The Washington herald., 1913-03-13

| No man stood closer to Washington il
his purpose 10 strengthen and give pres
uge to the government than Hamilton
and no man was able to discover the
means with n surer genius.
Hamilton knew who the wellwishers ol
the new government were, whence its
strength was to be drawn, what it mus,
do to prove itself great and permanent
with an insight and thoroughness Wash
ington himself could not match; for Ham
iltOn knew Washington and the seats oi
his strength in the country as that self
forgetful man himself could not.
He knew that it was the commercial
classes of the cOuntry-such men as he
had himself dwelt among at the great
port of New York-who were bound by
self-interest 10 the new government,
which promised them a single policy in
trade, in the stead of policies a half
score; and that the men who were stand
ing TO its support out of a reasoned pru-
dence, out of a high-minded desire to Sc
cure good government and a place of
consideration for their country among the
nations of the world. were individuals
merely. to be found only in small groups
here and there, where a special light
shone in some minds.
A Man of Initiative.
He knew that Washington was loved
most for his national character and
purposes among. the observant middle
classes of substantial people in the richer
counties of Pennsylvania, New Jersey,
New York, and New England. while his
neighbors in the South loved him with an
individual affection only. and rather as
their hero than as their leader in affairs.
He saw that the surest way to get
both popular support and international
respect was to give to the government
at once and in the outset place of COM
mand in the business and material In
terests OF the country.
Trusted by the President.
Such a policy every man could compre-
hend, and a great body of energetic and
influential men would certainly support;
that alone could make the government
seem real from the first-a veritable pow
er, not an influence and a shadow merely.
Here was a man, unquestionably. who
had a quick genius in affairs; and Wash
ington gave him leave and initiative with
such sympathy and comprehension and
support as only a nature equally bold
and equally originative could have given.
Hamilton's measures jumped with
Washington's purpose, ran with Wash
ington's perception of national interests;
and tney were Win washington S alQ
put into execution with a promptness and
decision which must have surprised the
friends Of the new government no less
than 1t chagrined and alarmed its ene-
mics.
Hamilton's Plans.
Having done its work Of organization
during its first summer session. the Con-
gress came together again. January 4.
1870. to attempt the formulation of a poll
cy of government. and Hamilton at once
laid before it plan for the settlement
of the public debt" which he had drawn
and Washington had sanctioned.
He proposed that provision should be
made for the payment Of the foreign
debt In full-that of course: that the
domestic debt. the despised promises and
paper of the Confederation, should be
funded and paid; and that the debts con-
tracted by the several States in the prose-
cution of the war for independence should
be assumed by the general government as
the debt Of the nation.
No one could doubt that the foreign
debt must be paid in full: to that Con-
gress' agreed heartily and without hest
tation. But there was much in the rest
of the plan to give prudent men pause
NationalisinE the Government.
To pay of the paper of the Confedera-
tion would be to give to the speculators.
who had bought it up in the hope Of Just