Works of Fisher Ames: As Published by Seth Ames

by Fisher Ames, W. B. Allen

Overview

Fisher Ames was a leading New England Federalist and sublime critic of Jacobin Democracy and the French Revolution. During the presidency of George Washington, he was the leader of his party in the House of Representatives. Ames was active in public life from 1787 through 1807 and was instrumental in one drafting of the First Amendment to the Constitution. His witty, often brilliant, letters, speeches, and essays offered a sustained defense of conservative principles and insight into the Federalist theory of government.

This enlarged edition includes many speeches and writings by Ames that were omitted from the original edition of Ames’s works published in 1854.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780865970168
Publisher:	Liberty Fund, Incorporated
Publication date:	02/01/1984
Series:	American Public Figures Series
Edition description:	In Two Volumes
Pages:	1709
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 3.75(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

Table of Contents

VOLUME I Foreword by W. B. Allen xix
Editor’s Note xxxiii
Preface to the Second Edition (1854) by Seth Ames xxxix
Preface to the First Edition (1809) by J. T. Kirkland xliii PART ONE
ESSAYS
I. ESSAYS ON SOCIAL CLASS AND CHARACTER
The Mire of a Democracy 3
No Revolutionist 7
School Books 11
Hercules 12
Falkland IV 16
American Literature 22 II. FROM CONFEDERATION TO NATION
Lucius Junius Brutus I, II, III 38
Camillus I-III, V 56
“History Is Philosophy Teaching by Example” 77 III. ESSAYS ON FOUNDING AND PATRIOTISM
Camillus IV 81
The Republican I, II 86
British Alliance 92
Hints and Conjectures Concerning the Institutions of Lycurgus 94 IV. ESSAYS ON MONARCHICAL VERSUS REPUBLICAN GOVERNMENT
The Republican XI 116
The Dangers of American Liberty 120
Review of a Pamphlet on the State of the British Constitution 183 V. ESSAYS ON AMERICA'S POLITICAL PARTIES
Laocoon I, II 187
Falkland I, III, V 209
Monitor 223
The Republican XII, XIII 227 VI. ESSAYS ON EQUALITY
Equality I-VII 237
The Republican X 264 VII. DEFENDING THE FEDERALISTS
Phocion I-VII 269
The Republican IV, V, IX 299 VIII. ATTACKING THE REPUBLICANS
Falkland H 311
The Republican III, VI-VIII 318
Dangerous Power of France I-IV 333
Non-Intercourse Act 373
Lessons from History I-V 376
War in Disguise 386 IX. ESSAYS ON THE FRENCH REVOLUTION AND EUROPEAN POLITICS
Foreign Politics I-III 398
Phocion VIII, IX 412
The New Romans I-V 420
The Observer 441
Sketches of the State of Europe I, II 443
Russia 454
The Balance of Europe 455
Political Review I-III 462
The War in Europe 474
New Coalitions Against France 482
The Combined Powers and France 486
The Successes of Bonaparte 494
The Duration of French Despotism 497 X. EULOGIES
The Character of Brutus 506
A Sketch of the Character of Alexander Hamilton 510
Eulogy of Washington 519 PART TWO
SPEECHES AND LETTERS
1788
Speeches in the Convention of Massachusetts 541
Letter to Theophilus Parsons, January 8 55 1789
Letter to John Lowell, March 15 559
Letter to George R. Minot, March 25 560
Letter to William Tudor, April 1 562
Letter to George R. Minot, April 4 563
Letter to Samuel Henshaw, April 22 565
Letter to William Tudor, April 25 566
Letter to George R. Minot, May 3 567
Letter to [unknown], May 11 570
Debates on the Right to Petition the Congress 571
Letter to George R. Minot, May 14 581
Debates on Imposts and Provisions for the Public Credit 584
Maritime Duties 610
Letter to George R. Minot, May 16 624
Letter to George R. Minot, May 18 627
Letter to [unknown], May 19 628
Letter to George R. Minot, May 19 629
Letter to Nathaniel Bishop, May 630
Letter to George R. Minot, May 27 632
Letter to George R. Minot, May 29 635
Letter to George R. Minot, May 31 639
Letter to Thomas Dwight, June 11 641
Letter to George R. Minot, June 12 643
Speeches on the President’s Power to Remove Executive Officers 644
Letter to George R. Minot, June 23 676
Letter to George R. Minot, July 2 678
Letter to George R. Minot, July 8 683
