Posted on 01/11/2014 1:11:13 PM PST by Master Zinja
Today is the traditional birthdate of Alexander Hamilton, one of the Founding Fathers of the United States, who signed the Constitution, authored many of the Federalist Papers in support of the Constitution's passage, was Secretary of the Treasury under George Washington, and whose portrait is currently on the U.S. $10 bill. He died in 1804 following a duel with Aaron Burr.
"The fabric of American Empire ought to rest on the solid basis of THE CONSENT OF THE PEOPLE. The streams of National power ought to flow immediately from that pure original fountain of all legitimate authority." -Hamilton, Federalist No. 22
He was an amazing man. Probably a genius.
My recent readings include some interesting mentions of AH...
While the McCullah book and Adams miniseries paint him as a France hater....
But, that contrasts with my current readings of the Culper spies, which mentions Hamilton’s actions, as Washington’s top aid, in support of logistics for helping French ships arriving to help the revolutionary cause.
Interesting face. He was a brilliant, and flawed man, but...he did the right thing for our country at a time when it was needed.
He is not loved by many Freepers, but I feel pretty secure in saying he would be horrified at the way our government is being run.
As he argued so pervasively in The Federalist Papers for his point of view on government (he was the major contributor) on a strong federal government, but this government would be a monstrosity in his eyes.
Hamilton and Jefferson hated each other passionately, but I admit, the more I learned about the both of them, the more I liked Hamilton and the less I liked Jefferson.
Jefferson stabbed Washington in the back by anonymously spreading stories that Washington was a doddering, easily manipulated, and disengaged leader.
Washington found out from an unimpeachable source who was behind it, and confronted Jefferson directly, and let him know in no uncertain terms that he was aware of what Jefferson had been doing (in his attempts to get back at Hamilton) and that socially, they were finished.
It was said that while he and Jefferson would speak to each other in public settings, Washington never again spoke to Jefferson or saw him privately.
Keep asking people why do we have Amendments 11-27 if Congress can simply legislate everything?
An attempt to create an elective monarchy in the United States failed. Alexander Hamilton argued in a long speech before the Constitutional Convention of 1787 that the President of the United States should be an elective monarch, ruling for "good behavior" (i.e., for life, unless impeached) and with extensive powers. Hamilton believed that elective monarchs had sufficient power domestically to resist foreign corruption, yet there was enough domestic control over their behavior to prevent tyranny at home.[3] His proposal was resoundingly voted down in favor of a four-year term with the possibility of reelection. In his later defense of the Constitution in the Federalist Papers, he often hints that a lifetime executive might be better, even as he praises the system with the four-year term.
Yes...and Adams was accused of being a monarchist.
Given what he wrote in the Federalist Papers, it is seems likely to me that he had a change of heart.
If he didn’t have a change of heart, he was one heck of an intellect to take the stand he did so persuasively if he didn’t support it, because that is a tough thing to do.
I guess he had a normalcy bias when it came to a monarchy
wasn’t the national bank also his really bad idea?
If he had his way...we'd have a dictator for life along with Senators for life, the states would have no rights...etc etc
And yet he was a patriot. It's the "what else was he" that should rattle the history books.
All nations, under all governments, must have parties; the great secret is to controul them: there are but two ways, either by a monarchy and standing army, or by a balance in the constitution. Where the people have a voice, and there is no balance, there will be everlasting fluctuations, revolutions, and horrors, until a standing army, with a general at its head, commands the peace, or the necessity of an equilibrium is made appear to all, and is adopted by all.
Also large public works projects to build a perpetual public debt. Owed, of course, to his masters in the banking sphere.
It was his idea, a very good one. There was no better institution from which to pay state and continental debt and provide a uniform currency.
Born in interesting times not sure if it was Jamaica or Bermuda. But the reference to the constitutional requirements of natural born citizen for presidential qualifications may have been directed at him.
The ideas presented at the constitutional convention ranged from next to no government under the existing Articles of Confederation to Hamilton's sketch. All had the best interests of the United States in mind.
I admire Washington and hoped Jefferson’s battle of ideas would prevail, but Hamilton’s ideas of centralized federal power have prevailed today. awesome book on hamilton http://www.amazon.com/Hamiltons-Curse-Jeffersons-Revolution-Americans/dp/0307382850
I wholeheartedly agree.
That is a certainty.
Unfortunately, there's no shortage of both shallow hit pieces on AH and soaring, angelic praise for Jefferson. As you say, all men are flawed. Both of them had strengths and weaknesses. Both advanced the cause of republican freedom when a failing nation needed them.
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