Alexander Hamilton’s Love Affair with Monarchy

Hamilton injected very un-republican institutions into our republic…
OF THE UNITED STATES. ” While Washington was absent, Jefferson invited the members of the cabinet, and Mr. Adams, to dine with him, to consult on Genet’s movements. After dinner Mr. Adams said:’Purge the British Constitution, and give to its popular branch equality of representation, and it would be the most perfect Constitution ever devised by the wit of man.’ Hamilton said:’Purge it of its corruption, and give to its popular branch equality of representation, and it would become an impractical government As it stands at present, with all its supposed defects, it is the most perfect government that ever existed.”‘ On the subject of Hamilton’s admiration of monarchy, Mr. Jefferson says: “Mr. Butler tells me that he dined last * winter in company with Hamilton and others Hamilton declared openly that there was no stability, no security, in any kind of government but a monarchy.” Again, under date of December 27, 1797, Jefferson says: “Finch Cox tells me that a little before Hamilton went out of office, (three years before,) Hamilton said: “For my part, I avow myself a monarchist; I have no objection to a trial being made of this thing called a republic, but,” &c. Mr. Hamilton never disguised these sentiments. He never let an occasion pass to praise the British monarchy as “the best government ever devised.” But while Washington was President the monarchist party were allowed to make no headway in the councils of the Confederacy. No sooner, however, than John Adams was seated in the executive chair, than the cloven foot of monarchism, which the Convention that framed the Constitution supposed it had lopped off, made its appearance again On this subject Mr. Jefferson said: “Mr. Adams had originally been a Republican (Democrat.) The glare of royalty and nobility, during his mission in England, had made him believe their fascination to be a necessary ingredient in government. His book on the American Constitution had made known his political bias. He was taken up by the monarchical federalists in his absence, and on his return to the United States he was by them made to believe that the general disposition of our citizens was favorable to monarchy.” Under date of Dec. 26, Jefferson says: “Langdon tells me that Adams (in allusion to votes given for Clinton,) gritting his teeth, said:’ Damn ’em, damn’ em, you see that elective government won’t do.”‘ The election of Mr. Adams to the Presidency, or the accession to power of the monarchist party, which was so signally baffled in the Federal Constitutional Convention, was the destruction of liberty in America for the time being. During the whole of Mr. Adams’ administration a complete reign of terror afflicted the whole land. The 4lien laws” put every American in the United States completely at the mercy or whim of the President, and the “Sedition Act” put the liberty and personal safety of every Democrat at the disposal of his caprice or malice. Democrats were mercilessly thrown into dungeons, or knocked down in the public streets with impunity. Their printing offices were destroyed; their editors were seized and imprisoned for uttering the slightest syllable against the despotic acts of the President.