of his messmates were too powerful to resist--he believed the
Colonies and the messmates were in the right. Then several bottles were
brought in, and success was drunk to all men who strove for liberty.

Patriotic sentiment is at the last self-interest; in fact, Herbert Spencer
declares that there is no sane thought or rational act but has its root in
egoism.

Shortly after the young man's conversion, there was a mass-meeting held in
"The Fields," which meant the wilds of what is now the region of
Twenty-third Street.

Young Hamilton stood in the crowd and heard the various speakers plead the
cause of the Colonies, and urge that New York should stand firm with
Massachusetts against the further encroachments and persecutions of
England. There were many Tories in the crowd, for New York was with King
George as against Massachusetts, and these Tories asked the speakers
embarrassing questions that the speakers failed to answer. And all the
time young Hamilton found himself nearer and nearer the platform. Finally,
he undertook to reply to a talkative Tory, and some one shouted, "Give him
the platform--the platform!" and in a moment this seventeen-year-old boy
found himself facing two thousand people. There was hesitation and
embarrassment, but the shouts of one of his college chums, "Give it to
'em! Give it to 'em!" filled in an awkward instant, and he began to speak.
There was logic and lucidity of expression, and as he talked the air
became charged with reasons, and all he had to do was to reach up and
seize them.

His strong and passionate nature gave gravity to his sentences, and every
quibbling objector found himself answered, and more than answered, and the
speakers who were to present the case found this stripling doing the work
so much better than they could, that they urged him on with applause and
loud cries of "Bravo! Bravo!"

Immediately at the close of Hamilton's speech, the chairman had the good
sense to declare the meeting adjourned--thus shutting off all reply, as
well as closing the mouths of the minnow orators who usually pop up to
neutralize the impression that the strong man has made.

Hamilton's speech was the talk of the town. The leading Whigs sought him
out and begged that he would write down his address so that they could
print it as a pamphlet in reply to the Tory pamphleteers who were
vigorously circulating their wares. The pens of ready writers were scarce
in those days: men could argue, bu