#james duane

[gracehosborn]

Oh my gosh that letter of Hamilton forgetting to pay his bill was SO funny! Thank you for sharing it. I've never heard of this James Duane fellow! Can you tell me more about Hamilton's friendship with him? I suppose he paid that bill like Hamilton asked (demanded?) him to?

Hey there, Anon!

Glad you thought it was hilarious like I did hahaha.

To be completely honest with you, I am not super familiar with James Duane as I haven’t done extensive research on him yet. If anyone else knows more, feel free to chime in!

I can tell you however that Hamilton was in somewhat frequent contact with Duane starting in 1779, mostly reporting military matters throughout the remainder of the war (you can see their full correspondence here on Founders Online). Duane was a member of the Continental Congress, and it was he that Hamilton chose to write some of his thoughts regarding the future to. Notably, in Hamilton’s letter of September 3rd 1780, to James Duane.

In July of 1782, Hamilton alongside James Duane was “nominated and appointed” for a seat in Congress [x], and in October received his official commission [x]. Here, Hamilton met with James Duane again, and it was during this period that Duane and Hamilton had shared those dinners together and Hamilton wrote that letter to Duane, asking for him to pay his bill.

My apologies that this response isn’t as detailed as you may have been looking for, but I hope it’s at least interesting.

[valend]

cadaver riots (1788)

the time hamilton got beaten to a pulp over grave robbing

at the new york city hospital they used to train doctors (especially in anatomy) but at the time there weren’t any set laws about how you can acquire the cadavers to practice on so most of the doctors resulted to grave robbing. (fun?? fact: they called that body-snatching)

there are two versions of the story. one of them says that a group of boys were playing outside the new york hospital and one of the students grabbed a dissected arm and waved it at the boys to idk scare them?? and told one of the boys that the arm belonged to his recently deceased mother. the other story says that a group of boys climbed up a ladder at the new york hospital and one of the boys looked through the window of the anatomy room and saw his dead mother. in both stories the boy ran back home to his father and they went the cemetery to exhume the mother’s coffin and sure enough she wasn’t there ejdjidjdid

they gathered a group of concerned citizens (which later turned into a riot of 2000 people) who marched to the hospital and surrounded the building. they tried to break into the hospital and body snatch the doctors.

most of the doctors fled the city but david hosack (hamilton’s doctor) remained at the riot and said he’s gonna stand against the mob.

then the mayor james duane, baron von steuben AND hamilton went to the hospital to pacify the crowd and save the doctors. they decided that the smartest thing to do with the doctors is to put them in the prison in federal hall but the mob still followed them. while trying to protect them all three of them were beaten up.

at least three rioters and three militiamen died during the riots but some estimate it’s up to 20 dead??? like there is a big difference between 6 dead and 20??

after that the common council passed a strict law determining how you can acquire cadavers for medical purposes but people?? hated doctors after that.

[revolutionarytea]

for God's sake . . . send Greene."

Alexander Hamilton in a letter to James Duane, 1780

[littlewritingrabbit]

I have known some persons as absent, and perhaps, more so than myself. The late General Hamilton had the reputation of being so, but not to the same degree as I was; but Mr. Duane, who, after the revolution, was the first mayor of the city of New York was so to a most dangerous excess as you will see by the following anecdote. He was once to cross the north river, on his way to Albany, which he did frequently at that time. He rode on horseback and was accustomed to cross the river on a bridge. But the bridge not being thought very safe, it had been resolved to build a new one. The old bridge had been re moved the day before unknown to Mr. Duane, and planks had been laid across the river to enable the workmen to pass from one side to the other, which our traveller rapt in thought did not perceive. His horse, however, was sure footed; he picked his way as well as he could upon the planks and landed his master in safety, who was entirely unconscious of what was passing. Arrived at Albany, his friends were much astonished, and asked him how he had done to cross the river. "Why surely," said he, "I crossed it upon the bridge." He was then told that there was no bridge, as it had been removed the day before, but he would not believe it, until he was convinced by occular evidence. This anecdote is worthy of La Bruyere. It was related to me by your second, I don't like to say your step grand-mother who was in Albany at the time, and assured me that it was true.

