The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-08-13

One midsummer day in 1774 d meet
 ing was being held in an open field in
 New York city to protest against Eng
 lands attempts to coerce the colonies | h the crowd was a smooth faced boy
 of 17. student of Kings College,
 now Columbia University. As this boy
 listened to the orators it seemed to him
 that they left some arguments in the | indictment unsaid. Pushing his way | to the platform, he stood before the people unannounced and unknown, and | began to speak At first the listeners
 were amazed at his youthful audacity, 1 but soon their surprise at the daring of | the proceeding was transformed into
 astonishment at the speech itself With
 a force o. logic that left nothing to be | desired. with a grace and f1uency of l diction worthy of trained orator,
 with an earnestness of conviction tEat
 aroused and moved to determination
 the will of his hearers. he spoke as few
 of any age can speak. That beardless
 college boy was Alexander Hamilton. and thus he began the public career
 which was of such vast service to his l adopted country. For we must remem-
 Der that the greatest statesman in our l history was not born on this continent.
 He first opened his eyes to the light on
 the island of Nevis, in the West In- l dies. His genius was early discovered.
 and he was sent to America at the age of 15 to gain an education and find a career. He had been in America. there fore. two years when he burst thus un- expectedly upon the sight of men in that marvellous speech in New York. Almost from that day Alexander Ham, ilton might be said to have been en- gagged in public affairs.
 Not long after this introduction to
 the attention of the world our young
 political philosopher wrote two tracts. in answer to some pamphlets, put
 forth by two of the ablest Tory writers in America. These tracts, one of which was a pamphlet of nearly 80 pages,
 were unsigned. But they presented the case of the patriots so strongly, so clearly. so attractively and so unans- werably that their authorship was at tributed by some to Dr. Cooper, the president of the college. and by others to Gov. Livingston. When it was known that their author was this young college student his influence and popularity became at once widespread.
 At the age of IS Hamilton left the pursuits of the college student for the more stirring employments of the sold fer. As captain of an artillery company
 
 Long Island, and within a year had taken brilliant part in the battles of White Plains. Princeton and Trenton, had risen to the rank of colonel, and had been aaoIaint@d a member of Wash ington's staff and made his secretary. This was a high compliment to,a youth of 19. but the result justified the ac- tion: for the secretary, young as he was. was the braniest man in Amer ica. He was Washingtons principal counsellor. and it was he who advised his chief. in the emergencies of the contest. to measures that bought some of the greatest successes of the war. His astuteness was illustrated in the advice he gave when Washington had the opportunity of capturing the Brit ish general. Sir Henry Clinton. Have You considered the consequences of seiZing the General?" asked he. What would these be-" inquired Washington. We should lose more than we would gain. since we perfectly understand his plans. and by taking him off We should make way for an abler man. whose dispositions we have not yet learned"
 But 1t was in the field of National finance that Hamilton's abilities were conspicuously manifested and that he rendered to our country his most val | uable service. In this difficult sphere | he was born to be supreme. While yet | a youth in years he suggested at vari- | ous times to members of the Continen- | tai Congress means of raising revenue | and other financial measures that were not only of great service at the time, but that contained the clements of that nscal system which later he put into successful operation when he was the Secretary nf
 When the Convention that framed the met in Philadelphia, Ham, ilton was one of it's most influential members. The war had been ended four years. During that interval the people had been trying to live under the articles of confederation, but the had proven to be rope of sand. It had no power. It could make treaty. but could not force it's observance. It could vote appropria- tions and levy taxes. but could not col feet them. It could recommend laws. but it could not enforce obedience. As a result of this inefficiency the Confed- eration was disregarded at home and despised abroad. Even the despicable little piratical state of Algiers had the lnbridled impudence tn declare war lpon the United States, and the Con sress was helpless. It could not build even two or three ships with which to cross the ocean to chastise the unsav- ory Moslems. :.:.. :.= .::. .':..:
 The situation had become unbearable and a convention was called to remedy he difficulties. The Constitution form Ilated by that Convention constitutes he substantial framework of our coun- try as we know 1t to this day. And hat framework was in no small meas Ire constructed by the prolific mind and the far-seeing wisdom of Hamil- on. Not that he was altogether satis- ied-he would have preferred much stronger. more centralized form of gov But when the general plan lad been once agreed upon he contrib lted largely to make the Constitution he best possible. Guizot, the great French historian and statesman. says: There is not in the Constitution of the United States an element of order or 'orce or duration which he did not powerfully contribute to secure"
 But to propose the Constitution was ,ne thing; to secure it's adoption was luite another Before it could go into operation it must be ratified by nine States. And in some of these States here was strong opposition. This was notably the case in Hamilton's own State. New York. And here his genius hone trans cendent. It is possible that he Constitution might have failed of ldoption anG the last State of the Ma ; ion have been worse than the first lad it not been for that remarkable i eries of articles published in New l York paper which under the general !,