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Subject Area: Political Theory
Topic: The American Revolution and Constitution

to the count latour dupin gouvernet 1 - Alexander Hamilton, The Works of Alexander Hamilton, (Federal Edition), vol. 10 [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. 10.

Part of: The Works of Alexander Hamilton, (Federal Edition), 12 vols.

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to the count latour dupin gouvernet1

  • New York,

Oct. 3, 1798.

I had yesterday, my dear sir, the pleasure of receiving your letter of the 15th of July, accompanied by two others, one for Messrs. Le Roy and Bayard, the other for Mr. Olive, which will be sent to them in the country, where they now continue, in consequence of the sickness in this city. The letters which you mention to have before written have also been received. To mine I replied shortly after; nor can I imagine how it has happened that you have received no answer from either of the parties.

On the subject of the sale of your farm Mr. Bayard and I myself had a conference, and we agreed that a sale at this time was inexpedient, as it could not be hoped that the farm would bring near its value, owing to the embarrassments in pecuniary operations produced by the prospect of war. I shall, however, now advise that an experiment be made. The offers received, if any, will determine whether a sale can take place without an imprudent sacrifice for you, and the result can be regulated accordingly.

Be assured, my dear sir, that I shall be happy to be useful to you in this or any other matter. In doing so, I shall equally gratify the esteem and friendship with which you have inspired me for yourself, and that lively and affecting interest in whatever concerns Madame de Gouvernet, which cannot but be felt by all who have had an opportunity to know her value.

If it shall conduce to her and your happiness to return to this country, it will certainly add to ours; and if you will beforehand apprise me of your resolution, when taken, and your general plan, you will find me zealous to co-operate in giving it effect.

I would invite you to return with the more confidence from the assurance in the stability of affairs in this country, which is derived from the late happy course of the public mind. An extraordinary union among the people in the support of their own government, and in resistance to all foreign encroachments, leaves nothing to be feared for our future security and prosperity. The most reasonable ideas in every respect prevail.

Accept, whenever you shall come, under the roof of Mrs. Hamilton and myself, an asylum where you may be perfectly at home until you shall have completed your arrangements for your future establishment. She joins me in cordial remembrance to Madame de Gouvernet and yourself.

[1]Frederic Seraphin, Marquis de la Tour Du Pin Gouvernet, son of General Jean Frederic Latour Du Pin Gouvernet, Comte de Paulin. General Latour Du Pin, with his cousin, the Marquis Latour Du Pin, were distinguished soldiers and statesmen. They were summoned as witnesses at the trial of Marie Antoinette, and their devotion to the queen only hastened their own doom. They were both guillotined on the same day, in April, 1794. Frederic Seraphin, son of the General, fled to America, bought an estate, no doubt the one referred to in Hamilton’s letter, and turned farmer. He returned to Europe after the 9th Thermidor, and to France permanently after the 18th Brumaire, taking service under the Empire. During the Restoration he filled many high posts, but after the revolution of July he was obliged to leave France on account of Legitimist intrigues, and died in exile at Lausanne, in 1837 (Larousse, Dict. Universel). This letter is correctly addressed in the original draft in the State Department, but in the edition of 1850 it is changed to Count Latour Dupin Gouvion. Mr. J. C. Hamilton knew of no officer among our allies by such a name as Gouvernet, whereas there was one named Gouvion, and for this reason, apparently, he printed it Gouvion. Jean Baptiste Gouvion was an officer in the war, but he had no connection whatever with the Latour Dupin family, except that his last name, like theirs, began with G. If Mr. J. C. Hamilton had either looked up the Latour Dupin family, or if he had recollected that Frenchmen came to America in other capacities than that of military allies, he would have saved himself from the complicated blunder which he made in the address of this letter.