on these imperious and ill-advised warnings, and closed by telling "Cæsar," in turn, that no notice would be taken to what he might in the future write. To this "Cæsar," replied in a second letter, in which, as if he had not done harm enough, he went to the lengths of writing that "I am not much attached to the majesty of the multitude," and therefore "waive all pretentions (founded on such conduct), to their countenance." But even the author seems to have felt that he had begun his appeal to the people amiss, for at the end he gave notice that "Cæsar" would not reply further to "Cato."
This did not mean, however, that Hamilton resigned the field to his adversaries, but merely that he intended to change his ground. "Since my last," he wrote a correspondent (presumably Washington), "the chief of the state party has declared his opposition to the government proposed, both in private conversation and in print. That you may judge of the reason and fairness of his views I send you the two essays, with a reply by 'Cæsar.' On further consideration it was concluded to abandon this personal form, and to take up the principles of the whole subject. These will be sent you as published, and might with advantage be republished in your gazettes."[1] Nor was it only his friends who knew of this change of plan, for the organ of the Anti-federalists promptly announced that, "a writer in the state of New York, under the signature of 'Cæsar,' came forward against the patriotic 'Cato,' and endeavored to frighten, him from starting any objections, and threatened that 'Cato' would be followed by 'Cæsar,' in all his marches; but we find that as soon as ever 'Cato' came freely to discuss the merit of the constitution, 'Cæsar' retreated and disappeared; and since that a publication under the signature of 'Publius' has appeared in that state."
To write such a treatise on the "principles of the
- ↑ See Ford's " Essays on the Constitution," 245.
