The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1871-08-01

Harrison. n,..........3 Yarmouth, ,..........4
Per Older Rep. Co. Committee.
JOHN 6. COBB, Chairman.
The Wife of Alexander Hamilton.
BY JAMES PARTON.
1 cannot wonder that women sometimes
complain OF their lot, because the happiness
OF that lot appears to be so little dependent up
on themselves. Some of their acutest suffer-
ings come from the misconduct or the errors
OF Others-a parent, a husband, son, a broth
Grover whom they may, indeed, exert much
influence but whom, in the crisis of their fate,
they can seldom control.
Mrs. Hamilton was a lady of stainless life,
who was cOnspicuousy unhappy, solely
through others iault-the victim of wrongs
which were complete before she knew they
were contemplated. Nevertheless. in her.
case, as in that of most OF the sons and daugh
tiers of earth, "good-hap and sorrow" were So
blended, that we can hardly tell whether to re-
gard her as an object OF envy or OF pity.
She was reared in one OF the happiest Of
American homes. The daughter of General
Philip Schuyler, and of his wife, Kitty Van
Rensselaer,, she passed NEST of the days OF her
youth at the famous Schuyler mansion, still
standing in Albany, at the head of the street
that bears her fathers name. As she was born
in175S, she mnsthave been little girl of eight
years of age when her father moved into the
Schuyler mansion, then just finished. Except
the VanRensselaers and Livingstones, there
was no family in that part OF the state who
maintained more elegant establishment
than that of which she was member. Her
parents were blessed with fourteen children,
oil whom Betsy, as she was called, was the
second daughter.
When DR.. Franklin, at the beginning oil the
revolutionary war, with his brother commits
sionels, Chase and Carroll, made his celebrat-
ed pilgrimage to Canada, to try and
induce the Canadians to join the
thirteen colonies, he was wecOm.
ed, at the landing in Albany, by General
Schuyler, who took them home to dinner, pre-
sented them to the two daughters he had at
home, Betsy and Peggy, whom one of them
described as "lively, agreeable, blackeyed girls.
Betsy was nineteen then. The two young la
dies and their father appear to have journey
ed with the commissioners as tar as Saratoga,
where General Schuyler had a country house.
At Saratoga, Mr. Carroll (aiterwards Arch
Bishop Carroll of Baltlmore) again records
the agreeable impression made upon his
preistly mind by the daughters OF the Gener-
al.
"The ease and affability with which we were
treated, and the lively behavior of the young
ladies', made Saratoga most pleasing sejour,
the remembrance of which will leng remain
with me-"
Such was Betsy Schuyler as young lady
one of the lights and ornaments of an Opulent
home-one of the daughters of man high in
the confidence of his countrymen. As the
war went on, during which their Albany
abode was the resort of officers passing hither
and thither, their visited them, now aud then,
| the young, alert, aud handsome-aid-de camp
of General Washington, Colonel Alexander
Hamilton. She met him first in ITS. when
he had been dispatched, young as he was,
just twenty-One, on a secret mission to Gen
eral Gates, to induce that somewhat insubor-
dlnate officer to spare some of the troops
which the surrender of Burgoyn had released
from duty in the north. Hamilton was sing.
uiariy attractive to women, as he was by wo-
men strongly attracted. We know nothing of
the course of the true love that sprung up be-
tween the daughter of the wealthy, country
gentleman, and the adventurer from the West
Indies, with nothing but his pay. He was
at Albany again after the explosion of Ar
| nOld's treason, and the execution of Andre,
| his affecting narrative of which touched so
many hearts in 1850.
A few weeks after those thrilling scenes,
and while he was still an aid de camp of
Washington, he was married at Albany to
Miss Schuyler, with the consent, as it seems,
of the family. This brilliant connection, so
unequal in the worlds eye, was made equal
by Hamiton's shining talents and dstin-
tinguished person.
Years passed. The war has ended. The
young husband, fresh from the fame acquired
at Yorktown, has studied law, has established
himself at New York, has acquired distinc-
tlOn at the bar, has become one of the fore
most statesmen of the time, the leading spirit
| OF Washingt0ns administration from which
/ he withdrew but to resume an ever r-bI ighten-
| ing career at the New York bar. What a
pleasing picture of the Hamilton family is
that which one of the sons has recently given
us in his "reminiscences.
| "Hamilton's gentle nature" writes his son
| (James Al "rendered his house a most joyous
one to his children and friends. He accom-
panied his daughter Angelica at the piano,
| when she played and sang. His intercourse
with his children was always affectionate and
confiding, which excited in them a cores
| pondng confidence and devotion. l distinct
| ly TecOllect the scene at breakfast in the front
loom of the house in Broadway mo. 24) My
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, stand
ing at her side, read in turn, chapter in the
| Bible, or portion of GOldsmth's Rome
When the lessons were finished, the father
+! and the elder children were called to break
| fast, after which the boys were packed off to
| school,"
When we think of this picture of the happy
mother and faithful wife, with her eight chill
dren about her, ministering in that homely
way to their wants, it is hard to forgive
Hamilton for his infdeity to her. While she
was absent from the city, a woman called at
| the Office of the Secretary of the Treasury
| and asked Hamilton for charity. He says, in
| his well known explanation of these events
that, having no money, he told her he would
call upon her in the evening; when he dis
| covered, as he remarks, that she was willing
to accept "Other than pecuniary consultations
This was the beginning of an amorous intrigue
| which, when he was compelled to avow it
brought so much shame upon him, and sor-
row upon the wife he had wronged. At that
period, SO lightly were such things regarded
that many people admired far more the pub
| lie apology which Hamilton made his wife,
than they censured the injury he had done
her. A more desolating blow was in store
for her. Her eldest son, a dissipated, foolish
| Young man of twenty, excited by wine, out
| rageously insulted gentleman at the thea
| ter. A challenge to mortal combat followed.
On Sunday afternoon, in November, 1901,
the parties met at the usual duellng ground
at Hoboken. on the very spot where, three
years later, Hamilton, himself, fell before the
fire of Aaron Burr. At the first shot, Philip
| Hamilton received a mortal wound, and be
was borne, from the ground across the river,
and taken to a house near The shore. He
fingered thirty:siy hours, during which the
most pathetic scenes occurred about his bed
side. A private letter, written at the time
shows US the mother and the father at the
side of their dying son:
"Al the physicians in town were called
for" writes this correspondent, Sand the new
spread like confagration. At the theater,
was informed OF it about nine O'Clock, Mon
day evening. Immediately ran to the house
near the state prison, from whence was toll
they dare not remove him. Picture to youl
self, my dear girl, the emotions which mus
have assailed me on my arrival at his room
to which was admitted as his old collee
classmate. On bed, without curtains, la
poor Phil, pale and langnid, his rolling, di
torted eyeballs darting forth the flashes of de
iirlum. On one side of him, on the sam
PED, lay his aeonized father; on the othe
his distracted mother; around him, numel
Gus relatives and friends, weeping and fixe
In sorrow. Blanched with astonishment ar
, alright was the countenahce which, fe
moments before, was illumined by the smi
of meriiment. could continue in the rooi
! but very short time. Returning home,