E copy 3 Class Book ilJ^ .0/^ cu- h il 1 \n.i! i LETTERS TO ALEXANDER HAMILTON^ Ixing Of t!;ejFetJ0. CI-DEFANT SECRETARY of t he TREASURY OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, INSPEGTOR-GENERAL of th£ STANDING ARMIES THEREOF, COUNSELLOR AT LAW. &c, &c. Sic. Being intended aS a reply to a scandalous PAjiPHLEX lately piiblifhed under the fandtion, as it is pre- fumed,' of Mr. Kamiltoh, and figned with the fignatiire of Junius Phil an us. By TOM CALLENDER, Eso. ClTtZEH OF THE ffORLD, — N E w-Yo R K : — I'rinted BY Richard Reynolds, N0.27, Dey-Street> i8a2. i^PTTER THE FIRST, TO ALEXAND R HAMILTON; M- New-York, Nov. 1802; '*MENE MENE, TEKEL UPHARSIN." DAN- V. 2!J. _R. Hamilton, for yT>u are no more com- mander in chief of the Pittfburt:h army, the motto ■quoted above from a good old book, although it may -not at present be exa611y applicable to you, or your former friend Mr. Adams, was once the very game you both played ! Start not, Sir ! your nerves are 'ftrong and able to. bear up a great weight of any kind, Vou have difavowed being the patron of the licen- tiousnefs of the prefs, and yet you have made miOre ufe of that Ifijlrunientallty to carry on intrigues againft the peace and happinefs of the people than any other man in Ameiica ! The pamphlet ju'-t published under the fignature of Junius Philj;nus, althoug-h it ma^ "have been written by font of the young fry belonging to the Bar, who are either your worshippers or flaves ; neverthelefs bears fuch evident fy mbols of your pa- Aa 4 LETTERS Td '■ ' ' ^ •* ironage that it is impossible for any man of com* iTion experience) not to fee- *^ the mark of the beast pn its forehead." — The amanuenfisj is too contempti- ble a creature for me ta purfue, 1 therefore addrefs jnyfelf to the principal and father of the bantling, — : jiot To niuch on-adc'oUnl^ of: ar(y IhjuYjT'th'at^ Ma/ fili^y Torcwpinia^e cou|d ever produce to the prefect peace- able adminirtratlon, becaufe 'it is a weak and filly performance which muft defeat its own purpofe ;i •not oii account of any any injury you or the Jerfy- Jove, '{he apoftate Luther Martini, the 'A^ulgir Pick- erings' and Wolcotts, the HaTPPoners, Burrs or 3,rutus.es, &c. coulcl effect. Npne pfthofe/riea- .fons.or fears have operated uppn me? to, provoke mp into revenge againf^ any of the whole corps of. Y,?^. It is the dillurbance which ye are continually raifing yp againft the public tranquillity I-^— I am happy that we now all live at peace in this country and that men of .wealth are well fecured in their property, without hciving recourfe to. the, blood thirfty plans of burning 'villagesj as it is reportedj you had de- clared, and I believe with great truthj you would have put into operation) if you could only have provoked any of the infurgents to flioot a fingle man of the iriilitia or volunteers who. marched out, in my opi- nion, with the utmoft honor and fpirit, to quell an innovation againfl: the laws of the United States, but never, oh never, had they collectively any fuch horrid idea as that cf ftaining their hands in the blood of tlacir fellow-citizens without difcrimina- ALEX-ANI?.E;R HAMILTOir Jj *|lQn !^— I have been told of this your declaration, fp I© f ten that I'was almoft convinced it was true. B.ujt _lct me here declare to you, that, at thisdayj I have .ftrong doubts of its veracity, and I wiih you cpul^ .4eny it unequivocally — th(it you frefumed to take a vow like Hannibal, *' or, after a time, you muft have fuffered yourfelf tq approve cf the plot — I hope not. — It i- for reafons likei thefe, and they are far from chimerical ; that I amj obliged to view you in the light of a very dcfpcrate ^Jid dangerous enemy to fociety, although I am readyv to join in the general approbation of your valuable abilities, and your abjiemioufnefs from all pecuniar/ eonfid rations and all other fublunary th'ngs ! I DO not mean to hurt vour •private feelings, but Only to make fome general oblervations upon your jJol.tica! career, from its Alpha to its Omega, wkkh J think muft now be fait approaching, frcm -our con- election with fo fcurnlous a uretch as he who coulcf ftavi penned the pamphlet fubfcribed by mafller JunU tii Vh'danus^ whofe infolence is equal to his icrnoJ l^iftce, whot^ conne6lion with yoa muft be difgracefitl % ' tEtf Efts to i^wKofeBillingrgate ftyle is lower tlian'eren the briJtal Brltifti-PoTCupine— ^But he fhall be dilTefied in m^ fiext letter, or foihe other leiter in this feriesj whicH I have fat down to write for no other reafon than the defence of truth, honor, virtue, and real patri- ©tifm ; unfophiRicated patriotifm. — Unlike your com- plicated fchemes.— Unlike Adams's dreams:— Unlikd^ Duet's financial operations, which you had the folly to fathet. ''The very lengthy introdu(9:ory-apology which prefaces tnafter Philsenus's pamphlet, was not, — n6,' riever, written by the fame hand that afterwards links into the lowed filth of fweep-chimney's dialeft. — •' His debut, however, is perhaps intended to fnew ti$ that he is a fportf-nan, by the ufe of the wrrJ « Bevy of hungry expectants." Of which number he vows in Yankee phrafe, that he's not one, he himfeif — whb has taken up fo many pages to define Bis own excellence — he never was an expeilant for any 6.fice, ho'r would he accept of one were it lo be o^n^red to him, let it be ever fo lucrative ? — As welt might Oliver Wolcott publiHi to the world the bare- faced affcrtion, that he himfclf was the entire and fp!e author of a lame defence, lately .pub'iflied, of the late adininiflration ; — or have the effrontery to tell the people of the United Sates, that he did'not come to New- York to get it corre61ed and amended by the centre flugel-man of all mifchief,— who is fiill 4lie rallying point for the out-cafts of Tepubiicanifm — ' 1 AtEZANDER HAMILTON. 9 yh6(& meetings, Cacuffes, plots, and ftratagems, Sire not To fecret as the junto may vainly imagine. Their frequent intrigues at New-York will never be cbnftrued into innocent vifits of private friend- ihlp.—l^^e Jerfcy-Joty's races through the three mid- dle states axe not all probably, intended as vifits of perfonal, refp^6l to tho. fallen angels of an intended royal flaBdard-^neither did Luther Martin, ?.nd many- others whom I may probably make mention of here- after, all come hr.e to New- York for nothing ?— Have not you Mr. Hamilton, exprelTed vourfelf in a Very itreafpnable ftyle at the lown-meetings amongft the Cartmen or 'the Shoe-makers— fomething about . — The diibanded few, who have loft their confe- quence, are everlaftingly trumping up fome infamous fa^lfehood in the news-papei's, in pamphlets and in treafonable night Caucujjesr which it is certain are frc- q-uently held in New-York, and in the management «f which focieties, it is flrongly fufpefted you are a principal. The pamphlet now before me, of Ju7iius P'hiJanusy is a handfome fpecimen of the malignity of the men who encouraged its publication, and if yoti Sir, were of the num-ber it will never redound to youi* >fame or chara6len The world has never yet heard from Mr. JefFerfon, the real caufes of many of tJie removals he has been obliged tQ ma"ke. It was lord chief jullice Mansfield's opinion that a man at the bead of a public office fhould jraev^r give his reafons for the removal of thofe who fliould render thcm- ielves deferving of it — and who knows what prox^fs? l?/hat ccnaplaints, what lettcj-s and flrong vouchersj ..%*i LETTERSTO joiay have been laid before Mr. JefF.rfon, of tlie III conduct of many of tViofe who have loft the confidence ot the adminiftration — Yet they wiU not reft quiet vnder their imaeinary difgrace, but for ever keep up a fire of (lander againft him. It would be better for their ov/n fakes they would be fiient, as? if the Prefi- clent fliould be urged to publifli the reafons of feme of their removals, it would? perhaps, only add to, their chagrinT— better for them to remain contented with the fimple punifhment of removal, than h^ve the. complicated difgrace of their cha,ra6ters bei-ng alfo exDofed. There never was fb great a crowd of public offices filled by men who. were every one i m mac u/ate h — Humanity is liable to error. The countenance and support which, I am convinced, you give^ to the ILvENiNC PosTj and to molt of the same descriji- tion of scandalous prints, as well as the encourage- ment to such reptiles as fiinh/s Phi! ami s, is so dis- gusting to the true friends of America, that you have drawn down their indignation upon yourfelf. You have deferted the caufe of genuine republicanifm, and fled to the ftandard of Aristocracy. You held a poft of hi«h rank among the Duke of Braintrec's well- torn fons, until you were almoft afliamed of it and him. Your letter, addreffed to hirr, fs fufficicnt