New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-12-30


IN. gallery. Nevertheless under the leadership Of
Schuyler, George Clinton and Philip Livingston,
.ae Assembly stood out manfally for two years.
Our author indeed, speaks Of it's having given way
in l76e and Of its having, in so doing but initiated
a precedent set by Massachusetts, but both these
statements are, we think, incorrect. That work
was reserved for the Assembly elected in the Spring
Of 1869, at which the moderate party triumphed.
Lieutenant Governor Golden artfully prepared the
way for it by consenting to bill for the emission Of
psper money, TO be lent ont, according to the
fashion of that day, to such persons as could give
the required security, the interest to go into the
public treasury. The British Government were
opposed to these sort of emissions and had Of late
yearq much TO the dissatisfaction of the coOnists,
forbidden the Colonial Governors to assent to them.
But Golden obtained leave TO assent TO this bill, by
representing that the accruing interest, which
could not be applied without the Governors assent,
would furnish fund out of which provision might
be made for the troops.
The next step of retrogession was taken, not by
the Assembly, but by the merchants, in the aban.
dopment Of the non-mportatiOn agreement as to
everything but tea, for which an excuse was found
in the repeal by Parliament of all the late import
duties except on that single article. Our author,
with that zeal for the honor of New-York which he
constantly exhibits, endeavors indeed to throw the
blame of this change Of policy upon the delin-
quency of Boston and Philadelphia in not standing
up squarely to the old agreement. However that
may be, it is certain nevertheless, that those two
towns at first rejected the proposal of New-YOrk
to modify the non-importation, and if New-YOrk is
entitled to the honor of originating the non-impOrta
tion she must be content to submit to the dscredt,
if so it is to be regarded of having led the way in
its abandonment. In fact, it was an impractlcable
policy, except for a very short periOd-so long,
that is, as the old stocks lasted. 1t required too
much selfdenial, not merely on the part of the
merchants, but on the part of consumers, who
were just as little inclined to forego their accus-
toned Injuries as the merchants were TO fOregO
their accustomed profits.
From this time, New-York fell off altogether
from the position of leadership which she had tenn
pOrarily held. A suen calm of two or three years
succeeded, during which even the press, which in
former years had sometimes spoken out pretty
plainly was silent. 1t was during this interval
that Alexander Hamilton, then a boy of fifteen,
stranger from the West Indies, became resident
If the City of New.York, over the destinies of
which, as well as of the province and the continent
he was destined to exercise 80 powerful an infu-
ence. On his fathers side he was Of Scotch de.
scent; in fact, our author, emulating the genoa
logical zeal of Irving in his Life of Washington,
traces HamitOns descent to Bernard, near
kinsman of Rollo, the first Duke of Normandy, and
of William the COnquerOr." The ped-'
gree descepds through the Cambuskeath branch of
the Scotch family of Hamilton Alexander's father
having been the fourth son of the fourteenth in
descent from the founder of that branch. This
long pedigree, however, appears not to have
ayailed him much. Like SO many other Scotch.
men, he went to the West Indies to seek his for
tune. He established himself at st. Christopher
as merchant or trader but soon failed in business,
and passed the remainder of his life in reduced
circumstances.
1t was to his mother that Alexander Hamilton
owed his genius and his energy, and it was to her
family that he was indebted for his means of educa-
ton and setting out in the world. She was OF
French Huguenot descent. Her maiden name was
Faucette. Her father, aphysican and man OF
education and polish, had settled in Nevis, close by
ST. Kits. a little island which rises like cone
from the ocean, but with some fertile land round
the shore, upon which was planted one of the
earliest English settlements in the West Indies.
Hamiltons mother had first been married to
Dane named Layine, rich man, whom she did not
love- and from whom she obtained divorce.
Hamilton, who was born on the 18th of JAN
uary, 1857, had the misfortune to lose her in
childhood; but her relations, who resided at Santa
Cruz, took charge of the orphan child. His first
nstructress was a Jewess, who made the little boy
stand by her side on table, and taught him to re.
peat the ten commandments in Hebrew. There
were no great advantages of education at Santa
Cruz; butt beside English, the young Hamilton
acquired French which he spoke and wrote with
Huency, and he eagerly read such books as fell in
his way He enjoyed also the friendship and sd
vice of DR.. Knox, Presbyterian clergyman of the
island, who had been struck with his unusual abl-
ties. From him, too, he acquired touch of
divinity and polemcs and WAS confirmed by him in
that respect for religion which adhered to him
through life.
At twelve years of age he was placed in count
ing-house at Santa Cruz. This ayocaton was not
much to his taste. He longed for active life.
War, by the English of the last century, was much
more generally looked to than now as the road to
distinction. John Adams, while a school
master at Worcester, had his military aspirations,
and would have gone into the army could he have