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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 
 
 Chap. Copyright No 
 
 Shelf. 
 
 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 
 
THE WERNER BIOGRAPHICAL BOOKLETS 
 
 THE STORY 
 
 OF 
 
 ALEXANDER HAMILTON 
 
 FOR YOUNG READERS 
 
 By ALMA HOLMAN BURTON 
 
 WERNER SCHOOL BOOK COMPANY 
 NEW YORK CHICAGO BOSTON 
 
13950 
 
 Copyright, 1898, 
 By Werner School Book Company 
 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 CHAPTER PAGE 
 
 I. The Orphan Boy of Nevis, ... 5 
 
 II. The Voyage, ...... 10 
 
 III. "The Little West Indian," ... 14 
 
 IV. " The Vindicator of Congress," . . 17 
 V. "The Little Lion," . . . . . .21 
 
 VI. Washington's Aide-de-camp, ... 27 
 
 VII. Hamilton the Patriot and Arnold the 
 
 Traitor, . . . . . . 31 
 
 VIII. The Lawyer, ..... 
 
 IX. The Statesman, ..... 
 
 X. The Federalist, .... 
 
 XI. The First Secretary of the Treasury, 49 
 
 XII. The Inspector General of the Army, . 54 
 
 XIII. Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr, 57 
 
 XIV. The Duel, 60 
 
 35 
 39 
 44 
 
ALEXANDER HAMILTON. 
 
THE STORY OF ALEXANDER HAMILTON. 
 
 I. — The Orphan Boy of Nevis. 
 
 In the British West Indies there is a little island 
 called Nevis. The cliffs along its coast are high, 
 and the waves beat against them day and night. 
 
 A hundred and fifty years ago there were more 
 French than English people in Nevis; but the 
 English were hurrying as fast as they could to 
 occupy the island, because it was so fertile and 
 was such a fine shipping station. 
 
 Among the merchants who went there to try 
 their fortunes was James Hamilton. He was a 
 Scotchman by birth. His people were distin- 
 guished, and he himself was a generous and agree- 
 able gentleman. 
 
 Everybody liked James Hamilton; he prospered 
 greatly in his new home, and married a beautiful 
 French lady, and they had several children. Then 
 the children died, one by one, until all were gone 
 except the youngest son. 
 
THE STORY OF ALEXANDER HAMILTON. 
 
 This boy was born on January n, 1757, and he 
 was named Alexander, after his grandfather in 
 Scotland. He was a winsome baby; he had fine 
 linen and silken garments, and it was said that he 
 had an easy life before him. 
 
 Very soon, however, Alexander's father lost all 
 his money, and could hardly keep his family from 
 starving ; but the beautiful French mother was 
 always cheerful and gay, and tried to make the 
 child happy. She took long walks with him in the 
 sunshine ; and when his little legs were tired with 
 tramping over the sand, she sat down by him on 
 the white beach and told him stories in her own 
 French language. 
 
 One day this loving mother became very ill; then 
 she died, and Alexander saw her carried away and 
 buried by the side of his little brothers and sisters; 
 but he never forgot his mother, nor the language 
 she taught him to speak. 
 
 When he first went to school, he was so small 
 that he stood on the table by the side of his teacher 
 while learning the Ten Commandments. He did 
 not go to school very long, because his father had 
 no money to pay for his teaching. 
 
THE STORY OP ALEXANDER HAMILTON. 
 
 When he was only twelve years old, he was sent 
 to the island of Santa Cruz to clerk in the counting- 
 house of Mr. Nicholas Cruger. There were rows 
 of desks in the counting-house where clerks were 
 busy writing, and iron chests where money was 
 kept, and scales where workmen weighed bags of 
 sugar, boxes of indigo, and bales of cotton ; and 
 outside the wide doors stood carts and wheelbar- 
 rows to carry the merchandise to the waiting ships 
 in the harbor. 
 
 Alexander was very busy in the counting-house. 
 He wrote down the long lists of goods for the 
 ladings, and the dates when the ships sailed, and 
 when they came back to port again. His master, 
 Mr. Cruger, was a thrifty merchant. " Method is 
 the soul of business," he often said, as he bustled 
 about the counting-room. 
 
 Alexander did not like clerking very well ; he 
 wrote to a young friend in Nevis : " I would 
 willingly risk my life, though not my character, to 
 exalt my station." 
 
 Those were brave words for a boy of twelve 
 years, were they not? He would not risk his char- 
 acter to improve his fortune! 
 
THE STORY OF ALEXANDER HAMILTON. 
 
 I think you will find that Alexander Hamilton 
 always prized his character more than life itself. 
 
 Now, although he did not like his work, he did 
 not shirk it. He was so diligent that, when only 
 fourteen years old, he was left in charge of the 
 counting-office while his employer was absent in 
 Boston. 
 
 He was small for his age ; he must have looked 
 like a child playing at keeping store as he went 
 about with a quill pen over one ear, taking note of 
 what the other clerks did. Some letters still exist 
 which he sent to Boston, telling how the business 
 was getting along ; they are neat and exact ; they 
 must have pleased his employer very much. 
 
 When the duties of the day were over, Alex- 
 ander studied in books which he -borrowed from 
 his friend, the Rev. Mr. Knox. He was fond of 
 arithmetic and history, and he liked to read the 
 lives of the great men who have helped to make 
 the world better and happier. 
 
 Now, just about this time, a hurricane swept 
 down upon the Leeward Islands ; ships were 
 tossed upon the rocks by the wind, trees were torn 
 from their roots, and villages were lifted up and 
 
THE STORY OF ALEXANDER HAMILTON. 
 
 thrown into the raging sea. It was all so terrible 
 that the bravest men fled in terror into the caves ; 
 but Alexander was not afraid; he watched the 
 storm from a high ledge of rocks, and he thought 
 it was so grand that everybody should know just 
 how it looked; so he wrote all about it, and sent 
 the account to a newspaper. 
 
 When people read it, they were astonished at 
 the language. The description of the hurricane 
 was so beautiful that many who had hidden in the 
 caves wished they had stayed in the open to 
 watch it. 
 
 Who on the island could write so well? Nobody 
 knew. The governor set to work to find out ; and 
 when he learned that the pale little clerk in the 
 counting-house was the author, he said that such a 
 bright boy should have an education. 
 
 Now, people were so eager to contribute money 
 for this that Alexander soon had enough to pay 
 his expenses at school for several years ; then, 
 because there were no good schools in the island, 
 it was decided to send him to one of the large 
 cities in America. 
 
 And so, clad in a new suit of clothes, Alexander 
 
IO THE STOR V OF ALEXANDER HAMILTON. 
 
 Hamilton climbed the gang plank of a British 
 packet bound for Boston. The sailors shouted; 
 the ropes were drawn up; there were hands waving 
 farewell, and soon the tall cliffs of the island 
 were lost in the mists of the sea. 
 
 II. — The Voyage. 
 
 When the vessel had left the land behind, 
 Alexander began to look about him. He soon 
 knew the sailors by name, and they all grew very 
 fond of him. His best friend was a Scotch pilot 
 who had been in service for many years. This 
 old pilot told Alexander how King George of 
 England had sent armies across the sea to help 
 the Americans fight the French. 
 
 "Those Frenchmen wanted the earth," he said. 
 " They first wanted the coast of Maine, and then 
 they wanted the beaver lands on the great river 
 called the Ohio. And never a bit would they let 
 the British trade for the furs of the Injuns. Every 
 man knows that the land belonged to the king; 
 and his majesty sent over the pick of his armies 
 to fight for it." 
 
THE STOR Y OF A LEX A NDER HA MIL TON. I i 
 
 Then he told how the French forts on the Ohio 
 had been taken by the British General Forbes and 
 a " likely American lad " by the name of George 
 Washington, and how the forts along the St. 
 Lawrence had been seized by the brave General 
 Wolfe and his army; and how, at last, the British 
 had gained the great fresh water lakes in the 
 north, and all the land along the Ohio. 
 
