The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1809-07-07
'rnere might be more, but these are all that

mere mrsnt be morcs but tnese are All that
now reeollcct.
Mr.. Han,iiton's imagination was always haunt
eel by that hideoas monster or phantom, so often
called Crisis and which SO often produces i'm
prudent measures.
How Il happesed chat Mr.. Hamil;on's con.
temptations conceded So exactly witt, mine, us
] to think OF Mr. Jefferson or Mr.. Madison for en-
voy to France, it may he more difficult to- explain.
But let IT be considered that this letter was wri-
ten long after nay conversation with Mr.. Jcifer-
son, concerning himself and Mr. Madison,
which was The morning after my inauguration ;
that had communicated that conversation TO
one more of the heads of departments the
same morning. Its probable, therefore, that
Mr.. Hamilton received hints from some of his
correspondents that had thought of Madison
aad Hamilton, and that he was not dispteased
with the idea. l asked one ct the heads OF De-
partmens Row he could account tor HaniliOn's
recommending Jefferson or Madison Why,
said the gentleman, suppose Hamilton is wei
ry OF ms practice, MS an attorney, at New York,
and is willing to enter into some other employ
ment." Mr.. Hamilton, howevcr, might thank
those who had been his warinest Friends for his
disappointment for had it not been tor their OPP
position to Madison, should have appointed him
& Hamilton .t
The army of Fifty thousand men. ten thousand
OF them to he horse, appeared to me to be one
at the widest eNtravaganccs OF a Knight En-
rant. 1t proved to me that Mr. Hamilton knew
no more ofihc sentiments and feelings of the peo-
pie OF America, than he did of those of the inha-
bitants of one of the planets. Such an army
without an enemy to combat, would have raised
a rebellion in every state in the Union. The We
ry idea of the cxpence of it would have turned
President, Senate and House out of doors la
dopted none Of these chimeras into my speech,
and only recommended the raising Of a few
siments OF artillery to garrison the Notifications
OF tho most exposed places. Yet such was the
,Vf.a
without any recommendation from the President
they passed bin to raise army, not large
one, indeed, but enough to overturn the then tc
deral government.
Nor did adopt his idea Of an alien or scdi-
ton law. / recommended no such thing IN my
speech Congress, however, adopted both these
measures l knew there was need enough OF
| both, and therefore consented to them. But as
they were then considered AS war measures and
intended altogether against the advocates OF the
French and peace with France, was appre-
hensiye that hurricane of Glamour would be
| raised against them, as in truth there was, even
more fierce and vigilant than had anticpa-
ted.
Selling on all the taxable articles not yet tax
ed, to support an army of fifty thousand men, at
a time when many tax laws, alrc ady enacted,
were uneXecutctl i'll so many states, and when
instructions and rebcllions had already been
excited in Pennsylvania, account OF taxes, ap-
1
delirious.
| wanted no admonition from Mr.. Hamilton to
institute q national fast. / had determined
on this measure long enough before Mr.. Ham
| ilton's letter written. Aud here let me
say, with great sincerity, that think there is
thing upon this earth more sublime and affecting,
than the idea of great nation all on their knees
at once before their God, acknowledging their
faults and imploring his blessing and protection,
| when THE prospect before them threatens great
danger and calamity. II can scarcely fail &c have
a favorable effect on their morals in general, or
| to inspire them with warlke virtues in part-
cular. When most, if not all the religious sects
in the nation hold such fasts among themselves,
l never could see the force of the objections a
gainst making them, OH great and extraordinary
occasions, national unless it be the jealousy OF
the separate states, lest the general government
| should become too national Those however,
| who diiler from me in opinion this point,
have good right to their Judgment i have
| to mine, and / shall submit, mine to the general
will
| In fine, Mr. Hamilton, in the passage have
been commenting, in this letter. has let out facts,
which if he had possessed grain of Common
sense, lie would have wished should be forever
concealed / should never have revealed or ex-
planned their, if he, and his partizans, had not
compelled me.
JOHN ADAMS.
Suincy, May 90, 1909.
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