The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1856-05-04
THE GENIUS AND CHARACTER OF AiexANDea
HAMILTON.
An Address Delivered before the Sacramento
Pioneer Association, February II, 1856,
by ]. G. Baldwin.

LADIS ARD GsnrEmEs--i have selected IS tia sutjea
o. m! ssds,ss to-iieht me 'Chasacser and GsBins
AleShpoer hamNtSs.t' am frank to sAy ,hGt hAvs
made tb because tho pressing naruss Of ray
engagements hss not permitted to select Sad
OF topic mote frs the track OF formee iuvoa
CATION ard study aod yet trust that feeble effort 70
do need juH'ice 70 tbs memory of great mau,
much and long mi sunds sood-a pst1ot Of ths revos
ton, trusted frisDc and companion OF Washington
may not be judged 70 10 wholly oct Of place at this
sor, the day which tis,Eguhed the btr.hcay Of
Washipgton briDer up ia natural connection the
and ceeus OF our cary history.
There is soms'hue q justice anc something OF seat
ment in the impuhe Witch prompts ua to turn from the
who have 70 tbs great who hsve taI-
len IN tie battle o hie Usually in the popular
thought, eyncnt nous with merit freq uenty huA
that the bszonry o. conquering banners and the aypA
rent ard pa able tokens OF victory deceive respec,
the relative merits OF the contead,ng parties as wen
TO the character Of the controversy the and
extent of tne triumph.
1t was Hsmlsrns great misfortune to bear the oiiu.
of measures which he never advocatcd-of principles
which he espoussc; to share rather absorb
the VI popularity oi administration which he really
cespsed 10 be the selected TO be the reprcse
cf oil the tereses and which great political
party in the zenith Of its power and success in
heat OF its tsnAtcsm attributed to TIE opposite pssy
tc be at with the osensble head of his party
and more maigned, possible by leading federaiists
than by their adversares; and II his sforu
die whils the fortunes Of the republicans highest
and those of the federats lowest in the rs term Of
eferscns deservedy popular Standardization before he
had opportunity OF vindcatne himself organizing
his scattered forces He had misfortune still.
The republican party kept its ascsndeacy, end kept It
Of course by force Of the popularity by opposing tho
fsdsrsst, and by making odious a. possible eli the
scss, Ten and principles OF that school, Hamilton,
cf the iederasts sing ed ort the special object Of
assaults and after the old party lines des
troyed and parties formed with issues, these
parties seeking TO avail themselves Of the po pularH
snd to throw upon their a6versares the unpopulsity q
he old struggles between republican and federshst
ctprocay charged federalism upon each other, par
tiouIar measures of esch other aud used Of
Hamilton as the hyperbols and impesonedon Of these
from his seaan 10 this time his name has passed a.
bye-word OF political heerodpxy But Il Is beyond ths
as t"s sGo a. be the Limits Of an essay to .t:
the decisfon winch popular opinion has made upon it
"Ist the dead bury the tead
Alexander Hamilton of Scotch descent the father
and OF HuguenOt the mothers side. He born IN
the Isle OF Nevis in the West Indies the llh of Janu
ary, 1897. His mother died when he WAS q child. Hia
father iudgent crcumstanoes and the Child waa
left to The bounty Of ts mothers relations At esyea
ne was placed IN the counting house Of one Nicho
bly, precociousone Of the few children who, msnesinx
premature talents in youth vndeae at rpsr age their
early promise. He gsve at the carly age OF twolve
Tdicasion well of his bion OF his character He
wrote ths letter to crmparion, Eiwsru Ssvsns
tract from which we give
coBfe.s my weakness Ned my AMBITION prevalent -
that contenr the groyelng aSuon Of ceri the le
v @ n 5 x m s ssq wsS ss ~
ndeSt ssd shas youth sTaiudes from hope. ofG
hs w.y i1;isy M, i'm DAio:OpSs:
's SI:s:
ns xstS sss ss
The sequel will show whether the frultion Of the nAa
fulfilled these creams OF the Creole boy.
