Frank Chouteau Brown - "Letters and Lettering"

Frederick Orin Bartlett - "The Triflers"

W. D. Howells - "A Traveler from Altruria: Romance"

Katherine Keene Galt - "The Girl Scouts at Home"

Annual Bibliography of Commonwealth Literature 2007
This paper argues that discourses of love in Ghanaian market literature for youth offer a view into complex negotiations of agency and empowerment. Drawing on Deborah Durham's notion of youth as "social `shifters'" and Francis Nyamnjoh's conception of the "interconnectedness" of agency, I take Ghanaian market literature as one specific case of how African literature for youth foregrounds questions of continuity and change as African societies enter into increasingly complex global relations. In this literature for youth, received notions of love, often constructed out of impressions from American pop and hip hop music, carry new notions of agency that compete with existing "domesticated" forms. Authors like Ike Tandoh and Evelyn Tay employ discourses of love to offer youth alternative avenues for empowerment in a context of socio-economic disenfranchizement. In a creative process of "straddling", this writing both reveals and reproduces the contradictions that obtain in youth configurations of agency.

Memoirs of Aaron Burr, Volume 1.

M >> Matthew L. Davis >> Memoirs of Aaron Burr, Volume 1.




I have drawn out a plan for a bank, but find that it will require so
many explanations that I forbear to send it. I perceive that you are
about selling our stock in the funds of the United States. We have
already talked over this matter. The more I reflect, the stronger
appear the objections. It will doubtless be urged in favour of an
immediate sale, that our funds are in danger of seizure by the United
States. This is a mere bugbear. Such a thing will never again be even
proposed, and, if proposed, will never receive three votes in the
Senate. I hope, therefore, our legislature will not suffer themselves
to be precipitated into this sale from any such unfounded
apprehensions.

Mr. Belasies, a gentleman, a man of education and fortune, by birth an
Englishman, has come out with his family to reside in this country. If
he should apply for leave to hold lands in this state, I hope he may
be gratified; from the little I have seen, and the much I have heard
of him, I am persuaded that he will be a valuable acquisition to any
state and to any society. He is no politician.

I return to-morrow to Philadelphia, where I shall remain for this
month. May l expect to see you here in the spring? Present me most
respectfully to Williamson, and be assured of my esteem and
attachment.

A. BURR.


In April, 1798, Colonel Burr was elected a member of Assembly for the
city and county of New-York by the democratic party. This year was
marked with more political virulence than any other year since the
independence of the country. It was during the year 1798 that the
alien and sedition laws were passed. In the autumn of 1798, Matthew
Lyon, then a representative in Congress from Vermont, was endicted for
harbouring an intention "to stir up sedition, and to bring the
president and government of the United States into contempt," &c. He
was convicted, and the sentence was--"Matthew Lyon, it is the pleasure
of this court that you be imprisoned four months, pay costs, and a
fine of one thousand dollars, and stand committed until the judgment
be complied with." This year the celebrated mission to France,
consisting of Messrs. Marshall, Pinckney, and Gerry, excited the
attention not only of the American people, but of the civilized world.
In short, this year the foundation was laid for the overthrow of
federal power in the United States.

In no section of the country was there more political excitement than
in New-York. Parties were nearly balanced. There were only two banks
in the city; the Bank of New-York, and the branch of the United States
Bank. They were charged with being influenced in their discounts by
political considerations. At all events, they were under the
management and control of federalists; and to counteract their alleged
influence, Colonel Burr was anxious for the establishment of a
democratic institution. With this view he proposed to obtain a charter
for supplying the city with water; and as it was certain that if
confined to that particular object the stock would not be subscribed,
he caused the application to be made for two millions of dollars, and
inserted a clause in that charter, that the "surplus capital might be
employed in any way not inconsistent with the laws and constitution of
the United States or of the State of New-York." It is under this
clause that the Manhattan Company use and exercise all the privileges
of a bank. The directors were named in the charter, and a majority of
them were of the democratic party.

It has been said that the charter was obtained by trick and
management; and that, if suspicion bad been entertained by any of the
federal members, Colonel Burr could not have got the bill through the
legislature. It is due to him, so far as it can be justly done, to
rescue his memory from the imputation of having _misrepresented_ or
_misstated_ to any member the object he had in view. The facts in
reference to the passage of the charter of the Manhattan Company
through the Senate will now be given. The statement is upon authority
that cannot be contradicted.

