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... was one of the utmost importance to the new country and with over 1000 men under his orders Hamilton felt that his was the most important department of the government and that he was the most important person after the president. When the new government had established the Treasury and its Treasurer they had merely wanted a financial expert to balance the books. Instead they got Hamilton, a man who felt the need to take the whole field of government as his battle ground. He supervised the passage of various bills from their first inception until they became legislation. On committees he managed to appoint those who would support his policies.
When Congress simply wanted a means to raise funds, Hamilton produced far reaching plans that might well affect the policies of the new government. He must have been considered to have far exceeded his brief. Hamilton actively supported the Republic. He did not see Americans coping with any other form of government. Nevertheless he had great admiration for the British form of government complete with kings, dukes and all the rest and he made no secret of the fact.
As early as 1787 he had made a speech in which he held up the British government as a model to be followed. He himself understood that the British method of government was one ideally suited to that country, but didnt seem to suppose for one minute that such a government could succeed in America, but others seem to have misjudged him or misunderstood. When writing Hamilton's biography John Miller uses as his title Alexander Hamilton: Portrait in Paradox and part of this would be his public praise of Britain while being a staunch Republican. Thomas Jefferson was Secretary of State at this time. He would note every rumor about Hamilton, requiring no proof of even the most outrageous statements. As far as Jefferson was concerned Hamilton was to be judged guilty without any firm of trial according to John Miller.
He reports how on one occasion John Adams declared that if certain matters were corrected Britain would have a perfect constitution. To this Hamilton responded that there was no need for any reformation of the British constitution: - with its existing vices, it was the most perfect model of government that could be formed; and that the correction of its vices would render it an impracticable government. Jefferson then felt he had proof not to trust Mr Hamilton. They were already at odds as Hamilton was inclined to interfere in foreign affairs, yet it was Jefferson who was Secretary of State. He concluded that Hamilton was a monarchist, and not only a supporter of the British crown, but that he wanted to set up a monarchy in America. The rumors soon spread that he wanted to place the Duke of York, fourth son of George III, on an American throne.
Hamilton saw such attempts to accuse him of trying to establish a king of America as proof of the unpredictability-or worse -- of his rivals. They would acknowledge him to be an intelligent man and yet at the same time accuse him of considering a project "which every person in the least acquainted with the genius and temper of the people of the United States, must know was absurd. Hamilton himself understood his role a supporter of the new government and an expounder of the Constitution and was the first to publish a letter its defense. This was published only a fortnight after the Constitution was signed in the New York Independent Journal on October 2 nd 1787. But Hamilton understood too that the Constitution would be useless if it remained just a sheet of parchment. I t needed an infrastructure to support it and he was to be the architect and builder of that structure.
He was able to lay down the basis for a system that in a quite short period would bring the tiny new Republic to world prominence. By 1804 Hamilton was regularly decrying Federalist Aaron Burr in speeches both public and private. Hamilton supported the Republican candidates John Lansing and later Morgan Lewis. Hamilton suspected Burrs secessionist ideas. Burr was against the Louisiana Purchase, something Hamilton supported because of his expansionist views and because such a purchase would eliminate the possibility of border wars with the French. He thought Burr wanted the north to secede so that he could put himself in charge of the North.
Hamilton spent his last few days pleading with people to work at holding the Union together as long as possible. To John Trumbull for instance he said: - You are going to Boston. You will see the principal men there. Tell them from me, at my request, for God's sake, to cease these conversations and threatening's about a separation of the Union. It must hang together as long as it can be made to.
Hamilton and Burr had very different origins, Burrs being quite aristocratic, though it has to be said that Hamilton's great grandfather had been a Laird (Scottish land owner), yet both had been aide de camp to generals during the recent war. Washington had disliked Burr and it seems that Hamilton continued in the same vein. Both had law practices. They had very different characteristics while Hamilton let everyone know his political opinions Burr was silent, so much so that Hamilton believed that his foe had no real political opinions. In 1791 Burr had managed to dislodge Hamilton's father in-law Philip Schuyler from the senate something that humiliated Hamilton who must have considered that he had enough influence to protect Schuyler's position. There were rumors too from Robert Troupe of New York that Burr was involved in a conspiracy to bring down the government and in particular the Secretary to the Treasury.
