absolutely mad! This evening Mr. Coleman, editor <strong>of</strong> the Evening Post, calls. He<br />
requests me to give him what I have said. He took notes, but found his language so far<br />
inferior that he threw it in the fire. Promise, if he will write what he remembers, I will<br />
endeavor to put it into the terms which were used. He speaks very highly <strong>of</strong> the<br />
discourse; more so than it deserves. Mr. Hammond, who dined with us, desired me to<br />
think <strong>of</strong> some means to provide for poor Hamilton’s familty. Mr. Gracie <strong>and</strong> Mr.<br />
Wolcott called for the same purpose. I had already mentioned the matter to Mr. Low,<br />
who seems to think a subscription will not go down well, because the children have a<br />
rich gr<strong>and</strong>-father. Mr. Hammond mentions certain engagements in bank, indorsed by<br />
Ludlow <strong>and</strong> David Ogden. <strong>The</strong> same thing probably exists as to him, Gracie, <strong>and</strong><br />
Wolcott. Be motives what they may, I will use the occasion <strong>and</strong> freely pay my quota.<br />
Clarkson will unquestionably do as much. David Ogden says he, Clarkson, will do<br />
more than he ought. He is a worthy fellow, as, indeed, he always was, <strong>and</strong> is<br />
extremely wounded. He said to me on Thursday, just after our friend had expired: ‘If<br />
we were truly brave we should not accept a challenge; but we are all cowards.’ <strong>The</strong><br />
tears rolling down his face gave strong effect to the voice <strong>and</strong> manner with which he<br />
pronounced this sentence. <strong>The</strong>re is no braver man living, <strong>and</strong> yet I doubt whether he<br />
would so far brave the public opinion as to refuse a challenge.”<br />
PLL v6.0 (generated September, 2011) 240 http://oll.libertyfund.org/title/1170