for me to believe that you moft heartily defi>ifed him. — But, your enmity againft the prefent AdmJniftration, proceeds from very difFeren*- motives. You do not — you cannot look with the fame di^gree of contempt on the abilities- and virtues of Mr. Jeff eR son. wiUi which you viewed the weaknefs and vanity of Mr. Adam=. Your pretended difapprobation of the Pre- Indent's conda6l, is only external; for, I will pay -you the compliment to fay, that I fineerely believe ■ your heart approves of it. The chief cbje6Hon to liim is the difplacing of fome men who could not,'— t .would not, concur with the falutary and abfolutely necefTary meafures that he has adopted for the prefer'^ ration of the government. Suppofe Sir, that yott were, for inftance, elevated to the Prefidential chair* and were to be made acquainted with fome mal-prac- tices in the various departments of the adminiftra- tion — would you not remove thofe men from office ■ whom you fhould find to be guilty ? I muft think you certainly would. And yet there are many of this defcription M'ho itlll hold their places under Mr. Jeflferfon; becaufe, perhaps, he does not yet kno^Jir their faults — Suppofe Sir, you, as Prefident of the United States, were to be fubftantially convinced in the moft unequivocal manner, that any officer of confiderable confequence, with a good fat falary> fliould live fo diiTipated a life as to be obliged to bor- row money from all his induflrious neighbours to fapport his extravagance, nay even *o obtain it in a, furreptitious manner from a merchant, under the cloak of his office — he fliould apply it to his own private \ife, and leave the merchant afterwards to pay it over again — and after all this Ihameful tranfa61ion, this officer fliould refufe to refund the money or fecure it — but fuffer himfclf to be expofed by a fuit in the Mayor's court, which he put off as long as tlie court would permit his lawyers to do it ; and, finally, when the mcrcliant v/as on the point of getting out an ex- ecution, he was aftonilhed to find the caufe was re- #4 BETTERS TO fnored into another court. I fay Mr. Hamilton, if you were Prefident of the United States would you >not remove this officer from your confidence? I am fure you would. But Sir. this is only one inftance out of mnny which might be mentioned to (hew that the Prefident is in poffeifion of fufficient information to induce him to a6l as he has cione; and that, fo far from treat- ing thofe difcarded gentlemen with crueltyj he keeps their faults fecret, which is the mildeft method he could have adopted. For the proof of the above faQ, I need iOnly refer you to the records of the courts, and to the information of one of your mofl intimate friends at the bar. — Verbum fat. Nowj let me alk my fellow-citizens, whether our public affairs are not now lodged in fafer hands than they would have been, had the people fufFered them to remain in the hands of men of fuch characters as I have defcribed— T-is not the monied and the landed in- tcrefts of the country as fafe in the hands of our prefent happy adminiftration, as it could have been tinder the government of the former rulers— rhavc we not, at leajl, as good fecurity for the h®nor of our wives and daughters ! ! I Your amorous tranra61ions I will not hint at in ^hefe letters, unlefs fome of the fcribbling fools ^ould provoke me to it by ufing fuch low indelicate innuendos as the pamphlet now alluded to is fluffed with. Defpcrate indeed mud be the fituation of that Jflct'tGn who would hire fuch fcurrlllous fcribblers. Ic has been faid of the people of Conne61icut, that they Jii^,d for the lad three or four. years, taken the shi^i; ALEXA^^7DEft WAMflLfOlsr i^ ^S^dlflimuk^tfon from every other flate or nation — the' |>oor Irifh not excepted. But the whole ftatc of Connecticut cannot produce half a dozen fuch credi'* ditab!e gefitletneh zs have broken' into this cofuntry, with- in a few years from Caledonia. Take notice, Sir, I mean no refieftion on that country in general, be-^ Caufe I circulate fome Scotch blood, as probably may' be the cafe with yaurfelf. I now confine my remarks io the Callender at Richmond,- and John' Wood> lately of New- York, whO' 'have been fo^ kindly re- ceived into'the monarchical club — iVlr. Wood is realljr a valuable acquifuion to any fociety — he is teacher of half a do^en languages, none of which can h^ fpeak or write ! •^if this be riot prefumptian, I know' not where impertinence will erid.' One day, like Mr. Lang, on the French negro-Iandihg, he tells truth by affirming to the world that he is a liar, and the next fte aflerts 'that he was a lia.r v.-hen he told the fhe truth ! — yet thiiis the man who has had the affu-^, ranee to undertake to' write upon religion, and '^o- Ternment — who will eeli ev e him ? — what an handfome importation it was when we hail'd him antl the ivheel-harroixj man to our fliores ? neither of theni iauld know any ihing of the true interefts of Ame-^ flea. But they will try their hands, alfo, at book-mar king. Every cow-boy in Scotland attempts to be- come an author, and with the effrontery of Belzebub they will venture neck and limb on writing a book; and when they are found out afterwards to be nothing better than common plagiarifls and impoftors, their diara6ler ftands in as good a fituation as it was be- J4f T LETTERS TO fore. They lofe nothing, and they gainnQtonefyti imuc)i.ih the fame way that the famous Gny: Faiix did* and it is to be hoped they may meet witli a fimilat reruoard. In making this oblervatioh^ I muil repeat m.y former -declarationj that I mean to make no ailu- fuDn or reflection upon that country which has produ- c;?d fo many men of as great al^ilities and virtue as any nation whatever. i Th f s moft difgraceful and unnatural enliflment of Wood and Calendar into the TOonarchial-federal corps can never ?.Id or arffift to raife up tliofe men, who have juftly loft their confequence in the eyes of tlije public ; but who are driving hard to deceive about five mil- lions, o^' fenfible people into the idea, that thky» •— the difccmfited> and difcarded few*-^are the only MEN fitted to hold the reins of government. — Was it not right, and wife to fnatch the^ whips from their hands ? Such dcfperate men as thefe are would now wade up to their necks in blood tQ .recover their for*- mer ftations, and like Milton's Prince of the power of foul airs, they would rebel againft any government let it be ever fo well adminiftered, unlefs they were to be the fupreme diclators. No wonder that the peo- ple of iuch an enlightened Country as ours, fliould^ take the reins, the whips and the fpurs away from thofe Jehus. And if they ihould ever recover them a- gain, it mufl: happen in confequence of fome extraor- dinary ar.orlynes being treacheroufly adminiftered to lull the people into a profound ilcep, whilft they were Paoli-ing them. It is net thiir abilities, either as writers, painters, politicians, printers, or foldiers, — that can give tliem a fupciioi- title to die confidence ALEXANDER HAMILTON if 6r mankind — becaufe, we have always experienced the fuperior powers of the republican fpiritj whenever they were forced Or provoked to exert it. And fo it will he for ever more, amen. In my next letter, I fPiall probably take fome no- tice of your hopeful young fcribc Philwnus — But left I fhould tire you too much at the fiift onfet, I .iV'ill here make a pause ! — in the borrowed language of your friend Afmodeus, who conceited himfelf, no doubt, a fecond Cicero^ (as I may call myfelf a fe- cond Daniel) for *( you have been weighed in the bar lance, and found wanting" — and your do mitii on oxer ^.the goterftment of.die United States fhall be taken from you and divided amongft the old whigs and re- publicans. Tom Callender. LETTER II. Sir, In addreffing you," faith your young fcriblerus, * a diforder with which none of my family of the Callen- ders have ever been peftered. As an inftaftce of this, ?.nd left ahy of youi^ or the Vice-PreTident's friend* and gladiators (hould imagine that I was any way bailiful about naming the Revenue officer whom £ ^ALEXANDER HAIyIILTO^f. |^ fiajve hinted at in my firft. letter,, I here beg leave to |-«fer to Mr. Troup who; brought the fuit ogainft him, ^nd if he fliould. hefitate on the bufinefs, I can ap- pe-al tO; the merchant, who will fabitantiateihe fa6t> and who told me^ he was refolved to lay the ftate of his cafe before the Prefident of the United States.