 The old man had his own ideas about the 
 people who lived in the colonies 
 
 "I cannot well make out these Americans," he 
 said. " They're a headstrong lot, laddie. They've 
 made trouble from the first; and, now they've had 
 a hand fighting the French, they're pesky ready 
 to fall upon the king's troops sent over to keep 
 them in order." 
 
 And while the old tar pulled away at his wheel, 
 he told how the Americans would not consent to 
 be taxed by Parliament; how Patrick Henry, a 
 bold young man in Virginia, had defied the king 
 in open meeting about a stamp tax, and how Bos- 
 ton and other cities had refused to buy any more 
 goods from British merchants till the tax was 
 taken off. 
 
j 2 THE S TOR Y OF A LEX A NDER HA MIL TON. 
 
 " It makes bad shipping business, laddie," he 
 groaned; " and it's all bad from the beginning of 
 it, and I know you'll say so yourself when you 
 see the carryings on. 
 
 " They call themselves ' Sons of Liberty,' and 
 have big meetings on the green, and they do a 
 power of speaking and reading newspapers instead 
 of smoking their pipes and keeping the peace. 
 
 " Last year, at Boston, when the king's troops 
 stood in the streets to keep the rascals quiet, 
 the folk came and hooted at them, and would 
 not go home; and the troops fired the guns, and 
 killed two or three of the men. 
 
 " And Samuel Adams, a very bold man, with the 
 whole town at his back, ordered the king's troops 
 out of Boston. Think of that, laddie ! 
 
 " The king's officers wanted orders from the 
 king before they put the bayonets to the throats 
 of the villains; so they took the troops to an 
 island in the harbor; and there they are to-day, 
 keeping close watch on the town. I think we'll see 
 their bayonets shining when we sail up the bay." 
 
 Alexander made up his mind that the Ameri- 
 cans must be very wicked indeed. On the island 
 
THE STOR Y OF A LEXANDER HA MIL TON. 1 3 
 
 of Nevis, no one said a word against the great 
 king of England who sat on a throne. 
 
 Alexander learned all he could about the Amer- 
 icans. He was almost afraid to go to a country 
 where men were bold enough to defy King 
 George's grenadiers. 
 
 The ship plunged slowly along towards his new 
 home. 
 
 One night he heard the cry of " Fire! fire! " He 
 ran to the hatchway. The deck was in a red glare 
 of light. The sailors were running to and fro with 
 buckets of water. Everybody thought the vessel 
 would be destroyed, but at last the fire was put out. 
 
 A few days later, the ship passed an island 
 where long lines of soldiers in red coats were 
 marching. The bayonets gleamed in the sun- 
 shine, and the voices of the captains rang over 
 the water as they gave their commands. 
 
 " There they are, sure enough, laddie," said the 
 old Scotch pilot. 4i The king's troops are waiting, 
 and watching the town of Boston!" 
 
 And when Alexander saw the steeples of the 
 city, he wondered if the king's troops would ever 
 march again into Boston with their bayonets fixed. 
 
H 
 
 THE STORY OF ALEXANDER HAMILTON. 
 
 III. — "The Little West Indian." 
 
 Alexander Hamilton landed at Boston on a 
 bright day in October, 1772. He had only time to 
 look about the docks. Then he took a packet for 
 New York, where he intended to go to school. 
 
 When he reached New York, he hunted up 
 some clergymen, to whom he gave letters from his 
 friend, Mr. Knox. These gentlemen received 
 him with much kindness, and advised him to go 
 to the grammar school at Elizabethtown, in New 
 jersey. 
 
 Before very long Alexander was hard at work. 
 He soon had many friends in Elizabethtown. 
 Governor Livingston welcomed him to his home, 
 and he often spent his evenings reading in the 
 governor's library. 
 
 Once, when the baby of a lady friend died, he 
 watched all night by the little casket. The room 
 was lighted dimly with one candle, and as he sat 
 alone such beautiful thoughts came to him about 
 the dead child that he wrote them out in verse. 
 The next morning he gave the verses to the sad 
 mother. They comforted her very much. 
 At the end of one year, Alexander had been so 
 
THE STORY OF ALEXANDER HAMILTON. 
 
 15 
 
 diligent in the grammar school that he was ready 
 for college. He went to see the president of 
 Princeton College. He told him he was anxious 
 to finish his studies as soon as possible, and 
 asked to be allowed to double the work outside 
 of the class. 
 
 The president declared that no such thing had 
 ever been done, but promised to talk with the 
 officers about it. He soon wrote Alexander that 
 it had been decided to refuse his request. " But 
 I am convinced," he said, " that you will do honor 
 to any seminary in which you may be educated." 
 
 Alexander returned to New York. He entered 
 Columbia College, which was then called King's 
 College. Here he was so witty and amiable that 
 he made many friends. He wrote a play, which 
 the British officers acted, and he joined a debating 
 club where the students talked much about the 
 troubles with the king. 
 
 Alexander remembered what the old Scotch 
 pilot had said about the Americans, and at first he 
 always debated on the king's side. 
 
 But one time, I do not know why, he went up 
 to Boston. Perhaps it was to attend to some 
 
x 6 THE STORY OF ALEXANDER HAMILTON. 
 
 business for his old employer at the counting- 
 house. He found Boston in great excitement. 
 A few nights before, the people in that city had 
 met together to talk about the tax which Parlia- 
 ment had put on tea. They said they would not 
 buy taxed tea, and that the ships in the harbor 
 must take it back to England; but the king's 
 governor would not send the tea back. Then 
 some of the men dressed themselves like Indians, 
 and hurried down to the harbor. They climbed 
 up the sides of the ships and threw the tea over- 
 board. 
 
 Now, the people knew very well that they would 
 be punished for this bold act. Every night they 
 held great public meetings. You may be sure that 
 Alexander Hamilton attended all the meetings 
 while he was in Boston. 
 
 He heard Samuel Adams, John Hancock, James 
 Otis, and other patriots speak. 
 
 They said they were willing to pay taxes if 
 they might vote like the freemen of England; but 
 not a single American was allowed to sit in Par- 
 liament, and so Parliament had no right to tax 
 Americans. 
 
THE STOR Y OF A LEXANDER HA MIL TON. 1 7 
 
 They said, if one tax were paid, many more 
 must be paid; and, if the people dared to resist 
 the law of Parliament, British troops would soon 
 be placed in every town. 
 
 They said they were willing to obey a king, but 
 they would not obey a tyrant. 
 
 The more Alexander listened to the talks of 
 these great men, the more he admired them. He 
 even found himself clapping his hands and cheer- 
 ing with all the rest when they cried, " No taxa- 
 tion without representation! " 
 
 And when he returned to New York, he would 
 not defend the king's laws any more. He argued 
 in debate on the side of the patriots. 
 
 He often walked under the shade of a grove of 
 trees, talking low to himself. And when the 
 neighbors passed by, they pointed him out and 
 said, "There is the little West Indian, who makes 
 such fine speeches in King's College." 
 
 IV. — " The Vindicator of Congress." 
 Not long after young Hamilton's return to New 
 York, news came that the king and his council 
 
1 8 THE STOR V OF A LEX A NDER HA MIL TON. 
 
 had closed the port of Boston. British soldiers 
 had marched into the city with bayonets fixed. 
 They would not allow an American vessel in the 
 harbor, not even a fishing smack. 
 
 The trade of the merchants was ruined. More 
 than half the people were without work, and hun- 
 dreds would starve if food were not sent overland 
 from the other towns on the coast. 
 
 There was great excitement in New York over 
 this news from Boston. On a hot afternoon in 
 July a crowd of people met on the green to talk 
 about it. 
 
 Many spoke; but a slender boy, who sat listen- 
 ing, thought they had left out some very important 
 arguments. He stepped to the front. His face 
 was pale. He was so small that he looked like a 
 child; yet his voice rang out clear and strong, and 
 he spoke with so much elegance that people were 
 amazed. "Who is he?" they asked. It was 
 Alexander Hamilton, only seventeen years old. 
 "Ah, the wee lad," said one; "he is bigger than 
 he looks! " 
 
 The excitement about the taxes continued until 
 all the colonies agreed to meet in a convention at 
 
THE S TOR Y OF A LEX A NDER HA MIL TON. 1 9 
 
 Philadelphia. This convention was called the 
 Continental Congress. The delegates decided to 
 resist the taxes to the bitter end. 
 