When the bill had passed the Assembly and was sent to the Senate,
Colonel Burr, during the hours of business, went into the Senate
Chamber, and requested a federal senator (now living) from the western
district to move a reference of that bill to a select committee, to
report complete, which would supersede the necessity of its going to a
committee of the whole. The senator replied, that though he had no
objection to make the experiment, yet that he was persuaded the motion
would not prevail, because the Senate, not having a press of business
before them, uniformly refused thus committing bills to select
committees instead of a committee of the whole. Colonel Burr then
suggested, that perhaps if the mover would intimate, while on the
floor, that the honourable Samuel Jones was contemplated as chairman
of that committee, the confidence which the Senate was known to repose
in him, and in his uniform attention to every thing relating to the
city of New-York, would perhaps induce the Senate on this occasion to
depart from its accustomed mode of proceeding. Accordingly the motion
was made, and passed without opposition.

The committee named by the honourable Stephen Van Rensselaer, then
lieutenant-governor, were Samuel Jones, Ambrose Spencer, and Thomas
Morris. It was suggested to one of these gentlemen that the part of
the bill authorizing the employment of the surplus capital had better
be stricken out of it; in consequence of which that gentleman applied
to Colonel Burr for an explanation on this point. Mr. Burr promptly
and frankly informed the honourable member, that it not only did
authorize, but that it was in tended the directors should use the
surplus capital in any way they thought expedient and proper. That
they might have a bank, an East India Company, or any thing else that
they deemed profitable. That the mere supplying the city with water
would not, of itself, remunerate the stockholders. Colonel Burr added,
that the senator was at liberty to communicate this explanation to
other members, and that be had no secrecy on the subject. The bill was
subsequently reported by Mr. Jones and passed.

This view of the proceedings of the legislature is sustained by what
occurred in the Council of Revision, from the minutes of which an
extract has been made.

"_At a meeting of the Council of Revision, held at the City Hall of
the City of Albany, on Monday, the 1st of April, 1799._

"PRESENT--His Excellency the Governor, the Honourable the Chancellor,
the Chief Justice, and Judge Benson.

"Mr. Reynolds and Mr. Robbins, from the honourable the Assembly,
delivered to the council the bill entitled _An act for the relief of
John Lansing_, the bill entitled _An act for supplying the city of
New-York with pure and wholesome water_, and the bill entitled _An act
to amend the statute of limitation_, and the bill entitled _An act
making provision to keep in repair the bridge over Schoharie Creek, at
Fort Hunter, in the county of Montgomery_.

"The council proceeded to take the said bills into consideration, and
thereupon

"_Resolved_, That the bill entitled _An act for supplying the city of
New-York with pure and wholesome water_ be committed to the honourable
the Chief Justice; that the bill entitled _An act to amend the statute
of limitation_ be committed to the honourable the Chancellor."

"_At a meeting of the Council of Revision, held at the City Hall of
the City of Albany, on Tuesday, the 2d of April, 1799._

"PRESENT--His Excellency the Governor, the Honourable the Chancellor,
the Chief Justice, and Judge Benson.

"The honourable the Chief Justice, to whom was committed the bill
entitled _An act for supplying the city of New-York with pure and
wholesome water_, reported the following objections, to wit:

"_Because_ the bill creates a corporation, with a capital of two
millions of dollars, vested with the unusual power to divert its
surplus capital to the purchase of public or other stock, _or any
other moneyed transactions or operations not inconsistent with the
constitution and laws of this state or of the United States_, and
which surplus may be applied to the purposes of trade, or any other
purpose which the very comprehensive terms in which the clause is
conceived may warrant; this, in the opinion of the council as a novel
experiment, the result whereof as to its influence on the community
must be merely speculative and uncertain, peculiarly requires the
application of the policy which has heretofore uniformly obtained,
that the powers of corporations relative to their money operations
should be of limited instead of perpetual duration."

"The council proceeded to take the preceding objections into
consideration, which were overruled; it was thereupon

"_Resolved_, That it does not appear improper to the council that the
said bill, entitled _An act for supplying the city of New-York with
pure and wholesome water_, should become a law of this state.

"_Ordered_, That the honourable the Chancellor deliver a copy of the
preceding resolution, signed by his excellency the Governor, to the
honourable the Assembly."

"_State of New-York, Secretary's Office_.

"I certify the preceding to be true extracts from the minutes of the
Council of Revision of this state.

(Signed)

"ARCHD. CAMPBELL,

"_Deputy Secretary_.