-— You may perceive that I go upon good ground ; and it mull appear evident to your fuperior 1016116615 that although 'there may be one man in America who VrOiild ufeiy^fO/^^i-means to get rid of a rival? I dread hihi- A^£'.' • Butj witii refpe^l to you, Sir, I declare, ih'at, fo far from fufpc6tihg you of countenancing fo bafe a proceeding, i am heartily convinced of your ^ricl adherence to the principles of a foldier and' a }r\a.n, and that you would draintree's chimerical monarchy. You will here natuially obferve that I, am not amongit the lilt of timid fcribblers— not very m.uch alarmed at the refentment of dilappcinted royalifts — or the furious thunder bolts of brother Jonathan. For if, ti-ey attack me in front I will endeavor to defend ALEXANDER HAm'i LTON. «2f jnyfelf as well as I can — and if they take me in tho Tear — I am fure it will not be With your confent. The fportfman-like phrafe of Philasnus at the on- fet of his pamphlet might induce fome honelt fellows of the chace to follow him through the foreft ; but if any of them fhould give a view-holla, he will not come up within a mile of the hunt — and fo -far from being calculated for ahuntfman, he is incapable of performing the duty of a whippei'^inn to a pack of well trained ./i«rr/Vr^. - ■ ' ^ 6 ' ■ ' ' -^ On purchafing the p^mj^nlet, I carelefsly cpcheid it at page 48, and on readihs: 'lirtas 5,''fe, 7 aiid '8" ccKild iiof retrain a Jcaigh at niafler Philoenus's fagacious'^reit marks on the condufii: of Mr: Jefrerfon. Hc-accuTes'th^ Prelident, of- having exprcfild ** his contempt-for their (the members -'of the late' cje8:ioh) underftaridings', bjf anfwering their reafonable and refpe61ful remoriflrances with a pompous difplay of logical nonfenfe and nnfrryre- criminations."— Who is there amongft the fons of the morjarchictil-feds that can explain to us the meaning of logical norifenfo ? Stop the youth from writing, as foon as poffible ; otherwifi he will put an extinguifhec Oyer the dying flames of ariftocracy. It ib- really wafling time to look over this poor pamphlet. Nor weuld any one think of doing it, were it not for the general coa- yiftion that Mr. Flamiiton approved of its publication.- Sir, why will you not fuffer an experiment to be made in the art of fimplifying government under the manage- ment of Mr. JeflTerfon ; as you defired when you lei the van under the adminiftration of the great and goov', but much impofed on Waniington, with your com.pl'cated plans ?— all you afked from ih^ oppofition then, was t« I^S BETTERS TO give, them a fair trial ;*-r,w.hich was confqi^fd to; a^^ not paly, yopr plans, but yptir language an4; yqur jpen iVjef©; aJJQwed too great a range of abroliue Iic;entieufnefs, ^our party in New-York were ready not only to fuppopt you with their purfes but even to mob any map in tb^ iftrepts who differed in apinion with tbemfeiyes and you,, i: Tfl[$ refult has b?.en, as I have already fmd>: in c(\n-k fc^rtTlity:.witJh^;m.y text— -your dominion has been tftkei} |(5)i|i- yoT4 , &e. by the general confent and' will of th^ people on u'hom you calculated to enforce your fchen^es ^ytthfe^teaingSi and hard blows. ! T^e .various fyftepris of intrigue carried on, by your JllTociatesj at that time, are frefli in my recolle^ioHr Xhe, -attempt made by a private citizen, when irxiEu- q|fppe>.. atthe time of the debate upoi^; y.o,ur funding ijfftejaii to, purcha/e tlie whole debt, whicli. the. t[nite4 States owed to France, and to fell this contrafil to the JIoPES of Aipfterdam, who were to furnifh the mo? jpey, was a fubje6l in the feriate, who rejected the nor inination of. that; citizen, by the Prefident, to the place 9f ambaffador to France ; yet he was afterwards ap-r pointed, through the intrigues of Robert Movris» whofe relation to him was no more than being conr to Eut ropean fpeculators, which, when properly en.qulrg4 ff|r, were not to be found. Hence the dcpreciatioij of the American charafter in Europe originated, and hence the fubfequent reduSion of the financier-gen era| f>f the United States, to the humble ftation of a birth m the jail of Philadelphia. If he had only confidered the old faying, *^ that honefly is the beft policy." He ;gs;vcr would have confentcd to be concerned with thi.s ALEXAiiJDER HAlVitlLtOlSr. 5^ Triable BoheauXi who ruined hrs credit and cortfequ'enci^ in Eurdpe. Perhaps it was from this circumftance that John Adams took up the idea which he has To fatri" btica/Iy exprcfled in the bock he wrote in London, yclept ** j^ Defence of the American Conflhutloni'' wherein hfe fays, that the Americans " h£ive no chara(5lcr.'* Thank you Mr. Adams— you were then probably in the fd'rhfe way of thinking that the Diable Boiteaux expreffed lately in the Senate of the United States when he faid •the pieople themfelves were their own worfl: enemies t 'ivha'- an elegant figure in rhetoric was this to come fro iti 'the lips of fuch a Cicero ? — It was kind, and merciful^ indeedj when bellowed from the lungs of a man of the Imoft contra0:ed ctbilities amongft the feds, but of the Inofl: unlimited effrontery. His hard-^2X\\t^ eftates, of fine houfe, furniture, and equipage have not any effect Upon the real republicans to produce refpefl; for his per- son or his merit- — I heartily defpile both, and fhould paft ten evening with more genuine comfort in company with a Poughkeepfie farmer, than with him and all his bought br borrowed luiflre. In the fame eftimation, do I hold Mr. Bingham, the breeches-maker's fon, at Philadel- phia. The trade, I hope, will not take offence at my ckfiing him amongfl: them. There are many bickers in Kew-Ycrk, &c, who ride in coaches, but who wouM appear more in character if they were to parade the 'ftreets in buttermilk-carts, or at the arms of bakers' "wheelbarrows. ^ The vulgarity of fome of the eaftern members of Congrefs, is only to be equalled by their inclination to intrigue and low cunning. They profeffed the ^4 LETTERS TO mofl: unlimited obedience to. your propcfrtions, Irt them be ever fo extravagant; yetwhen it came to voting for Prefident of the U. States, &c. although you> Sir> had written a terrible letter againfl John Adams, as a private circular, to be firil fent to the electors to in-? iiucnce them as far as your v/eight would carry it, and afterwards it was again publifhed by Lang, in New- York, &c. The whole effecl it had on the election, both in the Eallern and Southern ftates, was— That your letter did not make a fingle profelyte — nor did John Adams lofe by it a fingle vote. From fuch experience as this, it is but fair to judge, that your interefl: and influence could effc6t nothing. Tlie calling of caucaufles, therefore, at New-York, of the difcontented few, ought not to be confidered, as any very dangerous combination againfl repubiicanifm— ^ They, undoubtedly, were for an ariftocracy. Adams was againfl them a little — he was for a monarchy j they could not agree, and republicanifm came again out of the fire like pure gold. The particulars of thefe caufes and effe£ls I fhall explain at not a very diftant day, — nor fliall any petty fcribbler like Philajnus prevent me. The intolerable ufe of detra61ion propagated by your affociates, have brought down deflruftion on themfelves — you fhewed them an example in the pbillippic you pronounced, long ago, againil: Wafhington, when you preferred Greene. You fliewed them anotlier example, in the fame complimentary ftylc, when you attempted to ridicule Gov. Clinton, in the letters you wrote fcr the Daily Advertifer in the vears 17S7 — 88, under the fig- jiature of K. G. The firfl of thofe cffays, on Wafli- ALEXANbER HAMILTOIf* S^ jngton, was no more than barking at the moon : and the fecond, iigainft Clinton, had no belter iffucj ahho' you put up Judge Yates, a good republican, againfl his mend — So it has been with you throughout your peregrinations in politics^ They would have fucceed- ed betterjhad they been grafted on a founder ilock — your ftanding army, and excife, were equally ill-jiKiged things. They might have anfwered for the next cen- tury, if our pofierity fhould then become fuch abjecl tools to felf-importa nt archite6ts of government as you and Mr. Adams. But Sir, government can, and has been fimplified, as I have already faid, and we find that republicanilm may, can, and fhalL be eftabliHied. It would be well for you if you could agree whh me in this fentiment. You are not fo much tied down by your promifes to ariftocracyj but that you might make one more eiTort to regain your ftaiion amongil re- publicans. This may appear to fome as a ily invita- tion to join the good old party ; but, be afTured, Sir, they generally think they can do very well without you. You have had recourfe to a vaft quantity o^ prefs* work, and printing-offices in your time, to cany your points, let them be good cr evil ; and I remem- ber when you were confidered by the printers of New- York as infpe^ior-gcneral of every thing ihcy Ihould bring forth. Adieu to fuch days ! — -, You muft now ftand on your own bottom, nor will all the Thunderer of Jerfcy can do, forward you an inch in your defigns. I know not of any circum* ilance, plan> or fcheme of yours, that has been, in D 26 LETTERS TO anyvvlfe likely to become permanent. Blame whd who you will for this defalcation, I can fcarcely imagine that it was altogether the child of your own brain ; let me rather fuppofe it w^as vanity, like that by which Mr. Adams Mas actuated. You had bad ad- vifers, and they led you aftray. TOM CALLENDER. LETTER III. Sir, OOME of your friends may pretend to fay, it is un- generous to attack you in print, as you are out of of- fice, and have nothing to do with the prefcnt admini- ftration. This is true enough, you have not any thing to do w'kh it — in favour of it, or in fupport of it — but yoii have fomcrhing to do in the Rye-houfe-plot-work that is brewing Lsgainft it; which will crumble to duft, as almofl all your cdier political plans have done. — We mufl and will have a quiet and peaceable goverri- jnent — we have it now, and we will keep it in defpite of ,il 1 the Macbeth witchcra ft of the fallen angels . You fee I go freely iiito the liltle labour of examining your GREAT works. The Pilot-boatman makes one item of what you have to anfwer for. Your v.