 Then the people were divided into two parties. 
 Those who were willing to obey the king's unjust 
 demands were called tories, and those who re- 
 fused to obey them were called whigs. 
 
 And whigs and tories were talking from morn- 
 ing till night. Some New York merchants met 
 together at the coffee-house to consider their con- 
 dition. 
 
 They said that all they had was on the sea. 
 Prosperity depended on trade, and the Continental 
 Congress at Philadelphia must not hurt trade 
 with England by opposing the king's laws too 
 much. They said that everybody must be cau- 
 tious. 
 
 Now, Alexander Hamilton was at this meeting. 
 He felt that to keep up trade at the expense of 
 liberty would destroy trade in the end, and he 
 decided to tell the merchants what he thought. 
 
 He mounted a chair. Smiles were seen about 
 the room. Someone said: "What brings that 
 child here? The poor boy will disgrace himself.". 
 
2 O THE ST OR Y OF A LEX A NDER HA MIL TON. 
 
 But the two years in the counting-house had 
 taught the little West Indian more about British 
 trade than most of the merchants knew. He made 
 one of the very best speeches of the evening. He 
 urged sympathy with Congress, and so pleased 
 the rich men that they shook hands with him. 
 They said he would be a great man some day. 
 
 Now, Dr. Cooper, the president of Columbia Col- 
 lege, was a tory, and wrote a letter in a newspaper 
 against the Continental Congress. 
 
 Alexander Hamilton replied to Dr. Cooper with 
 much wit. He signed his letter, " A Sincere Friend 
 to America." The letter was well written. Every- 
 body wanted to read it. The demand for the news- 
 paper was so great that the printer could not 
 publish it fast enough. H Who is this ' Sincere 
 Friend to America' ?'" men asked on the streets. 
 
 Some said it was Governor Livingston. Others 
 said that only John Jay, the eloquent lawyer, could 
 have written such a fine letter. Dr. Cooper said it 
 must be John Jay, and he was so angry about it 
 that he would not speak to him on the streets. 
 
 And all the time young Hamilton was laughing 
 to himself about their bad guessing ! 
 
THE STOR Y OF A LEX A NDER HA MIL TON. 2 I 
 
 Some collegians had seen the letter before it was 
 published, and told, at last, who the " Sincere 
 Friend to America " was. Then people admired 
 the " Little West Indian " more than ever. They 
 said he would some day be an honor to New York, 
 and they called him the " Vindicator of Congress." 
 
 V. — " The Little Lion." 
 Not long after that, a battle was fought at Lex- 
 ington, near Boston. 
 
 Everybody saw that there must be a war. Con- 
 gress called on all the colonies for volunteers, and 
 appointed George Washington commander-in-chief 
 of the American army. General Washington soon 
 drove the British out of Boston, and hurried 
 away to prevent them from taking New York. 
 
 Then King George sent over a great fleet with 
 cannon and armed men. Some of the men were 
 Hessians. They could not speak a word of Eng- 
 lish, yet they were hired by the king to fight his 
 English subjects. This made the Americans more 
 angry than ever. They said that a king who would 
 do such a thing as that was not worthy of obe- 
 
2 2 THE S TOR Y OF A LEX A NDER HA MIL TON. 
 
 dience, and that the colonies should not be a 
 part of England any more. The Continental 
 Congress signed the Declaration of Independence, 
 and then war with England began in real 
 earnest. 
 
 Meanwhile, Alexander Hamilton was studying 
 how to build forts and drill soldiers. When it 
 was known that the British fleet was coming against 
 New York, he joined a company of volunteers. 
 They called themselves " Hearts of Oak," and 
 made a very brave showing indeed in their 
 green uniforms and leather caps, with " Freedom 
 or Death " on the bands. 
 
 It became necessary to remove some cannon from 
 the battery. The " Hearts of Oak " agreed to do 
 it. As they stood on the shore, pulling and tug- 
 ging at a heavy gun, the British fired at them from 
 the ships. A comrade fell dead at Hamilton s side; 
 but the young men stood their ground, and the 
 gun was at last removed to safety. 
 
 Now, when the people in the city heard this 
 firing from the British ships, they rushed into the 
 streets, crying: " Down with the tories !" " Down 
 with the hirelings of the king ! " And one of the 
 
THE S TOR Y OF A LEX A NDER HA MIL TON. 2 3 
 
 first men they wanted to hang was Dr. Cooper, the 
 president of Columbia College. 
 
 You remember that this was the tory whom 
 Hamilton had opposed in the newspapers. Yet 
 Hamilton knew that it would be a wicked thing 
 to seize a defenseless man. 
 
 He was tired and heated from his work with 
 the gun; but when he saw the angry mob surging 
 toward the president's house, he hurried to it by a 
 short street, and stood on the steps. 
 
 He told the people they were bringing disgrace 
 on the name of liberty. He thought he would keep 
 on talking in a very loud voice until the president 
 might escape by a back door. 
 
 Dr. Cooper could not believe that Hamilton was 
 generous enough to defend him. He thought he 
 was down there on the front steps inciting the mob 
 to burn his house. So he looked out of the win- 
 dow and called: " Don't listen to him, gentlemen; 
 he's crazy ! he's crazy !" 
 
 At last, the old scholar learned the truth, and 
 escaped through a back door to a British man- 
 of-war which lay in the harbor. 
 
 At another time, while the mobs were rushing to 
 
24 THE STOR Y OF A LEX A NDER HA MIL TON. 
 
 destroy the printing presses of the tories, Hamil- 
 ton again interfered. He said the rights of all cit- 
 izens should be protected, and begged the frantic 
 men to respect the law. 
 
 Soon after this, Hamilton was made captain of 
 an artillery company. 
 
 He was very proud of his company. He spent 
 all his money to equip his men, and trained them 
 until they were the best soldiers in New York. 
 
 One day, as they were at drill, loading and un- 
 loading the big guns, taking them apart, putting 
 them together again, and running with them back 
 and forth, who should pass but Washington him- 
 self ! The great general stopped at the drill 
 ground to watch the artillery company. 
 
 He was so pleased with the bright face and the 
 commanding tones of the little captain that he 
 asked who he was; and then he slowly passed on, 
 repeating to himself: " Alexander Hamilton, the 
 ' Vindicator of Congress ! ' " 
 
 Another day the great commander-in-chief rode 
 by as Hamilton was constructing some earth works 
 at Fort Washington. He stopped his horse and 
 watched the little engineer. And when he saw 
 
THE S TOR Y OF A LEX A NDER HA MIL TON. 2 5 
 
 that it was the captain who had drilled the artil- 
 lery company so well, he invited him to his tent. 
 
 They had a long and delightful talk together. 
 Young Hamilton sat on a camp stool answering 
 questions ; he was so modest and intelligent that 
 he quite won the heart of Washington ; and from 
 that very day a friendship began between George 
 Washington and Alexander Hamilton such as few 
 men ever know. It was a friendship that lasted 
 till death. 
 
 Some time you will read all about the war 
 between the British and the Americans. I can 
 only mention a few of the battles in this little 
 book. 
 
 The king's troops seized New York. Then they 
 followed Washington's army up the Hudson, and 
 there were several engagements. Hamilton was 
 always in the thickest of the fight. At Fort 
 Washington he held the enemy back with his guns 
 for a time; and when they had captured the fort, he 
 hurried into the presence of Washington and pro- 
 posed to re-capture it with his company. As he 
 stood there with his cocked hat in his hand, he 
 looked very eager and impatient to hurry to the 
 
2 6 THE S TOR Y OF A LEX A NDER HA MIL TON. 
 
 task. But the prudent general thought the risk 
 was too great, and ordered a retreat. 
 
 Hamilton soon won the name of the " Little 
 Lion" by his boldness. He gloried in fighting 
 for liberty. It is said that as he marched along 
 beside his cannon, with his hand resting on the 
 barrel, he patted and stroked it as if it were a 
 favorite horse. 
 
