But to Washington alone, of all illustrious men, do we ascribe the full perfection of heroism; and him only do we contemplate with a reverence and admiration which are unmixed with the slightest alloy of censure, untarnished by the least sentiment of detraction. Of him alone can we say that his various qualities were precisely such, and so proportioned and balanced, as, under the peculiar circumstances of the case, all wise and good men would wish them to have been. In a word, Washington was a masterpiece of human excellence on whom no improvement could scarcely have been effected, even by that great creative power which first called him into existence!

CHAPTER XIV.

NEW YORK POLITICAL PARTIES-THEIR ORIGIN AND HISTORY-THE WHIGS AND TORIES-GENERAL SCHUYLER-GEORGE CLINTON-AARON BURRHIS POLITICAL CAREER-BURR'S EFFORTS IN 1800 TO SECURE THE TRIUMPH OF THE ANTI-FEDERAL PARTY IN NEW YORK-HAMILTON'S ENERGETIC EFFORTS TO DEFEAT THEM-BURR ELECTED VICE-PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES-DEATH OF HAMILTON'S SON IN A DUEl-obSERVATIONS OF BURR IN REFERENCE TO THIS EVENT.

ALTHOUGH it had been Hamilton's settled purpose, after removing the helmet from his brow and resuming his professional life in New York, to confine himself chiefly to professional duty, yet his great eminence as a statesman naturally placed him at the head of the federal party in that State, and drew him into co-operation with the measures of its leaders. The federal administration of the elder Adams gradually became unpopular with the nation. The death of Washington, the acknowledged chief of the party, completed the certainty of its downfall. Mr. Hamilton having retired both before and during the administration of Mr. Adams from all participation in the direction of public affairs, was not in the least degree responsible for the errors of that administration. When Mr. Jefferson was

elected President, Hamilton became the leader of the federal opposition in the State of New York. In order to appreciate his position and his policy in this new sphere, it will be necessary for us very briefly to survey the rise and progress of the two great parties into which that State was divided, at the period of Mr. Hamilton's life which now comes under consideration.

Immediately after the Declaration of Independence, two parties were formed in the State of New York-the whigs and tories. In a short time the whigs became themselves divided into subordinate factions. At the first State election which followed, in 1777, General Schuyler was the candidate of the one for the office of governor, and Mr. George Clinton became the candidate of the other. The latter was successful; and from that day the hostility between the two parties was continued and gradually augmenting. Thus in 1780 General Schuyler became a candidate for a seat in Congress; but was beaten by L'Hommidieu, the representative of the Clinton faction.

As will readily he supposed, Mr. Hamilton, being a relative of General Schuyler, as well as a federalist in sentiment, harmonized from the first with the party of that leader. His superior talents gradually gave him a prominence among them. That

party then included among their number many of the oldest and most influential families of the Colonial era-the Jays, the Livingstons, the Van Rensellaers, the Bensons, the Varicks. In January, 1788, the Legislature directed a State Convention to be called, to whom the adoption of the federal Constitution should be referred. In this Convention the Schuyler party first received the specific epithet of federals, and the Clinton party that of anti-federals. The former were more powerful than their opponents in the southern district of New York. By their influence the federal Constitution was finally adopted by the State. About the year 1784, Aaron Burr first began to assume a prominent position in the anti-federal or whig party. He was at that time elected by them to represent the city and county of New York in the Legislature. In 1789 he was appointed through their influence the Attorney-General of the State. By them he was elected in 1791 a Senator of the United States. Through their assistance he was afterward chosen to the office of Judge of the Supreme Court. He still remained one of their leaders and favorites until he was elected a member, and even the president, of the Convention which was called to revise the Constitution of the State; and by their influence and intrigues he was at last elevated, in 1800, to

the high dignity of Vice-President of the United States.

Soon after the adoption of the new State Constitution the anti-federal party became known by a designation which more clearly and accurately expressed their sentiments, and were called democrats. From the year 1790 to 1800 these two parties were alternately triumphant in the State and city of New York. The federal party were desirous that the United States should engage in a war with France; the democrats opposed it. During the administration of Mr. Adams party-spirit ran so high, and became so bitter, that it was deemed advisable for the security of the public peace to pass a sedition law. Soon the democratic party in the State became subdivided into three factions. The Clintons led the first; the Livingstons, who had deserted the federalists, the second; Aaron Burr the third. The superior talents of this last individual had excited the apprehensions and the hostility of the other two parties; and their opposition to him was chiefly one of personal dislike and not of political principle or antagonism.

In 1800 Mr. Burr put forth his utmost exertions to unite together these three different factions of the democratic party. He succeeded in combining them on the ticket nominated in the city of New