-inking at many improprieties committed again ft the people's peace, as well as their pockets, is another ! and your .eountenarcing the publication of fuch traili as Junius Philcenus is a third, with many otlier. thirds, fifihs> and •ttavet, to hll up your concerto. ALEXANDER HAMILTON. 27 The fineffe and flratagems M-hlcli were pra61ifed on Thomas Paine by Robert Morris &c. in the years 1785, and 1786, whiill he was at Philadelphia, are frefh in my recoUeciion. They (the enemies of American commerce) ruined his chara6ter then^ with his own friends, by prevailing on him to write a pam- phlet in favour of the bank of North-America, which was compofed of a fet of traders, not bankers. They knew nothing of banking. All the banks in Europe excepting the bank of England, are comrofed of men who have c a s H-capitals ; none of your fcrips Vvili tcil there, becaufe the banker is under an honor^viy obli- gation not to interfere in any fort of merchandize— he limits himfelf to the buyia^df and rc>iing oi hullion. But, in America, the banking rentry are all traders in wet and dry goods; and when they want to fpe- culate upon a purchafe of rum, fugar, or Eail India crockery, they contrive to have a partner who fends his note to the bank to be dlfcounted, in order to pro- vide the means to make that very puvchafc: his friend amongft the direclors — his partner! — will cer- tainly endeavour to get that note done, in preference to abetter note, and a better man, and better fecuiity than the other. Here is banking indeed, to reje6l good paper and take in bad! Your Philasnus attempts to give us abalance-fi;eet of the ftate of American affairs; but let him, if he can, explain to us the propriety of the above fyflcm ! On a fimilar plan was the bank of the United States cftabliilicd:-^It was pretended that it v.- as to fupport the government — and fo it was. But what fort of ^ government? — A goverjiiment that was yet to bj? 2§ LETTERS TO raifoij upon the ruins of the prefent conftjtutlon, ac- cording to any conftruction tlic Ariftocrats might choofe to put upon it ; and ail this was to be eife6l- ed by force of arms, and banks, and intrigue. Seve- ral unconstitutional acts were forced through the le- gj'laturej by fmall influenced majorities; and the vo"v\er of the country, and the liberties of the people were about to be uivided> like loaves and fifhes> aniongfi: iibout fifty or an hundred aristocrats. — Va- rious orders of nobiliity Vv-ere to be inftalled ; and on the very dav that Mr. Adams arrived at New-York to take the chair of Prefident of the Senate, a motion v:z's nr.adc, by one of his particular friends, in the fe- nate, to confer titles on the officers of govern- ment? and to ere6l two or three ranks or degrees cf the members of the legiflature. Let any perfon look into the minutes of the fenate, then kept by Mr. Otisj (with the afTipLance of fome of the fenators., for he was not competent himfelf to that trifling talk) and it will be difcovcred, that the fenate was employ- ed, for the greater part cf two or three weeks, at the firfl: organi2atiQn of the go^ y.nment, on that Illuflri-' ous buiinefs, and which was fo often reie6ted by the houfc of reprefentatives, that they fairly ihamed the fenate out of it; and tliey, inftead of ordering the difgraecful tranfaiuon to be erased from their books, with the tenacity of a child to its hobby-horfe, have entered on their minutes, in words exprelTive of their forrow, at not being able to conform themfelves to the cufloms of Europe, in regard to titles of Nobi- lity ; but that, from a defire of keeping up a friendly iiiteicouife with the houfc of reprefeutativesj tliey ALEXANDER HAMILTON, i§ y^iuld) for the frefenty poftpone the further confidera* tion of the fubjed. Thus, they have not entirely given up all hopes of reviving it at fome conveniejat moment hereafter; and thus this bantling of Mr. Adams's brain was put out to nurfe ! I wilh they bad torn the minutes of thut debate from their booksj and fent them to Braintree with him on the morning he ran away fo early from Wafliington rather than bear the fight of feeing Mr. JefFerfon fworn into of- |ice. I mull notomit mentioning here, that it is my opi- nion, had you at the time of the illujlrious debate, giv- en it your hearty and fincere fupport, it would have been carried through both houfes of the legiflature, and we fliould now be difgufted with a royal alma- nack publifhed annually containing a lengthy lift of honorable Sedgwicks, right honourable Thatchers> moft honorable Ames', and moji illujlrious Adamites. Your conduct on that occafion, therefore deferves the highefl: approbation, whether it proceeded from ia luke-warmnefs to the fcheme, or from a complete contempt of the effeminacy of fo ridiculous a projecl:. Indeed, it would redound fomething further to your credit, if you could yet prevail with fome of your friends in the prefent fenate, to move for the erafure of all the minutes that were foifted into the books on that fubje61:. And in doing this you would only be a61ing in conformity M'ith the opinions you exprefs in your letter to Mr. Adams fo foon after the difmiflal of the army at Briftol. You, I am fure gained no money or eftates by your rank or pay, but he took care to feather his nelt well for himfelf and hiis young ones. So that he could the belter bear your attack. ^(5 LETTERS TO It would make a good caricature to Iketch him thus.. Sitting fnugly, in a warm neft, on the top of a large weeping-w^low at Braintree? looking down at your headlefs body as it approaches from Fort-Pit, which might be reprefented in the back ground all in flames — Your head, as you faid yourfelf, you v/ouid never bring it back otherwife, might be exhibited as follow- ing after you like a balloon in the air, whilfl: Mr. Adams fliould appear in a full bag-wig with a fort of glory around his head? and valt clouds in a thoufand fancied fiiapes and forms of coronets? fceptresj thrones* kingdoms, and millions of Hars, and garters. On his left breafi a bulfe of diamond with the order of the WHITE DUCK in the centre. The trunk of the wil- low fliould have fcarlet-ribbond tw ining like ivy in. a Ipiral line with feveral gilt mottos. fuch as «' fola tiohilitas zirtus.''