HAMILTON
HAMILTON
17S2-83. A convention \v;is proposed by Vir-
ginia to l)e held at Anuajxilis in September. 1786,
anil Hamilton, seconded by Egl)ert Benson, se-
cured friendly delegates from New York, and
attended the convention. Hamilton drew up an
address which, modified by Edmund Rjindolph,
was agreed upon by the convention. It recited the
evil con lit ion of public affairs and called for a
new convention at Philadel]>liia, May 2, 1787. On
returning to New York he was elected in No-
vember, 17S6. to the .state assembh'. and there
opposed the Clinton party in an imequal contest
for a stronger central government. He was a
delegate to the last Continental congress that as-
senibled in New York, 1787-88 and he succeeded
in being named by the New York convention, the
minority delegate to the Philadelphia convention,
w hich gave
CD/VORESS
HALU.
him a seat,
but no control
of his state. In
a speech of five
hours before
the constitu-
tional conven-
tion he present-
ed his theory
of government. It called for a president and sen-
ators for life and for the appointment of govern-
ors of the respective states by the president.
After delivering his speech he withdrew from
the convention, only returning to affix his name
to the constitution as framed, Sept. 17, 1787. He
then went before the people to obtain for the in-
strument a speedy ratification. He was the prin-
cipal author of the series of essays called the
Federalist, advocating a strong centralized gov-
ernment. In the New York ratifying conven-
tion which stood two to one against the
adoption of the constitution as framed, by skil-
ful debate, adroit management and wise counsel
he secured its triumphant ratification. The ques-
tion then came before the people, and at the polls
the ratification was not only confirmed, but the
Federalists elected four of the six representa-
tives in congress and the power of the Clintons
in New York was for the time broken by the
young leader of the Federalists. He named for
U.S senators Rufas King and Philip Schuyler,
ignoring the Livingstons, and this was deemed
a political blunder on the part of the youthful
politician, as it cost the Federal party the state
in 1790 and secured the election of Aaron Bun-
as U.S. senator. Washington was inaugurated
President of the United States, April 30, 1789,
and on the organization of the treasury depart-
ment in September of that year he named Alex-
ander Hamilton as the first secretary^ of the U.S.
treasury. His work as secretary of the treas-
ury was to establish public credit, to restore
business confidence and to open an era of com-
mercial prosperity. He provided a system of
internal revenue, a protective tariff, regulated the
currency, established a U.S. mint, provided nav-
igation laws, laws as to coasting trade and as to
post-offices, and provided for the purcliaseof West
Point for a military academy, and laws for the
management of the public lands. He courted the
mvestigation of the affairs of the U.S. treasury
by his political opponents, and quieted their
charges of mismanagement by promptly showing
his books. He maintained the policy of a strict
neutrality during the French revolution and de-
fended President Washington in maintaining it.
He opposed his fellow cabinet officer, Thomas
Jefferson, secretary of .state, and contributed to
the Gazette of the United States, a series of letters
condemning Jefferson's financial views. This
brought out the interference of the President who
patched up peace between the two statesmen.
The trouble, however, broke out again, and in
1794 Jefferson resigned from the cabinet and two
great political parties took form. Hamilton re-
mained and subdued the threatened whisky in-
surrection in Pennsylvania, accompanying the
armed force to the scene of the riot, and on Jan.
31, 1795, he resigned, as his salary as secretary did
not provide sufficient support to a growing fam-
ily. He returned to New Y'ork where he resmned
the practise of law and soon regained bis posi-
tion as a leader of the New York bar. He
continued to be an advisor of the President,
suggested many of the thoughts of his speeches
and messages and helped to write liis farewell ad-
dress. His close relation to Washington sug-
gested the same position in the administration of
John Adams who had received his earnest sup-
port in the election. Hamilton named the com-
missioners to France and they were appointed,
but when he wanted to be placed at the head of
the provisional army the President objected, and
the friendship between the two was broken.
Washington sugge.^^ted a compromise which the
President adopted and in 1798 Hamilton was
made inspector-general with the rank of major-
general, and was promoted commander-in chief
in 1799. This however did not end the quarrel
between the President and Hamilton and the
Federalist party could not concentrate their
forces in the election of 1800. In New York
Burr carried the state and Hamilton projxised
the revolutionary expedient of calling together
the old legislature and referring the choice of
election to the peo|)le in districts. He also
openly attacked Adams as unfit for the high
trust of President and still illogically counselled
the party to support him. When the electors met,
Jefferson had seventy -three votes. Burr seventy-
