Sunday, June 2nd, 1799

My Dearest, Theodosia,

                                                Maybe you are right about Mother affecting how I reacted, but she is someone I can and always will look up to, and that will never change. Mother has always been calm and respectful about she handles herself around others and, perhaps that is something I am learning to do. Although I look up to my father, and always will, I do not agree with the way he handles himself. The constant need to berate others in his writing is something I will never agree with.

You may not have someone to influence you. Theo, but perhaps if it was your father you would react differently. You expect me to react a certain way, to be angry with Father, to despise him for what he did, but I cannot do that. He is my father, I will always love him no matter what he has done. Besides, I am a role model to my younger siblings, to Alexander and Angelica, both of whom looked to me when we discovered this pamphlet to be published. To little William who is too young to understand. They look to me for guidance and I am not going to disappoint them.

Love Always,

Philip Hamilton.

~~~

My Dearest, Philip,

                                       Your mother has always been a woman I have admired, much more so when my own mother passed all those years ago. She is someone who is respected by all, despite what some may say about women being weaker in comparison to men. Perhaps she is where you get your kind heart from, Philip, whereas your stubbornness comes from your father. As much as you may try to argue with my, you know it is true. You are stubborn, dare I say you are worse than your father in many ways. Perhaps not the public shaming, but the refusal to see anything from anyone else's point of view.

If it were my own father, I do not know how I would react or handle it. I suppose you are right to some degree, our own parents are different to others, so I expect my reaction would be different were it to happen to me. I do understand, however, that you have your siblings to look after. Were they to see you angry with your father, acting out, they would surely be able to tell the situation is bad. Though I cannot understand why Angelica would look to you and not your mother, surely it would make more sense for her to turn to a female influence.

Love Always,

Theodosia Burr.

****************************

Notes;

At this moment in time, Hamilton had five other siblings, Angelica, Alexander Jr, James, John and, of course, William, who was approaching his second birthday. Angelica and Alexander Jr were likely to have understood what was happening with their father, particularly as Angelica was only two years younger, Alexander four years younger. It is odd that either of them would turn to their brother for support, particularly if they were likely to have their own reactions to the publication of the pamphlet.