"_Albany, April 29th_, 1836."


Of the correctness of the above statement, and the fairness of Mr.
Burr's conduct in relation to the Manhattan Company, there cannot be
the shadow of a doubt; but it is probable that a large portion of the
members never attempted to examine into the extent of the powers
granted to the Manhattan Company; while another portion considered the
project of Colonel Burr, in reference to an East India Company or a
bank, as chimerical and visionary. It is, however, evident that no
trick or misrepresentation was practised to procure the passage of the
bill; unless, indeed, his silence on the floor of the house as to his
ulterior views may be so construed. His object was a bank; and when
appealed to on this particular point, he admitted the fact. At all
other times he remained silent on the subject. When the bill had
passed he was lauded by the democratic party for his address, and they
rejoiced in his success. Its political effect was considered highly
important, as it tended to break down a system of pecuniary
favouritism, which was made to operate in support of the party in
power.

During the summer of 1799 vague rumours were privately circulated
respecting certain transactions of Colonel Burr with the Holland Land
Company. It was whispered that a bond, which the company held against
him for twenty thousand dollars, had been given up for secret services
rendered them. In other circles it was hinted that the compensation
was for procuring the passage of a bill through the legislature
authorizing aliens to hold lands, &c. Connected with these rumours,
John B. Church, Esq. had spoken with so much freedom as to produce a
challenge from Colonel Burr. On the 2d of September, 1799, the parties
met at Hoboken, and having exchanged a shot without effect, Mr. Church
made the _amende honorable_, and the affair was so satisfactorily
adjusted as to restore the social intercourse of these gentlemen. Mr.
Church was attended by Abijah Hammond, Esq., and Colonel Burr by Judge
Edanus Burke, of South Carolina.

On the ground a most ludicrous incident occurred. Previous to leaving
the city of New-York, Colonel Burr presented to Judge Burke his
pistol-case. He explained to the Judge that the balls were cast
intentionally too small; that chamois leather was cut to the proper
size to put round them, but that the leather must be greased (for
which purpose grease was placed in the case), or that there would be a
difficulty in getting the ball home. After the parties had taken their
stand, Colonel Burr noticed the judge hammering the ramrod with a
stone, and immediately suspected the cause. When the pistol was handed
him by his friend, he drew the ramrod, and ascertained that the ball
was not home, and so informed the judge; to which Mr. Burke replied,
"I forgot to grease the leather; but you see he is ready, don't keep
him waiting; _just take a crack as it is, and I'll grease the next_!"
Colonel Burr bowed courteously, but made no reply, and discharged his
pistol in the state it had been given to him. The anecdote for some
time after was the subject of merriment among those who had heard it.

No explanation was ever given, it is believed, of the transactions
between Colonel Burr and the Holland Land Company. It was his practice
to let his actions speak for themselves, and to let the world construe
them as they pleased. This was a great error, and was the source in
after life of much trouble and suffering to him, yet he would not
depart from it. A few weeks subsequent to this duel, however, be
received from a friend a kind letter, asking confidentially an
explanation of these transactions, to which he replied,


COLONEL BURR TO -----.

New-York, 6th October, 1799.

DEAR SIR,

I cannot refuse to the manner of your request, nor to the friendly
motives which have produced it, to satisfy your inquiries with regard
to Witbeck's bond and the Holland Company.

In December, 1795 or 1796, I forget which, I entered into a covenant
with the Holland Company for the purchase of one hundred thousand
acres of land, at twelve shillings per acre, payable by instalments.
The covenant contained a penalty of twenty thousand dollars; as
security on my part for this penalty, in case it should become due, I
mortgaged to Cazenove, or the Holland Company, twenty thousand acres
of land in Presque Isle, being one hundred shares of two hundred acres
each in the Population Company, and I assigned to him Thomas L.
Witbeck's bond, payable to me, for twenty thousand dollars, as further
collateral security.

