ctory, and as decisive as
could be wished."

Such were the views of Hamilton in 1787, and which had undergone no
change in the sixteen years that elapsed between that time and the date
of his letter to Colonel Pickering. Yet this man, so true a republican
that his only desire was to have the republican polity that he knew must
here exist so framed and constituted as to become permanent, has been
drawn as a bigoted monarchist and as the enemy of freedom! In the eyes
of good democrats he was the Evil Principle incarnate; and even to this
day, in the more retired portions of the country, they believe, that, if
he had lived a few years longer, he would have made himself king, and
married one of the daughters of George III. They had, and some of them
yet have, about as clear conceptions of Hamilton's career and conduct as
Squire Western and his class had of the intentions of the English Whigs
of George II.'s time, whom they suspected of the intention of seizing
and selling their estates, with the purpose of sending the proceeds to
Hanover, to be invested in the funds.

The leaders of the great party which triumphed in 1801, and who had
libelled Hamilton while they were in opposition, found it for their
interest to continue their misrepresentations long after the fall of the
Federalists, and when the ablest of all the Federalists had been for
years in his grave. Many of them could overlook Burr's party treachery,
as well as his supposed treason, because he had been the rival of
Hamilton; though probably it would be unjust to them to suppose that
they approved of his conduct in murdering the man whose talents and
influence caused them so much alarm. So far was Hamilton from pursuing a
course in the Convention of 1787 that would have embarrassed that body,
because it did not adopt all his plans, that Dr. W. S. Johnson, one of
Connecticut's delegates, said, that, if "the Constitution did not
succeed on trial, Mr. Hamilton was less responsible for that result than
any other member, for he fully and frankly pointed out to the Convention
what he apprehended were the infirmities to which it was liable,--and
that, if it answered the fond expectations of the public, the community
would be more indebted to Mr. Hamilton than to any other member, for,
after its essential outlines were agreed to, he labored most
indefatigably to heal those infirmities, and to guard against the evils
to which they might expose it." M. Guizot, who understa