We have space in this connection trace Hsmu-
toms history, further than say that fifteen he was
placed In charge Of the large establishment of Crugsr
then writing an article for newspaper which gave him
he educated; At sixteen distinguishing himself q
writer the side Of the coensts; At seventeen d.
placed him in the front ranks Of popular orators
At nineteen. captain Of artillery; at twenty, waAh
the entire wars.Sns the last charge saIs &
then commencing the practice Of the law, rising TO
Of YORK. tbsu Seyonr bmss n tS.
national constitution in the place Of the articles Of
ecerscna member Of the Federal Convention, of tAs
Convention OF New York. and the most active advoeAts
and the able champion Of the ratification of the constu
tion.
Perhaps Hamtons best claim. to tame rest upon his
connection with the first of Washingtons adnnin-
uat'on. He became Secretary OF the Treasury in TIE
thirty first year Of bis sge he brought long expert
ence he gained in the tent OF Washington while adnas
terDg the large and varied duties Of the War Depart
ment in sort akin to that required in his nsv
post. But now he had wider 6eld. He had theatre
worthy OF his fertile and versatile genius, and task cs
ing into exercise the full of his powers He was
to assist to make Q country to start moving aud
untred experiment of government TO bring system
OF chaos to adapt new government to the wants.
cessities and genius Of people, to impress upon that
people homogeneous pstional character to revive
credit to Inspire confidence to create stability and
cury, and to inauguae the Seriul reign Of law -
The scattered elements which war had stewn or left
were 70 be gathered tcgeher and moulded into empire
a.
tons of the government; and these duties it Will b
seen at once were Of the most pressing and vital mpce
tanue. If the government failed Its failure would
be referred to the neglect Of tben the inability t.
discharge them with efficiency. Circumstances were
most ipauspcious the eaIouses of the Sates the pow
erful opposition to the constitution, ready to b
turned into opposition to the government the large
number OF influential and embttered malconents disap
ssS
rassmentthe effects of the long the disrus ths
experiment 80 extensively felt and the want of power
md in 20
home and abroad the angry collisions of differ States
with their sectional ealouses and antipathies
and desttution of hosts of caorous creditors With
the worthless paper of the government hand:
| the natural jealousy Of power in those who haA
foreseen offending multitudes OF expectants o.
the favor of bounty of the government, or of
aSherents to particular projects and schemes of
sdministrstion-these things would have the task
Of government most embarrassing and difficult without
the add ion ef the inherent diff oultes administrators
novel plan, where there lights experience
70 grde direct it. and where vexatious auss
iors must arise at every turn
One great peint was gainsd-w washington's name was
tower Of strength. The PATRIOTS oo felt that it was
now test time Of al for which they had suffered Tor no
propect Of salvation could be the unsuc
cessful issue Of the present trial.
Hamilton thought that in this state of things strength
and vlgor Indispensable elements of scess Hs
military experience had shown him that nearly all ths
csasers OF the had been oocasoned by the feeble
ners he Congress and the evidences q
the general administration under the articles confede
ration, and OF the individual State governments
rmed and strengthened him in the opinion that vsor in
the head OF the nation the absolute necessity OF te
lime. WAS certainly very natural for statesman 10
suppose that strength the pAnacea for a repubis
whose great and apparent evils had originated in weak
ness.
Never upon earth there sterner trial Of greatness
than exhibited. To falter tai-to atteups
thing was to risk everything Irresolaton itself wa
irretrievAble ruin. RESPONSE nity the fearful
awaited every movement. Yet be did not hesitate. He
took the bocest measure He was as thorough Il his
execution he clear and Of policy.
His remedies for existing disorders sharp and h9
proposed them with and confidence and prose-
cuted them with zeal and decision He struck at onoe
at the seat OF the public disorders. The government
have credible sought it in acts of justioe-he
funded the public debt-the government wanted money
he laid on axss and exa'ses. The populaoe camored
against the law he paused. The whskey bovp
in rebellion against the excise He was for putune
them down at the point OF the bAyonet He estabishsd
the Bank Of the United States for the convenience Of
commerce and the use Of government.
Soon the effect OF these became sensible In
the guage of Webster che struck the rock Of tho pub