* *' A deo et Rege''* « Malum mart quam fcederare" &tc. And Let a large owL appear high hovering in the air, in the a6l oi balancing a jlraiu. Thus equipped and defended we leave him for a mo- ment to take a view of your mode of Icdily at- tack — with a full uniform, a truncheon in one hand, and your letter in the other, you mull appear in tlie act of kicking your great jack-boots agr-init the root of the willow, until the Prulhan EmbalTadorj who was placed there by way of cenitnel — fcconds ithe alarm, and calls out to his Pa, quack ! quack \ quack ! It m?.y offend fome to fee Mr. Adams thus fatiriA- ed ; but I lubmit to the world, wliether his condu6i: ifl running away in the manner he did from Wafning- t.Qj? did not deferve the fevereft cenfui-.e, — Did Gene-f ALEXANDER HAMILTON. ^t l*al Wafhington behave in this manner to him when he was firft fworn into office at Philadelphia. No — he paid him all the refpeft poffible and afl'umed ro otlier confeqiTcnce than that of a private citizen, and fo did Mr. JefFerfon, they both walked humbly in his train, Mr. Adams came down from the Senate chamber firft, and I recolle6t that he, fome how, negle6led to fore-* fhorten his fw^ord whilft on the flairs, fo that it trailed on the fteps and made a noife that put me much in Jnind of the cat's feet to which avvncked boy had waxed walriut-fhells, in order to frighten a family at midnight with fufpicions of a ghofl. I affo recolle6l on the fame Occafion that M-hen Mr. Adams entered the Houfe of Reprefentatives in order to be fworn, Mr. JeiFerfoil was flill Secretary of State, and had he been as cere-- moniaus as the ilkilTirious fenators wanted to be, he would, as feeond oflicer in the government, have ini- mediately followed the Prefident, and Gen. Wafliing'- ton being fenfible of the propriety thereof, and feeling himfelfonly in the ftation of a private citizen, with that dignified fimplicity and modefly that have evef chara61erized him, fell back on one fide of the en- trance, and bowing to Mr. JefFerfon, whilfl with his hand, he filently fignified to him, to walk in before. But Mr. JefFerfon, without a moment's hefitation, fell back alfo on the other fide Of the door; and after bow- ing to the general, he flood up firm and erecl. It was the moft interefting fcene of elegant contention I had ever beheld, but lafled only about two feconds, and tlie general was obliged to enver firfl. I am the more '^^ffticular in mentioning tills cu'cumftafice, as it ha* 3* LETTERS TO been falfely propagated and publiflied, that Mr. Jef- fei-fon 'Vt'as riot an admirer of the general. I believe on the contrary he was the greateft bofom friend that the infpired Wafliington had in the world. Let his eondufl on this occafion be compared to Mr. Adams's flight, and then anfwer me whether it had any of the fymptorhs of Nobility. Tom Callender.. •^ *^ -^^t <<* <-<* <-^ *» LETTER IV. Sir, OiNCE I have ventured to ofFer my humble afllftance in defence of the chara6ler of the virtuous VVafhing- ton> againft all detra6tors, it here occurs to my memo- ry, tlfe villainous publication in London of an Effay by that loweft of all rafcals* Cobbett, in the Anti-Jaco- bin Review, vol. 5, page 547, which none of the Aid- de-camps of our Commander in chief, have ever yet taken the trouble to contradiSl — no, nor our divines, who have been fo bufy in this city in defending the fair fame of Col. Burr — nor the infolent Abercromby at Philadelphia who was hand and glove with that in- fernal enemy to all decency. I fay. Sir, that it ap- pears to me on relle6tion, a little ftiange, that you have never flepped forward to draw your pen in the defence of your old commander. It is Itill more, ilrange that fome of the clerical order have alfo omit- ted to d& it ; and it is more than ** pafling ftrange, 'tis pitiful," that the author of Serious Conlideraiions, -fhould find leifure fuificient from his holy ftudies, t©. inhe a pamplilet of abufivc language againft Mr. Jef- ferfon, who is a better diriflian than either himfeli or h.ny of his coadjutors i and yet he could overlook tlie villainous (lander of the Britilh fcoundrel. Cob* bet. i appeal to all America, whether I can ufe any fexprefTion too harfh on fuch an occaiion ? I will how endeavour to wipe off the ftain wkich that ruffian has dttem pted to caft upon the tncmory of a man> '* the latchet of whofe fhoes he was not worthy id »< unloofe." Th'6 aid whifch was adminiftered to Porcupine in New York and Philadelphia, tvi/'l be an everlafling difgrace to the memories of thofe who fupponed him ; %hilft the glory of Wafliington Will rife higher an3! higher iri the eftimation of every age hereafter. In the book Which I have alluded tOj an attempt is made to give a review of American publications, and on the front of the lift we find a lingle article con- taining a criticifm on two diflin^l and feparate fub- je6ls ; theone of v/hich is the eulogium delivered by a gentleman of the American Revolutionary army on the chara6l>er of Gen. Wafliington.^— The other, a prayer of a Clergyman at the opening of an innocent ceremony of refpedt to departed virtue* which hap- pened fhortly after the account of that great man's death had reached that city. The anti-jacobin revieiJuer, whofe abilities compar- ed to thofe of the old reviewers is like charcoal to diamonds, commences his criticifm with a itw linc^ of pirated language^ and afterwards falls Into his owii Ipv*' zTxd pitiful abufci The fiift paragraph is--*" if 34 .-LETTERS TO * every individual u'ere an- infulated being, \fho lived. * for liimfeif, ?.-greeably to die new fyflem of certain: * German philofophifts» no detriment to fociety could * accrue from a rigid adherence to the ancient max- « im — De mortnis nil niji honum.. But fo long as falu- * tory leiTons of a religious and politjcal nature are < to be deduced — ^^fo long, as moral inclinatipns for the < ufe and benefit c^f fociety are to be derived from the < conduct and characters of men, vvho have made a .,* confpicuous figure on the theatre of life — fo long * fhall we continue to' reprehend a lirit): obfervance of < fuch a maxi.n, as calculated to deprive mankind of < the advantages of examfkt. which intereft alike the *"* heart and the un !^t will offend not only many and excellent men, but it mult offend every excellent man to know that any attempt to diminiih the refpe6t that is juflly due to the memory of Wafhington, efpccially when it is confidered that the attempt has been made by fudha vile mifcreant. *' x'\ccuftomed to- make lacrifices to truth," as he fays €)f himfclf, but which all' good men will inftantly under(l:and the true mea'ning to be, ac- cuflomfd to fiurijice all truth arid decency \ and as to Kis not yielding to the tide of popular prejudice^ — everjr fenfible man knows, that a long feries of popular opi- nion amounts as nearly to truth as any theorem in fluxions. Sir Ifaac Newton would not, were he liv- ing, deny it, although this cobweb-brnfher of a book.- flo.e has the fpitefulnefs tb oppofe it. ALEzi-NDER HAMILTON. 35 The Americans have not been too lavifh of th^ir commendations on' their herO' — for the effufion of a few jndividuals/uiio may fiave over-ftept the bounds of nie- clianic lansfuage, yet had, neycrthelefs, a good intention in every word they fpoke; and aitliDugh -they may have committed' "fome little mift:ake<:, in the modus in rebuts ftili their 'h(^irts, at the time they k>i*ere fpeaking., •'w^c& idrtiter in re^thH is only borrowing tKe^-worUs of one 'ci-F the greateft Engllfl-i polkieians, = ^ In the firft indance, we find that the philanthropy and phiiofophy of ancient niaxims are rejefkeii, tt> make way for the m7 tiiji verum, ** in order to promote the caufe of virtue I"— and, in the fame piece> the vVrit- er, afterwards, condemns the epi (copal 'dergy, for huv- jrig deviated From the' o7^ •*f/?oM'//Z?i^ as its prominent feature, * tiie horrid crime of rebellion, which nothing but re- ffentance can ever efface. It is not fuccefs which cji-? * minifhes the guilt of a criminal. To America, then, * Wafhington might be a hero ; to Britain he was a * TRA I TOR. Nor is this the only protefl we have to * enter againft the spotlefs purity of this " immaculate," * this <* God-like" man. If we have not been verjr . • much mifinformed, general Washikgton was a * iieiji. We have not forgotten his reception of the ' flag fent him by Robespierre, hof his declaration, ' at the fame time, that he *' approved of the French * revolution in its commencement y its progrefs and its re~ 'fait" As to his difmterevlcdnefs, of which fo much ■ * has been faid, formerly by Thomas Paine, and latefy * by other fycophants in America ; who have carried * the:r impudence fo faf as to afiert that he never even * accepted a Jalary ; we have it in our power to accufc • ' thofe gentlemen of advancing willful falfehoods. Ge- * neral Wafhington not only took care to receive his'fala- ' i-y ^'.regularly, (for which certainly no blame could at- - * iadi to him) but even tcuched a gicat j-ortion c£ the 46 tEtf ERS fd « ifatary of the cnfuiiig year> by which mearis he hid • an Opportunity of fpeculating wifh the public mo- < ney. This fa61:, we know, was the rubje6t of pub- « lie controVerfy in America, and the proofs of its ex- < iftence were never invalidated !* *« Angels and miriifters of grace defend us" — from «uch a bare-faced villain as this— He calls VVafhihgton fiDEiST>anda speculator with the public mo- ney ? — Where ! O where { wert thou then> Camil- las, Phocius, Publiusj General, Royal-Fdd ? — Wher6 wert thou Serious Coniideration — Trumpeter— Voice of Warning ?