Complete Works. Hamilton AlexanderЧитать онлайн книгу.
on their address; and have recommended to you and to us, to afford our aid on this ferious occasion; the inclosed copies are now submitted for signature, by the Citizens of this city--and will, we trust, meet with general approbation, as Citizens of every political party are equally interested in the result.
Will you be pleased to lay it before the Citizens of your town for their determination, and if it meets with their approbation, to intreat their signatures, and when signed, to transmit it at an early day to us.
By order, Ph:
Schuyler, Chairman.
ALBANY, April 23, 1796.
To the Supervisor, Assessors and Town-Clerk, of the town of in the county of
Fac-simile of original Broadside.
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Hamilton's interest in France and Frenchmen, up to 1792, appears to have been continuous and intense before the ascendancy of the republic. Speaking and writing the language with great facility, he not only made friends very readily, as has been shown, with the host of those who, for various reasons, espoused the American cause, but upon several occasions was sent to meet the naval and military commanders upon their arrival. It was he who welcomed d'Estaing, and who acted as the representative of Washington in arranging the details of active co-operation with our force. Possibly he healed internal dissensions, averted the consequences of petty jealousy, and finally sent them home in good spirits, for there is no doubt that the French officers were not always agreed, or upon the best terms with each other. The establishment of the Society of the Cincinnati, for which he was responsible, and which led to so much criticism upon the part of the "American Jacobins," did much to cement the entente between the American officers and their French comrades in arms.
Philadelphia had become the rendezvous of expatriated Frenchmen, and, as a rule, they were clever, capable, and uncomplaining, though they had to adapt themselves to a serious change of fortune, incident to the loss of all they possessed. Mention has been made of some of these. Angelica Church wrote, July 4, 1793, and her final outburst of patriotism is characteristic:
Pray write to me a line to say that you are well for it is an age since I have seen your signature.
I wrote yesterday and recommended to the protection of our dear Minister General Valence who has served in the French army, and who married a Daughter of the celebrated Madame de Genlis who has written many and useful volumes on female Education. I hear my dear that you will give our Hamilton a hint to invite him to dinner, and to be civil to him for I have promised half a dozen pretty French women to recommend him to you.
Mrs. Bache is to return to America next month. I shall see her before she goes, that she may have an opportunity of chatting to you, for she is a sensible and reserved person and cannot talk without a good subject.
Adieu my dear Sister. Pray where is Cornelia? She never does me the favor to write me a line.
My love to Angelica and the Children, embrace my dear Hamilton for me a la Française.
Farewell my dear Sister.
July the 4th, 1793,
Vive la république!
A few months earlier she had written to Hamilton:
MY DEAR BROTHER: You will receive this from a friend of mine and an admirer of your virtues and your talents. He goes to America to partake of that Liberty for which he has often exposed his life, and to render it all the services his knowledge of Europe and of the emigration about to take place to America, give the opportunity of doing.
The Count de Noailles requires less recommendation than most people, because he is well known to you my friend. When you and he have talked over Europe and America, spare a few moments to the recollection of your faithful friend
And affectionate sister,
ANGELICA CHURCH.
London, February 17th, 1793.
Alexander Hamilton, Esq.
The Chevalier de Pontigibaud,1 who had fought in the war and subsequently went back to France, returned at its conclusion to collect the pay due him for his services, and his account of an interview throws light upon the social conditions at the time. He said:
I was glad to meet some of my old comrades in arms, both French and Americans; amongst others the brave and wise Colonel Hamilton, the friend of Washington, and who was afterwards unfortunately killed in a duel by Colonel Burgh [sic]. Hamilton, who had quitted the army and returned to civil life, was a lawyer, and pleaded in the courts and gave consultations. We often talked together, -- much to my profit, -- of the causes of the war, the actual condition of the United States, and the probable destiny of the nation. Anyone who had heard us talking about events which were then a matter of history, would have taken us for two of the speakers in Lucian's or Fénelon's "Dialogues of the Dead."The American War," I said, "began in a very singular manner, and was carried on in a way yet more singular. It seems to me, on summing up all my observations, that the English made a mistake in sending troops against you, instead of withdrawing those which were already in the country, as did you submit at once you must have inevitably ended by winning sooner or later. You gained experience and discipline in the indecisive engagements which were fought, and the scholars were bound to finish by becoming as clever as their masters. Look, for instance, at the Swedes under Charles XII. and the Russians under Peter the Great."
"You are right, no doubt," he replied, "but their second fault was to give the two brothers Howe each a command. The general undertook scarcely anything by land in order to allow his brother, the admiral, the chance to distinguish himself at sea. All that the English need have done was to blockade our ports with twenty-five frigates and ten ships of the line. But, Thank God, they did nothing of the sort."
"Thank God, indeed," I said, "for I believe that America would have come to terms with the mother country. I am the more inclined to believe this, as I notice there are a great many Tories in your country, and I see that the rich families still cling to the King's Government."
"Yes; and thus it happens," he replied, with a smile, "that though our Republic has only been in existence some ten years, there are already two distinct tendencies, -- the one democratic, the other aristocratic. In Europe they always speak of the American Revolution, but our separation from the mother country cannot be called a revolution. There have been no changes in the laws, no one's interests have been interfered with, everyone remains in his place, and all that is altered is that the seat of government is changed. Real equality exists among us at present, but there is a remarkable difference of manners between the inhabitants of the Northern and Southern States. The negro is free at Philadelphia, but he is a slave in Virginia and Carolina. Large fortunes are made in the Southern States, because the Country is rich in production; but it is not the same in the Northern States."
"Yes," I said, "those who claim to look into the future may see in some nation, -- as you say, -- two diverging tendencies; the one towards democracy, the other towards aristocracy; but if some separation of these elements could be made quietly and without strife, would the people be any the happier? Territorial possessions are, there is no doubt, but lightly esteemed in your country, which is perhaps owing to the fact that the British or Anglo-American of today only dates back to Penn and his colony, or only a hundred years or so. An estate over here rarely remains ten or twelve years in the same hands."
"That is partly due," answered he, "to the facilities for changing our place of residence, and to the fact that land which is relatively dear near the great cities, is much cheaper at some distance from them. Besides we are essentially business men; with us, agriculture is of small account; commerce is everything."
"That is true," I said, "many persons believe they have but to land in the United States to make a fortune, and the first question that is put to you when you arrive, is 'Do you come here to sell or buy?'"
I have given, as nearly as I can remember it, all that passed between the soldier-lawyer and me at this interview, but I cannot forget the singularly wise reflection that I heard him make one day, on the subject of the