The Library of Congress’ archives contain a collection of letters and other documents, known as “The Hamilton Papers,” written by one of America’s Founding Fathers, Alexander Hamilton: signatory to the U.S. Constitution, first Secretary of the U.S. Treasury, and author of the Federalist Papers.

One such letter includes the following remarkably prescient warning:

“When a man unprincipled in private life, desperate in his fortune, bold in his temper, possessed of considerable talents, having the advantage of military habits — despotic in his ordinary demeanour — known to have scoffed in private at the principles of liberty — when such a man is seen to mount the hobby horse of popularity — to join in the cry of danger to liberty — to take every opportunity of embarrassing the General Government & bringing it under suspicion — to flatter and fall in with all the non sense [sic] of the zealots of the day — It may justly be suspected that his object is to throw things into confusion that he may ride the storm and direct the whirlwind.”

So even then, it seems, there were such people. Unfortunately, there still are.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
2/18/26