July 8, 1788.
My Dear Sir:
I felicitate you sincerely on the event in Virginia, but my
satisfaction will be allayed if I discover too much facility in the
business of amendment-making. I fear the system will be wounded in
some of its vital parts by too general a concurrence in some very
injudicious recommendations. I allude more particularly to the power of
taxation. The more I consider _requisition_ in any shape, the more I
am out of humor with it. We yesterday passed through the Constitution.
To-day some definitive proposition is to be brought forward, but
what we are at a loss to judge. We have good reason to believe that
our opponents are not agreed, and this affords some ground of hope.
Different things are thought of--_conditions precedent_, or previous
amendments; _conditions subsequent_, or the proposition of amendments,
upon condition that if they are not adopted within a limited time,
the State shall be at liberty to _withdraw_ from the Union; and
lastly, _recommendatory amendments_. In either case, _constructive
declarations_ will be carried as far as possible. We will go as
far as we can in the latter without invalidating the act, and will
concur in rational recommendations. The rest for our opponents. We
are informed there has been a disturbance in the city of Albany, on
the 4th of July, which has occasioned bloodshed. The Anti-federalists
were the aggressors, and the Federalists the victors. Thus stand our
accounts at present. We trust, however, the matter has passed over, and
tranquillity been restored.
Yours, affectionately,
A. Hamilton.