Sunday, January 8, 2012

Hamilton v. Jefferson..............
















Another interesting excerpt from Edward J. Larson's
A Magnificent Catastrophe: The Tumultuous Election of 1800,
America's First Presidential Campaign:

"Ever since they has served together in Washington's cabinet, Hamilton had viewed Jefferson as a dreamy idealist who could neither effectively lead a government nor restrain the radical egalitarian and potentially violent elements within the Republican Party.  Further, Hamilton despaired of Jefferson's ideals.  Hamilton wanted a strong central government to foster commercial development; Jefferson idealized individual freedom, states' rights, and the family farm.  Hamilton also feared that Jefferson's ardent anticlericalism, if made national policy, could destabilize the social order by dissolving the glue of civil religion that helped to hold the country together."

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