Th: Jefferson. February 4th, 1818.
* See conversation with General Washington, of October 1,1792,
****
August the 13th, 1791. Notes of a conversation between Alexander
Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson. Th: Jefferson mentioned to him a letter
received from John Adams, disavowing Publicola, and denying that he ever
entertained a wish to bring this country under an hereditary executive,
or introduce an hereditary branch of legislature, &c. See his
letter. Alexander Hamilton condemning Mr. Adams's writings, and
most particularly Davila, as having a tendency to weaken the present
government, declared in substance as follows: 'I own it is my own
opinion, though I do not publish it in Dan or Beersheba, that the
present government is not that which will answer the ends of society, by
giving stability and protection to its rights, and that it will probably
be found expedient to go into the British form. However, since we have
undertaken the experiment, I am for giving it a fair course, whatever my
expectations may be. The success, indeed, so far, is greater than I had
expected, and therefore, at present, success seems more possible than
it had done heretofore, and there are still other and other stages of
improvement, which, if the present does not succeed, may be tried, and
ought to be tried, before we give up the republican form altogether; for
that mind must be really depraved, which would not prefer the equality
of political rights, which is the foundation of pure republicanism, if
it can be obtained consistently with order.
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