On the Jersey Shore 75
recently come to my knowledge. Mr. A''an Ness, who does me the favour to deliver this, will ])oint out to you that clause of the letter to which 1 particularly request your attention. You must perceive, sir, the necessity of a prompt and unqualified acknowledgment or denial of the use of any expression which would warrant the assertion of Dr. Cooper. I have the honor to be Your obedient servant, A. Burr. Gen. Hamilton.
To this peremptory communication General Hamilton replied at some length on June 20th, sa^-ing in substance that he considered the charge too vague to admit of either denial or acknowledgment. " I have become convinced," he wrote, " that I could not, without manifest impropriety, make the avowal or disavowal which you seem to think necessary." There follows a somewhat pedantic examination of the grammatical distinction between the terms "despicable" and " more despicable " used in Dr. Cooper's letter, and concludes in the following words :
I deem it inadmissible on principle, to consent to be interrogated as to the justness of the inferences which may be drawn by others from whatever I have said of a political opponent in the course of a fifteen years' competition. I stand ready to avow or disavow promptly and explicitly any precise or definite opinion which I may be charged with having declared of any gentleman. More than this cannot fitly be expected of me. I trust, on more reflection, that you will see the matter in the same light with me. If not I can only regret the circumstance and must abide the consequences. The pul)lication of Dr. Cooper was never seen by me till after the receipt of your letter.