Yes, but they also belived that went hand-in-hand with violence, both personal and in personal service to a cause. Eliminating dueling was a mistake, precisely because it distracted them from eachothers’ juicy throats.

Hamilton is worshipped today as an outsider to that system, a self-made-man, who forced change, but for all of the understanding he demonstrated, I find it hard to believe he handled this one issue for the benefit of the people. In fact, he avoided it, and maybe not for the reasons that are popularly understood today.