New-York tribune., 1885-03-16
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
rur WORKS OF ALEXANDER HAMILTON.

THE WORKS OF ALEXANDER HAMlLioN.
THE coMpLETE WORKS OF ALEXANDER HAMihls AMI
TON Including his private eorresposaesc&e, & WIN into
n, and ~ the contributions 10 "The Federaist OF
Hamilton. Jay and Madison. Edited, with an In
Mea"S.Ha Nns Volumes. large syo Vol G. P. Putnams
Sons
Talleyrand, whose Judgment was as strong as his
knowledge of his contemporaries was extensive
said that the three greatest men he had known
were Napoleon, Charles Fox and Alexander hain
,lton He recognized In the latter tnat
stasesmauljke prescience and grasp Of essential
princples which .ignalize true genius and he was
ss,oniabed at the keen comprehension OF European
rolitics eyiseed by the American During his pub
lie career Hamilton's intellectual supremacy con-
finually asserted itself. His first controversial
effort was so mature that it was ascrloea 10 JAY
and when in after years the anti-Federslists were
flooding the press with aggressive pamphlets
Hamilton had but to enter the fray to scatter
their best writers the descent OF al
eagle scatters a noisy troop of crows. Jenerson'
against whom he was pitted OF necessity, because
they represented antipodal theories OF government,
never could make head against him controversiaily,
and the convincing force of Hamllton's ratiocna-
tlon. whether in speech writing, was 30 great
that his measures always carried VIXEN the decision
was unbiased by extraneous preJudiees ana prepos-
sessions. AS distance clears our view of the perloo
in which he lived, moreover. the magnitude OF MS
genius is moro plainly recognized, and we per
ceive the extent of those public ser
vices which contributed, almost as much
as those of Washington, to soidify and cement tne
Union of States No Statesman of his time GER
tainIy has left SO deep and abiding mark upon
the course of the country. Take away Hamiltons
aid to the adoption of the Federal Constitution,
TO the Assumption Act to the Funding Bill. to the
inculcation of sound financial principles, and 1T
must be considered extremely doubtful whether
any one of those steps would have been taken
which were so absolutely necessary to give vital
ity. consistency, durability and integrity to the
development of the cnfranohised colonies.
The strongest tendencies of the time when he en-
tered public life were distinctive. Federalism
was received with deep distrust Strong govern
ment was held TO be an evil of itself. There was
no financial stability, no commercial prosperity,
and not muck sense of responsibility. Out of this
welter of anarchic tendencies Hamilton evolved
order and the means of progress Nor could he
have achieved this by reasoning alone. But to an
argumeptative talent of the highest order he added
that power of comprehen5ing the force of existing
conditions which differentates the practical states
man from the closet philosopher. He could not
only evolve sound theories of government. but he
could so present them as to win the confidence OF
even those who were tending in an opposite di-
rection.
And there is no American statesman whose works
are more valuable for study and instruction at the
present time. for so thoroughly grounded was
Hamilton in fundamentals that on many OF the
principles discussed by him modern research has
been able to add little that Is new while the truths
of finance and political economy have never been
expressed with greater power, clearness ana
felicity than IN his writings We must stlIl go 10
the Federalist for the best commentary on and ex-
NO nd
nowhere sounder examination of the theory of
protection TO native manufactures than in his
writings Whatever success in national finance we
have achieved has resulted from pursuing the
course plainly indicated by him at the foundation
of the republic.
Talleyrand said of him that he had OWNED
Europe but his countrymen may with more truth
say that he foresaw the future of the United States
As regards the danger of sectional disputes needed
no gift of prophecy even then to predict mischief.
for the spirit of secession and the intolerance of the
shareholders were rampant as half CEN
tnry later But it is impossible not to admire-in the
sense of maryelling at-the singular sagacity with
which he perceived the need OF financial measures
which should cement the power OF the central gov
ernment attach to it the support OF tho SOBER,
thrifty Masses and diminish the motives for desir-
ing the extension of state sovereignty. But ior
Hamilton's mastery policy, the nrst half century
over this burning question. His financial measures
really settled the controversy long before the poll
ticans had ceased dispute oyert for they secured
IN the Federal Government the firm support of the
weghty men throughout the country, and made the
States rights doctrine Incompatible with the maln-
tenance of national prosperity
The Federaists fell but they owed their defeat
to internal dssensions, which never could have
disrupted them had they been content to follow
the wisest leader party ever possessed and their
fall in no way affected the soundness of the doc
trnes he upheld Throughout his career his infiu-
ence was cast on the side of those principles which
the majority of the American people have since in
dorsed He was the advocate Of Nationalism,
progress, enlightened finance and political econ
omy and all the lines of action upon which the
prosperity of the country has been built up,
as against that Jefersonian doctrine whose sue
cess at any time must have resulted IN disruption,
stagnation, and anarchy in politics. finance and
commerce. Nor can time ever cone when the
writings of such statesman will be obsolete or II
will be unnecessary 20 study them carefully. Even
from purely literary poIut of view Alexander
Hamilton deserves attention, for nowhere IS there
a more vigorous, incisive, yet dignlfed and lucid
style than he employs, and those W no, lnfected 1y
the modern fppant way Of regardIng men OF the
useful lesson by observing the economy of words
which marks Hamilton, and the skill with
sentences. Aud there is educational value iE the
elevation of his thoughts; the sustained nobiepess
Of his discourse is the 6readth td oi sreSt spirit
Yet it is only today that the American public
works The edition of 1850, published by order Of
Congress- has became so scarce that 1t is difficult
70 obtain copy; That edition moreover does not
1ss.d ho Shs good Sss Of wholly @
It. 1t was therefore fitting that