Alexander Hamilton Quotes
It is easy to sacrifice the substantial interests of society by a strict adherence to ordinary rules.
In the spring of 1800 New York State legislators were elected. The legislators were then to choose the presidential electors. If New York's electors voted for Jefferson he would likely beat the Federalists, who had just lost their majority in the legislature. Alexander Hamilton wrote to fellow Federalist Governor John Jay proposing to have the sitting legislature change the law to select Presidential electors by popular vote:
Alexander Hamilton, 1755-1804, Aide-de-camp to General Washington, Member of the Continental Congress and the Constitutional Convention, U. S. Secretary of the Treasury (Federalist, NY), Letter to Governor John Jay, 1800
Sourced by: Eigen's Political and Historical Quotations
Alexander Hamilton was an American statesman, politician, legal scholar, military commander, lawyer, banker, and economist. He was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. He was an influential interpreter and promoter of the U.S. Constitution, as well as the founder of the nation's financial system, the Federalist Party, the United States Coast Guard, and the New York Post newspaper. As the first secretary of the treasury, Hamilton was the main author of the economic policies of George Washington's administration. He took the lead in the federal government's funding of the states' debts, as well as establishing the nation's first two de facto central banks, the Bank of North America and the First Bank of the United States, a system of tariffs, and friendly trade relations with Britain. His vision included a strong central government led by a vigorous executive branch, a strong commercial economy, government-controlled banks, support for manufacturing, and a strong military.