Letter to William Tudor, July 12 688
Considering Proposals for a Bill of Rights 690
Letter to George R. Minot, July 23 694
Letter to Theophilus Parsons, August 3 695
Letter to George R. Minot, August 12 696
Speeches on Establishing a National Capitol 698
Letter to George R. Minot, September 3 713
Letter to George R. Minot, September 6 716
Letter to Thomas Dwight, October 21 717
Letter to Benjamin Goodhue, October 21 718
Letter to Thomas Dwight, October 30 719
Debates on the Federal Judiciary 720 1790
Letter to George R. Minot, January 13 725
Letter to William Tudor, January 17 727
Letter to William Tudor, February 7 727
Letter to William Tudor, March 8 729
Letter to George R. Minot, March 23 729
Letter to John Lowell, May 2 732
Letter to George R. Minot, May 20 735
Debates on Measures to Fund the Public Credit 737
Letter to Thomas Dwight, June 11 826
Letter to George R. Minot, June 23 829
Letter to Thomas Dwight, June 27 831
Letter to Thomas Dwight, July 11 833
Letter to Thomas Dwight, July 25 835
Letter to Thomas Dwight, August 8 836
Letter to Thomas Dwight, December 12 837
Letter to Thomas Dwight, December 23 839
Letter to William Tudor, December 30 840 VOLUME II 1791
Letter to Thomas Dwight, January 6 845
Letter to Thomas Dwight, January 24 847
Letter to Andrew Craigie, February 2 849
Defense of the National Bank 850
Letter to Thomas Dwight, February 7 862
Letter to George R. Minot, February 17 863
Letter to Thomas Dwight, April 16 865
Letter to Thomas Dwight, April 26 866
Letter to Tench Coxe, May 31 867
Letter to Major General Putnam, July 22 870
Letter to Alexander Hamilton, July 31 871
Letter to Thomas Dwight, October 30 874
Letter to William Tudor, November 24 875
Letter to George R. Minot, November 30 877
Letter to Andrew Craigie, December 2 883
Letter to Andrew Craigie, December 8 884
Letter to Thomas Dwight, December 9 885
Letter to George R. Minor, December 23 887 1792
Letter to Thomas Dwight, January 13 889
Letter to Thomas Dwight, January 23 891
Letter to Thomas Dwight, January 30 892
On Bounties for the Cod Fisheries 893
Letter to George R. Minot, February 16 912
Letter to Tench Coxe [no date] 914
Debates on Apportionment of Representatives 915
Letter to Thomas Dwight, February 23 937
Letter to George R. Minot, March 8 938
Letter to Thomas Dwight, March 8 939
Letter to Thomas Dwight, April 19 940
Letter to William White, April 23 941
Letter to Thomas Dwight, April 25 942
Letter to George R. Minot, May 3 943
Letter to Tench Coxe, June 14 945
Letter to Thomas Dwight, September 16 946
Letter to Thomas Dwight, October 4 948
Letter to Thomas Dwight, November 12 949
Letter to George R. Minot, November 19 951
Letter to Thomas Dwight, December 5 953
Letter to John Lowell, December 6 955
Letter to Rev. Mr. Morse, December 20 957
Letter to Thomas Dwight, December 31 958 1793
Letter to Thomas Dwight, January 960
Letter to George R. Minot, February 20 961
Letter to Tench Coxe, July 11 962
Letter to Thomas Dwight, August 964
Letter to Alexander Hamilton, August 31 964
Letter to George R. Minot, December 6 985 1794
Letter to Thomas Dwight, January 17 988
Speech Against Madison’s Proposal to Discriminate Against British Commerce 989
Letter to Christopher Gore, January 28 1028
Letter to Christopher Gore, February 25 1030
Letter to Christopher Gore, March 5 1033
Letter to [unknown], March 19 1035
Letter to Christopher Gore, March 26 1036
Letter to Christopher Gore, May 2 1038
Letter to Thomas Dwight, May 6 1041
Letter to Thomas Dwight, July 3 1043
Letter to Thomas Dwight, July 24 1044
Letter to Thomas Dwight, August 8 1045
Letter to Thomas Dwight, September 3 1046
Letter to Thomas Dwight, September 11 1048
Letter to George R. Minot, November 12 1050
Letter to Christopher Gore, November 18 1051
Debate Over the Propriety of Replies to the President’s Speeches 1053
Letter to Thomas Dwight, November 29 1082
Letter to Thomas Dwight, December 12 1083
Letter to Samuel Haven, December 12 1085
Letter to Christopher Gore, December 17 1087
Letter to Thomas Dwight, December 27 1089 1795
