Alexander Hamilton, of course, was appointed the first Secretary of the Treasury, under George Washington. In October, 1789, he wrote to his old friend and Revolutionary War colleague Lafayette – to tell him the news, but also to find out more news about what was happening in Paris. Paris was in complete chaos in 1789, of course. Lafayette, by that point, was trying to unite all the different factions. He failed, eventually. Hamilton and Lafayette exchanged many letters, Hamilton sharing with Lafayette the bad feeling he got about the French Revolution already. It was a psychic thing, really – he just had this feeling that it was all going to go bad. Lafayette, in the thick of it, couldn’t understand that. He was certain that the revolution in his country was going to go the way of the revolution in America. Hamilton wrote to Lafayette:
You will ask why this foreboding of ill when all the appearances have been so much in your favor. I will tell you: I dread disagreements among those who are now united … about the nature of your constitution. I dread the vehement character of your people, whom I fear you may find it easier to bring out than to keep within proper bounds after you have put them in motion. I dread the interested refractoriness of your nobles, who cannot be gratified and who may be unwilling to submit to the requisite sacrifices.
