Page:Essays in Historical Criticism.djvu/164

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, 298, 347.



Carthage. Carthage.

vortex,^ had at the commence- way to Senate; at length, in- ment of the second Punic War toxicated by wealth and con- lost almost the whole of its quests, they assumed all original portion" (p. 399). power." Additional Mem.,

1788, Writings, I, 399.

The evidence in favor of Madison's authorship of Nos. 62 and 63 is, it seems to me, absolutely decisive. Jay's author- ship of No. 64 was finally established by finding a draft of the essay in his papers. It will hardly be denied that a consider- able part of Nos. 62 and 63 has been found in Madison's writ- ings. The evidence in regard to Nos. 51 and 53 is also convincing; and that in the case of the others is confirma- tory. The value of the evidence can be best appreciated by comparing it with that advanced in Hamilton's favor by his son. 2 It will also be remembered, in view of the direct con- flict of testimony between Hamilton and Madison, that it is a question of memory and not of veracity. If the conjecture referred to on p. 117 be regarded with favor, that is, that Hamilton, in haste and agitation, wrote "37 to 48 inclusive byM." instead of "37 to 58," then his error in regard to Nos. 62 and 63 could easily be accounted for. He would in any case recollect the salient fact that he again took up the writing of the essays because Madison had to go to Virginia. Madison left New York March 4. Nos. 59, 60, and 61, by Hamilton, were published Feb. 22 and 26. Hamilton might easily forget that Madison contributed two papers after he himself had begun to write again, just as he unquestionably did forget that Jay contributed No. 64 at that same time. That Hamilton's memory was at fault where his list differed from Madison's seems to have been the final conclusion of an exceptionally competent and friendly critic. Chancellor Kent, of New York, who was not only a friend of Hamil-

1 A favorite metaphor with Madison. I have not noticed it in Hamilton's writings. For other examples in Madison's works, see Federalist^ 309 ; Debates^ 372 and 399, and Writings, II, 465, and III, 246.

2 See J. C. Hamilton's edition of The Federalist, cx.-cxxxii.