 Washington kept on retreating toward Philadel- 
 phia. His army was poorly clothed and half fed 
 and only numbered about three thousand men. 
 Following after it came the great British army, 
 under Cornwallis. There were over eight thou- 
 sand soldiers in scarlet and gold, with banners fly- 
 ing and music playing; they were certain of vic- 
 tory. 
 
 When Washington reached the Raritan River, 
 Cornwallis was close behind ; but Hamilton 
 planted his cannon on a high ledge of rocks 
 above the ford of the river, and kept back the 
 red coats until the rear of the ragged Americans 
 was safe. 
 
 The " Little Lion " was soon rewarded for his 
 pluck ; he was appointed aide-de-camp and private 
 
THE S TOR Y OF A LEX A NDER HA MIL TON. 2 J 
 
 secretary to General Washington, and he was 
 given the rank of lieutenant-colonel ; that was a 
 proud day for Alexander Hamilton. 
 
 VI. — Washington's Aide-de-camp. 
 
 When General Washington received Colonel 
 Hamilton into service as his private secretary, he 
 said : " It will be a hard place to fill ; I take no 
 amusement for myself, and am busy from morning 
 till night ; I shall expect my secretary to be always 
 at my side, ready to do his duty." 
 
 " I shall be prepared, your Excellency, to do 
 your slightest bidding," answered Hamilton ; and 
 he kept his word. He wrote letters to the gover- 
 nors of the colonies for recruits, and to the com- 
 missaries for food and clothing ; he wrote so much 
 and so wisely that it was said, " The pen of the 
 army is held by Hamilton." 
 
 He rode to Congress with secret despatches ; he 
 took orders to the different American generals, 
 and, after a battle, he went to the camp of the 
 British to treat for the exchange of prisoners. 
 
2 8 THE STOR Y OF A LEX A NDER HA MIL TON. 
 
 General Washington trusted him completely and 
 fondly called him " my boy." 
 
 Hamilton was then twenty years old, and Wash- 
 ington was forty-five. 
 
 At the battle of Brandywine, the young aide-de- 
 camp rode to the front in the greatest danger to 
 watch the enemy ; he carried despatches from one 
 general to another. When his horse was shot 
 under him, he hurried forward on foot. 
 
 After the terrible battle was over, the defeated 
 American army retreated to Westchester. Ham- 
 ilton rode all night by the side of the silent com- 
 mander-in-chief. It was a sad night; the stars 
 seemed to be mocking as they twinkled in the 
 sky. 
 
 It was certain that, after their victory at Brandy- 
 wine, the British would occupy Philadelphia ; and 
 so, before they might reach there, Hamilton was 
 sent to the city to ask for blankets, clothing, and 
 food for the American army. He wrote such a 
 charming letter to the ladies of the " Quaker City " 
 that they gladly gave what they could, and his 
 wagons were loaded and driven away before the 
 drum beats of the British were heard. 
 
THE STORY OF ALEXANDER HAMILTON. 
 
 2 9 
 
 Then Washington's army went into winter quar- 
 ters at Valley Forge. 
 
 Now, the people who stayed at home were 
 getting very tired of the war. Their fields were 
 overrun by both armies, and their towns were 
 burned by the enemy. 
 
 The British general issued a proclamation offer- 
 ing pardon to all who would swear allegiance to 
 the king. He said that the property of faithful 
 subjects would be spared, but the homes of the 
 " rebels " should be burned to the ground. 
 
 Very many whigs were frightened into being 
 tories; and when they had once become tories, 
 they wanted the king's troops to conquer. They 
 knew very well that if the Americans won, they 
 themselves would be forever disgraced. And so 
 they plotted to defeat them. 
 
 Then some of the American generals became 
 jealous of Washington. They tried to remove 
 him from command. But Hamilton was always 
 watchful, and found out their schemes in time to 
 prevent any harm. 
 
 Hamilton was loved by the soldiers in camp. 
 Those who lay wounded waited for his coming, 
 
3Q 
 
 THE STORY OF ALEXANDER HAMILTON. 
 
 because he knew so well how to bandage their 
 shattered limbs, and could write such beautiful 
 letters to their loved ones at home. 
 
 Hamilton was popular with the officers, too. 
 He was so genial and frank that they did not 
 envy him his high favor with the commander-in- 
 chief. 
 
 Among the officers was the Marquis de Lafay- 
 ette. He was a Frenchman of noble birth, who had 
 given up all the pleasures of the French court at 
 Paris to help the Americans fight for liberty. 
 But he did not understand the English language 
 very well. Now, Hamilton had never for- 
 gotten the French language he had learned 
 from his mother. And so Lafayette and Ham- 
 ilton became great friends, and talked much 
 together as they sat before the camp fire at 
 Valley Forge. 
 
 Another of Hamilton's friends was the Baron 
 von Steuben, a German, who also talked French. 
 The sturdy old general drilled the awkward 
 squads of continental soldiers, and he saw with 
 delight how eager young Hamilton was to master 
 the rules of war. 
 
THE STORY OF ALEXANDER HAMILTON. 
 
 31 
 
 VII. — Hamilton the Patriot, and Arnold the 
 
 Traitor. 
 
 The war of the Revolution went on, year after 
 year. Sometimes the Americans and sometimes 
 the British were victorious. 
 
 After a time, the French king, Louis XVI., sent 
 over a fleet to help the Americans. 
 
 Then the most of the British army marched to 
 the South. They hoped that the tories and the 
 negroes would rally to their aid. 
 
 But the British General Clinton tarried in New 
 York- He had great plans about enlisting the 
 French and Indians of Canada to conquer the 
 North. " If only I might get possession of West 
 Point! " he said. 
 
 Now, West Point was the strongest fort in the 
 colonies. Its frowning walls guarded the Hudson 
 River. The British general knew very well that 
 he could not bring the armies from Canada 
 unless he controlled the Hudson River. 
 
 It is sad to relate that General Clinton found a 
 traitor in the American army who was willing to 
 betray West Point for gold! 
 
 Benedict Arnold was a brilliant young soldier 
 
3 2 THE S TOR Y OF A LEX A NDER HA MIL TON. 
 
 from Connecticut. He was so brave that he was 
 promoted to the rank of major-general, and, after 
 the British had retreated from Philadelphia, he 
 was placed in command of the city. 
 
 When Arnold married the beautiful daughter 
 of a rich tory, he wanted to make her happy; but, 
 as we shall see, he really made her the most 
 miserable lady in the world. 
 
 He began to live like a prince, in the great 
 mansion that William Penn had built. He gave 
 balls and fine dinners, and rode in a coach-and- 
 four. But he needed more money to live so 
 well. 
 
 " I will take money belonging to the army," he 
 said, <4 and then I will pay it back as soon as I can. 
 No one shall ever know anything about it." So 
 he spent the money of the army. It was easy for 
 such a high officer to get all the money he 
 wanted. 
 
 At Jast Arnold spent more than he could ever 
 pay back. His dishonesty was discovered. He 
 was tried in court and found, guilty, but his 
 bravery had been so great that his punishment 
 was made as light as possible. 
 
THE STORY OF ALEXANDER HAMILTON. 
 
 33 
 
 Arnold seemed soon to forget his disgrace. He 
 still gave large dinners at the elegant home in 
 Philadelphia. Perhaps his rich father-in-law gave 
 him money for this. 
 
 After a time he begged to be appointed com- 
 mander of West Point, and was placed in charge 
 of the great fort that guarded the Hudson River. 
 Alas! he had already plotted to betray it to the 
 British! 
 
 At midnight, in a lonely spot, he met Major 
 Andre, the agent of General Clinton. Only the stars 
 looked down upon him as he told how the fort 
 might be seized if the British would pay him gold. 
 
 Soon after this, while Arnold was completing 
 his plot, General Washington came to West Point 
 with General Lafayette and Colonel Hamilton. 
 He sent word to Arnold that he would make him 
 a visit. Washington was delayed by some offi- 
 cers, and Hamilton rode with his apology to Mrs. 
 Arnold. 
 
