My Dearest Betsey,
I hope you are doing well. My love, I miss you every hour we’re apart which is usually the majority of a day. As you know I recently attended the constitutional convention with the delegates from the other twelve colonies. James Madison was there, and he argued on the side of my rival, Thomas Jefferson. The main issues we discussed were slavery, presidency, and legislature.
First came the issue of slavery. Although I think that slaves should count for both taxes and representation, I don’t think other delegates, including George Washington, are ready for complete abolishment, so I have to tread lightly. My reputation can’t take much more destruction as Thomas Jefferson continues to tear it down whenever he has the chance. I also know that John Laurens is strongly against slavery, and his reputation is not in danger, so he can help stand up for what I can’t.
Second came the issue of presidency. Many delegates criticized my support of presidency for a lifetime, but they were wrong on many fronts which I made clear in my response.
Firstly, a president is not a king. I don’t know exactly what the king’s rule was like, but I can guarantee a president’s rule would be different. Take George Washington as an example; he has served for a long while yet is still well liked by the people. The people still get their say, and because of King George I would guarantee that a president serving for life would not be all powerful as many delegates fear may happen.
Secondly, I shall mention the failure of the confederalist papers. The main problem was that a large number of people had to agree on one solution, which is nearly impossible with a variety of drastically different views. In order to keep our government stable, efficiency is mandatory. This means the people can select electors to elect the president, but it would be unwise for common people with no political experience or knowledge to electing the president themselves.
Finally, third came the issue of legislature. Surprisingly, I agreed on many fronts with the other delegates when it came to this issue. I stated that population should be the deciding factor as to the amount of representatives per state in the new national legislature.
Expect a late arrival home around eleven or twelve at night. I know I’m gone a lot, and I truly am sorry. I wish I could join you and Philip for dinner, but I still have hours left of work: papers to write and claims to argue.
Forever Yours,
Alexander Hamilton