The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-02-18
Washington and Halnilfon.
From the Boston Courier, Jan. 80.

rise TO some commens on the claim preferred by s
thor, John c. Hamilton, 10 the composition by Colonel
Hamilton Of many Of Washingtons letters. These com
ments seem 10 have msak the ground taken by the
author, who has confined himself TO quotation Of Wash
"drawn by his aids and secretary Washington thus
publicly svowing the fact claimed in this work, OF Ham
toms psrumentality and that OF the other members Of
his staff.
The subject admits OF wide and large discussion For
the present. conne ourselves To the publication Of
The view taken by gentleman fully conversant with the
matter. This gentleman is the son of an officer
of the Massachusetts, line, and has In his posses
sion numerous letters of Washington. His posi-
ton lawyer is among the most eminent in
this country his character commands universal respect
scholar and of taste know not his superior;
and he is distinguished for that calm wisdom which rarely
errs We may add that he was, during their lives the
intimate friend of Judge Bushrod Washington OF ChiefJus
tice Marshall and Of Daniel Webster and does no in
justice to the estimate of either Of those eminent
personages to say that he is equally with either of them
ornament to our country.
This gentleman Observes
Doubtless the tenor Of the letters was prescbed or d.
rected by Washington II there rs any thing in the man.
per of describing them as being written "under the sig
nature OF Washington, or IN hs oehali or "ior nm
far be admitted 10 be erroneous; but II implies
thing to the contrary, as the primal authority, con-
troll and lead Of Washington in regard 70 the fundamental
purpor bearing of every letter signed by Washington,
Is the very thread connection Of the history But what
cannot be admitted that the manner in which the lead
ing thought purpose expressed these letters is that
Of Warrington consequently the incidental quafca
ons which make that thought what In and nothing ese
planned justified or enforced These were not Washing
toms and were Hamtons. No man who In familiar with
General Washngtons style can possibly entertain the
opinion that these letters his composition
who familiar with the style OF Hamilton entertain
doubt that they throughout the composition Of
hamilton. They contain the leading thought purpose
of Washington, expressed and enforced by Hamilton
in his words and manner, with ell the inciden ns,
whether Of emphasis or qualification, OF Confederation,
thai in the judgment OF Hamilton would best exhibit
present the leading and controlling intention OF Washing
ton. All this results from both the internal evidence
and from the position OF Hamilton In General Washing
tons military family, which not that Of scribe or
copyst, but his "pncpa and most confidential aid " and
who satisfied the desideraum which Washington himself
described as absolutely necessary TO him. by being
"tfnt think for as well execute orders" F"
To what extent this done by Hamilton beyond the
mere leading thought purpose the occasional
suggestion of tha, thongbt be defined with any
certainty in his than in that Of Secretary Of
War to the Chief Executive of nation but in connecting
the public biography Of such officer with the progress
Of the revolution there seems To be less danger Of
injustice TO the Comm ander in Chief in making special
aftT button to he principal and most opndenal aid" Of
the letters which remain of his inditing than in the
in which the letters, orders proclamatons OF
President are attributed In point of authorship To the Sc
cretary of State by whom they c3unersgned. The
language used in this rcscect by the OF Gen Ham
ton. intended doubt to assert General Hamilton
authorship, not to exclude the direction, sugges-
ton, supervision or control of Washington; aud
he bad adopted in the of every letter some
NAL perplrass viii N would have deored the mage
Is not easy perceive hat ether method coulG have
been used that would not have obteracd The agency Of
Hamilton, and drawT the reaiers abortion exclusively
the author has subjected himself 70 criticism which by
other language he might have avoided without i'm
pairing the importance of Generh Hamt0ns agency but
for the most part such criticism will not proc cd from
these who were the uniform friends and admirers OF
Washington, but from the euogsts of those who
the coemporary friends neither Washington Haml
op, and who who willing 20 allow the praise of the
Only when obscured the Of the other Those
arc not the true friends OF washin gon who will not dis.
orimnate between those great qualities in which he was
unsurpassed, and perhaps uncqualled, by any OF
any agc, and those Qualities witch his medes,y dsclam
ed and the afccaton of which would have impaired the
unity as well as the grandeur OF his character.
TTrom tho Richmond whig, Feb I2I
The New York Erreu has done Tor the claim get up by
Wssbipptop;s Farewell Address That paper ssvs u,at
Chef Justice Jay several before his death which
occurred In 1929, published letter, in which he stated
dress, enclosed 70 Hamilton for eerusa and frecton
with request that might be shown IN him (Jsy) that
Hamilton after having read IT, scnt II TO him uncorre nod
thov 10 the conclusion that IL all right and
ought not 10 be altered that sent back 70 washing
ton without the alteration Of word and that II pub
Ii-bed exactly ~ Il when read by Hsaltou and
himself and II i-. 10 this ridiculous prctcnson Is
sisneed at once and forever. IT sesms strange to
A. Hamilton undoubtedly was, could not be con.
tented 70 let his fame rest upon ia own bottom,
never designed him 70 wear he should have run the rsk
of ncllnrg the world N doubt the merit which was
undoubtedly his In The latter part Of washrg,ns sd
Inlnstraon he bitterly assailod by tho minons of
party, ard of the chsrges alleged against him
that be Of In the hands Of Hamilton. No
who know anything OF Washington at thai day be-
licvcd word II the slsnder. No msn who has
read Mr. Jcncrson's memoirs can believe II now. No
man ever less under inruenoe-no man ever pos
tested moro unaltcrable reFouton when he believed
himself 10 be in the right That man never brestbed
that would have dared TO spproach washington with the
own purposes. Naturally Of strong passions, as all
great natures like his must of necessity be, he hsbItu
ally kept them under the complctest subjcc-
ton 70 bis reason when they did escape his
control however, was the case sometimes but very
rarely they made all trembe who bched tbs explosion.
Mr. Jefferson describes az terrific beyond description
II NAY be down absolutely certain that neither Al
erander Hamilton any body else wouli ever presume
very FAR upon the good nature Of 80 sasscicu.
denfed and so le disposed 20 countenauce mper,nsnt
intormoddng Tho party writers Of the day however,
for their own purpoees represented Washington entire
ly In leading strings 10 Hamilton. II was their cue 10
place him before the world ignorsmas and hence
they maintained that he could not even write letter but
that Hsmton wrote all his letters for him il strange
that the son Of Hsricn--tha, whom above all
others he loved and rustedsbould think due IN The
fame Of bis father 10 revive thcse infamous caluncs Of
wssbingtons bitteres enemies We feel assured that
were Hamilton alive, and such sttemp, 10 be
made, 1t would excite his lvelest Indignation.
II our opinion not only that Washington wrote every
line Of the Farewell Address but that other who
ever lived could have written II II s Washington a
II cast OF his mind In an imperishabe material. II is
the portrsh or moral drawn by his own hand Full
OF wisdom, full OF knowledge OF man. fu Of knowledge OF
bis countrymen, full or knowledge q himself IL OF
thoec unique productions which not only have no existing
model, but which can never be successfully initiated.
has been admired by of all nations and OF all farss
a the very esserce Of political wisdom and unselnsh
tha, lob IL berays the hand of the master in the very
turn Of the sentences u delivered az from lnsp-
ration, and has turned out TO be prophecy Inerc
internal evidence enough 10 convice the most skepucs
But IL there not the testimony OF Mr. Jay suc'ent
to settle the matter. .
cnsan that relative Of Washington Is IN possession Of
20 much for the Farewell Address. The assumption Of
no