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Front Page  Titles (by Subject) to the committee of the new york convention - The Works of Alexander Hamilton, (Federal Edition), vol. 9
to the committee of the new york convention - Alexander Hamilton, The Works of Alexander Hamilton, (Federal Edition), vol. 9 [1774]Edition used:The Works of Alexander Hamilton, ed. Henry Cabot Lodge (Federal Edition) (New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 1904). In 12 vols. Vol. 9.
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- Miscellaneous Papers
- Defence of the Funding System
- The Assumption of the State Debts ( Continued From Vol. Viii .)
- Private Correspondence
- To Edward Stevens 1
- To Tileman Cruger 1
- To the Provincial Congress of New York. 1
- To the Provincial Congress
- To the Honorable Convention of New York
- To the Provincial Congress
- To Gouverneur Morris, Robert Livingston, and William Allison, Esqs. 1
- To Gouverneur Morris, Etc.
- To the Committee of the New York Convention
- To Gouverneur Morris, Etc.
- To the Committee of the New York Convention
- To the Committee of the New York Convention
- To William Livingston 2
- To William Livingston
- To William Duer. 1
- To Gouverneur Morris
- To Gouverneur Morris
- To Gouverneur Morris
- To Gouverneur Morris
- To Robert R. Livingston 1
- To Dr. Hugh Knox 1
- To Gouverneur Morris
- To Gouverneur Morris
- To Gouverneur Morris
- To Robert R. Livingston
- To Gouverneur Morris
- To the Honorable John Hancock President of Congress
- To the President of Congress
- To the President of Congress
- To Washington
- To Washington
- To General Gates
- To Washington
- To Washington
- To General Gates
- To Washington
- To General Putnam
- To Governor George Clinton 2
- To Governor George Clinton 3
- To William Duer, M.C. 1
- To Lafayette
- To Washington
- To Washington
- To Elias Boudinot 1
- To Lord Stirling (?) 2
- To Washington
- To Washington
- To Elias Boudinot
- To Elias Boudinot
- To Baron Steuben
- Narrative of an Affair of Honor Between General Lee and Col. Laurens 1
- To the Honorable John Jay, President of Congress
- To Miss Livingston 1
- To Baron Stebuen
- To Otho H. Williams 1
- To Major Lee Or, In His Absence, Capt. Mclane
- To Col. David Henley 1
- To Col. John Brooks 1
- To Dr. William Gordon 1
- To James Duane 3
- To Baron Steuben
- To James Duane
- To Colonel John Brooks
- To John Laurens 2
- To James Duane
- To James Duane
- Du Portail and Hamilton to Washington 1
- To John Laurens
- To Doctor William Gordon
- To Washington
- To Baron Steuben
- To James Duane
- To General Greene
- To Baron Steuben
- To Washington
- To the Chevalier De Ternay 1
- To Baron Steuben
- To Baron Steuben
- To General Anthony Wayne
- To Baron Steuben
- To Miss Schuyler 1
- To Washington
- To General Greene
- To Miss Schuyler
- To Miss Schuyler
- To John Laurens 1
- To Isaac Sears 1
- To James Duane
- To Washington
- To Washington
- To Philip Schuyler 1
- To General Greene
- To Washington
- To Washington
- To Mrs. Hamilton
- To Washington
- To Mrs. Hamilton
- To Mrs. Hamilton
- To Mrs. Hamilton
- To Lafayette
- To Mrs. Hamilton
- To Washington
- To Washington
- To Richard K. Meade 2
- To Robert Morris
- To General Knox
- To Robert Morris
- To Comfort Sands 1
- To Robert Morris
- To Governor Clinton
- To Robert Morris
- To Governor Clinton
- To the County Treasurers
- To Robert Morris
- To John Laurens 2
- To Governor Clinton
- To Robert Morris
- To Colonel Richard K. Meade
- To Robert Morris
- To the County Treasurers
- To Robert Morris
- To Timothy Pickering 1
- To Robert Morris
- To Robert Morris
- To Robert Morris
- To Robert Morris
- To Robert Morris
- To De Noailles 2
- To General Greene
- To Robert Morris
- To Lafayette
- To the Governor of Rhode Island 1
- To Governor Clinton
- To Governor Clinton
- To Washington
- To Governor Clinton
- To Washington
- To Washington
- To Washington
- To Washington
- To Washington
- To Washington
- To Washington
- To Washington
- To Governor Clinton
- To Governor Clinton
- To John Dickinson 1
- To James Madison, Jr.
- To James Madison, Jr.
- To Mrs. Hamilton
- To John Jay
- To Governor Clinton
- To Washington
- To Washington
- To Governor Clinton
- To the Honorable Thomas Mifflin, President of Congress
- To John Barker Church 1
- To Thomas Fitzsimmons 1
- To Gouverneur Morris
- To Gouverneur Morris
- To De Chastellux 1
- To His Brother, James Hamilton—st. Thomas
- To Israel Wilkes 2
- To Washington
- To Nathaniel Hazard
- To Messrs. Semphill & Co.
