ew of the great multitude on the outside. He showed
considerable embarrassment, but was cheered to the echo and was greatly
touched by the manifestations of the love of his fellow-countrymen.

At the opening of his administration, Washington became ill and no
important business was done until September. On the 10th of that month,
Congress created a department of foreign affairs, a treasury department,
and a department of war. Thomas Jefferson was nominated to the first,
Alexander Hamilton to the second, and General Henry Knox to the third.
All were admirable appointments.

ALEXANDER HAMILTON.

Hamilton, the secretary of the treasury, was one of the most remarkable
men identified with the history of our country. He was born in the West
Indies in 1757, and, while a child, displayed extraordinary ability.
When fifteen years old, he was sent to New York City and entered King's
(now Columbia) College. A patriotic speech made when he was only
seventeen years old held his hearers spellbound by its eloquence. At
twenty, he organized a company of cavalry and performed excellent
service on Long Island and at White Plains. Washington was so impressed
by his brilliancy that he placed him on his staff and made him his
military secretary. Many of the best papers of the commander-in-chief
received their finishing touches from the master hand of Hamilton. He
was in Congress in 1782-1783, and helped to frame the Constitution.
When the New York Convention assembled to ratify the new Constitution,
three-fourths of its members were strongly opposed to it, but Hamilton
by the sheer force of his eloquent logic won them over and secured the
assent of the State to the adoption of the Constitution. He was one of
our most brilliant statesmen and the foremost Federalist of his time.

HAMILTON'S WISE MANAGEMENT OF THE FINANCES.

The greatest problem which confronted the country was that of finance,
and Hamilton grasped it with the skill of a master. Hardly had he
received his commission, when Congress called upon him for a plan to
provide for the public debt and to revive the dead national credit.
Hamilton's first answer was that the country would begin by being
honest, and that every dollar of the confederation, then amounting
almost to $80,000,000, should be paid, the United States assuming all
debts due to American citizens, as well as the war debt of each State.
This bold and creditable ground greatly improved public credit, before
an