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"Je considère Napoleon, Fox, et Hamilton comme les trois plus grands hommes de notre époque, et si je devais me prononcer entre les trois, je donnerais sans hesiter la première place à Hamilton. Il avait deviné l'Europe."
TALLEYRAND, Études sur la République
New York THE MACMILLAN COMPANY LONDON: MACMILLAN & CO., LTD.
1904
Set up, electrotyped, and published March, 1902. Reprinted May, Julytwice, August, September, October, December, 1902; February, 1903;February, 1904.
Special edition June, 1904.
Norwood Press J.S. Cushing & Co.—Berwick & Smith Co. Norwood, Mass.,
U.S.A.
DR. ALLAN McLANE HAMILTON
It was my original intention to write a biography of Alexander Hamiltonin a more flexible manner than is customary with that method ofreintroducing the dead to the living, but without impinging upon theterritory of fiction. But after a visit to the British and Danish WestIndies in search of the truth regarding his birth and ancestry, andafter a wider acquaintance with the generally romantic character of hislife, to say nothing of the personality of this most endearing andextraordinary of all our public men, the instinct of the novelist provedtoo strong; I no sooner had pen in hand than I found myself working inthe familiar medium, although preserving the historical sequence. But,after all, what is a character novel but a dramatized biography? Westrive to make our creations as real to the world as they are to us.Why, then, not throw the graces of fiction over the sharp hard factsthat historians have laboriously gathered? At all events, thisinfinitely various story of Hamilton appealed too strongly to myimagination to be frowned aside, so here, for better or worse, is theresult. Nevertheless, and although the method may cause the book to readlike fiction, I am conscientious in asserting that almost everyimportant incident here related of his American career is founded ondocumentary or published facts or upon family tradition; the few thatare not have their roots among the probabilities, and suggestedthemselves. As for the West Indian part, although I was obliged to workupon the bare skeleton I unearthed in the old Common Records and ChurchRegisters, still the fact remains that I did find the skeleton, which Ihave emphasized as far as is artistically possible. No date is given nordeed referred to that cannot be found by other visitor