The Writings of Thomas Jefferson, Vol. 9 (of 9): Being His Autobiography, Correspondence, Reports, Messages, Addresses, and Other Writings, Official and PrivateJefferson, Thomas
History
The Writings of Thomas Jefferson, Vol. 9 (of 9): Being His Autobiography, Correspondence, Reports, Messages, Addresses, and Other Writings, Official and Private
Jefferson, Thomas
United States -- Politics and government -- 1775-1783; United States -- Politics and government -- 1783-1865
August the 13th, 1791. Notes of a conversation between Alexander
Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson. Th: Jefferson mentioned to him a letter
received from John Adams, disavowing Publicola, and denying that he ever
entertained a wish to bring this country under an hereditary executive,
or introduce an hereditary branch of Legislature, &c. See his letter.
Alexander Hamilton condemning Mr. Adams' writings, and most particularly
Davila, as having a tendency to weaken the present government, declared
in substance as follows: "I own it is my own opinion, though I do not
publish it in Dan or Bersheba, that the present government is not that
which will answer the ends of society, by giving stability and protection
to its rights, and that it will probably be found expedient to go into
the British form. However, since we have undertaken the experiment, I
am for giving it a fair course, whatever my expectations may be. The
success, indeed, so far, is greater than I had expected, and therefore,
at present, success seems more possible than it had done heretofore,
and there are still other and other stages of improvement which, if the
present does not succeed, may be tried, and ought to be tried, before
we give up the republican form altogether; for that mind must be really
depraved, which would not prefer the equality of political rights,
which is the foundation of pure republicanism, if it can be obtained
consistently with order. Therefore, whoever by his writings disturbs the
present order of things, is really blameable, however pure his intentions
may be, and he was sure Mr. Adams' were pure." This is the substance
of a declaration made in much more lengthy terms, and which seemed to
be more formal than usual for a private conversation between two, and
as if intended to qualify some less guarded expressions which had been
dropped on former occasions. Th: Jefferson has committed it to writing
in the moment of A. Hamilton's leaving the room.
* * * * *
December the 25th, 1791, Colonel Gunn (of Georgia) dining the other
day with Colonel Hamilton, said to him, with that plain freedom he
is known to use, "I wish, Sir, you would advise your friend King, to
observe some kind of consistency in his votes. There has been scarcely a
question before the Senate on which he has not voted both ways. On the
representation bill, for instance, he first voted for the proposition
of the Representatives, and ultimately voted against it." "Why," says
Colonel Hamilton, "I'll tell you as to that, Colonel Gunn, that it never
was intended that bill should pass." Gunn told this to Butler, who told
it to Th: Jefferson.
CONVERSATIONS WITH THE PRESIDENT.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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