The Enquirer

Manners with our times, Luna's turn with climes,

Planets but to born, and patriots with times

This truth is illustrated by the history of two measures, which were urged upon General Washington, by Mr. Alexander Hamilton. It is well known, that the latter gentleman was a warm friend of the British Treaty, and of the Bank of the U. S.

When in the year '96 the House of Representatives called upon the President for certain papers, connected with the treaty, the application was rejected— After dwelling at some length on the subject, the President thus proceeds— If other proofs than these, & the plain letter of the constitution itself, be necessary to ascertain the point under consideration, they may be found in the journals of the general Convention which I have deposited in the office of the department of state. In these journals it will appear, that a proposition was made, that no treaty should be binding on the U States, which was not ratified by a law, and that the proposition was expressly rejected

But how does this doctrine stand in another instance? When the Bank Bill was before the P U S. for his signature, the Secretary of the Treasury "remembered to forget,"

" that a power to grant charters of incorporation had been proposed in the general convention and rejected."

In the one Case, be rejection of a proposition by the convention is thought good ground for acting against—in the other, the precedent is forgotten; both Convention and Constitution are thrown out of view. Queer— The Hamilton Society of New York gave on the 4th July this toast: —

The Constitution of the United States : — A lasting monument of the genius of Hamilton.

Mr H.. indeed, wrote a variety of pages in the Federalist', in defence of the constitution—for finding his own scheme blasted by the purity of his colleagues, he turned round to the defence of that very paper, which they had framed, and he had opposed. For what were his propositions in the Convention? They went to " a permanent Executive and permanent branch in the legislature, the appointment of all state Governors and judges, and a negative on all state laws

This fact is beyond all dispute— though Chief Justice Marshall, merely says in a sly way, in one of his notes, that it has been published by the enemies of Mr H. that he was in favor of a president and Senate, who should hold their offices during good behaviour." Thus, the politician who would have brought us to the condition of a Federative Monarchy, is now hailed as the hero of the present constitution.