Menu Main page |
We detect something Post Date: Thu, 7 Aug 2008 19:18:28 +0000 Rev- olutions have always ended in disaster except when they were the legitimate and essentially rational self assertion of a people able in the outcome to crystallize into efficient expres- sion the political ideals which belonged inherently and of right to them as a people. And so, Mr Oliver insists that whatever instruction and guidance England may find in the study of American his- tory, it can only be of value as it is critically used. We detect something of the characteristic English arrogance in his blunt statement that it has never been the function of Britain to follow precedents, but rather to make them. Autor of the post: Undefined He maintains an independent spirit Post Date: Thu, 7 Aug 2008 19:06:41 +0000 1 It is, however, of keenest interest that such a man as Mr Oliver, searching and trenchant and independent in his criti- cism of existing English policies, and with his fundamental conviction of the need of a real and efficient imperialism in the place of what he considers to be a somewhat weak con- federacy, should turn to Alexander Hamilton and with decided relish analyze Hamiltons ideas of government and trace the establishment of those ideas in the American Fed- eral Union. Mr Oliver does not join the company of Hamiltons idol- ators. He maintains an independent spirit, yet is very frank in his admiration, and on the whole puts an estimate upon Hamilton and his services very gratifying indeed to Hamil- tons American admirers. Autor of the post: Undefined It gives to our complacent Post Date: Thu, 7 Aug 2008 18:46:45 +0000 We somehow feel, and perhaps with entire justice, that such an estimate by an Englishman has a certain validity which would not carry when propounded by an American, for we Americans have been reared and bred in the atmosphere of the American political parties. We inordinately admire or we intemperately disparage the great leaders in our history according to our partisan pre- conceptions and prejudices. It gives to our complacent re- publican souls a very hearty glow of satisfaction to find an Englishman estimating our Hamilton almost more highly than we would dare ourselves to place him. Autor of the post: Undefined But when the war Post Date: Thu, 7 Aug 2008 18:33:45 +0000 To quote. He says in the introduction of his essay: u ln the great rebel- lion Washington was the master spirit. But when the war had ended, Hamilton became the master spirit of America. Autor of the post: Undefined In character he Post Date: Thu, 7 Aug 2008 18:19:03 +0000 In the great struggle to prevent the breaking of the Union, Lincoln was the master spirit. In his fitness for the par- ticular crisis, Hamilton was the equal of these men, and it would be hard to find higher praise. In character he was their equal; in force of will; in efficiency; in practical wis- dom; in courage and in virtue. Autor of the post: Undefined Indeed this could scarcely Post Date: Thu, 7 Aug 2008 18:04:37 +0000 But in a certain sense his greatness surpasses theirs, for it is more universal and touches the interest of the whole world in a wider circle. 