Alexander Hamilton

“ Sir, I received your letter of the 22d instant by Major Jackson and have paid it the attention it merits.
Always anxious to do justice to every one, it would afford me pleasure could I answer it in a manner satisfactory to your feelings: but while the respect which I owe to myself forbids me replying in that harsh stile which you have adopted, that same respect with an attention to truth, according to the impressions existing on my mind, will compel me upon all occasions to place this affair on its true ground. ”

“ Being informed yesterday in the morning, that a person of the name of Reynolds, from Virginia, Richmond, was confined in the jail, upon some criminal prosecution, relative to certificates, and that he had intimated, he could give some intelligence of speculations by Mr. Hamilton, which should be known, we immediately called on him, as well to be informed of the situation of the man, as of those other matters, in which the public might be interested. ”

“ But you particularly wish to know what the impression was which your explanation of that affair made on our minds, in the interview we had with you upon that subject at your own house, as stated in the paper No. 5, of the publication referred to; and to which we readily reply, that the impression which we left in your mind as stated in that number, was that which rested on our own, and which was that the explanation of the nature of your connection with Reynolds which you then gave removed the suspicions we had before entertained of your being connected with him in speculation. ”

“ Mr. Reynolds has once or twice mentioned to Clingman, that he had it in his power to hang Col. Hamilton; that if he wanted money he was obliged to let him have it:—That he (Clingman) has occasionally lent money to Reynolds, who always told him, that he could always get it from Col. Hamilton, to repay it.—That on one occasion Clingman lent him two hundred dollars, that Reynolds promised to pay him thro’ the means of Col. Hamilton, that he went with him, saw him go into Col. Hamilton’s;—that after he came out, he paid him one hundred dolllars, which, he said, was part of the sum he had got ”

“ The object of the interview was to remove from the minds of those Gentleman, certain suspicions which had been excited by suggestions of James Reynolds then in Prison and Jacob Clingman a Clerk to Mr. Muhlenberg, (against both of whom prosecutions had been instituted for frauds against the United States,) that Mr. Hamilton had been concerned in promoting or assisting speculation in the public funds, contrary to Law and his duty as Secretary of the Treasury. ”

“ No. I. (a)
Philadelphia, 13th of December, 1792.
Jacob Clingman being a clerk in my employment, and becoming involved in a prosecution commenced against James Reynolds, by the comptroller of the treasury, on a charge or information exhibited before Hillary Baker, Esq. one of the aldermen of this city, for subornation of perjury, whereby they had obtained money from the treasury of the United States, he (Clingman) applied to me for my aid and friendship on behalf of himself and Reynolds, to get them released or discharged from the prosecution. ”

“ Sir. When we were last togeather you then would wis to know my Determination what I would do and. you exspess a wish to do any thing that was in your power to Serve me, its true its in your power to do a great deal for me, but its out of your power to do any thing that will Restore to me my Happiness again for if you should give me all you possess would not do it. god knowes I love the woman and wish every blessing may attend her, you have bin the Cause of Winning her love. ”

“ I have stated to you that I have no wish to do you a personal injury. The several explanations which I have made accorded with truth and my ideas of propriety. Therefore I need not repeat them. If these do not yield you satisfaction, I can give no other, unless called on in a way which for the illustration of truth, I wish to avoid, but which I am ever ready to meet. This is what I meant by that part of my letter which you say you do not understand.
With due respect I am Sir,
Your humble servant,
JAS. MONROE.
Alexander Hamilton, Esq. ”

“ I have four genteal boarders will come to live with me, as soon as I Can get the Rooms furnished. dear Sir, this is my Setuvation. I am in no way of business. the Cash last lent me. inable me to pay my Rent. and some little debts I had Contracted for my Familys youse. now sir if I Can ask a favour once more of the loan of two Hundred dollars. I will give you Surity of all I process. for the payment of what I owe you. without your assistance. this time I dont know what I shall do. Mrs. Reynolds and myself has made a Calculation. ”

“ I doubt not however that a knowledge of your conduct wherever you establish yourself will soon render all certificates unnecessary, and I sincerely wish you may obtain employment which may evince and reward good conduct. ”

“ I must tell you Sir that I have bin the most unhappiest man. for this five days in Existance, Which you aught to be the last person I ever Should tell my troubls to. ever Sence the night you Calld and gave her the Blank Paper. ”

“ She was a woman. I should as soon sespect an angiel from heven. and one where all my happiness was depending. and I would Sacrefise almost my life to make her Happy. but now I am determined to have satisfaction. it shant be onely one mamily thats miserable. for I am Robbed of all happiness in this world I am determined to leve her. and take my daughter with me that Shant see her poor mother Lot. now Sir if I Cant see you at your house call and see me. for there is no person that Knowes any thing as yet. ”

“ The subject is now before the public, and I repeat to you what I have said before, that I do not wish any opinion of my own to be understood as conveyed in the entry which bears my single signature, because when I entered it I had no opinion upon it, as sufficiently appears by my subsequent conduct, having never acted upon it, and deposited the papers with a friend when I left my country, in whose hands they still are. ”

