Hamilton vs. The Partisan Press

Alexander Hamilton made verbal jousting in the press a venerated American tradition. He took full advantage of the freedom of the press outlined in the Bill of Rights, as did his innumerable enemies.

Newspapers in the early republic were the primary outlet for the political fervor of the era. In 1787 about 85 percent of newspapers were controlled by supporters of what would become the Federalist Party, which reflected their ascendancy directly after the signing of the Constitution. However, by 1800 the Republican Party closed the gap, reducing Federalist control to 60 percent.¹ Both parties spewed malicious words and rumors from their respective newspapers in order to garner votes and incite constituents. Hamilton, as a Federalist leader, took his fair share of abuse from the Republican press and the Philadelphia Aurora made some of the fiercest swipes.

Founded by Benjamin Franklin Bache, the Aurora became a mouthpiece for Federalist opposition. It relentlessly attacked Hamilton for his policy stances as well as what Republicans styled his arrogance, aggressiveness, secrecy and usurpation of government powers.² In one of his typical tirades, Bache said Hamilton was, "artful, well informed, intriguing, and indefatigable amidst the ramblings of party spirit. He dexterously seized the reins and it is believed guides the motions of the Executive Branch of our government."³

Several articles published in the Aurora in late June and early July 1800 spoke of mismanagement of expenditures of public money for pensions and interest that were overseen by Hamilton and other Federalists working for the Treasury Department during the 1790s. In a July 12, 1800 article on the United Stated loan office, the Aurora stated,

[C]oeval with the establishment of the Treasury Department, Alexander Hamilton, the morally chaste and virtuous head of that department, devised this system of Executive influence, and it has been faithfully & undeviatingly pursued through the course of his fiscal administration, & that of his successor in office, unto the present time.⁴

The article went on to explain Hamilton's corrupt system that disqualified anti-administration candidates from public office, controlled the public press through government favors and contracts, and gave large sums of money by legal trickery to public officers for private use. Considering this background it is not surprising that a letter of Hamilton's has emerged that speaks forcefully about bringing a slander suit against the newspaper. Just three days after the article was printed, Hamilton writes, "The plan adopted in the Aurora for exciting distrust [as] to the management of our money concerns appears to me to require absolutely some check."

Oliver Wolcott, Jr., who succeeded Hamilton as Treasury Secretary in 1795, wrote several letters to Hamilton in August and September of 1800 that referred to possible legal action against the Aurora and its editor William Duane. In one of them from September 3, 1800, Wolcott states,

I have attended to the publications in the Aurora, we may regret, but we cannot now prevent the mischiefs which these falsehoods produce. The Aurora is but one of many papers, which contain similar misrepresentations. They are echoed by organized Committees through a great part of the Union; we may as well attempt to arrest the progress of fire in a mess of gun powder as to suppress these calumnies; they must have their course and the vindication of official characters must be left to an enquiry by Congress.⁵

The election of 1800 proved to be one of the most conflict-ridden in American history. New York held a pivotal swing position between staunchly Federalist New England and the Republican South. Hamilton and his Republican foes knew the legislative elections of the spring of 1800 would be a bellwether for election in November. Hamilton led a bitter campaign against the Republicans led by Burr, but was ultimately defeated, leading to the elevation of Burr to the national ticket. Hamilton also could not suppress his anger toward John Adams for disbanding the army and purging the cabinet of his supporters. This led to the publication of Hamilton's famous tirade against Adams in October 1800. The Aurora was directly responsible for the publication because it had obtained copies of heated letters between Hamilton and Adams and published juicy excerpts. In defense, Hamilton felt he had to publish the correspondence in full, which only aided the Aurora's cause.

This letter is currently on exhibition at the National Constitution Center until April 2005.

David J. Gary,
Documentary Editing Associate
The Gilder Lehrman Collection


¹Statistics from a lecture by Dr. John Ferling on September, 21, 2004 at Cooper Union.
²James Tagg, Benjamin Franklin Bache and the PhiladelphiaAurora (Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1991), 237.
³Ibid., 288.
⁴Harold C. Syrett, ed., The Papers of Alexander Hamilton, vol. XXV, (New York: Columbia University Press, 1977), 55, n. 2.
⁵Harold C. Syrett, ed., The Papers of Alexander Hamilton, vol. XXV, Oliver Wolcott, Junior to Alexander Hamilton, September 3, 1800 (New York: Columbia University Press, 1977), 108.

Dr Sir

The plan adopted in the Aurora for exciting distrust [as] to the management of our money concerns appears to me to require absolutely some check. I am thinking seriously of an [ illegible ] Action of Slander against him. But I wish to know before I decide whether in this Action a struck jury may be had and whether the present clerk or prothonatory of your Court is to be relied upon for furnishing a bill of a respectable and impartial jury -- one upon which truth would make its due impression. You will of course keep this ultimatum a secret.

Yrs
with much regard
A Hamilton

New York July 15. 1800

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