1 It was Hamiltons good fortune to have been appreciated by the great and good men who were his contemporaries. Indeed this could scarcely have been otherwise considering the enormous influence that Hamilton acquired and the domi- nating influence of that power in all of the constructive work of the earlier period of our history. Autor of the post: Undefined Of course Hamilton did not Post Date: Thu, 7 Aug 2008 17:50:05 +0000 His was the organizing genius of the hour. Judged by his mastery of the political conditions which he had to meet, and considering the ner and method of that mastery by wielding convincing arguments based on fundamental and sound principles of gov- ernment, and considering the comprehensiveness of his ideas and the fact of their establishment in the constitution and policies of a great nation, Hamilton stands almost, or quite, without a peer among the constructive statesmen of history. Of course Hamilton did not achieve alone and unaided. Autor of the post: Undefined From the time that Hamilton Post Date: Thu, 7 Aug 2008 17:31:29 +0000 No statesman is sufficient unto himself. Hamilton had Washington and Marshall and many lesser but important co-laborers in his great task of nation building, but the ideas were Hamilton The clear cut outlines and enunciation of principles were his. From the time that Hamilton drafted the address issued by the first convention at Annapolis to the completion of his reports as Secretary of the Treasury, Hamiltons was the constructing, organizing genius of the hour. Autor of the post: Undefined Men of lesser depths Post Date: Thu, 7 Aug 2008 17:14:36 +0000 He was the master spirit; the leader. In these respects, even Washington was second, not first. Men of lesser depths and mental power and of narrower horizon, faltered by the way. Autor of the post: Undefined Clin- ton had a clear Post Date: Thu, 7 Aug 2008 17:03:57 +0000 When defections occured, as in the case of Madison; when opposition organized and became nag- ging, jealous, and unreasoning, as in the following of Jeffer- son, Hamilton seemed to shake himself and to step forward with hitherto unrevealed power, crushing opposing arguments by the sheer weight of logic, appealing to mens better mo- tives, loftier patriotism, and nobler sentiments; generous and fair and open, as he could afford to be, and as it was his nature to be even when mercilessly felling, nevertheless, his politi- cal enemies. A more signal, individual, political victory has seldom been witnessed than the triumph of Hamilton in New York State as he contended first of all for representa- tion on the part of New York in the second convention meet- ing at Philadelphia and afterwards to be known as the Con- stitutional Convention; second, in carrying New York for the Constitution against Clinton, who was a consummate political organizer and a violent " states rights" man and an anti-Federalist or, as we might appropriately characterize him, an anti -Constitutionalist and an anti-Nationalist. Clin- ton had a clear and large majority with him and proposed at first to have no constitutional convention held in New York. Autor of the post: Undefined 