It has been frequently remarked, that it seems to have been reserved to the people of this country to decide, by their conduct and example, the important question, whether societies of men are really capable or not, of establishing good government from reflection and choice, or whether they are forever destined to depend, for their political constitutions, on accident and force.

Years later when told that Hamilton may have misled him at the duel the ever-laconic Burr replied "Contemptible if true. Even though Hamilton did not like Jefferson and disagreed with him on many issues he viewed Jefferson as the lesser of two evils. Jay was president and Hamilton was the first secretary and later became president.

He attended King's College (now Columbia University) in New York City. When in the same contest Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr tied for the presidency in the electoral college Hamilton helped defeat Burr whom he found unprincipled and elect Jefferson despite philosophical differences. However the Quasi-War although hard-fought at sea was never officially declared.