le, and infinitely preferable to further
troubles. He took up his pen, having previously been stoned while
attempting to speak in its defence, and in a series of papers signed
"Catullus," wrote as even he had not done since the days of "The
Federalist." Their effect was felt at once; and as they continued to
issue, and Hamilton's sway over the public mind, his genius for moulding
opinion, became with each more manifest, Jefferson, terrified and
furious, wrote to Madison:--

Hamilton is really a Colossus to the anti-Republican party. Without
numbers he is a host in himself. They have got themselves into a
defile where they might be finished; but too much security on the
Republican part will give time to his talents and indefatigableness
to extricate them. We have had only middling performances to oppose
him. In truth when he comes forward there is no one but yourself
can meet him.... For God's sake take up your pen and give a
fundamental reply to "Curtius" and "Camillus."

But Madison had had enough of pen encounter with Hamilton. "He who puts
himself on paper with Hamilton is lost," Burr had said; and Madison
agreed with him, and entered the lists no more. The excitement gradually
subsided. It left ugly scars behind it, but once more Hamilton had saved
his party, and perhaps the Union. In connection with the much disputed
authorship of the Farewell Address I will merely quote a statement,
heretofore unpublished, made by Mrs. Hamilton, in the year 1840.

Desiring that my children shall be fully acquainted with the
services rendered by their father to our country, and the
assistance rendered by him to General Washington during his
administrations, 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 subject on which he would wish to remark, with a
request that Mr. Hamilton would prepare a dr