West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1886-05-28
ALEXANDER HAMILTON.

Ch~raCtcristicS of the Man Who Marked
out Ga" Lines OF American Govern
meut.
The most prccocious Young man of
that day save perhaps William Pitt.
he had already given promise of
great career before the breaking ont
of the war. lie was born ON the Island
of Nevis, i'm the West Indies. i'm l157.
His father belonged to that famous
Scottish elan from which have come
one of the most learned mctaphN~i-
clans and one of the most original
mathcmauclanS of modern times His
mother was French lady. OF Iluguc-
not descent. and biographrrS have been
fond of tracing i'm his character the va
riouS qualities of his parents To the
Shrcwdne,s and persistence, the admin
istratiVe ability, and the taste for alb
stract reasoning which we are wont TO
find -'ciatrd i'm the highest typo of
Scottish mind he Joined "a truly French
VivaCity and grace. His earnest
ness, sincerity and moral courage
wcrc characteristics alike of Puri-
tam and of Hugucuot, In tho
course of his short life he exhibited a
remarkable mauy-sidcdurSs 30 great
was his genius for organization that i'm
many most essential rcSNCSts the
American Government is moving to-
day along the lines which me- was tho
first to mark out. As am economist ho
shared TO some cNtcptiu ttl9 s>hortcom-
ings of the age which IrcjCded Adam.
Smith, but i'm the special department
of finance he has been 'cQuaicd by no
other American statesman save Albert
Gallauu. He was a Splrndd orator
and brilliant writer, an excellent law
yer and a ar-headcd and Industrious
student of political history lie was
also eminent as a political leader, al
though he lacked faith i'm democratic
government, and generous mpa-
tience of temperament sometimes led
him to prefer short aud arbitrary by
paths toward desirable ends. which
can never hc securely reached save
along the broad but steep and ar
duous road of popular conviction But
with all Hamilton splendid qualities.
nothing about him is ,o remarkable as
the carly age at which 'rso were de-
vciopcd At the age of hfcou "a bril-
liant newspaper article brought him
into such rcpute in the little island of
Nevis that he was sent to New York TO
avail himself OF the best advantages
afforded by the Kings College. now
known as the Columbia. He had at
first no definite intention of becoming
an American citizen, but the thrilling
events of the time appealed strongly TO
the earnest heart and powerful intclIi-
gcncc of this wonderful boy. AT a
gathering of the people i'm New York
i'm July, l74, hi, generous blood
warmed, till rcsistlcss impulse
brought him on his feet to speak to the
assembled multitude II was no com
pany of half-drunkcn idlcrs that
throngcd about him. but an assem-
blagc of grave and responsible citizens.
who looked with some astonishment
upon the boy of seventeen years. short
and slight i'm stature. vet erect
and CmSar-likc in bearing, with
firm set mouth and great.
dark, earnest eyes III, eloquent
speech, full Of sense and without a syl-
liable of bombast, held his hcarcr, en-
tranccd, and from that day Alexander
Hamilton was q marked man. lie be-
gan publishing anonymous pamphlets,
which were at first attributed bv some
To JAY, and by other, 10 Livingston.
When their authorship was discovered,
the l.oyali-t party tried i'm vain TO buy
of the formidable youth. He kept up
the pamphlet-war. in the course Of
which he wofully defeated DR.. Cooper,
the Tory president Of the college; but
shortly aftcrward he defended the doe
tor house against an angry mob until
the unpopular old gentleman succeed
ed in making his escape TO a British
ship. Hamilton served i'm the army
throughout the war, for the most part
aS aid and secretary 10 Washington:
but in 1881 he was % Colonel i'm the line.
and stormcd rcdoubt at Yorktown
with distinguished skill and bravery.
He married daughter of Philip Schuy-
Ter. began the practice of law, and in
1882, at the age Of twenty-five, was
chosen delegate TO Congress. .-Johu
Fiskc, iu 1iiuut,r.