The particular services of colonel Hamilton, in the con vention, are not accurately known to the public, as that body sat in conclave, and their journals have never been published. It has been remarked, however, by a very re spectable member of the convention from a neighbouring state, " that, if the constitution should not succeed on trial, Mr Hamilton was less responsible for such a result than any other member ; for he fully and frankly pointed out to the convention, what, he apprehended, were the infirmities to which it was liable : And that, if it answered the fond ex pectations of the public, the community would be more indebted to him than to any other member ; for, after its essential outlines were agreed to, he laboured most indefa tigably to heal those infirmities, and to guard against the evils to which they might expose it." It is believed that, :n this declaration, his colleague did not do him more than justice.
After the publication of the constitution, colonel Hamil ton, in concert with Mr Jay, of New-York, arid Mr Madi son, of Virginia, commenced the publication of the Fede ralist ; a series of essays under the signature of Publius, addressed to the people of New-York, in support of the constitution, and in favour of its adoption. These pa pers made their first appearance, in the public prints, early in November, 1787. The series was not concluded •Intil a short time previous to the meeting of the state con vention, in June 1788. It is w'ell understood that Mr Jay took upon himself a slender share of the work; that Mr Ma dison composed not a few numbers ; but that colonel Ha milton was not only principal author, and wrote at least three-fourths of the volumes, but superintended its publi cation. The Federalist is not to be classed among those ephemeral productions calculated only for party purposes, and-, when those purposes are served, to sink into oblivion. It is a profound and learned disquisition on the principles of federal representative government; and combines an ardent attachment to public liberty, with an accurate discernment of the dangers resulting from an excessive jealousy of power. It will endure as long as the republican institu tions of the United States ; on which it is a luminous and eloquent commentary. The Federalist was translated and published in France, by B uisson, just as its inhabitants were setting out in the mad career of their revolution. By the sedate and learned politicians of that country, it was esteem ed a most excellent work. The wild, furious, and unsta
ble partizans, who conducted the people to the perpetra tion of the most shocking cruelties, deemed it aristocrati cal in its tendency. If the leaders of the French revolution had thoroughly studied the Federalist, and received light from this western star, they might possibly have rescued the people from the fury of their tempestuous passions ; from a continued vibration between scenes of folly and scenes of horror ; and conducted them in safety to peace, indepen dence and liberty. In the United States the Federalist had great popularity; circulated through every part of the coun try ; enlightened the understandings of the people on the nature of government ; and warmly disposed them to a pre ference of the federal representative system. It was emi nently successful in the end intended by its authors.
Colonel Hamilton was a member of the state convention of New-York, which assembled in the summer of 1788, to deliberate on the adoption of the Federal constitution. It had to encounter very serious opposition. For a time, the issue of the contest between its advocates and opponents was doubtful ; but his argument and eloquence at length overcame hostility, carried conviction to the minds of its adversaries, and finally, and most happily for the union, procured its adoption by the populous and powerful state of New-York.
On the organization of the federal government, in 1789, the president, Washington, selected colonel Hamilton as the secretary of the treasury. The duties of that depart mcnt, intrinsically difficult, and connected with high respon sibilities, were confessedly, at the time, encumbered by much embarrassment and entanglement, produced by the operation of temporary but influential causes ; and when recurrence is had to the measures that were originated, matured, and vindicated by him, the candid mind is over whelmed with astonishment, in the contemplation of the va rious powers of his vigorous and exalted mind. His re ports are so many didactic dissertations, laboriously wrought, and highly finished, on some of the most intricate and abstract subjects in political economy. Among his re ports it is proper particularly to designate, as the most in teresting, those of January, 1790, on a provision for the sup port of the public credit ; of December, 1790, on the establishment of a national bank ; of December, 1791, on the subject of manufactures ; and of January, 1795, on 4 plan for the further support of public credit.