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To: Carry_Okie
I think you are too hard on Hamilton. Read Forrest McDonald's book on Hamilton also Brookhiser has a book him. Also read the Federalist Papers. Read all you can get your hands on on Washington's Administration (Both terms!). When you finish you will find yourself as I did admiring Hamilton more and Jefferson less. In fact Jefferson comes across sometimes as ridiculous at times dishonest and also at times a delusional ideologue. How ridiculous, constantly worrying that Washington was going to make himself king!; that's as about as ridiculous as you can get! Also remember he funded Phillip Freneau whose newspaper keep attacking personally Washington. Jefferson kept supporting France and French interference in US internal affairs (He initially supported Citizen Genet!) long after it was clear that the French Revolution had degenerated into a totalitarian regime worse then a 1000 French kings. Washington had to shame him into throwing Genet out of the country. Hamilton also did some questionable things, at times he was way too close to the British ambassador.
Economically, Jefferson's views were totally unrealistic there was no way we could have survived as some sort of an “agrarian republic”. We needed manufacturing and we needed commerce Hamilton and Washington understood this. Hamilton probably learned this life lesson starting with his early youth as a trading factor in Barbados and Washington as a plantation owner. Washington turned Mount Vernon into a hub of light manufacturing in order to try and cut his indebtedness to English merchants. (He had mixed results!) Jefferson didn't seem to try that approach to the extent that Washington did in running his plantation. (And he was always in debt up to his eyeballs!) Both Hamilton and Washington learned the importance of a strong central government with sound financial policies because of their combined experiences experiences in running the Continental Army. (Think ‘Not worth a Continental’!) Both also benefited from conversations and working with Robert Morris. (Financier of the Revolution!)
If you read those books and study Washington's administration, a couple things will happen. You will have a new appreciation of Hamilton, your will see that the “popular” view of Jefferson is quite wrong, and your admiration of Washington will double or triple. Remember Washington was probably the worst educated of the Founding Fathers (Formal education may have ended at the 4th grade or so!), these means modern historians have allowed this notion to grow that Washington wasn't as smart as say Jefferson, Adams, Franklin or Hamilton. At best they say he was this savvy manager that got everyone to work together. He was that and much more, he clearly was always learning; learned from past mistakes and tended not to repeat them. Importantly he was not bound and thus blinded by ideology as Jefferson often was. (Not always, think Louisiana Purchase & then Lewis & Clark Expedition!.) Washington was a genius at applying what he learned (a wizard a finding a way to get it done!), a born leader & truly indispensable!. Also Washington was much closer to Hamilton, personally as well as ideologically!
37 posted on 01/14/2012 9:18:39 AM PST by Reily
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To: Reily
I think you are too hard on Hamilton. Read Forrest McDonald's book on Hamilton also Brookhiser has a book him. Also read the Federalist Papers.

Gad, I've read all of Farrand, witnessing by Madison's hand Hamilton's behavior all through the Convention.

Did you read that article or not? It quotes extensively from Federalist 75.

Sheesh.

When you finish you will find yourself as I did admiring Hamilton more and Jefferson less.

The latter was too mercurial for his own good, but did an enormous work for this nation, especially the Louisiana purchase. Nor did the Federalists before him deal with the cost of paying off the Barbary Pirates. He was absolutely right about bankers and corporations, whose machinations today through their tax-exempt "charitable" foundations is the nexus of the regulatory monster that is killing the republic today, just as it was before the Revolution, sirrah.

38 posted on 01/14/2012 9:32:19 AM PST by Carry_Okie (The RNC would prefer Obama to a conservative nominee.)
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