— All alleep. Wafhi'ngton was in die cold tottib — had he been living, your ten thoufand jpens would have leapt out of ten thoufand wings in his defence — but he was dead, and you could no longer expeit promotions from him. — Ye all began to worfhip the rifing-sun, John Adams, of whom you expected to make a very tool for your own pur- pofes. The honor and pleafure of confuting the vil-* lain> devolves to me, and I wrote fomething limilar to this, which I fent to London nearly two years ago, where it had fome effe6t in raifing up the refentment of the citizens at the time Cobbet's houfe was dc- jnolifhed. I NOW aflert — that Wafhington was a pure chriftiart*^ 'and it is well known to every perfon who ever knev»^ him, that he was a liberal refpe6ler of every rollgion* "Without being a perfecutor* 1 next affirm that he, never fpeculated with the public money to the a- jnount of a fingle cent? or a thoufand, or a milliQii o^ ALizANDER HAMILTON, 4^ ,i;'^^l- ttents, dollars cr pounds. I laftly declare tliat the charge made by the Brkifli brute, of his having touched his falary in advance, is as abominable a lie, as if any wretch were to affert that there is no God. The only foundation which Cobbe4:t had for the ma* licious fallehood, proceeded from a very ill-judged paragraph in the Aurora, whiid that paper v/as con- dui^led by B. F. Bache, who was unfortunately inliu- enccd by his father, whcf had a private pique a^jainfi: Wafhington, to publiQi it. Every- one knows that there is a law exifting which allowi the Prelidcnt of the United States to receive a falary bf t'weilty-Hv6 thoufand dollars per annum. The Preiident's private fecretary was in the habit of taking up this falr.ry, ei-" ther montlily or quarterly) and he was regular in tho duties of his office." It happened however that there was a trifling informality in the report of the Secre- tary of the treafuryj Wolcott, who ought to particu- larize the items of the appropriations for the year.' — ile conceived that the law fcr paying the Prefidcnt's falary was fufficient, and he forgot to mention it hi his report to the corarnittec of ways and means. — Thus, although the law exifted for raying the Prefi'^ dent's falary? there v.as not any fpecific appropriation^ Sonie imp of darknefs communicated this to okl Bacbc) who influenced his fon, the proprietor o" the. Aurora, to give it publicity, and to make it appear that Gen. Wafliington was receiving raj in advance. The Britifh villain inconfiderately grabbed at the irif- take, and has dared to publiik it to the w,?:lJ in tiia *bov6 paragraph in the Anti-JacobLi Ktcviewv F 42 L E T T E R S T O The truth mufl now clearly appear to eycry mart of common intellciSf, that neither Gen. Wafliington, lior his fecretary, knew any thing about Wolcctt's blunder ; the fecretary went on in his lifual mode — the law was his authority — but with regard to the tak- ing up a Tingle lixpence in advance — there can be na orf^atT falfehood uttered. Gen. Wafhingtorf was ne- ver in want of money for himfelf? neither did he ever take up any fi'om the public coffers but for the beft and nobieft pur^ofes. To follow the llandeter any farther, would be' fuperiluous — and I really believe, that although our fan61ified gentlemen in America fufTered Cobbet to print that anti-jacobin review,- and fubfcribed for it, the citizen's -of London, wheH' they fee this fLatcmeUt, will not heiitate to 'pull down the fellow's houfe again about his ears. But, it is too-much the praflice with partial po- liticians to read thcie kind of fcun-ilous pamphlets. —They fell the better for being detellable, and' fo it was with V/ood, Cailender, Pbilacnus, and all the reft of the gang of detractors, who have played into- each other's hands too long, to-^rhe great difgraceof the printing art, as well as the annoyance of tlK pub- lic. To follow Cobbet through the whole of the re- view, would be too tedious for fome of our readers ; I will, therefore, felc6l fuch paragraphs as feem to be particularly levelled at the chara61er and memory of general Wa s hi n^ gton. His feventh phillippic proceeds thu^: <* VVhilit the congrefs was employed in paffing their «- mournful refolutions, and their funeral admonitions' « to the pious inhabitants of the United State*, th-cy- /^LF,XANDE.R HAMILTON. 43 were la-ughing in .tlieir fieeves at the dupes wHicli * they had m?.de, and the impofitions which they had * paffcd on the world. The facl is, that, notwith- < (landing the difientions which prevail among the contendiFig parties of enlightened ttatesmcn, in one wJfh they are nnammous — to CEC ei v 1^ fpreigners and foreign nations. But tlic attempt is as frui'lcf§ as the wifli is difho no arable. In this general mourningj prefcribed by patriotic hypocriiy^ and enforced by popular autliority, it is not an tui- common thing to fee memliers with crape on their arms, and> at the fame time, to hear them vent maledictions on the memory ,of the deceafed ! One other fac^, ^on tlie authenticity of which they may fully rely, will fufuce to Oicw our readers what fort of freedom of tliought and a6lion' the Anjericans are allowed to enjoy, and what fincerity of foul is concealed under the outer trappings of woe. A gentleman having been afkcd why he did not wear crape on liis arm, sn- fwered, that, he thanked God, he had lofl neither relation nor friend. « What!" exciaimed the quc- rift, " was not general WaPnington your friend V* « No,'' rejoined the other, ^< he was no man's friend; and it would have been a good thing had he died tvi-enty years ago." This blunt declaration was immediately fuccecded by a threat of vengeance from the querist; and it was with great difficulty that the gentleman efcaped the yankee punifiimcnt f of tar and featheri and that his houfe was refcued « froia (;Jcftru6"tion, by his cpnferi}: to zvear ^ crapt^i* ^4 LEJTTERS %$( < and io ?.fk pardon ftanding publkkly on a table} « In relating this fadl, we muft not be fuppofed to f acquiefce in the unqualified affertion, that general * Wafbington was the friend of p6 man ; we are f not fufficiently acquainted with the general's pri- * vate character to vouch for the validity of fo feri- < ousa charge ; and we are extremely unwilling to be- < lieve, that a man who has been fo highly and fo, * warmly praifedj in different countries* though we ^ know how to appreciate fuch praifcj could really de- < ferve an accufation, which implies a difpofuion we * fhould Ibudder to contemplate." The circumftance, or fomething fimllar did take place ii^ New- York; but the gentleman alluded to> in my opinion, ought not to be much obliged to the re"v\evrer, for trumping it up to the world again, after it had been neai'ly buried in oblivion. I will not, therefore, take any farther notice of it, to hurt the feelings of a perlbn for whom I have a high Tefpccl, only to make u remark on the reviewer's .anallcious conclusions. In the beginning of tlie foregoing pa;ragraph, he endeavours to ca.fl a general ftain upon all America, — lie ridicules both our civil and religious focictIcs.» ^nd condemns our laws almoft in toto. Whatever rcfpecl he may be thought entitled to from the gen- tlemen of the bar, on thcfc points, they are beiRi able to judge of them^felvcs. One thing muft.be allowed to them, and, I believe, much to their ho- iior— that they have found laws fuf^ient to punifh cmiliavics and flandcrers, who may hav€ been coi- ALJLXAMDER HAMILTON. ^ ^oyed by foreign nations for bad purpcfcs ainongit us ; and in lb ne cafes t.hey have obliged the mifcrei^ ants to fly from our fhores. As to tae attack upon our religious, Qrdei:s, it ^^ pears ftrange that fome of them have hitherto ne- glected to reply to .the calumnies of this fame fp- jeign Tcvievi^er. It wull be but a poor rea/bp,in llieiit^ |o alledge, that ." he is fuch a icqundroU hfi. is nc^(; worth their noticcr— neither himfelf nor his writings.^* ■ Ane>, is this all ye will.fay, ye reycrend friendfi}- and daily aiTociates of your once favorite and d^-- Jightful Peter Porcupine ! Why, I could make a- much belter excufe for you myfelf ; but I will not at prefent draw up the curtain, behind which you have? in fo cowardly a manner, hid your plotting heads. It is only to you, the Skulkers, >X alludej and, God be pralfed, ye are but a firiall number, compared with the thoufands of open, undefigningy honeH men, of every church. The elegant comparifon of ^^ mild and Jl ale, "^ vA\tn fpeaking of the proceedings of the epifcopal clergy at their convention, held fome time ago, at Philadel- phia, is amongft the number of the compliments paid to them, and is thus as elegantly compared to re- tailers of porter mixing mild v/Ith fiale beer;— and, laftly, tliis mixture of the C.