James Madison Papers
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To James Madison from Alexander Hamilton, 25 June 1788

From Alexander Hamilton

New York1 June 25. 1788

My Dr Sir

I am very sorry to find by your letter of the 13th that your prospects are so critical. Our chance of success here is infinitely slender, and none at all if you go wrong. The leaders of the Antifederalists finding their partisans somewhat squeamish about rejection, are obliged at present to recur to the project of conditional amendments. We are going on very deliberately in the discussion and hitherto not without effect.

Communicate this to our friend G Morris, to whom I have not time to write. And add, if you please, that his friend would certainly be exposed to a suit; but may pay in our paper money; the depreciation of which is about seven per cent.2 It is possible however that a jury in estimating damages would calculate the Sterling money at the current exchange in paper. But this is not probable. Yrs Affy

A Hamilton

RC (owned by Dr. Frederick M. Dearborn, New York, N.Y., 1959). Addressed by Hamilton. Docketed by JM. Hamilton sent this letter to Richmond where it was redirected to New York. The cover bears a Richmond postmark of 4 July.

1Hamilton was in Poughkeepsie.

2Gouverneur Morris was in Richmond and had written Hamilton on 13 June concerning a legal action involving his friend Thomas Mann Randolph, Sr. (Syrett and Cooke, Papers of Hamilton description begins Harold C. Syrett and Jacob E. Cooke, eds., The Papers of Alexander Hamilton (24 vols. to date; New York, 1961—). description ends , V, 7–8).

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