Hamilton had managed to prevent Burr getting a foreign posting and later from running for president. He seemed to see it as his duty to thwart Burrs ambition including the latter's attempt to become governor of New York Burr was denounced by him as "a man of irregular and unstable (sic) ambition who ought not to be trusted with the reins of government. " In 1797 Hamilton again managed to get his father-in-law back in the Senate, taking over Burrs seat. But, according to some opinions, Hamilton was in a downward spiral and may even have sacrificed himself knowing that his own death would bring about the political death of Burr. De Coralis suggests even that he chose to die in this dramatic way as a means of leaving this life in a blaze of glory. There were certainly reports that Hamilton had had no intention of firing.
Phillip his son had died in a duel only three years earlier. His gun it seems only fired accidentally when he fell wounded and he is reported as telling a minister before he died that: - I have no ill-will against Col. Burr. I met him with a fixed resolution to do him no harm. I forgive all that happened. When Hamilton died after his famous duel with Aaron Burr people seem to have realized at last what they would miss.
Not only was he given a full military funeral with all honors, but it is reported that even foreign ships in harbor lowered their flags as a sign of mourning. It was after all he who in 1788 pointed out to others that while liberty seemed to be the only important consideration of the government there were other matters that needed consideration: - a principal of strength and stability in the organization and of vigour in its operation. " Yet despite all the positive achievements when it came to writing a eulogy Governor Morris wrote in his diary about the difficulties in painting an admiring portrait of his dead friend "The first Point of his Biography is that he was a Stranger of illegitimate Birth. Some mode must be contrived to pass over this handsomely. " His true worth was noted years after his death, though of course with the perfect vision of hindsight. In 1831 Madison wrote: - he possessed intellectual powers of the first order, and the moral qualities of integrity and honor in a captivating degree, has been awarded him by a suffrage now universal. If his theory of government deviated from the republican standard he had the candor to avow it, and the greater merit of co-operating faithfully in maturing and supporting a system which was not his choice. Conclusion Hamilton was a very complex man, multi-faceted and very capable in lots of different areas.
Given any post he seems to have excelled, giving 100 % and more. This was obviously recognized by many including Washington and Jefferson. He died before his 50 th birthday. Had he lived longer and in better health would he have become president? In recent years the rise of Austrian born state governor Arnold Swarzenegger as a possible presidential candidate has been debated. Despite his success in certain areas he too is seen as an outsider.
Then there is Henry Kissinger seen as a clever man, but born outside the U. S. A. in Germany. In order to be a Representative one only has to be a citizen for 7 years and a Senator 9 years. There is presently some controversy over the candidature of John McCain, born as he was in the Canal Zone.
It seems that being a non-native born person, despite not being a legal bar to advancement, in practice may be just that. No Person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President; neither shall any person be eligible to that Office who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty five Years, and been fourteen Years a Resident within the United States. It was of course adopted in 1787, some 14 years after Hamilton's arrival in America. Was he considered to be a citizen? He certainly signed the original Constitution, and may well have contributed to it, the web page dedicated to him claims that no one was ever a stronger advocate of the Constitution, but it seems that to some people even that was not enough. Yet on the other hand, beside Benjamin Franklin, he is the only non-presidential face to appear on the countrys currency, so he does have lasting fame of a kind.
References Hamilton, Allan McLane, 1911, The Intimate Life of Alexander Hamilton based chiefly upon original family letters and other documents, many of which have never been published, New York, Charles and Sons Miller, John, Alexander Hamilton: Portrait in Paradox, 1959, New York, Harper & Brothers Electronic Sources Alexander Hamilton, accessed 13 th October 2008 web Alexander Hamilton, The Man Who Made Modern America, accessed 12 th October 2008 web De Coralis, L. M. From Revolution to Reconstruction, Biography of Alexander Hamilton accessed 9 th October 2008 web The American Constitution, Sections 2 and 3, accessed 9 th October 2008 web The Federalist no. 78, June 1788, web accessed 9 th October 2008 The Founding Fathers, Delegates to the Constitutional Convention, accessed 9 th October 2008 web U. S.
Constitution, Article II, Section 1 accessed 9 th October 2008 web
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