Complete Works. Hamilton Alexander

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СКАЧАТЬ constantly at work to effect this end. James was then a grown man and a lawyer, and at his instance a suit in Chancery was brought to obtain certain parts of the correspondence that had passed between Washington and Hamilton, which was successful, and they were used by the younger Hamilton in his "Reminiscences." The discussion of how much Hamilton had to do with this memorable address has been ever active, and even bitter, as has been shown elsewhere, and is by no means now fully settled. The venerable vridow, when she was eighty-two, reiterated her belief in her husband's responsibility for most of it, and the following paper was executed, probably at a time when she was more disturbed than usual, by the insistent claims of those who sought to belittle him, and gives her impressions of Hamilton's share of the work:

       Elizabeth Hamilton's Statement as to Washington's Farewell Address

      Desirous that my children should be fully acquainted with the services rendered by their Father to our country, and the assistance given by him to General Washington during his administration, for the one great object, the Independence and Stability of the Government of the United States, there is one thing in addition to the numerous proofs which I leave them and which I feel myself in duty bound to State; which is: that a short time previous to General Washington's retiring from the Presidency in the year 1796 General Hamilton suggested to him the idea of delivering a farewell address to the people on his withdrawal from public life, with which idea General Washington was well pleased, and in his answer to General Hamilton's suggestion gave him the heads of the subjects on which he would wish to remark, with a request that Mr. Hamilton would prepare an address for him; Mr. Hamilton did so, and the address was written, principally at such times as his office was seldom frequented by his clients and visitors, and during the absence of his students to avoid interruption; at which times he was in the habit of calling me to sit with him, that he might read to me as he wrote, in order, as he said, to discover how it sounded upon the ear, and making the remark, "My dear Eliza, you must be to me what Moliere's old nurse was to him."

      The whole or nearly all the "Address" was read to me by him as he wrote it and a greater part if not all was written by him in my presence. The original was forwarded to Gen. Washington who approved of it with the exception of one paragraph, of, I think, about four or five lines, which if I mistake not was on the Subject of public schools, which was stricken out. It was afterwards returned to Mr. Hamilton who made the desired Alteration, and was afterwards delivered by General Washington, and published in that form, and has ever since been Known as "General Washington's Farewell Address." Shortly after the publication of the address, my husband and myself were walking in Broadway, when an old soldier accosted him, with a request of him to purchase General Washington's Farewell address, which he did and turning to me Said "That man does not know he has asked me to purchase my own work."

      The whole circumstances are at this moment, so perfectly in my remembrance, that I can call to mind his bringing General Washington's letter to me which returned the "address" and remarking on the only alteration which he (General Washington) had requested to be made.

      New York, Aug. 7th, 1840.

      Eliz^TH Hamilton.

      Witness

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      J. A. Washington )

       J. A. Macdonald. )

      General Schuyler left a large amount of property and, some years after his death, his other sons and daughters generously deeded much of their shares to their widowed sister, because of Hamilton's impoverishment. Some of this was in Saratoga County, some near Utica, some near Owego, and small portions were in the cities of New York and Albany. It was Mrs. Hamilton's custom, when interested in any particular charity, to sell piece by piece, and devote the proceeds to the particular object, so that when she died she was in straitened circumstances, and had, for some time, been entirely dependent upon her children and the back pay awarded Hamilton by the government. "Her grief over the two children she had lost," said a contemporary writer, "took the form of protection of those who were poor and unfriended, as well as orphaned. To Mrs. Hamilton is directly owing the first orphan asylum of New York. On its fiftieth anniversary a memorial service was held in the Church of the Epiphany (in Washington, where she then was for the winter), and the work and its greatly extended good were gone over. The seed had become a tree with mighty branches. Mrs. Hamilton was feeble and could not sit through the whole service, but came only for a part; always to the communion service. This Sunday she came in toward the close. Our minds and hearts were filled with the good work of this gentle lady when she entered—a very small, upright little figure in deep black, never altered from the time her dark hair was framed in by the widow's cap, until now the hair was as white as the cap.

      "As she moved slowly forward, supported by her daughter, Mrs. Holly, one common feeling made the congregation rise and remain standing until she was seated in her pew at the front."

      Her great effort seems to have been to the end that the letters left by her husband should be published, and his life written by some competent person. Unfortunately, one of her clergymen was chosen to do the latter, and as it was not a judicious selection, the result was unsuccessful. She first wrote to Bushrod Washington, a nephew of the President, whose reply is appended, but nothing seems to have come of all this. It was not until many years later that her son John C. Hamilton wrote a life of his father collecting and publishing many of his letters in a series of seven volumes.

       Bushrod Washingtor to Elizabeth Hamilton

      Mt. Vernon, Dec. 14, 1819.

      My dear Madam: Your favor of the 5th of Nov' was received by Mr. Herbert, whilst I was in Philadelphia and was not placed in the bundle of letters which he delivered me upon my return. He had accidently put it by itself, and found it a day or two ago, when he delivered it to me. This must be my apology for the delay of this answer.

      It affords me great pleasure to know Mr. Hopkinson has undertaken to write the life of Genl. Hamilton, not only because his fine talents will enable him to do justice to the work, but because he admired, in common with every American patriot, the virtues, and the distinguished talents of that Great man.

      The Contract which I made with Mr. Wayne, the publisher of the life of Gen'l Washington was, to assign the copyrights of the work to him, and to receive from him one dollar per volume, for every volume subscribed for, or sold during the period of the copyright. This dollar per volume was equally divided between C. Justice Marshall, the author & myself. There were 7000 copies subscribed for, and Mr, Marshall and myself received from Mr. Wayne the amount calculating it at a dollar each volume. I think that, as to all sales that were made over that number, we made a compromise with Mr. Wayne & received from him $?000. I should expect that a contract of this nature would be as favorable to you as you could expect to make.

      I do not know whether I have ever yet acknowledged my obligation to you for the seeds you were so good as to send me; if I have not, permit me now to do it, and to assure you that my silence did not proceed from unthankfulness for the favor. The corn met my approbation so fully that I shall plant the whole of my crop, at one farm, next year, of that kind—It comes very early, & the ear is of good size.

      Present my best regards & wishes to my favourite Eliza and believe me, good friend, that nothing could afford me a higher gratification than to pass a day or two with you and her at the Grange—I have not heard of or from William' since he went into the wilderness.

      The family of my niece and Mr. Woodlawn are all well,— Frances not yet married, but all in good time. She is a charming girl, as is her sister Agnes, now nearly grown up. Mrs. Washington's health is much the same as when you were here; she yet continues to retire from company at home and abroad.

      I am with sentiments of esteem, respect and regard. My dear Madam,

      Yr. СКАЧАТЬ