New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-10-16


difficulty in finding that it belonged 70 a p.r.
son OF the semi-biond type His eyes wer.
deem blue almost violet His grandson IA.
confidence in few of the well known portra;t.
OF them all those which he considers the b.,t
are the productions Of Sharpless. one Of which
in his own possession. he reproduces as frontia-
piece to this volume. He notes in passing that
there is little contemporary information On
Hamilton's physical appearances, but cites on.
or two souvenirs notably the saying OF ,ha
Due de Observation-Disclosures that Hani.
ton was zone Of the most interesting men il
America" and united with dignity and feel
ing, and much force and decision. delightful
manners, great sweetness. and was infniteI7
agreeable" After all his investigations the
biographer is justified in describing his person.
atty as "a mixture OF aggressive force and in
finite tenderness and amiability. One further
passage must quote intact:
There was something almost feminine in Ham
iltons gentl.ness and concern FOR the comfort and
dtidn sht 1 be endeare the soldiers Of his own
pany to him by sharing their hardships and pro-
emntS pocket with his own children he was ever
tender entering inttheir sports and Forgetting an
and Philadelphia were crowded with refugees hs
would hunt I up shs Seec fr the W @s 2
children 1t had been his habit TO travel upon the
S;re1r,t irdces one OF these Chancellor Kent
Who told a Story Illustrating HaniItons eonsidera-
Wntry ride Of many miles they reached a comfort
less INN Kent had gone TO BED early al'er !os5
out Of sorts The night cold. and the kindly
nature Of Hamilton was sVideng ge dS et by the
tered Judge Kent's room bearing an extra blanket
which he insisted on tuckn r aI Tt me 9 re-
and get we'll. What should We 90 X anything
! should happen to you?
Examples Of the sheer human sweetness a.
Il
eenius might be multiplied almost indefinitely
and in fact as We have indicated, the effect Of
this book will be to deepen the warmth Of feel
Ing with which Hamilton is regarded by hl
countrymen to-day. At the same time. tie
present biography Is not such mere recital e
virtues as would perhaps end by conveying
false and certainly not at all strong. impress
SION Where the author secures an admirable
balance to his analysis is in showing the traits
Of his hero In action. exhibiting the man N ha
career 50 far as that may be done without the
DEVELOPMENT OF an exhaustive and strictly
chronological survey
| He tells us about Hamilton as a writer and
orator, and then. dwelling for a little while On
his courtship and marriage and the noble Thar
acter Of his wife, he shows Us the lawyer
his office and in court, takes US Win ME
among his friends and enemies. glances at his
Il relation 10 pODUC dudIS, dAO ~ PtASS'S u -AS
troubles with Burr and the final tragic scene
| In every passage OF the long story the thing
that Is brought home to the reader Is Hari-
TOMS r,anliness, his share in the weakness as
well as the greatness of mankind, his Likeness
| to the understandable types in history ratn.
| than to the demigods. He was no respiendent
figure with feet of clay waiting for their IN
stability to be discovered by the pry1ng gossi2r
| OF later day. No man was ever more clearly
born to fling himself into the interests Of his
| fellows to make himself part and parcel OF MS
| time He had all OF its stamina and some OF
it's grave defects, the latter manifesting them
| selves in a certain excess of mundane liberal
ISM in a rather headlong pugnaclty, and. upe.
one occasion. in moral levity for which, TO be
sure, he paid only too dear
| In the whole intensely human arnalgarl there
| is everything save base metal His was chi
| Various nature and he moved through life with
! an uplifting tread, which you come to admire
| the more as you realize the pettiness OF mani
| of the squabbles in which he was immersed the
| sordd rough and tumble to which the political
| exigencies of his day committed him. There is
| a notable revelation of his point Of view N
one of the letters to his Betsy, written before
| their marriage. when the treachery OF Arnold
was to the fore. He writes on the day OF
| Andres execution and says:
1t was proposed to to suggest 70 him the lea
! Of an exchange for Arnold; but / knew should
have forfeited his esteem by doing H. ana tnerelSrs