On Naturalization for Nobles Fleeing Europe’s Chaos 1091
Letter to Thomas Dwight, January 7 1093
Letter to Christopher Gore, January 10 1095
Letter to Christopher Gore, January 17 1097
Letter to George R. Minot, January 20 1099
Letter to Thomas Dwight, February 3 1101
Letter to Christopher Gore, February 24 1103
Letter to Thomas Dwight, February 24 1105
Letter to Thomas Dwight, February 28 1106
Letter to Oliver Wolcott, July 9 1107
Letter to Thomas Dwight, August 24 1109
Letter to Oliver Wolcott, September 2 1113
Letter to Thomas Dwight, September 13 1116
Letter to Thomas Dwight, September 22 1118
Letter to Thomas Dwight, October 3 1119
Letter to Rufus King, November 5 1120
Letter to Thomas Dwight, November 18 1121
Letter to Andrew Craigie, November 21 1123
Letter to Dwight Foster, December 10 1124
Letter to Thomas Dwight, December 30 1125
Letter to Oliver Wolcott, December 31 1126 1796
Letter to Dwight Foster, January 4 1128
Letter to Jeremiah Smith, January 18 1130
Letter to Jeremiah Smith, February 3 1131
Letter to Thomas Dwight, February 11 1133
Letter to Thomas Dwight, February 16 1134
Letter to Thomas Dwight, March 9 1136
Letter to Christopher Gore, March 11 1137
Letter to George R. Minot, April 2 1139
Letter to Thomas Dwight, April 18 1141
Speech on the Jay Treaty 1142
Letter to Dwight Foster, April 29 1182
Letter to Thomas Dwight, May 19 1183
Letter to Thomas Dwight, May 30 1184
Letter to Oliver Wolcott, July 5 1185
Letter to Oliver Wolcott, July 25 1186
Letter to Christopher Gore, July 30 1188
Letter to Jeremiah Smith, September 4 1190
Letter to Oliver Wolcott, September 26 1192
Letter to Christopher Gore, October 5 1193
Letter to Thomas Dwight, October 25 1199
Letter to Dwight Foster, November 7 1200
Letter to Oliver Wolcott, November 14 1201
Letter to Christopher Gore, December 3 1202
Letter to Thomas Dwight, December 8 1206
Letter to Thomas Dwight, December 10 1206
Letter to Christopher Gore, December 17 1208 1797
Letter to Thomas Dwight, January 5 1211
Letter to Alexander Hamilton, January 26 1212
Letter to Christopher Gore, January 27 1218
Debate Over Appropriate Compensation for Public Officers 1220
Defense of Military Preparedness 1232
Letter to Oliver Wolcott, March 24 1245
Letter to Oliver Wolcott, April 24 1246
Letter to Benjamin Goodhue, June 24 1251
Letter to Dwight Foster, June 24 1252
Letter to Timothy Pickering, October 4 1254
Letter to Dwight Foster, December 7 1255
Letter to Andrew Craigie, December 16 1256
Letter to [Dwight?] Foster, December 17 1257 1798
Letter to John Worthington, January 27 1259
Letter to Oliver Wolcott, February 2 1261
Letter to Dwight Foster, February 18 1262
Letter to James McHenry, February 18 1263
Letter to Benjamin Goodhue, February 18 265
Letter to Christopher Gore, February 25 1266
Letter to Jeremiah Smith, March 13 1269
Letter to Oliver Wolcott, April 22 1271
Letter to H. G. Otis, April 23 1274
Letter to Timothy Pickering, June 4 1277
Letter to Oliver Wolcott, June 8 1280
Letter to Dwight Foster, June 24 1282
Letter to Timothy Pickering, July [6] 1284
Letter to Oliver Wolcott, July 6 1285
Letter to Timothy Pickering, July 10 1286
Letter to Christopher Gore, July 28 1291
Letter to Thomas Dwight, September 25 1294
Letter to Jeremiah Smith, November 22 1296
Letter to Timothy Pickering, November 22 1297
Letter to Thomas Dwight, December 7 1299
Letter to Christopher Gore, December 18 1301 1799
Letter to Christopher Gore, January 11 1306
Letter to Thomas Dwight, February 27 1308
Letter to Timothy Pickering, March 12 1309
Letter to John Worthington, March 30 1311
Letter to Rufus King, June 12 1313
Letter to Christopher Gore, October 9 1315
Letter to Timothy Pickering, October 19 1317
Letter to Thomas Dwight, October 20 1319
Letter to Timothy Pickering, November 5 1321
Letter to Christopher Gore, November 10 1326
Letter to Timothy Pickering, November 23 1331
Letter from Oliver Wolcott, December 29 1334 1800
Letter to Thomas Dwight, January 6 1345
Letter to Oliver Wolcott, January 12 1346