In the fall of 1797 Cazenove joined with me in a power of attorney to
James Wadsworth, then in Europe, for the sale of one hundred thousand
acres, and, until the summer or fall of the year following, we had
reason to believe that they were or would be sold, which of course
would have terminated all questions about the penalty. Some time in
the year 1797 or 1798, it was noised in Albany that Thomas L. Witbeck
had given a bond for twenty thousand dollars, and his credit at the
bank and elsewhere became affected by it. He wrote me often on the
subject. In reply, I begged him to explain that the bond was not for
the payment of money, and that, even if it should become forfeited,
the twenty thousand acres of Presque Isle lands were alone a
sufficient security. Witbeck, however, continued to be uneasy for his
credit, and teased me to take up his bond by giving other security. I
thought this rather unkind, and did not trouble myself about it.
Indeed, I was in hopes that the sale of the land in Europe would have
closed the transaction. Not long after this, I think in November last,
Cazenove informed me that be had been applied to by Witbeck to change
that security, and added that he was willing to change it for one of
equal solidity, provided it would not impair his rights.

Witbeck's importunities continued, and he became so very urgent and
repeated that I was finally (November last), long after the passing of
the alien bill, induced to offer A. I. Frederick Prevost's bond in the
place of Witbeck's. Cazenove took time to consider and inquire; and
finding, in fact, that Prevost's bond was a much better one than
Witbeck's, agreed to take it. Prevost accordingly executed _to me_ a
bond for twenty thousand dollars, of which Harrison drew a special
assignment to the Holland Company. We made a memorandum that this
exchange should not vary the rights of the parties (viz., the Holland
Company and Aaron Burr), and Thomas L. Witbeck's bond was given up. In
this transaction I never suspected that Cazenove imagined that _he_
was doing a favour either to me or Thomas L. Witbeck, and I am
confident that he never entertained so absurd a belief. It was with
great reluctance that I gave Prevost's bond. I had claims on Witbeck
which justified me in exposing him to some hazard. Prevost had a
family, a clear, independent estate, and did not owe a cent in the
world; but he had better nerves than Witbeck, and would not tease me.

About this time we learned that all prospect of selling the land in
Europe had failed, and as I never had an expectation of paying except
from the land itself, it became necessary to close the transaction. It
should be observed, that soon after my contract with Cazenove he
received orders, as he informed me, to sell no more under sixteen
shillings (two dollars), and afterward I understood that he had raised
the price to twenty shillings. In December last we had several
conferences for the purpose of settling this business. I offered to
give back the land and cancel the covenants. He talked of the penalty.
I replied that be would only recover the damages sustained, which, by
his own account, were nothing; for, as the price of the land was
raised to twenty shillings, the Holland Company would, by their own
estimation, gain one hundred thousand dollars by taking back the land.
He appeared to feel the unreasonableness of his demand, and finally
evaded my proposal by questioning his own authority. This I considered
as a pretence; some irritation ensued, and we parted without
concluding any thing.

Thus the matter remained until May last (1799), when our negotiations
were renewed. After various overtures and propositions on either side,
it was at length agreed that I should convey to the Holland Company,
absolutely, the twenty thousand acres Presque Isle lands. That this
should be received in discharge of the advances that Cazenove had made
thereon, and in full satisfaction of all damages claimed on the
covenants; and that thereupon the covenants should be cancelled, the
bond of I. A. Frederick Prevost be given up, and the Holland Company
take back their lands. This was accordingly done a few days before
Cazenove sailed for Europe, which was, I think, in June last.

I should have noted, that about the year 1792 or 1793, I became
jointly concerned with the Holland Company and sundry individuals in
the purchase from the State of Pennsylvania of the whole Presque Isle
angle, and of other lands adjoining to the amount of a million of
acres. The association was called the Population Company, and was
under the management of directors, who had a right to assess on the
proprietors or associates any sums they might think proper to promote
the settlements required by the patents. My interest was one hundred
shares, or twenty thousand acres, for which I had paid, at the time I
mortgaged to Cazenove, upwards of seven thousand five hundred dollars.
The thing was considered as extremely valuable, and I have no doubt
but my interest would, if I could have retained it five years, have
been worth to me more than one hundred thousand dollars. Lands within
the angle were last year sold at twenty dollars per acre.

Though it be obvious that no damages were due or could have been
recovered by the Holland Company on the penalty contained in the
covenants, yet I had several motives to urge me to some sacrifice in
order to get rid of the business. _First._ I could not repay the
advances made by Cazenove, which amounted to several thousand dollars.
_Second._ I could not bear to give any uneasiness to Frederick
Prevost, which might have been the consequence of a legal proceeding.
_Third._ I was a little apprehensive of being sued on the covenants
for payment of the purchase money. Cazenove, on his part, had but a
single motive, to wit--he found that these lands were all I had to
give, and that a suit would have produced only expense.

