Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-12-08
Alexander Hamilton.

| 1t was mentioned In our Washington
| correspondence of day or two since,
that the librarian of Congress caused to
be placed in the retunda of the capitol a
statue of Alexander Hamilton. of heroic
size, executed in Italy by Horatio Stone,
of Washington, under an order of Con-
gress.
As one of the eminent statesmen,
jurists and soldiers whom the American
revolution produced, not inferior in YER
satility of genius to any other of the
public men of that time, Alexander Ham
ilton deserves to have prominent place
in any collection of statues commemoat-
ing the leading spirits of the revolution.
Whether in camp or council, whether
with pen or with tongue, whether at the
bar, holding the judges captive by the
power of logic, and the juries by the
magic of his eloquence, or as 6nancier,
in the language of Webster, shifting
the rock of public credit and causing
streams of revenue to flow forth" he was
equally admirable; and, in the combina-
ton of these gifts, unsurpassed. Alex.
snder Hamilton, as is well-known, was a
native of the West Indies, his father a
Scotchman and his mother of French
Huguenot descent. He was somewhat
over fifteen when he first removed to New
York, where he received his collegiate
education. Public attention was drawn
to him by speech which be delivered at
a meeting held in New York, July 6,
TIA, connected with the selection of del
egstes to the proposed Continental Con-
gress. He was only seventeen when he
made the speech that brought him into
public notice, and only nineteen when he
was commissioned as captain of artil-
lery.
Between that period and his early
death at the age of forty-seven, by the
hands of Burr, he had led career
second in distinction to few Americans
of that era. 1t was weakness of Ham
ilton that he should have permitted such
life as his to end by practice which
he emphatically condemned, aud by
which he had lost his eldest son, a youth
of twenty, in political duel some two
years before. Yet it deserves to be re-
membered that it was in his character
as a public man that he accepted the
challenge of Burr, in his own statement
Of his motives saying that "the ability to
be in future useful, whether in resisting
mischief or effecting good in those crises
of our public affairs which seem likely to
happen, would probably be iHseparable
from conformity with prejudice in this
particular.
In the present tendency toward con-
solidation of power in the General Gov
erument, the mind naturally recurs to
A 1ar Nil n w
furthest among the trainers of the Con-
stiiution for a strong national govern
ment. And certainly if that were to be
the goal OF which, by devious and bloody
ways, we were at last to arrive, it would
have saved the country long years of sec
tional struggles, ending in civil war, If IT
had been so nominated in the bond.
There were two prominent projects be-
fore the Convention which framed the
Constitution, one known as the Virginia
plan, which was the basis of the Consti-
tuition actually adopted, aud the other the
New Jersey plan, being only the then
existing confederation, amended in a few
particulars. Gen. Hamilton prepared
the Virginia plan, though be did not con-
slider that il was stringent enough to Sc
cure the object in view. A written sketch
which be offered 10 the convention, not
with an idea that il could be adopted, but
as indicating such frame Of government
as be would prefer, included an Assem-
bly, to be elected BY the people for three
years; a Senate 10 be chosen BY electors
chosen By the people, 10 bold ofce du-
ring good behavior, and Governor che
sen also for good behavior by electors-
The Governor was to have az absolute |
negative on all laws. and the appoint
.ment Of al officers. subject TO the spprc-
val Of the Senate. The Governors Of the
States we're 70 be appointed By the gen I
erAl government, and were tohave a neg 1
alive on ell State laws. The power Of
declaring var and Of raiifyirg treaties
vas 10 be invested IN. the Senate" Mr..
Hsniiton argued that j. vas ueceaary