-lerg y with the La i- JY, is faid to be like <' plowing with the Ox &n If youi; '4$' LETTERS T9 compatriot was here (I mean the compatriots of half a dozen, or a few more, clergymen, whom I know well ; but> from pyre charity, will here omit perfoni- fylng), it is highly probable that ye would expofe one another, as has been the cafe lately between men of much higher notoriety in this country, who have commenced a clumfy and awkward war cigainfl each other. Adieu, ye reverend few; cover your faces with your gowns, left the* true and faithful chriftlans fhouid be further provoked to fliew the hy- pocrify of your hearts. After having taken the foregoing view of the flanders propagated by this BritiJJi enemy, (for he is niQrc ihelr enemy tlian he has in his power to be ours) it is time to fin:,J}i him with fome general ob- iexvations. W I T H his private or perfonal characler, whether as 'a foldier, a fpy, an impoftor, or an incendiary, I have nothing to do; although he has, during his Hiort relidence in America, been encouraged by fome friendly pcpple to invade and abufe the moft facred and domeijtic concerns of churchesj houfes> camps, country, piale, female? old, and young, without ^.crcy or diftiniiion. Shame on tliofe vvho fupportr cd him; but, fome of them liave been fince laid low. For the living, as well as the dead, a refpeft to- x-ffards their children's future profperity, forbids my enumerating their na.mes; although I know them as ^ell as I knovv the little corrolive fublimate of Parson S) who will hereafter be defpifeJ by their brethren- j^nd, indeed, in Plilladelphia tiiev are ail ALEXAlsrpER HAMILTOI*. <1 Vno^frrii and their views as clearly intelligible tfy Americans, as the writing on the wall was uAder- ftood by Beltefhazzar's interpreter. The whole drift of the perforrhance in qiieflioh," it is evident, as \ have already faid, is, to vent the' fpleen of an individuals who values himfelf on fhe' honor of having beeft born in England, but whofc condu6l has been a*difgr?.ce to the name of a Bri- ton ! Who is the Briton that dare fhcw his face in any company of honourable men, in any country, and utttr the words which this itinerant vagabond has found means to get publilhed ? Shame on the beggarly printer's poverty of foul, who would profti- tute his types to fuch a vile purpofe. He mufl: be, very poor, indeed — ftarving for bread — to fell luch poifon to procure it ;— better he had been fent to Botany-Bay, there to live upon the m?.ndrake-plant, thanbafely thus to procure a fuflcnance in London, by IfTuing forth fuch villainous falfehoods, that there" is not a child of fix years old from Japan to Cali- fornia, or fiom Baffin's Bay to New Zealand, but would fay, " you have deceived us, and we cannot but defpife you." But, in order to fill up the meafure of his ini- quity, he contradiils the very accounts publifhed all over the world, defcriptive of the moft fincere and profound forrow wliich was every where cx- prelTed on this truly mc-lancholy occafion, and in tliole holy fan61orums v/hcrcver the funeral eulo- giums were delivered; nay, he denies that the peo- fie Ihcd tears : Thefc are his words— A% tETtERS td^ '* Now, v^e. have good authority for faying, thaV ^in t*hilad'clphia, wliere xh'iz prayer was delivered* * not a wet eye was to be fe^h On the occalion* < The three hytnris at the cohcfufioh of the prayer^ « are miferablc imitations of Stirrihold and Hop-' •kins." ; • , In anfwcr to' thls> I need only refer to yourfelf, Mr. Hamilton, v/ho I faw, on ;hat day, fhedding tears. I mult alfo refer to Mr. JefFerfon, wiiOj like- wifca fhed tears plentifully, as did hiindreds of other gentlemen and ladies who Were prefent, and thou- fands of fpeitators who" crowded the Itreets to fee the procefiiori. B arid treachery- of ah imp of hell. And yetj it is reported, that there aref feyera.1. hufidred fubfcribers to that book in this country. In America ! • forbid , it, Patriotifrn— *for- bid it,. Gratitude — -forbid it. Virtue.' Oh, Death,- where is thy fting ? — O, Grave, where is thy. vI6to- ty p-^- That .thofe_ fubfcribers may refic6t more wifely, arid witlidraW their fupport from this fo- reign reviler of our country, ourlelv^s^^ and our laws, ought to be the fiiiccre wifh of every MOod and "v^mious citizen. Tom CALLENOESffi 'i.iExANDER HAMILTON?. ^ LETTER V. Having, In my lad letter, I prefums, wipsd offal! the ftdins that the Biitifh critic had attempted to cull, upon the character of general Washington, I /hall next perform the fame office of refjl jct to the ch-.:- laSer of Mr. jEFFtRSONj which has been as wick- edly attacked here by another Porcupine, under tlic modcd fignature of Junius Philaenus, and, as I appre- hend. Sir, under your patronage. It will, alfo, be a part of my talk, to fay fomethin? in defence of old go- vernor Clinton, r.nd iome other gentlemen who have been fo bafely traduced la your favorite News-papers. — '■ The affectionate e/leem which general Wafbington al-i ivays exprefted toward governor Clinton, is well known to the world"^an^ even in his laft will, the name of that gentleman is mentioned in a particularly- refpe6lful man- ner. ^This is fufficient to give the lie direft to afty of your fcribblers, who have faid that governor* Clinton was inimical to tlie general — ind, I arri certain, I may fo- lemnly afTort the fame in regard to the friendihip which *3£!fls between Mr. JdfFerfon and the governor. They have alWays beertitifiie Witiid'<, not can any iie tempted are a disgrace to literature. Even on the ilii)-. je6t of the theatre, he, your Colexnzn^ and an apothe- cary,-** whom I remember liiat hereabout doth dwell, culling, of fimp^es, and old calces ofrofes." Thjey have .the afl'urance to i Hue forth their criti.r dims on theati-icals. 'I think it necelfary to bring li). this fubjea to fliev/, tiiat it is ^ Junto- of the fame degree of the knights of the grcy-goole-wing that writ^ aoainft the prefident, the people, and the theatre. I am therefore, judihed in bringing: in d:is i-emavk.-r- T'A'o or three Scribleniffes, I really believe, have got the freedom of the houfe (theatj-e) from the ma- nager, and they are obliged to repi«y.hijn in tiie hum- ble coin of pubUfidng vvhaicverhe at the firft meeting of that Court in Philadelphia, when Mr. Jay was Chief Juflice of the United States^ and appeared on the bench ia party-colored filkeij,- robes, as iiafliy a^ any Roman Bifliop ever wore wheii- performing the ceremony of Jiigh mafs on an Eafter holiday. The poft cf Clerk was not lucrative .enough to make a permanent living for our Editor — * there was fcarcely any bufinefs to be tranfa61ed in the court at that time, as tliere was no J^^ien or Seditiou laws exifting under Wafhington's adminiftratlon.— ^ Thofe diigraceful a(5l;s were left for hi& fucceli'or to manufacture. '^ The poft therefore conferred on our Editor was fio more than a feather in his cap, which would never fupport a family, and as he was now entered on the lift of oitice-hunters, he made application for ano- ther poft, which, througii the intereft of his' connec- tions, he' obtained. — He wr.s appointed to go to Lon- don to afifift in fettling the d)fputedclaij3i-s of the Ame- ricans with t!ie Englifli merchants for marine fpolia- tions ; tovrards which he contributed very little,--^ The credit of that fettiement is due to our AmbaiTa-' dor, Rufus King, who very judiciouily finilhcd the 5^-ork by a iing'e dalli cf his pen, by boldly lum^in^ ALEXANDER HAMILTOBT. ^^ tlie whole intricacy of the various claims into one confolidated fumj which is fo well known to the pub- lic as to render it unnecefiary to fay any thing furtlier on the fubjeil, at prefent ; only to remark, that our Editor's olHce was confequently rendered null and roid ; and, as he could not live ig Lon32'atc wiCllam and virtue of our gcnajral leglfl^turej will always cppofe fuch attempts. 1 will hjre talcs th^ liberty of recordi-n-^. fome others of the fame Itamp. The bank, bf North America, was fct up with the king of France's dollars, fent here to pay the revolutionary army, when they were on the point of *. mutiny — yet Mr. Robt. Morris, witJi the afTurance of his advifers, had the addrefs lo/lt^/jr/y the foldiers with his own fiX months hot-es without ever allowing the ho- Jiift fellows to palm a fix-pence of the ca{h. The money "WAS made into a bapk, Jind the fcldiers were paid wiih notes, with which they purchafed Ihoes at ten do'laro the pair, hats, ^"c. ov. the fame reaJonabJe terms, at va- rious (lores, fet up by this Robert Morris, and his a- C^ents, in- every quarter of the United States; fo that lii the end the foldiers never touched the monev, aiihousfh he made the profit. .But fee what is the confequence of ill-gotten wealth — : It; is like an Eail India fortune, never "oes to a third generation. This fame Mr. financier-general of the United State?, who a£lcd this character towards the peo- ple, and who alfo played fome Pargcnt t.icks upon thd Marquis la Fayette — he — the mights man has/u//V«, as many, many more cf your acquaintances have done — » Gieenleaf — Nicholfcn, iStC. — The Eailern and S>.