 Breakfast was served. Hamilton was charmed 
 with the wit and grace of Mrs. Arnold, but he 
 saw that Arnold was gloomy and silent. Indeed, 
 the traitor was very wretched. He feared Wash- 
 
34 
 
 THE STORY OF ALEXANDER HAMILTON. 
 
 ington's unexpected visit to the fort might spoil 
 all his plans. 
 
 While he sat toying with his fork and trying 
 in vain to be gay, a swift messenger arrived. He 
 whispered in the traitor's ear that Major Andre 
 had been arrested and a map of West Point found 
 in his boot. 
 
 The unhappy man excused himself from the 
 table. He called his wife to another room. He 
 explained to her that his fortunes were ruined, 
 and, mounting his horse, he fled. 
 
 Hamilton lifted the fainting wife from the floor, 
 called a servant to care for her, and then has- 
 tened to General Washington. Washington sent 
 him with all speed to cut off the traitor's retreat; 
 but Arnold was already safe in a British ship. 
 
 Major Andre was hanged as a spy. Arnold, 
 the traitor, lived to put the torch and the sword 
 to many towns of his native land. 
 
 ''Whom shall we trust now?" asked Washington 
 sadly, as he thought of Benedict Arnold. But we 
 know that Washington trusted Alexander Ham- 
 ilton, and we shall see that his trust was never 
 betrayed. 
 
THE STORY OF ALEXANDER HAMILTON. 
 
 35 
 
 VIII. — The Lawyer; 
 
 Colonel Hamilton met and loved Elizabeth 
 Schuyler, the daughter of General Schuyler, one of 
 the richest men in New York. Their marriage 
 increased the young officer's reputation and added 
 much to his social position. 
 
 Very soon after marriage, Hamilton resigned 
 his place as aide-de-camp to General Washington, 
 on account of a misunderstanding. It happened in 
 the following way : One day, Washington passed 
 Hamilton on the stairs and said, " I would like to 
 speak with you, Colonel." 
 
 " I will wait upon your Excellency immediately," 
 replied Hamilton, and went below to deliver some 
 important letters to the postman. 
 
 As he returned, General Lafayette stopped to 
 speak with him. Hamilton was very impatient ; 
 he talked rapidly, and finally left the Erenchman 
 abruptly. He searched for Washington in his 
 room; he was not there. 
 
 At last he found him at the head of the stairs. 
 The great commander-in-chief looked stately and 
 severe. 
 
 "Colonel Hamilton," he said, "you have kept 
 
36 THE STORY OF ALEXANDER HAMILTON. 
 
 me waiting these ten minutes! I must tell you, sir, 
 that you treat me with disrespect." 
 
 The face of the young aide-de-camp flushed as 
 he heard the reproving words. 
 
 " I am not conscious of it, sir," he replied; "but 
 since you have thought it necessary to tell me so, 
 we part." 
 
 " Very well, sir, if it be your choice," said Wash- 
 ington. 
 
 The two friends parted in anger. In less than an 
 hour General Washington sent word to Hamilton 
 that he hoped the misunderstanding might be for- 
 gotten. Their friendship was continued. 
 
 No doubt both men were deeply grieved over 
 their hasty words. But Hamilton had already 
 written out his resignation ; he felt he might find a 
 greater field for work. He was soon placed in 
 command of a regiment, and went to the South to 
 join General Lafayette against the British. 
 
 The war raged furiously all through the South. 
 At last General Washington himself came from 
 the North with his army. The British at York- 
 town were surrounded by land and by sea. 
 
 A siege was begun ; and then Colonel Hamilton 
 
THE STORY OF ALEXANDER HAMILTON. 
 
 37 
 
 distinguished himself by a very daring deed. 
 Behind a high redoubt lay the guns of the British. 
 Washington said the guns must be taken. Hamil- 
 ton was named as the leader in an assault ; he 
 placed his foot on the shoulder of a sentinel, and 
 was the first to mount the wall ; he stood for a 
 moment in full sight of the enemy's guns, calling 
 aloud to his men. 
 
 Then he sprang into the ditch below, followed 
 by his devoted soldiers with bayonets fixed. He 
 pressed on past the British sentinels, and, in nine 
 minutes' time, the American flag was floating over 
 the parapet. You may be sure that Washington 
 was proud of his young friend. 
 
 Very soon after this, the British surrendered 
 to the American troops, and the long seven years' 
 war was over. 
 
 The British army sailed away ; Washington 
 bade farewell to his officers, and retired to his 
 home at Mount Vernon. 
 
 Hamilton went to Albany to live. He began to 
 study law ; in a few months he was able to pass his 
 examinations, and was admitted to the bar. 
 
 Now, before the war most of the lawyers were 
 
38 THE STOR Y OF A LEX A NDER HA MIL TON. 
 
 tories ; and after the war they were not allowed 
 to practice in the courts. Thus it came about that 
 Hamilton found a large field for his new profes- 
 sion. He soon had more cases than he could 
 attend to. 
 
 There was only one lawyer in the state of New 
 York who seemed to be his equal ; this was Aaron 
 Burr, a grandson of Jonathan Edwards, the great 
 preacher of New England. 
 
 Burr was a year older than Hamilton; he was 
 handsome and brave, and elegant in his manners. 
 
 He had been in the war, and was once a mem- 
 ber of Washington's staff. 
 
 Washington disliked Burr, and did not keep 
 him long in his service. 
 
 Almost everybody admired him, but very few 
 trusted him, because he was dishonorable in his 
 dealings with men. 
 
 It often happened that Burr and Hamilton were 
 on different sides in a question of law. Sometimes 
 one and sometimes the other won the case at 
 court. 
 
 People began to say that the two young law- 
 yers would soon be rivals in politics. 
 
THE STORY OF ALEXANDER HAMILTON. 
 
 39 
 
 IX. — The Statesman. 
 
 Not long after Hamilton began the practice of 
 law, he was elected a member from New York to 
 the Continental Congress. Here he did what he 
 could. 
 
 But the old Continental Congress had served its 
 purpose ; it had done very well for war ; it would 
 not do for peace. There was no President ; there 
 was no Supreme Court. Even the Congress itself 
 was without any real authority. The little states 
 were jealous of the big states, and the delegates 
 were going home, one by one. Everybody said 
 there would soon be no Congress at all. 
 
 Now, just at this very time there was more need 
 of a strong government than ever before. 
 
 The paper dollars which Congress had issued 
 were refused in payment of debts. People said 
 the dollars were " not worth a continental," which 
 meant they were not worth anything at all. 
 
 Indeed, everything continental seemed worth- 
 less. The Continental Congress had borrowed 
 money from France, Holland, and Spain, and 
 these countries clamored in vain for their 
 pay. 
 
4<D THE STOR Y OF A LEX A NDER HA MIL TON. 
 
 The continental flag could not protect American 
 commerce; the pirates in the Mediterranean Sea 
 plundered the American ships, and British sailors 
 boarded them; and the Spaniards at New Orleans 
 refused to allow the Mississippi River to be navi- 
 gated by Americans. 
 
 The continental army was disbanded; and when 
 Congress taxed the states to raise some money, 
 there were riots everywhere. 
 
 The kings of Europe began to rejoice at the 
 distress of the Americans. " See," they said to 
 their subjects, " see what a ridiculous spectacle a 
 republic makes of itself ! A kingdom is a firm and 
 stable government; a republic is the rule of a mob." 
 
 England said that if the republic were only let 
 alone it would fall to pieces of its own weight, and 
 soon one state after another would be knocking at 
 the door of Parliament to ask protection against 
 her neighbors. And so King George kept his 
 troops in the forts along the St. Lawrence. He 
 hoped to win his colonies back again. 
 
 Hamilton urged Congress to call a convention 
 of delegates from all the states to agree upon a 
 better plan of government. 
 
THE STORY OF ALEXANDER HAMILTON. 
 
 41 
 
 Now, there was so much quarreling in Congress 
 that Hamilton could get little attention, and he 
 soon resigned his office to practice law. But he 
 watched and waited for the time when he might 
 again propose a convention. 
 