The aforegoing facts are substantially known to Le Roy, Bayard, and
McEvers, and to Harrison and Ogden. The two last were consulted on the
closing of the business in May and June last (1799). The former of
them, Harrison, several times on the exchange of the bonds. I have not
spoken to either of those gentlemen on the subject since the
transactions took place; but any person is at liberty to do it who may
choose to take the trouble.

I have given you a summary of my whole concern with Cazenove and the
Holland Company, not knowing what part of it might tend to elucidate
your inquiries.

By those who know me, it will never be credited that any man on earth
would have the hardiness even to propose to me dishonourable
compensations; but this apart, the absurdity of the calumny you allude
to is obvious from the following data, resulting from the deeds and
known facts:

That at the time the Alien Bill was under consideration, and long
after, the bond, the covenant, and the penalty were objects of no
concern, as we had reason to believe that the lands were or would be
sold in Europe, so as to leave me a profit:

That Witbeck's bond was _never given up_, but exchanged for one more
safe and valuable:

That I had not, nor by possibility could have, any interest in this
exchange, as it was relieving one friend to involve another still more
dear to me:

That, so far from any understanding between Cazenove and me, we had
controversies about the very bond and penalty for more than a year
after the passing of the Alien Bill: That no part of the penalty was
ever due from me to the Holland Company; and that of course, they
could never have demanded the bond, which was expressly a security for
the penalty, and not for the payments:

That nevertheless I did finally give Cazenove a valuable and
exorbitant compensation to induce him to cancel the covenants and
discharge the penalty.

This, sir, is the first time in my life that I have condescended
(pardon the expression) to refute a calumny. I leave to my actions to
speak for themselves, and to my character to confound the fictions of
slander. And on this very subject I have not up to this hour given one
word of explanation to any human being. All the explanation that can
be given amounts to no more than this--_That the thing is an absolute
and abominable lie_. I feel that the present detail is useless and
trifling; but you have asked with good-nature, and I could not, with
the appearance of good-nature, refuse. I pardon you the labour I have
had in writing, and for that which you will have in reading no apology
can be due from

Your friend and obedient servant,

A. BURR.


In January, 1801, Colonel Burr's daughter Theodosia was married to
Joseph Alston, Esq., of South Carolina. Mr. Alston was in his
twenty-second, Miss Burr in her eighteenth year. He was a gentleman of
talents and fortune, and a few years after his marriage was chosen
governor. Some opinion of his style of writing may be formed by his
defence of early marriages; while that portion of his letter which
relates to his native state cannot be uninteresting to South
Carolinians.


THEODOSIA BURR TO JOSEPH ALSTON.

New-York, January 13th, 1801.

I have already written to you by the post to tell you that I shall be
happy to see you _whenever you choose;_ that I suppose is equivalent
to _very soon;_ and that you may no longer feel doubts or suspicions
on my account, I repeat the invitation by a packet as less dilatory
than the mail; but for all these doubts and suspicions I will take
ample revenge when we meet.

I yesterday received your letter of the 26th of December, and am
expecting your defence of early marriages to-day. My father laughs at
my impatience to hear from you, and says I am in love; but I do not
believe that to be a fair deduction, for the post is really very
irregular and slow--enough so to provoke anybody.

We leave this for Albany on the 26th inst., and shall remain there
till the 10th February. My movements will after that depend upon my
father and _you_. I had intended not to marry this twelvemonth, and in
that case thought it wrong to divert you from your present engagements
in Carolina; but to your solicitations I yield my judgment. Adieu. I
wish you many returns of the century.

14th January.

I have not yet received your promised letter; but I hope it may be
long in proportion to the time I have been expecting it. The packet
has been delayed by head-winds, but now that they are fair she will
have a quick passage; at least such I wish it. Adieu, encore.

THEODOSIA.



JOSEPH ALSTON TO THEODOSIA BURR.

Charleston, S. C. December 28th, 1800.

Aristotle says "that a man should not marry before he is
six-and-thirty:" pray, Mr. Alston, what arguments have you to oppose
to such authority? Hear me, Miss Burr.

It has always been my practice, whether from a natural independence of
mind, from pride, or what other cause I will not pretend to say, never
to adopt the opinion of any one, however respectable his authority,
unless thoroughly convinced by his arguments; the "ipse dixit," as
logicians term it, even of Cicero, who stands higher in my estimation
than any other author, would not have the least weight with me; you
must therefore, till you offer better reasons in support of his
opinion than the Grecian sage himself has done, excuse my differing
from him.

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