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The laws of certain states …give an ownership in the service of negroes as personal property…. But being men, by the laws of God and nature, they were capable of acquiring liberty—and when the captor in war …thought fit to give them liberty, the gift was not only valid, but irrevocable.

— Alexander Hamilton Philo Camillus no. 2 (1795)

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Slavery

More quotes by Alexander Hamilton

As long as offices are open to all men and no constitutional rank is established, it is pure republicanism.

Debates of the Federal Convention (1787)

Here, sir, the people govern; here they act by their immediate representatives.

If they break this Union, they will break my heart.

When the sword is once drawn, the passions of men observe no bounds of moderation.

The Federalist Papers (1787)

The passions of a revolution are apt to hurry even good men into excesses.

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The Autocrat of all the Russias will resign his crown, and proclaim his subjects free republicans sooner than will our American masters voluntarily give up their slaves.

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Quote text and notes from Wikiquote: Alexander Hamilton (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source quality and labels are our own summary of what Wikiquote records.