第42章

preponderate，bytheirown，thescalewhichsuited，&tohavethatcorpsunderthecommandoftheSecretaryoftheTreasuryforthepurposeofsubvertingstepbysteptheprinciplesoftheconstitution，whichhehassooftendeclaredtobeathingofnothingwhichmustbechanged。Suchviewsmighthavejustifiedsomethingmorethanmereexpressionsofdissent，beyondwhich，nevertheless，I

neverwent——Hasabstinencefromthedepartmentcommittedtomebeenequallyobservedbyhim?Tosaynothingofotherinterferencesequallyknown，inthecaseofthetwonationswithwhichwehavethemostintimateconnections，France&England，mysystemwastogivesomesatisfactorydistinctionstotheformer，oflittlecosttous，inreturnforthesolidadvantagesyieldedusbythem；&tohavemettheEnglishwithsomerestrictionswhichmightinducethemtoabatetheirseveritiesagainstourcommerce。Ihavealwayssupposedthiscoincidedwithyoursentiments。YettheSecretaryofthetreasury，byhiscabalswithmembersofthelegislature，&byhigh-toneddeclamationonotheroccasions，hasforceddownhisownsystem，whichwasexactlythereverse。Heundertook，ofhisownauthority，theconferenceswiththeministersofthosetwonations，&was，oneveryconsultation，providedwithsomereportofaconversationwiththeoneortheotherofthem，adaptedtohisviews。Theseviews，thusmadetoprevail，theirexecutionfellofcoursetome；&Icansafelyappealtoyou，whohaveseenallmyletters&proceedings，whetherI

havenotcarriedthemintoexecutionassincerelyasiftheyhadbeenmyown，tho’Ieverconsideredthemasinconsistentwiththehonor&

interestofourcountry。ThattheyhavebeeninconsistentwithourinterestisbuttoofatallyprovedbythestabtoournavigationgivenbytheFrench——SothatifthequestionbeBywhosefaultisitthatColoHamilton&myselfhavenotdrawntogether?theanswerwilldependonthattotwootherquestions；whoseprinciplesofadministrationbestjustify，bytheirpurity，conscientiousadherence?andwhichofushas，notwithstanding，steppedfarthestintothecontroulofthedepartmentoftheother?

Tothisjustificationofopinions，expressedinthewayofconversation，againsttheviewsofColoHamilton，IbegleavetoaddsomenoticeofhislatechargesagainstmeinFenno’sgazette；forneitherthestile，matter，norvenomofthepiecesalludedtocanleaveadoubtoftheirauthor。Spellingmyname&characteratfulllengthtothepublic，whileheconcealshisownunderthesignatureof”anAmerican”hechargesme1。WithhavingwrittenlettersfromEuropetomyfriendstoopposethepresentconstitutionwhiledepending。2。Withadesireofnotpayingthepublicdebt。3。Withsettingupapapertodecry&slanderthegovernment。1。Thefirstchargeismostfalse。NomanintheU。S。Isuppose，approvedofeverytitleintheconstitution：noone，IbelieveapprovedmoreofitthanIdid：andmoreofitwascertainlydisprovedbymyaccuserthanbyme，andofit’spartsmostvitallyrepublican。OfthisthefewlettersIwroteonthesubject(nothalfadozenIbelieve)willbeaproof：&formyownsatisfaction&justification，ImusttaxyouwiththereadingofthemwhenIreturntowheretheyare。Youwillthereseethatmyobjectiontotheconstitutionwasthatitwantedabillofrightssecuringfreedomofreligion，freedomofthepress，freedomfromstandingarmies，trialbyjury，&aconstantHabeascorpusact。ColoHamilton’swasthatitwantedakingandhouseoflords。ThesenseofAmericahasapprovedmyobjection&addedthebillofrights，notthekingandlords。Ialsothoughtalongertermofservice，insusceptibleofrenewal，wouldhavemadeaPresidentmoreindependant。Mycountryhasthoughtotherwise，&Ihaveacquiescedimplicitly。Hewishesthegeneralgovernmentshouldhavepowertomakelawsbindingthestatesinallcaseswhatsoever。Ourcountryhasthoughtotherwise：hasheacquiesced?Notwithstandingmywishforabillofrights，mylettersstronglyurgedtheadoptionoftheconstitution，byninestatesatleast，tosecurethegooditcontained。Iatfirstthoughtthatthebestmethodofsecuringthebillofrightswouldbeforfourstatestoholdofftillsuchabillshouldbeagreedto。ButthemomentIsawMr。Hancock’spropositiontopasstheconstitutionasitstood，andgiveperpetualinstructionstotherepresentativesofeverystatetoinsistonabillofrights，Iacknolegedthesuperiorityofhisplan，&advocateduniversaladoption。2。Thesecondchargeisequallyuntrue。MywholecorrespondencewhileinFrance，&everyword，letter，&actonthesubjectsincemyreturn，provethatnomanismoreardentlyintenttoseethepublicdebtsoon&sacredlypaidoffthanIam。ThisexactlymarksthedifferencebetweenColoHamilton’sviews&mine，thatI

wouldwishthedebtpaidtomorrow；hewishesitnevertobepaid，butalwaystobeathingwherewithtocorrupt&managethelegislature。3。Ihaveneverenquiredwhatnumberofsons，relations&friendsofSenators，representatives，printersorotherusefulpartisansColoHamiltonhasprovidedforamongthehundredclerksofhisdepartment，thethousa