n.

And when Washington met him at the head of the stairs of the New Windsor
Hotel and sharply chided him for being late, the young man embraced the
opportunity and said, "Sir, since you think I have been remiss, we part."

It was the act of a boy; and the figure of this boy, five feet five inches
high, weight one hundred twenty, aged twenty-four, talking back to his
chief, six feet three, weight two hundred, aged fifty, has its comic side.
Military rule demands that every one shall be on time, and Washington's
rebuke was proper and right. Further than this, one feels that if he had
followed up his rebuke by boxing the young man's ears for "sassing back,"
he would still not have been outside the lines of duty.

But an hour afterwards we find Washington sending for the youth and
endeavoring to mend the break. And although Hamilton proudly repelled his
advances, Washington forgave all and generously did all he could to
advance the young man's interests. Washington's magnanimity was absolutely
without flaw, but his attitude towards Hamilton has a more suggestive
meaning when we consider that it was a testimonial of the high estimate he
placed on Hamilton's ability.

At Yorktown, Washington gave Hamilton the perilous privilege of leading
the assault. Hamilton did his work well, rushing with fiery impetuosity
upon the fort--carried all before him, and in ten minutes had planted the
Stars and Stripes on the ramparts of the enemy.

It was a fine and fitting close to his glorious military career.

* * * * *

When Washington became President, the most important office to be filled
was that of manager of the exchequer. In fact, all there was of it was the
office--there was no treasury, no mint, no fixed revenue, no credit; but
there were debts--foreign and domestic--and clamoring creditors by the
thousand. The debts consisted of what was then the vast sum of eighty
million dollars. The treasury was empty. Washington had many advisers who
argued that the Nation could never live under such a weight of debt--the
only way was flatly and frankly to repudiate--wipe the slate clean--and
begin afresh.

This was what the country expected would be done; and so low was the hope
of payment that creditors could be found who were willing to compromise
their claims for ten cents on the dollar. Robert Morris, who had managed
the finances during the period of the Confederation, utterly refused to
attempt the