 At last he was sent as a delegate to a commer- 
 cial meeting at Annapolis. Here he urged his plan 
 for a more perfect union. James Madison, of Vir- 
 ginia, helped him, and it was decided to ask Con- 
 gress to call a convention to revise the articles of 
 confederation. 
 
 Congress agreed to do this; and so, in May, 1787, 
 a convention met at Philadelphia to form a perma- 
 nent union between the states. 
 
 It was a noted body of men. There was George 
 Washington, the hero of the Revolution; Robert 
 Morris, the great merchant prince, who had 
 almost spent his fortune that the armies might be 
 fed; Benjamin Franklin, who had just returned 
 from the court of the French king; Edmund Ran- 
 dolph, who had refused to sail away in a tory ship 
 with his father; and James Madison, who would 
 one day be President. 
 
 There were governors, lawyers, and merchants 
 
4 2 
 
 THE STORY OF ALEXANDER HAMILTON. 
 
 among these delegates at Philadelphia, but among 
 them all none was more ready for work than Alex- 
 ander Hamilton. 
 
 He had a plan of government already formed in 
 his own mind, and wished to persuade the rest to 
 adopt it. 
 
 George Washington was elected president of the 
 convention, and then the debates began. 
 
 Now, all agreed that there should be a union of 
 the states, but there were many different opinions 
 about what this union should be. 
 
 Some wanted a government with each state 
 independent, except in time of war. Others 
 wanted a government with all the states firmly 
 united. A few, who had been made timid by the 
 riots, declared that only a king could keep peace 
 
 The convention lasted four months, and the 
 debates were loud and long. Many times the 
 meeting was almost broken up, and the talk grew 
 so bitter that Franklin moved prayer be said 
 every morning. 
 
 Hamilton was kept very busy. Once he spoke 
 five hours without stopping. He proposed a strong 
 government, with a President, a Congress, and a 
 
THE ST0R Y OF A LEXANDER HA MIL TON. 4 3 
 
 Supreme Court, much as we have it now. Some 
 day, in a larger book, you will read all about it. 
 
 In the end, the Constitution of the United States 
 was written and signed. Washington's name was 
 first on the list. The great general held his pen in 
 his hand as he said: " Should the states reject this 
 excellent Constitution, the probability is that an 
 opportunity will never again offer to cancel 
 another in peace. The next will be drawn in 
 blood." Franklin said: " I consent, sir, to this 
 Constitution because I expect no better, and 
 because I am not sure it is not the best." 
 
 No one has told what Hamilton said, but we can 
 see his name standing out, firm and clear, on the 
 yellow parchment which lies under glass in the 
 capitol at Washington. 
 
 After the Constitution was properly signed by 
 the delegates, it was submitted to the old Conti- 
 nental Congress. The Congress agreed to let the 
 states say whether they wished to adopt the new 
 government. 
 
 If nine states adopted it, a union would be 
 formed. All the states called conventions to con- 
 sider the question. 
 
44 THE STOR Y OF A LEX A NDER HA MIL TON. 
 
 X. — The Federalist. 
 
 Of course, the people were sure to disagree 
 about the new Constitution. Governors in the 
 states did not like to have a President who 
 would be greater than they. Militias in the 
 states did not want to be at the beck and call 
 of a President who would be their commander- 
 in-chief. Judges in the states did not care to 
 have their decisions appealed to a supreme court. 
 Merchants did not choose to allow a Congress 
 to put taxes on the goods they imported from 
 Europe. 
 
 And so there was a great deal of talking. 
 
 Those who favored the Constitution were called 
 federalists, and those who opposed it were called 
 anti-federalists. 
 
 Some great patriots were anti-federalists. Pat- 
 rick Henry of Virginia was an anti-federalist, 
 because he feared the President and Congress 
 might take liberty from the people. 
 
 Samuel Adams, of Massachusetts, was an anti- 
 federalist, because he feared one government 
 could not hold so many states together. 
 
 Now, this old patriot had much influence. 
 
THE STOR Y OF A LEX A NDER HA MIL TON. 45 
 
 People said Massachusetts would vote against 
 the Constitution if Samuel Adams did. 
 
 But some workingmen met in the Green Dragon 
 Tavern in Boston. It was their opinion that if 
 the Constitution was not ratified their trades would 
 be ruined. A committee bore their resolutions 
 to Samuel Adams; and Paul Revere, who had 
 aroused the sleeping towns for the battle of Lex- 
 ington, handed him the paper. 
 
 " How many mechanics were at the Green 
 Dragon?" asked Adams. 
 
 " More, sir, than the Green Dragon could hold," 
 answered Paul Revere. 
 
 " And where were the rest, Mr. Revere? " 
 
 " In the streets, sir." 
 
 " And how many were in the streets? " 
 
 " More, sir, than there are stars in the sky." 
 
 And because Samuel Adams had faith in the 
 judgment of the industrious workingmen, he 
 resolved from that moment to be a federalist. 
 
 Nothing that anybody could say changed the 
 mind of Governor George Clinton, of New- 
 York. He opposed the Constitution with all his 
 might. 
 
46 THE STORY OF A LEX A NDER HA MIL TON. 
 
 Alexander Hamilton urged the adoption of the 
 Constitution. He wrote, with John Jay, of New 
 York, and James Madison, of Virginia, a series of 
 essays called the Federalist. The Federalist 
 explained the new plan of government. 
 
 It had great influence all over the country. 
 But there were so many anti-federalists in New 
 York that people said the state would never adopt 
 the Constitution. 
 
 There was talking from morning till night in 
 the taverns and on the corners of the streets. 
 
 Hamilton hardly slept or ate, he was so busy 
 trying to persuade the people to agree to the Con- 
 stitution. At last news came that eight states 
 had ratified it. 
 
 When the New York convention met to vote, 
 there was the greatest excitement. Only one 
 more state was needed to make the Constitution 
 a law. Would New Hampshire vote for it? 
 Would Virginia vote for it? Hamilton sent off 
 couriers for reports from these two states. The 
 days seemed very long. 
 
 At last a courier came riding at full speed. 
 "New Hampshire has ratified!" he shouted. 
 
THE STORY OF ALEXANDER HAMILTON. 
 
 47 
 
 "Hurrah!' 5 answered the friends of the Constitu- 
 tion, and they hurried to tell that the new govern- 
 ment was established. 
 
 Would New York join the union, or remain 
 independent? Everybody was asking the ques- 
 tion. Now, New York, at that time, was not so 
 great in either wealth or population as Virginia, 
 Massachusetts, or Pennsylvania. But the state 
 was very important, for all that. There it lay, 
 dividing New England from the middle and 
 southern states. You can see very well that, if 
 New York had stayed out of the union, she might 
 have been a troublesome neighbor to the United 
 States of America. 
 
 Hamilton argued in the convention while wait- 
 ing for reports from Virginia. " Let others try 
 the experiment first," said Governor Clinton and 
 his friends. Everybody said that, if Virginia re- 
 fused to ratify, New York would be sure to follow 
 her example. 
 
 It took a long time for news to come from far 
 away Virginia. But at last a horseman brought 
 tidings that Virginia, the " mother of the colonies," 
 had adopted the Constitution. 
 
48 THE S TOR Y OF A LEX A NDER HA MIL TON. 
 
 "Hurrah! hurrah!" shouted the friends of the 
 Constitution. " What will our convention do 
 now?" they asked. 
 
 The excitement of the crowds outside the court- 
 house waxed greater than ever. " Hamilton is 
 speaking! " went from mouth to mouth. " Hamil- 
 ton is speaking yet ! He has changed more 
 votes! " 
 
 And when the news was carried to the people 
 that their convention had ratified the Constitution, 
 a shout went up all over the state. There was a 
 holiday to celebrate the event. Cannons boomed, 
 bells rang, and thousands marched in line in the 
 streets of New York city. 
 