Letter from George Cabot to Oliver Wolcott, January 16 1350
Letter to John Ward Fenno, February 1351
Letter to Christopher Gore, March 5 1354
Letter to Chauncey Goodrich, June 12 1356
Letter to Oliver Wolcott, June 12 1358
Letter from George Cabot to Oliver Wolcott, June 16 1362
Letter to Rufus King, July 15 1363
Letter to Oliver Wolcott, July 22 1366
Letter to Oliver Wolcott, August 3 1368
Letter to Thomas Dwight, August 15 1370
Letter to Rufus King, August 19 and 26 1371
Letter to Alexander Hamilton, August 26 1377
Letter to Thomas Dwight, August 29 1380
Letter to Alexander Hamilton, August 29 1380
Letter to Benjamin Goodhue, September 13 1383
Letter to Rufus King, September 24 1384
Letter to John Rutledge, October 16 1388
Letter from George Cabot to John Rutledge, October 22 1390
Letter to John Rutledge, December 15 1392
Letter to Oliver Wolcott, December 15 1395
Letter to Benjamin Goodhue, December 16 1396
Letter to Thomas Dwight, December 27 1398
Letter to Christopher Gore, December 29 1398 1801
Letter to Thomas Dwight, January 1 1403
Letter to John Rutledge, January 26 1404
Letter to Dwight Foster, February 9 1406
Letter to Jeremiah Smith, February 16 1408
Letter to Theodore Dwight, March 19 1409
Letter to Benjamin Goodhue, March 23 1412
Letter to Thomas Dwight, April 28 1413
Letter to John Rutledge, July 30 1414
Letter to Rufus King, October 27 1417
Letter to Thomas Dwight, December 7 1421
Letter to Rufus King, December 20 1423 1802
Letter to Rufus King, February 23 1426
Letter to Rufus King, April 13 1428
Letter to Thomas Dwight, April 16 1429
Letter to Benjamin Goodhue, May 29 1430
Letter to Benjamin Goodhue, June 10 1431
Letter to Benjamin Goodhue, August 14 1432
Letter to Benjamin Goodhue, September 17 1433
Letter to Christopher Gore, October 5 1434
Letter to Christopher Gore, November 7 1440
Letter to Christopher Gore, December 13 1444
Letter to Christopher Gore, December 14 1447
Letter to Jeremiah Smith, December 14 1449 1803
Letter to Dwight Foster, February 6 1454
Letter to Christopher Gore, February 24 1456
Letter to Christopher Gore, October 3 1460
Letter to Thomas Dwight, October 26 1466
Letter to Thomas Dwight, October 31 1468
Letter to Christopher Gore, November 16 1470
Letter to Thomas Dwight, November 29 1472 1804
Letter to Thomas Dwight, January 25 1477 1805
Letter to Colonel Dwight, January 10 1478
Letter to Thomas Dwight, Janury 20 1480
Letter to Josiah Quincy, November 27 1481
Letter to Thomas Dwight, November 29 1483
Letter to Timothy Pickering, December 2 1485
Letter to Josiah Quincy, December 16 1488 1806
Letter to Eliphalet Pearson, January 6 1490
Letter to Josiah Quincy, January 20 1493
Letter to Timothy Pickering, January 28 1495
Letter to Thomas Dwight, February 1 1499
Letter to Timothy Pickering, February 1 1502
Letter to Josiah Quincy, February 1 1504
Letter to Josiah Quincy, February 12 1506
Letter to Timothy Pickering, February 14 1508
Letter to Timothy Pickering, March 3 1513
Letter to Timothy Pickering, March 10 1516
Letter to Josiah Quincy, March 19 1519
Letter from Timothy Pickering, March 24 1521
Letter to Timothy Pickering, March 24 1525
Letter to [Dwight Foster?], June 2 1527
Letter to Benjamin Goodhue, July 30 1531
Letter to Josiah Quincy, December 5 1533
Letter to Josiah Quincy, December 11 1534
Letter to Richard Peters, December 14 1536
Letter to Josiah Quincy, December 20 1538
Letter to Timothy Pickering, December 22 1539 1807
Letter to Timothy Pickering, January 1 1542
Letter to Josiah Quincy, January 1 1545
Letter to Timothy Pickering, January 12 1547
Letter to Josiah Quincy, January 27 1552
Letter to Josiah Quincy, February 3 1555
Letter to Timothy Pickering, February 4 1557
Letter to Timothy Pickering, November 6 1560
Letter to Josiah Quincy, November 11 1562
Letter to Josiah Quincy, November 19 1563
Letter to Josiah Quincy, December 6 1568 Index 1573

Editorial Reviews

This handsome edition of Fisher Ames's work is essential reading for all students of the early American republic.—Journal of the Early Republic

From the Publisher