HAMILTON. 501 HAMILTON. ing of the Central Governiucnt — precipitated suc- cessive controversies in which those wlio favored Hamilton were uniformly successful, though parly lines were sharply drawn, and a powerful opposition, strenuously antagonistic to central- ization, was created, under the leadership of Hamilton's great rival. Thomas Jefl'erson (q.v. ). Out of these controversies grew the Federalist and Republican (later Democratic or Deniocratie- Republiean) parties. Hamilton also took an active interest in foreign atl'airs. and, during the Revolutionary turmoil in Kurope and the wars betxeen France and England, uniformly advo- cated a policy of strict neutrality on the part of the American Government; while by his altitude toward Genet (q.v.) and his well-known views concerning the excesses of the French Revolution, as well as by h.is freelj' expressed admiration of the British Constitution, he gave color to the charge frequently brought against him by his op- ponents, that lie was the leader of a strongly pro- English and anti-French faction. At the time of the Whisky Insurrection (q.v.), he advocated the adoption of a vigorous repressive policy on the part of the Xational Government, and accom- panied in person the troops which were sent against the insurgents. On January 31, ITO.'J, he resigned from the Cabinet to resume the prtictice of his profession in New York City, but kept in close touch with political affairs, continued to be consulted by Washington, and maintained un- impaired his commanding influence in the Fed- eralist Party. He vigorously' upheld the Jay treaty ( q.v. ) , in support of which he wrote a series of pov.'erful articles, under the signature "Caniillus;" assisted Washington materially in the preparation of his Fai'ewell Address; op- jKjsed the first drafts of the Alien and Sedition Acts (q.v.) ; and strongly combated the doctrines of the Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions (q.v.). A coolness which had appeared in the relations between Hamilton and John Adams (q.v.) as early as 17S8, owing to the former having ex- erted his influence to prevent an equal vote being cast for Washington and Adams, gradually be- came pronounced, and was especially marked af- ter the election of the latter to the Presidency, when Hamilton, though holding no office, exerted perhaps as nuich influence over the members of the Cabinet as did the President himself. Hamil- ton, moreover, strongly disapproved of the mild- ness and apparent indecision of President Adams's policy toward France. ( See X Y Z CoB- RESPONDENCE. ) At Washington's request, how- ever, he was placed in 1798 at the virtual head of the army when hostilities with France ap- peared imminent, and while acting in this capa- cit.y, with the rank of major-general and the position of inspector-general (from .July lil, 1798, to .June 15. 180(1) he devoted himself with energy and ability to the task of organization and prep- aration, effecting various much-needed refonns, and perfecting plans for the invasion of Louisiana and the Floridas. In the Presidential election of 1800 Hamilton showed a preference for Pinckney over Adams for the Presidency, and by publishing an ill-advised pamphlet sharply criticising Adams and advocating the casting of an equal vote by the Federalists for their two candidates, he greatly weakened his party, and deeply offended Adams and his immediate following. When, after the election, the famous contest for the Presidency arose in Congress, he suppressed his strong dis- like for .Jefferson, and by the use of his powerful iuUuence was instrumental in securing the defeat of Burr. With the fall of the Federalists Ham- ilton's political career virtually ende<l. In 1804 Burr, who had at various times been balked in his political schemes by Hamilton, challenged the latter to a duel, on the gnjund of an alleged insult, and Hamilton, feeling that by refusing to acknowlcilge the acce|ited code, of which he ■strongly (li>ap])roved, he would lose his influence, and anticipating a crisis in the affairs of the nation with which he would probably be called upon to deal, consented to a meeting. The duel occurred at Weehawken, N. J., on July 11, and Hamilton fell, mortally wounded, at the first fire — having, it is said, discharged his own weapon into the air. He died the following day. Hamilton's services to the nation can scarcely be overestimated. At a time when disintegrating tendencies were pronounced ; when, British rule having been overthrown, the mass of the people were restive under any restraint; and when tinau- cial and economic ruin threatened the very exist- ence of the nation, ho contended steadily for the establishment of a strong Central Government, initiated various measures which were influential in bringing about such a result, and did more than any other man to put the nation on a firm financial footing, to restore the public credit, and to inculcate in the minds of the people sounder views than were then current with regard to political economy and finance. Judged by modern economic standards, some of his opinions show confusion of thought with regard to capital and wealth, but for the most part he undoubtedly saw further and clearer in his own special field than any of his contemporaries. He was not. how- ever, like .Jefferson, a great political loader, and, frankly distrusting the peo])le, a large element of whom distrusted him in return, he never had a large personal following. The best edition of Hamilton's Works is that by H. C. Lodge (9 vols.. New Y'ork, 188.5-86). Consult: .J. C. Hamilton, Uistory of the Kepublio of the United States as Traced in the Writings of Alexander Hamillon and His Con temporaries (7 vols., New York, 1857-04; 4th ed., 7 vols., Boston, 1879) ; J. C. Hamilton, Life of Alexander llaniilton (luifinished) (2 vols,. New Y'ork. 1834- 40) ; Morse, Life of Alexander HamiUon (2 vols., Boston, 1870) ; Shea. Life and Epoeh of Alex- ander HamiUon (New Y'ork. 1879) ; Lodge, Alex- ander Hamilton (Boston, 1882), in the "American Statesmen Series;" Sumner, Alexander Ham- ilton (New Y'ork, 1890), in the "Makers of America Series;" and a brief sketch by Conant, Alexander Hamilton (Boston, 1901), in the "Riverside Biographical Series." A list of books concerning Hamilton, and of Hamilton's writings, is given in Ford. Bihliothcca Hamiltonia (New Y'ork, 1880). HAMILTON, Andrew (T-1703). A Colonial Cioverniu' of New .Jersey. He was of Scottish birth, and before emigrating to East .Jersey had been a merchant in Edinburgh. In 1080 he was appointed a member of Governor T^ord Neill Campbell's council, and a year and a half later, December 10. 1687, on the latter's return to Europe, was appointed his substitute. While on a visit to J>ondon in 1002 he was regularly com- missioned Governor of East .Jersey, and soon afterwards received the appointment to the same office in West Jersey. In 1697 the proprietors
