New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-10-08
NEW PUBLICATIONS.

worthless depends partly upon the man, and partly
upon the character of his "reminiscences. The life OF
the most insignificant human being would be worth
relating, if he could only view it from within out
wards :" but regarded from without merely, only the
lives of the great demand attention. To remember
is doubtless pleasure, even when remembrance is
touched with sorrow, but it is pleasure which few
can share with us for what in eyes OF the
greatest Importance through the power of asSocla-
ton is frequently of the least importance 10 others
Before we can hope to interest others IN ourselves
we must contrve to awaken their sympathy, OF curl
osity, after which they will be ready to hear what
we have to say, if we are not too TEDIOUS III say
mg il. Time when the world was
not inpatient of proliXity when it would
read epics like the HAD Paradise Lost ntermina
bic romances like those MademoiSelle de Scudery
rad whole volumes of letters like those of Madame
de- Scyigny, Pope and Horace WapOle. But that
time is past. To be listened to at all now one must
be brief. Something may be allowed 10 those VINO,
having led special career, prone to dwell upon
its specaltes, as a soldier upon warfare ana
painter upon art, but they must give us more than
mere specaes before they can be acceptable to u.s.
The best "reminiscences are those which embrace the
widest range of topics, which most general-n
word which give the most pleasure to the greatest
number.
Tested by the standard that we have laid down
above and we believe it to be a Just one the Re
niniscencesn of Mr. Hamilton as faulty in some
respects as they are mertOTiOus in others Mr. Ham
ilton has had long life-he is over eighty-but
even so long q life when no more eventful than
his has been, ought to have been dispatched
IN less than six hundred octave pages
especially when but two three of its leading
epOchs or episodes arc dwelt upon. Mr.. Hamilton
has not remembered all that worth remember
ing i'm his careerwe are sure but he has remembered
lirly hot he o
forgotten 1t doubtless interests him that he was at
enc time Assistant Secretary of State and that he
wrote official letters and papers 10 President Jack
son, Martin Van Buren,, and others but, accepting
the fact as one important enough for narration, we
cannot get up an interest in the documents which
illustrate it. Nor do much TO know that MI
Hamilton was doubtful to the capacity and
honesty of Collector Swartwout. We would not
willingly spare however, the glimpse which he
gives us of bis youth: Il distinctly recOllect the
scene at breakfast in the front of the house in
Broadway BY dear mother seated, as was her wont,
at the head of the table, with napkin In her lap,
cutting slices of bread and spreading them with
butter for the younger boys who standing at herside
read in turn chapter in the Bible or portion
of Goldsmith's Rome. When the lessons were
finished the father and the elder children were called
to breakfast, after which the boys were packed OH
to school," We could wish that Hamilton had re-
father Alexander Hamilton, who to his other accom-
plslments added the virtue of being honest law
yer He was called upon on one occasion by man
from Long Island who wished to retain him IN a
suit brought by the heirs of an estate for which he
was the executor. He placed the writing table
near Hamilton a large fee i'll gold, and then stated
his case. Hamilton pushed the gold back to his
wouldbe client and SAID, 81 will not be retained by
You in such a cause. Take your money, and gohome
Il ola Will thp HON
in Justice bound to dO'
Mr. Hamilton has naturally something TO say IN
regard to the aspersons which jefferson cast upon
his father after the latter had ceased to be
Secretary of the Treasury; but the defense
he makes was scarcely needed, since the
world has long since come to the same
conclusion as Washington, who declared Jefferson to
be "a most profound hypOcrite." To show Jetier-
sons animus Mr.. Hamilton quotes a letter from Gal
latin who succeeded Hamilton as Secretary of the
Treasury and whOwas charged by Jefferson to exam
inc into the records of his Department. in ORDER as
he said to discover the frauds and blunders of Ham
ilton and to ascertain what changes would be re-
quired in the system "1he task Mr.. Gallatin
wrote, Twas performed thoroughly occupying much
fine An the accounts and correspondence were
looked into and thus became master of the whole
system and all its details. When l had finished |
went to Mr.. jefferson and SAID to him: Mr.. Pres-
dent, have, you directed me to do made a most
thorough examination of the books, accounts. and
correspondence of my Department, from its COM
mencement' The President. with some eageness,
interrupted me. saying: We'll, Galiatin what have
you found 2 i answered: l have found the most |
perfect system formed; any change that should
be made in it would injure it. Hamilton made no
buuders, committed frauds. He did nothing |
wrong think Mr.. jefferson disappointed"
Mr. Hamilton discusses the reraiG QuestO of the
authorship of WashngtOus Farewell Address, andn
he does not conclusively prove that it the work
OF his father lie leaves but little for doubt that
suth was the fact. He gives the testimony of the
Hon. George Cabot who said that when the Address
was published it was understood by HamiltOns
friends that he wrote it, but that 1t was considered
important at the time that it should have the infu
ence OF Washington'5 name and character. Sparks
was at one time inclined 10 open the matter, but
lie came the conclusion that il not wise to DO
So 1t would add, he thought, little to the general
reputation of Washington Hamilton, if one the
other should be found its sole author since it derived
It's value and destined to Immortality chiefly
from the circumstance Of its containing wise, pure,
and noble sentiments sanctioned by the name of
Washington. All Of which may be true-ony that
is not the way in which history should be written,
even by Sparks
Mr. Hamilton has not remembered so much as we
should have expected of his early legal life of
The difficulties which must have surrounded him at
that period Iemarried early and happily, but both
himself and his wife were without means "Our
poverty" he says, "was so extreme that during
our first year We boarded at four dollars a
week for EACH ! now look back upon this
event as not only tho happest but most
fortunate occurrence of my long and cventful