defense of the city of New
Haven. He was also attorney-general of New York, was elected to the
United States Senate, was tied with Jefferson for the Presidency, and
then became Vice-President.

Both Hamilton and Burr were effective speakers; but, while Hamilton was
wordy and diffuse, Burr spoke always to the point, with clear and
cogent reasoning. Both were lavish spenders of money, and both were
engaged in duels before the fatal one in which Hamilton fell. Both
believed in dueling as the only way of settling an affair of honor.
Neither of them was averse to love affairs, though it may be said that
Hamilton sought women, while Burr was rather sought by women. When
Secretary of the Treasury, Hamilton was obliged to confess an
adulterous amour in order to save himself from the charge of corrupt
practices in public office. So long as Burr's wife lived he was a
devoted, faithful husband to her. Hamilton was obliged to confess his
illicit acts while his wife, formerly Miss Elizabeth Schuyler, was
living. She spent her later years in buying and destroying the
compromising documents which her husband had published for his
countrymen to read.

The most extraordinary thing about Aaron Burr was the magnetic quality
that was felt by every one who approached him. The roots of this
penetrated down into a deep vitality. He was always young, always
alert, polished in manner, courageous with that sort of courage which
does not even recognize the presence of danger, charming in
conversation, and able to adapt it to men or women of any age whatever.
His hair was still dark in his eightieth year. His step was still
elastic, his motions were still as spontaneous and energetic, as those
of a youth.

So it was that every one who knew him experienced his fascination. The
rough troops whom he led through the Canadian swamps felt the iron hand
of his discipline; yet they were devoted to him, since he shared all
their toils, faced all their dangers, and ate with them the scraps of
hide which they gnawed to keep the breath of life in their shrunken
bodies.

Burr's discipline was indeed very strict, so that at first raw recruits
rebelled against it. On one occasion the men of an untrained company
resented it so bitterly that they decided to shoot Colonel Burr as he
paraded them for roll-call that evening. Burr somehow got word of it
and contrived to have all the cartridges drawn from their muskets. When
the time for the roll-call came one of