New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-11-23
ADDRESS OF MIR. BREWSTER.

man. whose statue you have seen unveiled, Is full OF
marked historical events II Is impossible to relate his
life to sketch outline OF his remarkable
thoughts and deeds without repeating the history OF unr
country He took part In the first utteranees OF remon
STRANGE and proposed resistance to the arbitrary acts oil
the Mother Country and from that moment down to the
fatal end Of his great aud useful life he was personally
associated With many OF the prominent and triumphant
results of thar great Revolution, and when indie
pendence was secured he the father and author oil
the main principles OF our National Constitution.
The Government established chiefly by his efforts
As the Financial Minister OF President Washington he
organized the action and guided the executive and
other functioEares in the Inauguration and admins
traton OF the first constitutional, democratic republic
that had existed. The subject Is majestic and colos-
sal The magnitude and grandeur OF it Overawes me
Alexander Hamilton is the glory Of this nation Jufiss
statesmen ana philosophers OF all nations Will honor
and reverence his name He Will be ranked with the
greatest and wlsest philosophers and lawglvers Scion
and Igcurzrs and Aristotle could have sat down with
him and found in him kindred spirit" We are almost
too near too him fully take in the dimensions OF bis
almost superhuman wisdom and genius Time, like dis
tancc. can alone display to men the magnitude and
height OF his works and thoughts.
John C. Hamilton a surviving SON to-day with dial
picty and gratitude for your yeneraon of his father
bcstows upon you this just resemblance OF him whose
gentle he lost the threshold of his bDyhcod This
work is to give to you and 10 pOsery somo memorial
of his presence and bearing, that hereafter may
SEE what Of man he to whom such honor IL
due and from whom havo received so much. Let me
tell YOU vino he lie Of a historic and noble
race OF men. His father was Scot. His mother
French happy mixture of blood. cOnfcrrInI qualities
that conspicuous In his whole He born
tie lin OF Januarr 1857 IN News. OF the small
OF the Lceward Islands possession OF the British
Crown. Early in lfe he was left an orphan His mems
were slender Oooyng she impulse of his wnich
IS in the spirit hi people in his hnyhood he sought and
obtained employment. II rot IN his temper 10 cat
the bread OF IDLE dcpendence Occupa on aud usefulness
essential 10 his very existence Dignity anu nde-
and power 10 all that h. did. When he was twelve
years od he entered the eountns-nodse OF Merchant
and commanded TIC cJuii tencc Of his emploj er,
who. wien absent, committed ms whole AFFAIRS TO his
control In ms every suit he adopted, ne dis
played aptitude and Industry / ccsslht, cohilnu"us
icHtiOu. labor the rulr OF his HE. IL
PLAIN those about hlm aud around him that he pO,-
sessed superior mind that needed and demanded an
opportunity for Instruction ana learning to complete his
mAMiLroNs EARLY YEARS
The speak then described the career OF Alexander
Hamilton a student at Kings College (no@ Columbia
Coege) and referred to the wonderful genius exhibited
by HIM wme yet a student He alluded 20 his brilliant
record as military officer. and spoke OF efficiency
with which he managed important affairs OF thai
were trusted to HIN before he had attained mis- major
ity lie then continued:
TIE war was soon ended, and he returned TO civil
life pursuits. In this city he prosecuted the study
suned the leadership IN that profession. Independence
had been secured, but Win 1t came host Of Greadiu
and economy Of society was IN confusion approaching
anarchy The currency was worthless ana an standard
neasures OF value had been destroyed. Debtors were
PENN ess and creditors with NJ remedy The very
foundations OF society were shaken The States asserted
TIE IdOw OF public authority FOR local purposes,
and the Congress OF the Confederation was with ut
means credit and feeble to enforce its
mens. The Army IN state OF muuny and cstIti-
sTair no, sessed almost all men The nDerrs we had
rac enjoy. Hamilton never despaired He fath0med
the whole Subject and with "a force thar was
his great gfi forth in clear aud weIldefned
words the public wants Of ne confederate colonies
Impre ssc, IA BY supernatural cal, with Of
the duty that set before hin-hs appointed task
his mls,ion-ne began the work OF construction With
this dsiniegrated chaotic condition 81 DeWldered colo
mes walking with otlering steps III the PATHWAYS OF
pubc authority with TINS confused ana anxious BODY
of uGhanpy AID enfeebed com nuntes he proposed 10
deal. They TO be- the subjects If mis- inteec tua
tempted from tmc to Time with the SANE material, in
the carly days OF their colonial life But
they wrs the aecs Of the G2oSg
,hen they free from tie sorIows Of that rIbu
bending under. Now we were Independent ana must
take our place among nations Tn necessities OF
voice and his pen Hamilton abOred necessarily iin-
press the people the necessity OF establishing
and supreme government the only
OF restoring order and maintaining the independence
had fought lor ana won.
HELPING TO FORM TIE CONSTITUTION.
Here this state ne organized the action OF its public
W
the Congress of the Confederation and there with
earnest. persising zeal he abored.
Both plans submitted before the Convention were dan
gerous The Virginia one. as Hamilton said, " to
enact civil war" TIE other led anarchy TIE disso-
luton Of the Convention feared Hami, lion stood
alone and at this critical moment he his own
PLAN Mr.. Madison has said of it that 1t was |
so prepared that might have gone into immediate
effect # 1t had been adopted" Read 1T now aud read it
side by side with tho Constitution. and at once |
how near the one is the counterpart Of the other II
was changed and modified conflicting opinions
AMI avoid objections but entire paper the re-
'embauce remains II IS marvellous production OF |
intel cot and OF wisdom No sueh thing ever done |
before No such plan OF nationality projected
by wit of man. That 1t could have thus
done passed human understanding. the brst
adjusted scheme for composing all differences In dispute
md rrconcing all points OF contention thar could have
been suggested The danger that tndcl the
authority he foresaw ana dealt with. The fierce trial
through which have just lac predicted and pro-
anarchy.
'Tractas ct incedls per ignes
SuppOslt0s cineri doloso"
Had public men authority Needed his warning and |
repeed that dangerous element. the that wellngh
destroyed US would never have happened But the
galue OF his wisdom seen and felt In the power that
retained 10 assert the National authority and man
tain the National lfe How finely he expresses tie
sprit OF our Government, which IL the spirit If our
people when he said We forming u repuoli-
can government. Rea liberty is neither found in des-
potism nor la the extremes Of democracy. but in mod
erate government. Those who mean to form solid
publican government ought H. proceed TO the confines
VI another government AS long offices are open 10
all and constitutional rank is established tits
pure republ cansm. But IL we incline much TO
shall shoot into q monarchy"
Popular liberty and popular suffrage to express pop
uar WILL are ali plain enough to MS now but then men
We re startled with them No such tnrue hts organ
zed popular 10 produce such stable results for
ends mad ever before then been enforced and
uttered.
To all but 10 him they ideal and theoretical |
Now they real-iDsttutlOnal practical. common |
His Intellectual vision could the promised land he
was not TO enter. lie prophesed as If inspired with
supernatural power.
The Constitution was adopted. and 10 that great paper
appended tue name OF George Washing on Benjamin
Franslin aud Alexander Hamilton. conjunction OF |
human greatness, OF human wisdom and human genius
never before united Then began his real labor From
us pen flowed mpid streams Of pure thought demon
raon those high themes Of puDlc right and private
luy that have never been surpassed aud which sub
nitted the reason ana the moral Nation
hen Congress frat assembled IL enacted aud proposed
Ratification Of the States the rst ten amendments