Word: hamilton
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Dates: during 1970-1979
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While they lived, Jefferson and Hamilton had been the bitterest of enemies. Hamilton, who represented the business interests of New York, advocated a strong central government, and more: a strong presidency. At one point, he had even urged that the President be elected for life, with absolute veto power over Congress. The conservative Hamilton mistrusted the electorate and was not above using questionable tactics to shape policies and institutions in ways that would prepare America for the greatness that was-he was sure-its destiny. In contrast, Jefferson, paragon of the Age of Reason and son of the landed gentry...
...Hamilton who spoke first. "I tell you, Tom," he said softly, "these are curious times. The country is everything I always knew it would be: powerful and rich. But so much of the exuberance is gone, the faith. There is so little spirit, so little patriotism, so little dedication abroad in our land...
...Jacobin nonsense!" Hamilton said. "Will you never lay to rest your fears of a monarchy? President Nixon is not a king. He is the Chief Executive of the Republic as we provided in the Constitution. He is the man with the authority, the responsibility and the power to do what is best for the country. If there is distance between him and the people, well, so much the better...
...Hamilton became angry. "The people, the people, the people!" he said. "Without the Government, the people are a myth invented by you and Tom Paine as a basis for your foolish notions of an agrarian democracy. The myth became horrifying reality in Paris in 1789. You approved that Revolution, Tom, and I guess you must have approved its ideological successor in Russia...
...late by then. The ideas you espoused had unleashed the mob; the very fabric of civilization was shredded. At least we were able to protect the system against such total onslaughts in this country." Hamilton had always had a feel for his adversary's philosophical weaknesses. "I fully understand how Mr. Nixon felt," he said. "A mob -not unlike the Paris mob or the St. Petersburg mob-was baying in the streets of America. The President believed there were foreign influences. The newspapers were printing national secrets purloined by traitors. Mr. Nixon seemed to believe that extraordinary methods were...