and the property, the government, and the people are all at their mercy.  Jefferson sees this, and is taking advantage of it, and has indoctrinated the whole unthinking portion of our people with these destructive notions.  It made him President.  His example has proven contagious, and I see no end to its results short of the destruction of the Government, and that speedily.  Mr. Jefferson’s fame will be co-existent with the Government.  When that shall perish, his great errors will be apparent.  The impartial historian, inquiring into the cause of this destruction, with half an eye will see it, and then his true character will be sketched, and this great, unprincipled demagogue will go naked down to posterity.  He has always been unprincipled, immoral, and dissolute.  These, accompanying his great intellect, have made it a curse, rather than a blessing, to his kind.

“The world has produced few great statesmen—­Washington and Hamilton were the only ones of any pretensions this country has produced.  It was a great misfortune that Hamilton did not succeed Washington.  Mr. Adams, now lingering to his end at Braintree, was a patriot, but greatly wanting in the attributes of greatness.  He was suspicious, ill-tempered, and full of unmanly prejudices—­was incapable of comprehending the great necessities of his country, as well as the means to direct and control these necessities.  He had animosities to nurse, and enemies to punish—­was more concerned about a proper respect for himself and the office he filled, than the interest and the destiny of his country.  He quarrelled with Washington, was jealous of him, who never had a thought but for his country.  Adams was all selfishness, little selfishness, and earned and got the contempt of the whole nation.  Jefferson was turning all this to his own advantage; and the errors and follies of Adams were made the strength and wisdom of Jefferson.  He had but one rival before the nation, Burr—­he whom you saw yesterday, the crushed victim of the cunning and intrigue of his friend Jefferson.

“Washington had died—­despondent of the future of his country.  The prestige of his name and presence was gone.  He had committed a great error in bringing Jefferson into his Cabinet and before the nation with his approbation.  He knew every Cabinet secret, and took advantage of every one, and had placed himself prominently before the people, and with Burr was elected.  The defect in the law as existing at the time, enabled Burr, when returned with an equal number of electoral votes, to contend with Jefferson for the Presidency.  It was in the power of Hamilton, at this time, to elect.  The States were divided, six for Burr, eight for Jefferson, and two divided.  There was one State voting for Jefferson, which by the change of one vote would have been given to Burr:  the divided States were under his control.  He was, during the ballotings, sent for, with a view to the election of Burr; but he preferred Jefferson—­thought him less dangerous than Burr, and procured his election.  It was a terrible alternative, to have to choose between two such men.  The consequences to Burr and the country have been terrible—­the destruction of both.