7. Official Cold-shoulder to a Former By EX-VICE PRESIDENT AARON BURR Burr was concerned in an obscure insurrection on the lower Mississippi in 1807 and went abroad in disgrace. The result was not encouraging to traitors. To Jonathan Russell Paris, Oct. 25, 1810. MR. BURR presents respectful compliments. As a citizen of the United States, he requests of Mr. Russell an official certificate to that effect, and will have the honour of calling for the purpose at any hour which he may be pleased to name. The fact of Mr. Burr's citizenship being sufficiently known to Mr. Russell, it is presumed that other proof will be deemed unnecessary. From Jonathan Russell Paris, Oct. 25, 1810. In reply to Mr. Burr's note of this morning, Mr. Russell begs leave to inform him that the province of granting passports to citizens of the United States belongs to the consul, to whom all wishing for that protection must apply. To Mr. M'Rae Paris, Oct. 29, 1810. Mr. Burr presents compliments. Having presented himself to Mr. Russell for a certificate of citizenship, has been informed by him that the business of granting certificates was transferred to the consul. He therefore repeats the request to Mr. M'Rae. If a personal attendance be deemed necessary, Mr. Burr will wait on Mr. M'Rae for the purpose at any hour he may be pleased to appoint. From Mr. M'Rae Paris, Oct. 29, 1810. Mr. M'Rae answers to Mr. Burr's note of this morning, that his knowledge of the circumstances under which Mr. Burr left the United States renders it his duty to decline giving Mr. Burr either a passport or a permis de sejour. If, however, the opinion Mr. M'Rae has formed, and the determination he has adopted on this subject be erroneous, there is a remedy at hand. Although the business of granting passports and permis de sejour generally is confided to the consul, the charge des affaires unquestionably possesses full authority to grant protection in either of those forms to any person to whom it may be improperly denied by the consul. To Mr. Russell Paris, Nov. 1, 1810. On receipt of Mr. Russell's note, Mr. Burr applied to the consul; a copy of his reply is herewith enclosed. It cannot be material to inquire what are the "circumstances" referred to by the consul, or whether true or false. Mr. Burr is ignorant of any statute or instruction which authorizes a foreign minister to inquire into any circumstances other than those which tend to establish the fact of citizen or not. If, however, Mr. Russell should be of a different opinion, Mr. Burr is ready to satisfy him that no circumstances exist which can, by any construction, in the slightest degree impair his rights as a citizen, and that the conclusions of the consul are founded in error, either in points of fact or of inference. Yet, conceiving that every citizen has a right to demand a certificate or passport, Mr. Burr is constrained to renew his application to Mr. Russell, to whom the consul has been pleased to refer the decision. From Mr. Russell Paris, November 4, 1810. Without subscribing to the opinion of Mr. M'Rae, with regard to the appeal that lays from the erroneous decisions of the consul to the charge des affaires, Mr. Russell has no objection to judging the case which Mr. Burr has presented him. The man who evades the offended laws of his country, abandons for the time, the right to their protection. This fugitive from justice, during his voluntary exile, has a claim to no other passport than one which shall enable him to surrender himself for trial for the offences with which he stands charged. Such a passport Mr. Russell will furnish to Mr. Burr, but no other. At half past ten to Mr. Barrere's where intended to breakfast. He was out of town. You observe that, before I go to these breakfasts, I always breakfast at home. This morning it was tea, my coffee being out, and no money to buy more. Yet had in my pocket today three sous. Casting about for ways and means, no one occurred to me but that of robbing poor little Gampy. I opened his little treasure of coins and medals to see what could be spared, and finally seized one Danish dollar (Thaler) of Charles VII., and two Swedish Thalers of Gust. IV. With these I went off to a changeur, who gave me five francs five sous each, making in the whole fifteen francs fifteen sous. With this treasure, my first resolution was to go and amuse myself with some folly. It then occurred to me that there were certain wants which required consideration. I have been three days out of sugar, and more than ten out of coffee, having lately drank tea, and I had not a single segar. Aaron Burr, Private Journal (N. Y., 1838), II. 32-101 passim. 8. A Student's Ode to Independence (about 1809) By JOHN HOWARD PAYNE Actor, playwright, author of "Home, Sweet Home." They boldly sought an unknown world, They saw their homes recede afar, And, Liberty their guiding star, They ploughed the swelling surge! No splendid hope their wand'rings cheered, The climes where proud luxuriance shone, The splendour of a Tyrant's throne, Though hungry wolves the nightly prowl Though savages with hideous howl Their wild-wood shelter shook; Though tomahawks around them glared,- |