The Life of Alexander Hamilton Volume 1 (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1882 Excerpt: ...be amended, or not easily and with any fair prospects of success, were by no means wanting. Chief among these Hamilton mentioned the fact that the advocates of amendment were not unanimously agreed upon what they wanted. Thus there was the question of first importance, the impost. If any amendments at all were to be made, the first and most valuable would be to confer upon Congress the power to levy duties. Yet for many years no matter had been discussed with so little prospect of arriving at such a conclusion as would be generally acceptable, or likely to be put into effectual operation. Then there was the whole broad subject of commerce, of vital importance, constituting the life-blood of the nation. Yet how many different and clashing theories were entertained concerning it The hope of framing any compact likely to be faithfully observed or permanently enduring was lamentably slender. But to offset the unanswerableness of all these arguments, the party of amendment had the advantage of standing on the defensive. Any thing which came to hand and could serve as an obstruction they cast in the path of their adversaries, without much regard to its character. Their only purpose was victory, or rather not to be conquered. Like defendants in a litigation, it was a matter of indifference to them whether they could gain their case upon the merits, or whether they could succeed upon technical grounds. Even delay was not unwelcome. They were content if actual judgment should not be given for their opponents. Accordingly they demurred to the jurisdiction. Not satisfied with urging that the country did not need a new Constitution, they also took the ground that even if the necessity existed the Convention had not the authority to grant the relief in that shape. In s...