A few days after,* he wrote to King: "You will have observed with pleasure a spirit of patriotism kindling everywhere. And you will not be sorry to know, that it is my opinion, that there will shortly be national unanimity as far as that idea can ever exist. Many of the leaders of faction will persist, and take ultimately a station in the public estimation, like that of the tories of our Revolution. Our chief embarrassment now is, the want of energy among some of our friends, and our Councils taking too strong an infusion of those characters who cannot reform, and who, though a minority, are numerous enough, and artful enough, to perplex and relax. We do far less than we ought towards organizing and maturing, for the worst, the resources of the country. But I count that there is a progress of opinion which will probably shortly overcome this obstacle. "How vexatious that at such a juncture there should be officers of Great Britain, who, actuated by a spirit of plunder, are doing the most violent things, calculated to check the proper amount of popular feeling, and to furnish weapons to the enemies of Government. Cambauld, at the Mole, is acting a part quite as bad as the Directory and their instruments. I have seen several of his condemnations. They are wanton beyond measure. It is not enough that his acts are disavowed, and a late and defective redress given through the channels of the regular courts. Justice and the policy of the crisis, demand that he be decisively punished and disgraced. I think it probable you will be instructed to require this. It would be happy, if the Government, where you are, would anticipate. "It is unlucky, too, that Cochrane, of the Thetis, appears to be doing some ill things. The Southern papers announce a number of captures lately made by him, and, in some instances, if they say true, on very frivolous pretexts. The character of that gentleman would lead me to hope that there is some misrepresentation, but the present appearances against him are strong. There seems a fatality in all this. It cannot be doubted, that the British Cabinet must at this time desire to conciliate this country. It is to be hoped, they will not want vigor to do it with effect by punishing those who contravene the object." * June 6, 1798. King informed Hamilton, "that the appointment of Cambauld was illegal, and all his decrees void. Orders have at length been sent to suppress the court." He also stated, that "the late instruction of Great Britain enlarges the rights and security of the trade of neutrals; for, instead of former restraints, it is now admitted, that a direct trade by neutrals between their respective countries, and the French, Dutch, and Spanish West Indies, out and home, and likewise the direct voyage from those colonies to any port in Great Britain, are lawful, and not liable to interruption." Pickering apprised Hamilton, that, "the complaints of British captures were the clamors of interested men engaged in illicit commerce. It is the shameful and often detected frauds in the documents furnished to our merchant vessels, that have induced the British naval officers to disregard their papers, and to rest satisfied with nothing short of an actual examination of their cargoes; and thus vexation will doubtless continue more or less until the honest merchants come forward and expose their fraudulent neighbors." As to the alien bills, he answered, "of one thing you may rest assured, that they will not err on the side of severity, much less of cruelty. I wish they may really provide for the public safety." After several just and intelligent comments on the service of Militia, he thought that, "instead of waiting an actual invasion, the raising of the army ought now to be commenced." The bill to raise a Provisional army was reported to the Senate by Goodhue-a Senator from Massachusetts, on the thirteenth of April; and after having been recommitted, passed that body by a vote of thirteen to eight. It also passed the House by a vote of forty to thirty-two. This bill, it is seen, provided for the appointment of a "COMMANDER of the Army," with the rank of "LIEUTENANT-GENERAL." As Washington had held the rank of "GENERAL and Commander-in-chief," by the unanimous vote of Congress during the War of the Revolu tion, it would have been an indignity to create for him a command with inferior rank. Hamilton is seen to have contemplated his being called to the chief command, but that was previous to the passage of this bill. The fact appears to be, that Hamilton was the person contemplated in the creation of this second rank. * "From the first moment," Pickering wrote to Hamilton, “that a commander-in-chief was thought of, no name was mentioned but yours; for, until the nomination was actually made, I had no suspicion that General Washington would ever again enter the field of war." "It was among New England members of Congress that I heard you, and you only, mentioned as the Commander-in-Chief, until General Washington was nominated." "Of the citizens of the United States, who had seen service," Colonel Pickering states, "I knew not one to place in competition with him. It was while I was in this state of mind, that the following dialogue took place between Mr. Adams and me: 'Whom shall we appoint Commander-in-Chief?' Adams inquired. 'Colonel Hamilton,' was my answer. Adams made no reply. On another day, he repeated the same question, and I gave him the same answer. He did not reply. On another day, he, for the third time, asked me, 'Whom shall we appoint Commander-in-Chief?' and the third time I answered, 'Colonel Hamilton.' 'O no,' replied Adams, 'it is not his turn by a great deal; I would sooner appoint Gates, or Lincoln, or Morgan.' Instantly I rejoined to this effect, 'General Morgan is here a member of Congress, now very sick, apparently with one foot in the grave; certainly a very brave and meritorious officer in our revolutionary war; and perhaps his present sickness may be the consequence of the hardships and sufferings to which he was then subjected; but, if he were in full health, the command of a brigade would be deemed commensurate with his talents. As for Gates, he is now an old woman, and Lincoln is always asleep.'* Adams made no reply."† No consideration of public duty could overcome * Hamilton's Works, vi. 344–352. * Alluding to his lethargy which showed itself as early as 1776. |