Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1854-07-15
inc walk 10 vsiit her old friend. Judoe

She never was what the text which we
have taken calls her, brilliant for the
women who shine or blaze with that sort
OF light, seldom have the genuine one of
their sex; its gentleness, its pure warmth,
its sweet reserve, its sure womanly sense,
which rather perceves than reflects, and
sees at glance all it is fit that woman
(oature's most delicate and ingenious work.
should see. Though very pretty, vivacioas,
and winning, Mrs. Hamilton was never
dazzling. Neither her manners, though
high-bred, nor her conversation, though
spirited and full of sense, were at all Of the
snowy order she never said a silly, she
never said a brilliant thing in her life
There was no flash about her she shone
only with the soft beam which radiates
from what in a woman not boys nor matu-
rer coycombs lispingly adore nor false sem
timentalists dilate upon, but what the heart
and the understanding of all, however
shallow or corrupt, own, with not mere
admiration, but love and awe, every thing
that is most feminine, which is, we take it,
good deal better than angelic for we
must confess that, so far as can be Judged
from the most commendatory descriptions,
we look upon one woman as worth full
forty angels. @
| In short, she was Just the wife for one OF
spirit so high, faculties so powerful,
character so strenuous, and affections so
fond as those Of Hamilton, and accordingly
there could be po'tenderer union than was
theirs. Not only did her loving, serene,
and cheerful temper gladden. whatever he
could snatch for brief intervals OF repose or
enjoyment, but her perfect discretion made
her the confident and her admirable sense
the counsellor OF his affairs; in many of
the weightiest of which he thought it wise
to have such woman's opinion. She
shared, as far as she could, bis labors and,
when she could not, often sweetened them
by her presence. His papers, in partcu-
lar, she kept in order for him; and it is 10
her Jealous care of them we owe the pre-
servation of that large and lin every sense
of either the merely curious or tine histori-
cally valuable) precious body OF the Ham
ilton MSS, which our Government acqui-
red by purchase in 1S49, and OF which Sc
lected portions are now seeing the light in
a Congressional series Of some nine or ten
volumes, edited by MIR. John Hamilton,
who had previously given to the world a
more limited selection, with biography
of his father. Of the value Of these papers
to the secret history Of our public affairs,
during the space Of thirty years ll775 to
1904 which they cover, no one is in a
better condition 10 speak than ourself; for
we were entrusted on the part OF the tami-
ly with choice, out Of still vaster body,
OF the fiity-seven folio volumes which, after
excluding whatever was Of no interest
went into the hands of the Government.
They give prodigious idea of Hamil-
toms abilities, usefulness, and the cor6.
dence and the influence which these CON-
manded for him, almost from the first
moment, when mere boy Of nineteen, he
first drew, as the captain of volunteer
artillery company, General Washing tons
attention 10 the superior discipline of hi'
corps and the skilful service of his guns
Never did any man possess more remark.
able power OF mastering at once whatever
he set about. Introduced at the age o
twelve into the counting house of consid'
cradle shipping merchant in St. Croix, we
find him at only fourteen entrusted, during
his principals absence in this country, wit!
his correspondence and the management o
all his operations of buying, selling, ship
ping, and all that Already las is seen il
5 his boyish letters TO young friend) he has
begun TO look TO the state OF things rising
, up in this land of ours, and to foresee in i
country and a career which the Yves
, Iudies could never give him. At sixteer
he is in Columbia College, New York, per
fecting bis boyish Latin and Greek. A
seventeen he is already writing tor th
, public journals, in behalf of the csuse o
the colonies, papers so striking that the,
seize upon the general attention, and ar,
attributed to the best writers.
In his nineteenth year be has not onl,
become a strong, popular orator, but ha
studied war as an art, more especially th'
artillerst's part OF it; and, raising com
pany, (chieAy at his own charge,) ha
joined Washington's army in the Jerseys
and made upon that cautious commander 81
strong an impression that he transfers hin
to his personal staff as chief aid-de-camp
with the rank of lieutenant colonel. Her,
il is well enough known that before he wa
twenty he became one of Washington
, most efficient officers but, though equal,
true, it has escaped attention that unit
that veteran of science, Steuben, took ser
vice with US, il was Hamilton who frs
supplied our systems OF tactics; and Ham
; lton who, besides drawing up many Q
> Gen. Washington's important papers, wro'
the admirable Instructions to john Lauren
IA masterpieces Of ability-under wh'cl
he, when DR.. Franklin had failed, brough
about the Armed Alliance OF France
Hamilton was then twenty-one. In lIs
perceiving tha, the struggle bad become o.
our part one Of finance, be turned fnanciel
2 and took charge, under Robert Morris, @
D a part of that department, quickly display
b Jog in il that singular capacity which ie'
I Morris TO say, on the formation OF our pres
0 ent Government, thst there was but on
: man 10 the eoun,fy--Alsxandsr hamsl'o
. who might as Secretary OF the rfsssof,
. re-insiale the public credit. II 70 We
: known that the present Constitution
a really his plan bu, lew arc aware that v
q ofigiaa. project laill 10 sxisisnesl w
: drawn np by him ia lisa. whsn be w.
i only lwsDiy-ssssn years old, We eoal
y tell much more bot 'rsss ialls Va