 The portrait of Hamilton with the Constitution 
 in his hand was carried in the parade; a small 
 frigate, called the " Ship of State," bore the 
 name Hamilton in large letters, and on the 
 national flag were pictured the faces of Washing- 
 ton and Hamilton. The celebration closed with 
 a public dinner, where toasts were offered in honor 
 of Hamilton. 
 
 It was a proud day for the young federalist. 
 
THE S TOR Y OF A LEX A NDER HA MIL TON. 49 
 
 XI. — The First Secretary of the Treasury. 
 
 The people of the United States had now much 
 to do. There were the Congressmen to be elected 
 in all the states, and there were electors to be 
 chosen to name a President. 
 
 George Washington, the hero of the Revolution, 
 was elected President. 
 
 New York was made the capital; and when 
 Washington stood on the balcony of the city hall 
 to take the oath of office, Hamilton stood by his 
 side, among other distinguished men. 
 
 When Chancellor Livingston exclaimed, " Long 
 live George Washington, President of the United 
 States!" cocked hats Avere tossed in the air, hand- 
 kerchiefs fluttered, and above all waved the new 
 flag of the Union, while thousands of voices 
 shouted that the government had begun. 
 
 Soon the President asked Robert Morris: "What 
 is to be done about this immense war debt of the 
 United States?" 
 
 The great financier replied: " There is but one 
 man in the United States who can tell you, and 
 that man is Alexander Hamilton." 
 
 And so, when Washington appointed his 
 
5Q 
 
 THE STORY OF ALEXANDER HAMILTON. 
 
 Cabinet, he made Hamilton Secretary of the 
 Treasury. 
 
 As a member of the Cabinet, Hamilton had 
 many social duties. He assisted at the President's 
 levees and at the Friday evening receptions of 
 " Lady Washington." The beauty and wit of the 
 nation were there. The envoys from Europe stood 
 about in brilliant uniforms; and the officers of the 
 army and of the navy were there, with their 
 swords and medals voted by Congress. But no 
 man in all the throng was more observed than 
 Alexander Hamilton. 
 
 He generally wore a blue coat, a white silk 
 waist-coat, black trousers to the knee, and long, 
 white silk stockings. His powdered hair was 
 combed back and tied in a cue. Although below 
 middle size, he was erect and dignified. His brow 
 was lofty, his face was fair, his voice was musical, 
 and his manner was frank and cordial. 
 
 But social duties were the least of Hamilton's 
 duties. He was to restore the public credit at 
 home and abroad and this must be done by rais- 
 ing money to pay the national debt. 
 
 Yet he knew very well that, if the people 
 
THE STOR Y OF A LEX A NDER HA MIL TON. 5 I 
 
 were taxed too much, they would rebel against 
 the government. 
 
 At last he persuaded Congress to put a high 
 tariff on imported wares, and a tax on whisky 
 and a few other home products. Then he had to 
 oversee the collecting of the public money, and to 
 pay it out again on the national debt. 
 
 He proposed a National Bank, and, after much 
 debate, the Bank of the United States was estab- 
 lished at Philadelphia. Then he recommended a 
 mint. There were few American coins. English, 
 French, and Spanish coins were about all the 
 money we had. Congress ordered a mint to melt 
 gold, silver, and copper, and stamp it. 
 
 People began to feel very proud of their country 
 when they read "The United States of America" 
 on the shining pieces of money. 
 
 The nations of Europe soon treated the Ameri- 
 can flag with more respect. They said the Repub- 
 lic seemed like a young giant. But they said, too, 
 that young giants stumbled more easily than any- 
 body else. They would wait a while before they 
 believed that the new government would be a 
 permanent one. 
 
52 
 
 THE STORY OF ALEXANDER HAMILTON. 
 
 Hamilton continued to labor in all the depart- 
 ments of his office. He suggested laws for naviga- 
 tion and the coasting trade. He established 
 bureaus for the sale of the lands in the West. He 
 founded the United States Post-office. He made 
 a report on American manufactures, and urged a 
 high tax on foreign manufactures to encourage 
 the home products. 
 
 And while he was toiling day and night, enemies 
 attacked his character. They said he had used 
 public money to bribe men for votes. A com- 
 mittee investigated the treasury books, but found 
 that every dollar was in its place. 
 
 Hamilton was then more popular than ever; 
 and when Washington was elected President for 
 a second term, Hamilton was again chosen Secre- 
 tary of the Treasury. 
 
 In 1795 he resigned his office, and resumed the 
 practice of law in New York city. He was only 
 thirty-eight years old, yet he had served his country 
 for nearly twenty years, and won the name 
 of the " founder of the public credit." 
 
 Many years after, Daniel Webster said: " Hamil- 
 ton smote the rock of the national resources, and 
 
THE STORY OF ALEXANDER HAMILTON. 
 
 53 
 
 tW, 
 
 Ufitf/WS 
 
 mmm^m^ 
 
54 
 
 THE STORY OF ALEXANDER HAMILTON. 
 
 abundant streams of revenue pushed forth. He 
 touched the dead corpse of public credit, and it 
 sprang upon its feet." Is not that high praise 
 from a great orator to a great statesman? 
 
 XII. — Inspector-General of the Army. 
 
 Hamilton was urged by his party to accept the 
 nomination for governor of New York. He 
 refused the honor. He preferred to practice law. 
 He soon bought a small estate on the north end 
 of Manhattan Island, and built a hospitable house, 
 which he called the Grange, after the mansion 
 of his grandfather in Scotland. 
 
 Here he was the center of a large circle of 
 admiring friends. On another part of Manhattan 
 lived Aaron Burr, his rival in politics and at the 
 bar. Whatever Alexander Hamilton wished was 
 sure to be opposed by Aaron Burr. 
 
 But talent and industry kept Hamilton far in the 
 front. By his practice in the courts, he grew more 
 famous than ever. The rich and the poor brought 
 their troubles to the great lawyer. It is said that 
 Washington still sought his advice in national 
 
THE STORY OF A LEX A NDER HA MIL TON. 5 5 
 
 affairs ; and then, as the President completed his 
 second term of office, Hamilton helped him write 
 the Farewell Address. 
 
 If you hear this famous Farewell Address read 
 on Washington's birthday, perhaps you will think 
 of Alexander Hamilton. 
 
 Now, when John Adams, of Massachusetts, 
 became President, trouble was already brewing 
 between the United States and France. 
 
 You remember how Louis XVI. sent a fleet to 
 America to aid in the war against the British. It 
 so happened that, very soon after, the king had a 
 war with his own people. He was driven from his 
 throne, and France became a republic. 
 
 " If one throne falls," said the other kings of 
 Europe, " all thrones may fall ; we must not let the 
 French establish a republic as the Americans have 
 done" ; and so the kings united to fight France. 
 Then the Directory, which was the name of five 
 men who ruled the new French republic, called 
 across the sea to the Americans : " We helped 
 you," they said, "when you fought for liberty; 
 come and help us." 
 
 This was a stirring appeal. Republican clubs 
 
5 6 THE S TOR Y OF A LEX A NDER HA MIL TON. 
 
 were formed all over the United States ; they sang 
 French songs and dressed after the French 
 fashion. But while Washington was President, he 
 had hesitated to take up arms against England ; 
 he said the only two English-speaking nations on 
 the globe should be friends. 
 
 It seemed unwise to take part in the quarrels of 
 Europe. Besides, it was King Louis who sent help 
 to America, and the French mobs had cut off the 
 head of King Louis. Washington declared the 
 United States would take no part in the wars of 
 France. 
 
 When John Adams became President, he, too, 
 said we should remain friends to all the nations of 
 Europe. Then the French became very disagree- 
 able ; they began to shoot at the flags on our ships. 
 President Adams sent agents to Paris to try to 
 arrange the difficulties ; but the French Directory 
 insulted the agents, and ordered them out of the 
 city. Of course, all the Americans were angry 
 then. The Republican clubs took off their French 
 badges, and quit singing French songs. 
 