The Autobiography of Pierre du Ponceau

For reference, “Mr. Duane” is James Duane, the mayor of New York and also the father of Polly Duane, who later went on to marry William North. Anne’s “step grand-mother” is du Ponceau’s second wife, Anne Latouche, who Anne was named after.

[generalinjusticeblog]

[amphibious-thing]

In the spring of 1778 while our army was encamped at Valley Forge the commander-in-chief ordered a sham fight to be executed by two divisions of our troops, one of which was under the command of Baron Steuben. In the capacity of his aid-de-camp I was sent to reconnoitre with orders to return immediately at full gallop, as soon as the enemy should be in sight. I rode on to the distance of about a quarter of a mile when I was struck with the sight of what I was since informed to be some red petticoats hanging on a fence to dry which I took for a body of British soldiers. I had forgotten it seems the contending parties were all Americans, and none of them clothed in scarlet regimentals. Full of my hallucination, I returned in haste to the camp, with the news that the enemy were marching upon us. Our division took the road I had indicated, and, behold! the sight of the red petticoats was all the result of their movement. It excited of course, a great deal of merriment, to my utter confusion and dismay. The adventure was related the same day at Head Quarters to General Washington in my presence, but such was the conduct of that excellent man, that I retired comforted, and my mind relieved from the heavy weight which pressed upon it. I cannot recollect the particulars of that scene, my mind being so confused at the time; all I remember is a huge bowl of punch which was handed round to the company, and of which I took my share. No taunt, no reproach came to me from any quarter; the mirth that the adventure occasioned was mild, and only indulged in kindness. This true incident gave rise amongst my fellow soldiers to many tales in which there was not a shadow of truth. It was said for instance, that I had once rode out to the Adjutant General’s office on a black horse and returned on a white one without perceiving the difference. If you should ever hear any of those stories, you may safely place them among the apocrypha. All that can be said of them is “se non é vero, é ben trovate,” for they are in good keeping with similar traits of my character at the time. I have known some persons as absent, and perhaps, more so than myself. The late General Hamilton had the reputation of being so, but not to the same degree as I was; but Mr. Duane, who, after the revolution, was the first mayor of the city of New York was so to a most dangerous excess…

The Autobiography of Peter Stephen Du Ponceau - dictated by Du Ponceau to Miss Anne L. Garesché, 8th January 1844

[tacotimecop]

This should be required reading. I can’t imagine how that might occur, however, since the education system has removed pretty much all civics education from schools, but that’s a topic for another post.

This importance of this book rests with the way information on how to handle contact with police is treated as privileged by the families of law enforcement officers and attorneys. The author, James Duane - a law professor who has millions of hits from his YouTube lectures on the topic - outlines the two basic questions you must answer if a police officer stops you. Regardless of your guilt or innocence, if you are accused of a crime, you should never answer questions or plead the fifth. You can and should always ask for a lawyer.

Duane gives many brief examples on how innocent people have been coerced into confessions and people ignorant of the law have been given life sentences. What most people may not know is the police are under no obligation to tell you the truth. Appellate courts routinely back up the police’s questionable methods of interrogation. Equally as troubling is the federal legal code, which not only is impossible to fully know, but which may be loosely interpreted by prosecutors. Freeing an endangered animal caught in a net could result in ten years in federal prison and tens of thousands in fines.

This book highlights several ways in which the legal system is designed to improperly and unjustly prosecute people. Besides the incoherence of the organization of the legal codes, there are also major issues with the manner in which the police operate - they feel they are a part of the prosecutors’ team; the influence of international legal statutes; and Congress’s almost constant passing of laws (no one knows the exact amount) which are nearly always poorly worded and open to interpretation.

What is absent from this book is more practical advice on how to survive getting pulled over; a remark on the influence of for-profit prisons*, donation laws, and the politicalization of the justice system. However, there are lengthy discussions and books on these very relevant problems. Unfortunately, few are as concise and informative as Duane’s how-to on what not to do.

*Read this excellent piece on one reporter's undercover stint at a for-profit prison : http://m.motherjones.com/politics/2016/06/cca-private-prisons-corrections-corporation-inmates-investigation-bauer

[andtheiramazingfriends]