“ In the morning, between seven and eight o’clock, he saw Reynolds go to Col. Hamilton’s house and go in: he has not seen him since, and supposes he has gone out of the state.
Mr. Clingman further adds, that some time ago, he was informed by Mr. and Mrs. Reynolds, that he had books containing the amount of the cash due to the Virginia line, at his own house at New-York, with liberty to copy, and was obtained thro’ Mr. Duer. ”

“ Sir I hope you will pardon me in taking the liberty I do In troubling you so offen. it hurts me to let you Know my Setivation. I should take it as a protickeler if you would Oblige me with the lone of about thirty Dollars I am in hopes in a fue days I shall be In a more better Setivation. and then I shall Be able to make you ample Satisfaction for your Favours shewn me. ”

“ She Called on you for the lone of some money. which you toald her you would call on her the Next Evening. which accordingly you did. and there Sir you took the advantage a poor Broken harted woman. instead of being a Friend. you have acted the part of the most Cruelist man in existance. you have made a whole family miserable. She ses there is no other man that she Care for in the world. now Sir you have bin the Cause of Cooling her affections for me. ”

“ I am that man will always have Satisfaction by some means or other when treated ill. Especially when I am treated in the mannor, as you have done. you may rest ashured that the metter as yet is Not known. ”

“ Col hamilton
for heaven sake keep me not In suspince Let me know your Intention Either by a Line or Catline.
No. XIX.
Sir I am now under the necessity of asking a favour from you Which if Can Oblige me with the loan of three Hundred dollars. it will be in my power to make five hundred Before the Next week is out. and if you Can oblege me with it. you may rely on haveing of it again the last of Next Week. if I am alive and well. the use I wont it for is to Subscribe to the turn pike Road. there is a number of gentleman in town wants me to go up to Lancaster to Subscribe for them. ”

“ I know you are a man thats not void of feeling. I am not a man that wishes to do any thing Rashly. or plunge myself into Ruin. now if you think proper to se me at the place I have mentioned. or any other. please to let me no before. for I wish to be by ourselfs where we Can converse together. for if you do not Call on me or let me no where I Can see. you at that time. I shant call on you after this.
I am yours
James Reynolds
Mr. Alexander Hamilton.
No. IV.
Philadelphia, 19th December, 1791. ”

“ Clingman and myself untill wee signed the bond of indamnification. to him now dear Sir. that was our Situvation. to Secure our own Interest. wee executed the Bond, which was an Oversight of ours. now Sir Can you Suppose In my present Setuvation, that I would say any thing against you Sir or any Other head of department whatever, where it even was in my power which was not. Espicially where all my hopes and Dependance where. now dear Sir, think of my poor innocent. family. ”

“ We cannot conclude this letter without expressing our surprize at the contents of a paper in the Gazette of the United States of the 8th instant, which states that the proceedings in the inquiry in question, were the contrivance of two very profligate men who sought to obtain their liberation from prison by the favor of party spirit. You will readily recollect that one of those men Mr. Clingham was never imprisoned for any crime alledged against him by the department of the Treasury, and that the other Mr. ”

“ Hamilton entered into an explanation and by a variety of written documents, which were read, fully evinced, that there was nothing in the transactions to which Reynolds and Clingman had referred, which had any connection with, or relation to speculations in the Funds, claims upon the United States, or any public or official transactions or duties whatever. This was rendered so completely evident, that Mr. Venable requested Mr. Hamilton to desist from exhibiting further proofs. As however an explanation had been desired by the Gentleman before named, Mr. ”

“ Hamilton.
Mrs. Reynolds told Clingman, that having heard, that her husband’s father was, in the late war, a commissary under the direction of Col. Wadsworth, waited on him, to get him to intercede for her husband’s discharge:—he told her, he would give her his assistance, and said, now you have made me your friend, you must apply to no person else.—That on Sunday evening Clingman went to the home of Reynolds, and found Col. Wadsworth there: he was introduced to Col. Wadsworth by Mrs. Reynolds: Col Wadsworth told him, he had seen Mr. Wolcott;—that Mr. ”

“ Hamilton was secretary of the treasury, and at his request, she had burned a considerable number of letters from him to her husband, and in the absence of the latter, touching business between them, to prevent their being made public;—she also mentioned that Mr. Clingman had several anonymous notes addressed to her husband, which, she believed, were from Mr. Hamilton (which we have) with an endorsement “from secretary Hamilton, Esq.” in Mr. Reynolds’s hand writing:—That Mr. ”

“ Jacob Clingman.
Hon. Oliver Wolcott, Esq.
No. XXV.
New-York July 6, 1797.
Sir, In a pamphlet lately published entitled “No. V. of the History of the United States for 1796 &c.” are sundry papers respecting the affair of Reynolds, in which you once had an agency, accompanied with these among other comments. “They [certain attacks on Mr. Monroe] are ungrateful, because he displayed on an occasion, that will be mentioned immediately, the greatest lenity to Mr. Alexander Hamilton, the prime mover of the Federal party. ”