 The President and Congress prepared for war. 
 Washington was appointed lieutenant-general of 
 
THE STORY < )F A L EX A XDER HA MIL TON. 5 7 
 
 the army, with Hamilton his first major-general. 
 Ships were built ; armies were collected and drilled. 
 There was hurrying everywhere. Meantime, 
 Napoleon had become the ruler in France; and 
 when he saw that the Americans were so eager to 
 defend their honor, he treated them with more 
 respect. After a time, peace was made between 
 France and the United States. 
 
 Before peace had been concluded, the death of 
 Washington caused mourning throughout the 
 land. Hamilton became commander of the 
 American armies, but he went about his duties 
 with a very sad heart. 
 
 XIII. — Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr. 
 
 When all danger of war was over, Hamilton 
 began again to practice law. 
 
 He withdrew more and more from public life. 
 It is said that in the trial of his cases the great 
 lawyer was almost always successful. 
 
 Sometimes he spoke many hours, but no one 
 wished to leave the court-room until he had fin' 
 ished his speech. 
 
5 8 THE S TOR Y OF A LEX A NDER HA MIL TON. 
 
 Now, all this time Aaron Burr had been rising in 
 power. He was crafty and revengeful ; he did 
 what he could to blacken the character of Hamil- 
 ton. When the term of John Adams drew to a 
 close, Aaron Burr became a candidate for Presi- 
 dent against Thomas Jefferson, of Virginia. 
 
 Hamilton used his great influence against the 
 election of Burr. He thought him a man without 
 honor, and therefore unfit for the high office to 
 which he aspired. 
 
 When Jefferson was elected, Burr was very 
 angry ; he said that Hamilton had caused his 
 defeat. 
 
 Then, when Burr wished to be governor of 
 New York, he was defeated again. He was more 
 angry than ever ; he laid all the blame of failure 
 on Hamilton ; he brooded over his evil thoughts. 
 
 How might he get rid of this powerful man who 
 stood in his way ? He decided to kill him ; but he 
 said he would not, like a common murderer, kill 
 him in the night; he would challenge him to fight a 
 duel. 
 
 It is said that Burr trained his hand at shooting 
 targets until he never missed his mark. When 
 
THE STORY OF ALEXANDER HAMILTON. ^ 
 
 he was sure that he would not fail he sent a chal- 
 lenge to Hamilton. 
 
 In those days a duel was a common way to settle 
 disputes. Hamilton had lost a dear son in a duel. 
 He thought the custom of dueling was wrong ; yet 
 he knew very well that, if he did not accept the 
 challenge, he would be called a coward. 
 
 "If war should ever break out again," he said, 
 " who would trust a man in command, if he had 
 ever been called a coward?" 
 
 And so he accepted Burr's challenge, but he 
 asked that the duel be put off until he had finished 
 his cases in that term of court. He did not wish 
 others to suffer loss if he died. 
 
 The days went by ; the great lawyer pleaded his 
 cases, and attended to all his duties as usual. 
 
 Once, at a public dinner, when urged to sing his 
 favorite song, he arose to his feet and sang the 
 patriotic verses, one by one. 
 
 Just across the table sat Aaron Burr. His eyes 
 were fixed on the glowing face of the singer. He 
 whispered to himself : " It is the last time that the 
 people of this nation shall listen to the voice of 
 Alexander Hamilton." 
 
60 THE STOR Y OF A LEX A NDER HA MIL TON. 
 
 XIV.— The Duel. 
 
 At dawn, on the eleventh day of July, 1804, the 
 duel took place. The two men, with their seconds, 
 met on the Jersey shore at Weehawken, opposite 
 New York. Hamilton had said he would not fire 
 the first round; he did not wish to kill his enemy. 
 They measured paces. At the given word, Burr 
 fired. Hamilton fell. Burr hastened away in a 
 boat. He was soon condemned as a murderer, 
 and fled for his life. 
 
 Hamilton was carried to his barge. He was 
 placed on a cot, and borne to the house of a 
 friend. A long line of citizens followed the 
 almost lifeless body. They wept and wrung their 
 hands. All felt that he must die. His wife and 
 children were summoned; and, in a few hours, 
 Alexander Hamilton breathed his last. 
 
 On the day of his funeral the business houses 
 in New York City were closed. The flags on the 
 ships in the harbor were hung at balf-mast, and 
 the bells of the churches were muffled and tolled. 
 
 A vast procession followed the hero to his 
 grave. His war horse, with empty saddle, draped 
 in black, walked behind the casket. Then came 
 
THE STOR Y OF A LEX A NDER HAMIL TON. 6 I 
 
 regiments of soldiers. Then the president and 
 the students of Columbia College marched to- 
 gether, because the "orphan boy of Nevis" had 
 been an honored student of Columbia College, 
 when it was King's College. Behind the students 
 marched the many societies, who wished to do 
 honor to the dead; and all over the country there 
 was mourning for the great financier, the soldier, 
 the lawyer, and the statesman, Alexander Hamil- 
 ton. 
 
 Ministers in their pulpits deplored his loss. One 
 said: "Alexander Hamilton was a man on whom 
 nature seemed to impress the stamp of greatness. 
 
 " He was the hero whose first appearance in the 
 field conciliated the esteem of Washington; the 
 statesman whose genius impressed itself upon the 
 constitution of his country; the patriot whose 
 integrity baffled the closest scrutiny, and the coun- 
 sellor who was at once the pride of the bar and the 
 admiration of the court. 
 
 "The name of Hamilton raises in the mind the 
 idea of whatever is great, whatever is splendid, 
 whatever is illustrious in human nature. 
 
 " Wherever Alexander Hamilton was, the friend- 
 
6 2 THE S TOR Y OF A LEX A NDER HA MIL TON. 
 
 less had a friend, the fatherless a father, and the 
 poor man an advocate." 
 
 The newspapers were banded in black. Each 
 paid loving tribute to the dead. Even those that 
 had often opposed him hastened now to praise 
 him. 
 
 " Americans!" said the Charleston Courier, "in 
 Alexander Hamilton, you have lost your champion, 
 your counsellor, and your guide. 
 
 " Who is there in the ancient or the modern 
 world that has surpassed him? If we look to his 
 life, we shall find more to praise and less to censure 
 than in almost any other, 
 
 " The head that guided your guides — that clearest 
 head that ever conceived, and that sweetest tongue 
 that ever uttered, the dictates of wisdom — lies 
 mouldering to clay; yet the deeds this great man 
 wrought will live forever. " 
 
 " The name of Hamilton will not die," said one 
 newspaper, " until that dark day shall come when 
 the name of Washington will also be remembered 
 no more." 
 
 " No country ever deplored a greater man," 
 said another. 
 
THE STORY OF A LEX A NDER HA MIL TON. 6 3 
 
 " Behold!" said another, "a Washington and a 
 Hamilton meet again in gladness and triumph." 
 
 The dust of the illustrious statesman lies in 
 Trinity Churchyard, at the head of busy Wall 
 Street. On a bluff of Manhattan stands the 
 " Grange," once his country home, removed 
 a short distance from where it then stood. 
 But the thirteen trees still flourish where he 
 planted them in remembrance of the thirteen 
 states he had helped to unite into one great 
 nation. 
 
 They tower high above the trees around them. 
 It was thus, too, that the fame of Alexander Ham- 
 ilton arose above that of other men. 
 
 Like Cain, who slew his brother, Aaron Burr, 
 who slew America's greatest statesman, became a 
 wanderer on the earth. The name of Hamilton 
 sounded in his ears wherever he went. 
 
 "Ah, the slayer of Hamilton!" exclaimed an 
 English lord, and cooly turned his back. 
 
 "I always have a miniature of Hamilton hanging 
 over my mantle piece," replied a French states- 
 man whose favor he sought. 
 
 " By the death of Hamilton you have forfeited 
 
64 THE STOR Y OF A LEX A NDER HA MIL TON. 
 
 the right of citizenship," said a consul as he re- 
 fused him passports. 
 
 Wearied with his treatment in Europe, Burr re- 
 turned to New York city. 
 
 His old friends shunned him and strangers who 
 heard his name refused to clasp his hand. 
 
 At last, when very old and very poor, he died; 
 and the event served only to renew the universal 
 praise of Alexander Hamilton. 
 

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