>uth- ern cognofcenti in fpeculatjon — -yet thefe are the fort of nien that want to, recover the reins cf our government — thefe are the men who con-.e in flocks to ci uruit w.th >ou in New- York upon a plan or plot of ojeration a- g;ai,nft the prelent fafe and mild adminiilrc-.ticn. Let ^jieni beware how far ih.ey fTJCcei — let th;m p-ufc^ v/ith Mmjieur le Govenieur, as Porcupine calls Jih.i— II 5^ LSTTERS TO let your tribes o^ cnlumniating editors with -all theit tlK'ufaiid tongues — let fOur fecret-working hvpocriticai f aiTons — your out-c -office fallen angels — Jet even the JeiTcy J(,>ve, am' ^'o/.. Sir? beware how far you caiTy oit this trade of Jniquiiy, left the people Ihould be roufed with iiu'ignation ni^-ainit your Satanic incantations and defpctic fyfttms, and m their honefl: zeal pronounce them Treason ! Tom Callender. LETTER VI. Sir, 1 HAVE always confidered it to be an indifpenflble duty of the editors cf news-papers to render to the pub- lic who fupport them, a due ticcourtt cf fuch informa- tion as may have fallen vithin the fphere cf their know- ledge, efpfcially of circun.fiaiices rtla'ive to the welf- ftiie or danger cf the ftate. Amorgd tlie multiplicity of objeSs that are daily burflirg on their \\t\v, and whi'fl fo much not'ce ha? been tnkenofour domeflic pamjhiets, it fiems firaoge that thefe editors fliculd o- verlook or S'eg'ecl n^- icir.g, oc anf-Aerin;j, the infamous flinders .f both foreign and dcrreAic inU-udeis upon ah' v'ccency and civ^l ovemment ; ^o\r,Q cf whom have been nu ••ed in tVe bo;..m oi Americ.;, and others fof- tere^i amcrgfl us, who onlv waited for an opportunity to fiinu'- the hand that rai'etl them from obfcurity into fi- tuatlonsof profit and honor. Even two cr three cfcur ALEXANDER HAMILTON, 59 . doSors of divi.nity""nave incurred the. dcteilalion of their own ccng^regatioii?, .who Ivave infonned rne cf tlus fa£i, a'ld who were i^ccuftcmed to attend their difcouifes with, pu.e JeJijiht :. but who have fince deferted them, in CGine^iuqajCv: pjftheiF haying defertpid their- duty .to God, ^/.'teci^'irtngthie ijiceiin inilriii7iantsf of polemical. intrigue > cb" jdaikj aiid difniai tyraany, whicli wrgs tried and wei*h- eil in ihecifcaios©f unfiicc^jfsfal ambition. The mercan- tile iriter^l: of ^'Jiir count rv t?> whcm I wifli to {>ay a i«t3f rerptct, wiHiJipw co^itefs how much they were niif-' tk'v^ri'^'by fatfoniz.Tng' (fome of them) Porcupine's Q-k- zertfc', 'tlic^ 'editor: cf vv.' rich (C:.^bbet) fin ce his returri to Eh^!5Jid has thrown cff the rr.aflc of Federftlifm, and now e'diibits himfelf in native coio i\- — hat he' was on'y a fp- wh'ift he was herej that he '(viftes to injure and dcflroy the mutual in •■ercouvfe and" c; :-{nr-.'- be- tween that nation andth.s, which ji; i' rur mtcrefi, as well as their?, to' preferve mcfl invirliijjjy. ilc.. nd-a-^ vors to throw^ us into contempt in the e es of the Dri-' tifh mercliants— -to injure and wound for ever, if he couid, the credit and ch'srader of America. Mr frieu'ls — ye merchants ot the Unted S;ate^— te'i. me, is this not the fad ? — Waea you read his rev:e>,y you mud acknowJed^;e it, and )ou mull: all be of one o- pinion, that he has betrayed you in fuch.a ftyle as to, force from you an ejacuiaton — " he is the blackol: oif traitors." — For the honor of humanity, neverthelefs, I C.nnot fuppofe that the honeft and enlightened mer- chants of either England or America, or of any other country under Heaven, would be influenced by tho fdlTchoods and fciirdlity cf the veriefl ruffian that ever eo LETTERS TO (|i%rr.cecl the ^F.^<^^^prr\ of the prefs. Unier this, impref-^ ficn, I vvou.'cf be incluied to think that his atracks upon America cnri the cTtizens of the United Stages, althougH fublilhed in Londcn in a daily news-pnper, will not have' a% injorioifs effea to rhe w-en-elVablifliid trnde- belweeit tiie^ ■two cquni?r'les.' ' 'HOhe- treacherous attempts of a fe w' fisfpicabla EngJifh:Tieny 4o prevent our having ^ goo J b^TeJ oflheep,. bypurchafin-and killing th^m, td f«nd aivay as falted, proyifions — tlobarn a fpinning roachine at. IjnikvieJphia, iei^ .we, l^aculj. go on with the cottoni or a.ny oJher rr.anufaaory.— fii|j!p.ere thir^,s J del^^ife, nor do I put it to the .c.barge or account againfl: the B^'itifl^ raticn. If there beany truth in thewhcle of thej[e ^■^W^,f 'be fnrrQe ought to refi: i^pcn ihe individuals yiio perpetrated the crime, for I fojemnly declare that no. ran cci:'J make me believe that the gcvernmen,t, or the pcoric cfthct. count ry, would or ccii'd ever countenance fuch an ahem, in a bli proceeding. The Britifli are too enlightened a nation tp fuffer. a ftigma lilj^ this upon their chaia'Tcr. Th;;r,e,;i3n?y be rcme ■envious, perfons whofe rpcc'.il.'.rions into fnt-'jriLV will not carry, them farther than the length of their noPs • bat there are thoufands oF l^iigliOii-nen who contem: late America in a very different point of view, and' who can clearly perceive the rifing cvnf.qLiencc ofih.^ UiiitC';: Spates, and our rapid career ' towarc^s a ilarion orir.cre ful-tlinie confequcrce than any bf diL^ aniient or modern nations could ever boafl. of. •— Nor is the' tiiTie fo very dillant when this great ara will tak.' place. Lefs than half a century •.vl'l verify this vve- dicliouj aiid c::hib't to the vv'orkl an American navy c- qual to that of any other nation that may then be in cx.ftjnGc, 2:otwitbIlarading the inllduous plots and' ALEXANDER HAMILTON. ©"f .,r ■:{■•■. '-ir. I :. ) fcheme? or either internal or exterpai foes to cramp or confufe us. I will alfq hazard anqther aiTertlon ftill ftvoniier than the laft. ' Tnat, 'the Ukittld States of America will continue to be •[ , _; '. ,, 'r.i^ t.. •'- ,, c>2i\::i^. A Refuelic. i he iJic conjectures o!- all the po- ■ -■?■;■ . , -•, , • >.i' '.no:.j^:- .^.': :.._p: ^:^^ llticians in the worLl f^annot prevent it. 1 ne viliona- ;■ " >orr:;;Tf;-5 b:. ::.•:.. :!^-:,f-^v ry hopes of Mr. Aaams cannot prevent it, ncrall th? •^ >■ ■' . . ^'-^. : V -^L • ■'- '^"J^- ■ ■' ■■-' powers of Europe in con]un'Mon., This may appear *. .■ '^ ---^h ■ .-^ . ^ ' -J .i:.'^ c i ^''\r:"ii^:.:)i; to fome perions to be too, extrayagant an ij;iea-rbut 1 think it is a conciufiou that may be feirly deduced '.' . •••"<;; : ;. ; "■■■ ttJO b:.l from found doi^hinc and juft.Calcylation —Fran c e I - ■ ■■[■•(?[''■ ■'/..:''. • ■ .. ■ ■■•.:■) • : ■ (•' p'^-^a A M ER I c A N 3 fpt the example,, in their revolt from. tyranny, for .you to imita^te : but it. has been re.ferved 'Cj r.-:h '^^it'iii. :■■'.-.' ^ '■■■: ';- ; ■ . :'i '<>■ i oi; for French MEN,,tp deade the molt ipiportant quel- tion that ha,3 ever been agitated in the v/orld ! The annals ot.this earth aliord no )im.i!ar inltanccpr ape- rio;;! fo K'ghly intcrefung to. human.kj\ The. "great an I hope, for ever — and will always furnifli a fufficient confutation of tlis miilakcn axiona ; and always put a flop to the ambitious views of m^n who wanted to cry «' havoc" and let loofe the « dogs oi war !" • This hankering a'"tcr a ftanding army, muft pro- ceed from fome evil fpirit that hath taken pofreflion of fome of our citizens, and ought to be kept un- der — accordingly we have fct it dovfn for a thoufand years, as is mcndoncd in the book of the revelations of St. John, chapter xx. « And I faw an anget come down from Heaven, having die key of the bottomlefs pit, and a great c/ia/n in his hand.— And he laid hold on the dragon, (War,) that old ferpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thou- fand years— And call him into the bottomlefs pit, and Ihut him up, and fet a feal upon him, that he Ihould deceive the nations no more, till the uioufand years iliould be fulfilled," (Sec. %I^ LETTERS TO, &C. Having thus got clear of you and your intrlgue^^ as it is " devoutly to be wifliedj". fcr a thoufand years, we expecl that our goveinment. and ad mini-. llration uill go on with tuc fame degree of chara6ier-' iftical firmnefs, and prudence tliat it commenced with. — The yells of Di contents will be fet dowa to tlie account of the:r on'n folly.— With regard to my.felf, I never held any jla.^e oi pension, iindr-r the governnient ; nor do I bel-eve I ever fliall ; nor do- I expecl to receive any more cmplumcn!" for pubiini- ing thefe letters than yon did when you made a pre- ient (to Mr. L:ini!j ■ oi' tlie Co y rig'U of your letter addreiled to poor John Adams. I am as independ- ent cs you are in m/ind and body. The individual or coiUedlive intercft of the (^lintonians, Hamiltoni- ans, or JeiTerfoniaris, could never operate on my. mind . fo long as a fingle fecond of time. — Ouv go- vernment is now fafe, and the adminiltrati'n of it fecure ; nor fliall any of our internal} or external enemies dare to overturn it. TOM CALLANDER, P I N I S. [copy right secured.] r LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 011897 499 2 #