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 | 40 | 41 | 42 | 43 | 44 | 45 | 46 | 47 | 48 | 49 | 50 | 51 | 52 | 53 | 54 | 55 | 56 | 57 | 58 | 59 | 60 | 61 | 62 | 63 | 64 | 65 | 66 | 67 | 68 | 69 | 70 | 71 | 72 | 73 | 74 | 75 | 76 | 77 | 78 | 79 | 80 | 81 | 82 | 83 | 84 | 85 | 86 | 87 | 88 | 89 | 90 | 91 | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 | 100 | 101 | 102 | 103 | 104 | 105 | 106 | 107 | 108 | 109 | 110 | 111 | 112 | 113 | 114 | 115 | 116 | 117 | 118 | 119 | 120 | 121 | 122 | 123 | 124 | 125 | 126 | 127 | 128 | 129 | 130 | 131 | 132 | 133 | 134 | 135 | 136 | 137 | 138 | 139 | 140 | 141 | 142 | 143 | 144 | 145 | 146 | 147 | 148 | 149 | 150 | 151 | 152 | 153 | 154 | 155 | 156 | 157 | 158 | 159 | 160 | 161 | 162 | 163 | 164 | 165 | 166 | 167 | 168 | 169 | 170 | 171 | 172 | 173 | 174 | 175 | 176 | 177 | 178 | 179 | 180 | 181 | 182 | 183 | 184 | 185 | 186 | 187 | 188 | 189 | 190 | 191 | 192 | 193 | 194 | 195 | 196 | 197 | 198 | 199 | 200 | 201 | 202 | 203 | 204 | 205 | 206 | 207 | 208 | 209 | 210 | 211 | 212 | 213 | 214 | 215 | 216 | 217 | 218 | 219 | 220 | 221 | 222 | 223 | 224 | 225 | 226 | 227 | 228 | 229 | 230 | 231 | 232 | 233 | 234 | 235 | 236 | 237 | 238 | 239 | 240 | 241 | 242 | 243 | 244 | 245 | 246 | 247 | 248 | 249 | 250 | 251 | 252 | 253 | 254 | 255 | 256 | 257 | 258 | 259 | 260 | 261 | 262 | 263 | 264 | 265 | 266 | 267 | 268 | 269 | 270 | 271 | 272 | 273 | 274 | 275 | 276 | 277 | 278 | 279 | 280 | 281 | 282 | 283 | 284 | 285 | 286 | 287 | 288 | 289 | 290 | 291 | 292 | 293 | 294 | 295 | 296 | 297 | 298 | 299 | 300 | 301 | 302 | 303 | 304 | 305 | 306 | 307 | 308 | 309 | 310 | 311 | 312 | 313 | 314 | 315 | 316 | 317 | 318 | 319 | 320 | 321 | 322 | 323 | 324 | 325 | 326 | 327 | 328 | 329 | 330 | 331 | 332 | 333 | 334 | 335 | 336 | 337 | 338 | 339 | 340 | 341 | 342 | 343 | 344 | 345 | 346 | 347 | 348 | 349 | 350 | 351 | 352 | 353 | 354 | 355 | 356 | 357 | 358 | 359 | 360 | 361 | 362 | 363 | 364 | 365 | 366 | 367 | 368 | 369 | 370 | 371 | 372 | 373 | 374 | 375 | 376 | 377 | 378 | 379 | 380 | 381 | 382 | 383 | 384 | 385 | 386 | 387 | 388 | 389 | 390 | 391 | 392 | 393 | 394 | 395 | 396 | 397 | 398 | 399 | 400 | 401 | 402 | 403 | 404 | 405 | 406 | 407 | 408 | 409 | 410 | 411 | 412 | 413 | 414 | 415 | 416 | 417 | 418 | 419 | 420 | 421 | 422 | 423 | 424 | 425 | 426 | 427 | 428 | 429 | 430 | 431 | 432 | 433 | 434 | 435 | 436 | 437 | 438 | 439 | 440 | 441 | 442 | 443 | 444 | 445 | 446 | 447 | 448 | 449 | 450 | 451 | 452 | 453 | 454 | 455 | 456 | 457 | 458 | 459 | 460 | 461 | 462 | 463 | 464 | 465 | 466 | 467 | 468 | 469 | 470 | 471 | 472 | 473 | 474 | 475 | 476 | 477 | 478 | 479 | 480 | 481 | 482 | 483 | 484 | 485 | 486 | 487 | 488 | 489 | 490 | 491 | 492 | 493 | 494 | 495 | 496 | 497 | 498 | 499 | 500 | 501 | 502 | 503 | 504 | 505 | 506 | 507 | 508 | 509 | 510 | 511 | 512 | 513 | 514 | 515 | 516 | 517 | 518 | 519 | 520 | 521 | 522 | 523 | 524 | 525 | 526 | 527 | 528 | 529 | 530 | 531 | 532 | 533 | 534 | 535 | 536 | 537 | 538 | 539 | 540 | 541 | 542 | 543 | 544 | 545 | 546 | 547 | 548 | 549 | 550 | 551 | 552 | 553 | 554 | 555 | 556 | 557 | 558 | 559 | 560 | 561 | 562 | 563 | 564 | 565 | 566 | 567 | 568 | 569 | 570 | 571 | 572 | 573 | 574 | 575 | 576 | 577 | 578 | 579 | 580 | 581 | 582 | 583 | 584 | 585 | 586 | 587 | 588 | 589 | 590 | 591 | 592 | 593 | 594 | 595 | 596 | 597 | 598 | 599 | 600 | 601 | 602 | 603 | 604 | 605 | 606 | 607 | 608 | 609 | 610 | 611 | 612 | 613 | 614 | 615 | 616 | 617 | 618 | 619 | 620 | 621 | 622 | 623 | 624 | 625 | 626 | 627 | 628 | 629 | 630 | 631 | 632 | 633 | 634 | 635 | 636 | 637 | 638 | 639 | 640 | 641 | 642 | 643 | 644 | 645 | 646 | 647 | 648 | 649 | 650 | 651 | 652 | 653 | 654 | 655 | 656 | 657 | 658 | 659 | 660 | 661 | 662 | 663 | 664 | 665 | 666 | 667 | 668 | 669 | 670 | 671 | 672 | 673 | 674 | 675 | 676 | 677 | 678 | 679 | 680 | 681 | 682 | 683 | 684 | 685 | 686 | 687 | 688 | 689 | 690 | 691 | 692 | 693 | 694 | 695 | 696 | 697 | 698 | 699 | 700 | 701 | 702 | 703 | 704 | 705 | 706 | 707 | 708 | 709 | 710 | 711 | 712 | 713 | 714 | 715 | 716 | 717 | 718 | 719 | 720 | 721 | 722 | 723 | 724 | 725 | 726 | 727 | 728 | 729 | 730 | 731 | 732 | 733 | 734 | 735 | 736 | 737 | 738 | 739 | 740 | 741 | 742 | 743 | 744 | 745 | 746 | 747 | 748 | 749 | 750 | 751 | 752 | 753 | 754 | 755 | 756 | 757 | 758 | 759 | 760 | 761 | 762 | 763 | 764 | 765 | 766 | 767 | 768 | 769 | 770 | 771 | 772 | 773 | 774 | 775 | 776 | 777 | 778 | 779 | 780 | 781 | 782 | 783 | 784 | 785 | 786 | 787 | 788 | 789 | 790 | 791 | 792 | 793 | 794 | 795 | 796 | 797 | 798 | 799 | 800 | 801 | 802 | 803 | 804 | 805 | 806 | 807 | 808 | 809 | 810 | 811 | 812 | 813 | 814 | 815 | 816 | 817 | 818 | 819 | 820 | 821 | 822 | 823 | 824 | 825 | 826 | 827 | 828 | 829 | 830 | 831 | 832 | 833 | 834 | 835 | 836 | 837 | 838 | 839 | 840 | 841 | 842 | 843 | 844 | 845 | 846 | 847 | 848 | 849 | 850 | 851 | 852 | 853 | 854 | 855 | 856 | 857 | 858 | 859 | 860 | 861 | 862 | 863 | 864 | 865 | 866 | 867 | 868 | 869 | 870 | 871 | 872 | 873 | 874 | 875 | 876 | 877 | 878 | 879 | 880 | 881 | 882 | 883 | 884 | 885 | 886 | 887 | 888 | 889 | 890 | 891 | 892 | 893 | 894 | 895 | 896 | 897 | 898 | 899 | 900 | 901 | 902 | 903 | 904 | 905 | 906 | 907 | 908 | 909 | 910 | 911 | 912 | 913 | 914 | 915 | 916 | 917 | 918 | 919 | 920 | 921 | 922 | 923 | 924 | 925 | 926 | 927 | 928 | 929 | 930 | 931 | 932 | 933 | 934 | 935 | 936 | 937 | 938 | 939 | 940 | 941 | 942 | 943 | 944 | 945 | 946 | 947 | 948 | 949 | 950 | 951 | 952 | 953 | 954 | 955 | 956 | 957 | 958 | 959 | 960 | 961 | 962 | 963 | 964 | 965 | 966 | 967 | 968 | 969 | 970 | 971 | 972 | 973 | 974 | 975 | 976 | 977 | 978 | 979 | 980 | 981 | 982 | 983 | 984 | 985 | 986 | 987 | 988 | 989 | 990 | 991 | 992 | 993 | 994 | 995 | 996 | 997 | 998 | 999 | 1000 | 1001 | 1002 | 1003 | 1004 | 1005 | 1006 | 1007 | 1008 | 1009 | 1010 | 1011 | 1012 | 1013 | 1014 | 1015 | 1016 | 1017 | 1018 | 1019 | 1020 | 1021 | 1022 | 1023 | 1024 | 1025 | 1026 | 1027 | 1028 | 1029 | 1030 | 1031 | 1032 | 1033 | 1034 | 1035 | 1036 | 1037 | 1038 | 1039 | 1040 | 1041 | 1042 | 1043 | 1044 | 1045 | 1046 | 1047 | 1048 | 1049 | 1050 | 1051 | 1052 | 1053 | 1054 | 1055 | 1056 | 1057 | 1058 | 1059 | 1060 | 1061 | 1062 | 1063 | 1064 | 1065 | 1066 | 1067 | 1068 | 1069 | 1070 | 1071 | 1072 | 1073 | 1074 | 1075 | 1076 | 1077 | 1078 | 1079 | 1080 | 1081 | 1082 | 1083 |