St. Croix, Nov. 11,
1769.
This serves to acknowledge the receipt of yours per Capt.
Lowndes, which, was delivered me yesterday. The truth of Captains Lightbowen
and Lowndes’ information is now verified by the presence of your father and
sister, for whose safe arrival I pray, and that they may convey that
satisfaction to your soul that must naturally flow from the sight of absent
friends in health; and shall, for news this way, refer you to them. As to what
you say respecting your soon having the happiness of seeing us all, I wish for
an accomplishment of your hopes, provided they are concomitant with your welfare,
otherwise not; though I doubt whether I shall be present or not, for, to
confess my weakness, Ned, my ambition is prevalent, so that I contemn the
grovelling condition of a clerk or the like, to which my fortune condemns me,
and would willingly risk my life, though not my character, to exalt my station.
I am confident, Ned, that my youth excludes me from any hopes of immediate
preferment, nor do I desire it; but I mean to prepare the way for futurity. I'm
no philosopher, you see, and may justly be said to build castles in the air; my
folly makes me ashamed, and beg you'll conceal it; yet, Neddy, we have seen
such schemes successful when the projector is constant. I shall conclude by saying,
I wish there was a war.
P. S. I this moment received yours by William Smith, and am
pleased to see you give such close application to study.
SOURCE: John C. Hamilton, Editor, The Works of Alexander Hamilton: Correspondence. 1769-1789, Volume
1, p. 1-2
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