Year: 1859

1t Is the fate of many men, who have


deserved largely from their country, to have


their merit tardily acknowledged, or not at


all. They perform particular missions


and the result wins universal praise, while


the agents who have mainly accomplished


it are scarcely noticed at the time, and Ell


ther pass wholly out of men memories or


are slightly considered, or are set up as


marks at which detraction may wing her


poisoned arrows. One man, among the


distinguished phalanx of patriots and heroes


whom the Revolution called forth, has al


ways stood almost isolated by universal


eulogy-ene whose eminent virtues nation


has ever delighted to honor, since his death


as well as in his life-one who shone alike


in the arts of peace and war-one who takes
rank as decidedly on one account as Wash


lngton did upon another-one who, if the


Father of his Country be honored as a sa-


gacious and successful Soldier, is also enti-


tied to eulogy as one of the earnest, and.


In particular sense as one of the greatest
of his country's statesmen. We allude to
Alexander Hamilton.


Little more than one hundred years ago,
in little island in the West Indies, Alex
ander Hamilton first drew the breath of life.
From bcyhood, he was distinguished for
the quickness of his intellect, the accuracy
of his intuitions, the readiness as well as
the rapidity with which he acquired knowl-
edge. From boy-hood, he trained his in
tellectual faculties the eagle tries its
wings ere it assays that homeward flight
on which its eyes can gaze upon the sun
without being dazzled by the effulgence of
that glorious luminary. At the age of
fifteen he showed so much literary ability,
that his friends and connections in his na-
tive island of Nevis resolved to send him to
New York, then British colonial city, to
complete his education.


He studied so earnestly at Elizabethtown
New Jersy, that in a single year he was
fully prepared to enter Princeton College,
and applied to its president for admission
into the lowest or Freshman class. But,
with reliance on his own mind, truly won-
ierful in one so young he wanted to stipu-
ate that this advancement from class to
lass should take place not by the usual
5radations of time, but as rapidly as his
proven increase of knowledge might justify
This was not acceded to-indeed, it would I
nave been difficult to act upon it-and young
Hamilton went to New York, to become
tudent in that educational institute then ]
allied Kings and now known as Columbia
Jollege 1t was here that Alexander Ham, I
lton boldly made that seven league stride i
nto public life which made him the leader
f men when he was yet little more then |
eventeen years old. Y


The year was l774, after the British q
ministry had closed the port of Boston, in i
Consequence of the memorable tea party c
here. The patriots of New York were in a
ignant, and held public meeting to EN- b
orse' the patriot action in Massachusetts,. j
he British ministry were not without ad- o
coates, who strongly resisted the PROPOSE v
ion for general Congress. Hamilton, t
nth his quick nature, felt strongly in ia t
or of the patriotic movement. He attend b
the public meeting and finding many I
triking points left untouched in the G
peeches which were made, was induced by r
-iends, who had more confidence in his t
overs than he himself had, to address the o
,eetinq. q