- To John Thomas, Esq., Sheriff of Westchester
- To Washington
- To ——————— 1
- To Major Peirce
- To Auldjo
- To Rufus King 1
- To Colonel Jeremiah Wadsworth 2
- To Rufus King
- To Washington
- To Washington
- To James Madison, Jr.
- To James Madison, Jr.
- To Gouverneur Morris
- To James Madison, Jr.
- To John Sullivan, Esq., President of the State of New Hampshire
- To James Madison, Jr.
- To James Madison, Jr.
- To James Madison, Jr.
- To James Madison, Jr.
- To James Madison, Jr.
- To James Madison, Jr.
- To James Madison, Jr.
- To Nathaniel Chipman 1
- To James Madison, Jr.
- To Washington
- To Samuel Broome 1
- To Governor Wm. Livingston
- To Washington
- To Theodore Sedgwick 1
- To Nathaniel Chipman
- To Theodore Sedgwick
- To Washington
- To James Madison, Jr.
- To Theodore Sedgwick
- To Rufus King
- To Oliver Wolcott
- To Lafayette
- To James Madison, Jr.
- To Washington
- To Timothy Pickering
- To Col. R. H. Harrison 2
- To Henry Lee 1
- To William Duer
- To Ædanus Burke 1
- To Timothy Pickering
- To Winn
- To Washington
- To Washington
- To Washington
- To John Jay
- To Washington
- To William Seton 1
- To Washington 1
- To Washington
- To Washington
- To Benjamin Goodhue 1
- To Mrs. Martha Walker
- To Rufus Ring
- To Rufus Ring
- To Timothy Pickering
- To William Seton
- To William Seton (private.)
- To William Duer
- To William Seton
- To William Seton
- To the President, Directors, Etc., of the Bank of New York
- To William Seton (private.)
- To William Seton (private.)
- To a Friend
- To Washington
- To General Knox
- To William Seton
- To Philip Hamilton 1
- To Nicholas Gouverneur 2
- To Gulian Verplanck and Others
- To William Seton
- To William Duer 1
- To William Seton (private)
- To William Seton (private.)
- To William Seton (private.)
- To the Directors and Company of the Bank of New York
- To William Duer
- To William Seton
- To William Duer
- To William Seton
- To Colonel Edward Carrington 1
- To General Otho H. Williams
- To Gouverneur Morris
- Senators
- Representatives
- To Colonel Heth 1 and Others
- To William Seton (private.)
- To Rufus King
- To Elias Boudinot
- To Washington
to the committee of the new york convention
- Headquarters, Morristown,
April 20, 1777. Gentlemen:
The disposition of the convention, with respect to the disaffected among you, is highly commendable, and justified by every principle of equity and policy. The necessity of exemplary punishment throughout the States is become evident beyond a doubt, and it were to be wished every one of the thirteen would imitate the judicious conduct of New York. Lenity and forbearance have been tried too long to no purpose: it is high time to discard what the clearest experience has shown to be ineffectual.
But in dispensing punishment, the utmost care and caution ought to be used. The power of doing it, or even of bringing the guilty to trial, should be placed in hands that know well how to use it. I believe it would be a prudent rule to meddle with none but those whose crimes are supported by very sufficient evidence, and are of a pretty deep dye. The apprehending innocent persons, or those whose offences are of so slender a nature as to make it prudent to dismiss them, furnishes an occasion of triumph, and a foundation for a species of animadversion which is very injurious to the public cause. Persons so apprehended generally return home worse than they were, and by expatiating on their sufferings, first excite the pity towards themselves, and afterwards the abhorrence towards their persecutors, of those with whom they converse. I believe it would also be in general a good rule either to pardon offenders entirely, or to inflict capital and severe punishments. The advice given by a certain general to his son, when the latter had the Roman army in his power, was certainly very politic: he advised him either to destroy them utterly or to dismiss them with every mark of honor and respect. By the first method, says he, you disable the Romans from being your enemies; by the last, you make them your friends. So with respect to the Tories; I would either disable them from doing us any injury, or I would endeavor to gain their friendship by clemency. Inflicting trifling punishments only embitters the minds of those on whom they fall, and increases their disposition to do mischief without taking away the power of doing it.
I shall communicate your additional resolve to the General and consult him on what you mention, and shall let you know his opinion in my next: mine, however, is that those who appear to be of such a character as to be susceptible of reformation, should be employed; but it is a delicate point.
As to news, the most material is, that from intelligence received from Rhode Island, it appears the enemy are abandoning it. This is a preparatory step to the intended operations of the enemy.
The other day we surprised a lieutenant’s guard, took sixteen prisoners, and killed three or four.
In a private letter from Philadelphia I am informed that a treaty of a very particular nature is on the point of being concluded between the Court of France and the States of America. There is a prospect of opening a trade with Sweden. I hear Mr. Morris, of Philadelphia, has a vessel arrived from thence.
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