Alexander Hamilton to President Washington . 18 August 1792
The truth unquestionably is, that the only path to a subversion of the republican system of the Country is, by flattering the prejudices of the people, and exciting their jealousies and apprehensions, to throw affairs into confusion, and bring on civil commotion. Tired at length of anarchy, or want of government, they may take shelter in the arms of monarchy for repose and security.
Those then, who resist a confirmation of public order, are the true [mechanics*] of monarchy—not that this is the intention of the generality of them. Yet it would not be difficult to lay the finger upon some of their party who may justly be suspected. When a man unprincipled in private life desperate in his fortune, bold in his temper, possessed of considerable talents, having the advantage of military habits—despotic in his ordinary demeanour—known to have scoffed in private at the principles of liberty—when such a man is seen to mount the hobby horse of popularity—to join in the cry of danger to liberty—to take every opportunity of embarrassing the General Government & bringing it under suspicion—to flatter and fall in with all the non sense of the zealots of the day—It may justly be suspected that his object is to throw things into confusion that he may “ride the storm and direct the whirlwind.”
* Hamilton used the word Artificers here, a British military term for a skilled mechanic.
https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Hamilton/01-12-02-0184-0002, from The Papers of Alexander Hamilton, vol. 12, July 1792 – October 1792, ed. Harold C. Syrett. New York: Columbia University Press, 1967, pp. 229–258. [h/t Hamilton biographer Ron Chernow in the Washington Post Outlook . October 18, 2019]
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