Hamilton's debt plan was passed, but enforcing it was another matter entirely. As Jefferson had warned, the farmers of western Pennsylvania had started a rebellion against the new taxes.
One day, Washington called his Treasury Secretary to his office.
"I hope you're happy." Washington glared.
"Sir, is this about the Whiskey Rebellion in western Pennsylvania?" Hamilton asked.
"You could've given me a word of warning." Washington had no idea until that very day, even though Hamilton seemed to already know about it.
"Because it is your Secretary of State, Thomas Jefferson who has been agitating these men to rebellion!" Hamilton stated, the people would've fine if Jefferson, Madison and Burr hadn't been spreading rumors.
Washington grabbed a bottle of whiskey from his desk. "This is expensive stuff." Before the whiskey tax, the drink had been fairly cheap.
"The whiskey tax is very unpopular, but necessary, sir."
"I know that," Washington replied, "but open rebellion?"
"So what are you going to do about that?" Alexander asked, he had an idea, but wanted to hear the President's answer.
"I have a plan, but it's risky." Washington answered.
"What's your plan, sir?"
Washington went to his old uniform, the one he wore during the war. "If I still fit into this thing—"
"What?" Hamilton couldn't believe it, he was actually going to put down the rebellion himself.
"We're gonna turn around and win this thing!" Washington said as he put the uniform on.
"One last ride—" Washington and Hamilton singsoned together.
"Let's show these hellions!" Washington exclaimed, "I'm gonna need you by my side." He viewed the rebellion as a test to the nation's federal authority. The nation was in need, and he was needed to help it. There were only 800 people in the rebellion anyway. The federal government had access to a much larger force.
OOO
Hamilton was on leave, and was staying in a rented house in Philadelphia. Oh, the U.S. Capital had moved by this point. Philly was the temporary Capital while D.C. was being built.
He knew he had too much on his plate to join his family in Albany, but he was starting to regret it. He was in a desperate need of a break, but he couldn't get one. He had so much to do, he couldn't stop. He hadn't slept in a week, he was weak. Oh how he missed Eliza and Angelica, they would keep him line. Caroline would too, but she was all the way in New York.
Then one day, a beautiful and bruised woman named Mariah Reynolds knocked on the Hamilton's door. She said, "I know you are a man of honor. I'm so sorry to bother you at home, but I don't know where to go, and I came here all alone."
"Is something bothering you?" Alexander asked, feeling very concerned for the blonde bombshell before him, who had clearly been abused.
Mariah answered, "My husband's doin' me wrong. Beatin' me, cheatin' me, mistreatin' me… Suddenly he took our daughter and is up and gone. I don't have the means to go on."
Hamilton, feeling sorry for the respectful women, offered her a loan and to walk her home. He couldn't turn away from a damsel-in-distress.
"You're too kind, sir."
He gave her $30. Back then my dears, $30 was like having $750. I know, a lot. Mariah only lived a block away, it was a four minute walk. When they reached her house, Hamilton said, "Well, I should head back home."
Then, Mariah's face turned red, she lead him to her bed, let her legs spread and said: "Stay?"
"Hey…" Alexander said as he started to back away.
"Hey…" Mariah replied. She was a little anxious about the plan, but she had to go through with it. She'd made it this far.
Alexander, who was already under enough stress, began to pray: Lord, show me how to say 'no' to this. I don't know how to say 'no' to this." Then he thought, "But my God, she looks so helpless. And her body's saying, 'Hell, yes.'"
"Whoa…" Mariah wailed as she sultry neared the man.
"Nooo, show me how to say 'no' to this." Alexander thought, "I don't know how to say 'no' to this." Alexander was trying to go, but then Mariah's mouth was on his and he didn't say "no". Perhaps he really did want to stay, but he knew it was wrong, and he was under a lot of stress, and had little sleep. Remember my dears, your brain needs at least eight hours of sleep to work properly, and brains don't do well under pressure. When he left, he felt ashamed and regretful. He kept on trying to stop the affair, but he couldn't. Mariah always found a way to pull him back in, she knew his weaknesses.
OOO
Eliza and Angelica were wondering the gardens of their childhood home. Eliza took out from her pocket, a mini portrait she kept of her husband. She loved his eyes. "Helpless!" She thought, "I look into your eyes, and sky's the limit. I'm helpless!"
Angelica's thoughts turned to her brother-in-law. "Will he ever be satisfied? He will never be satisfied."
OOO
One day, Alexander received a letter from James Reynolds. It said:
"Its true its in your power to do a great deal for me, but its out of your power to do any thing that will Restore to me my Happiness again for if you should give me all you possess would not do it. god knowes I love the woman and wish every blessing may attend her, you have bin the Cause of Winning her love, and I Dont think I Can be Reconciled to live with Her, when I know I hant her love. now Sir I have Considered on the matter Serously. I have this preposial to make to you. give me the Sum Of thousand dollars and I will leve the town and take my daughter with me and go where my Friend Shant here from me and leve her to Yourself to do for her as you thing proper. I hope you wont think my request is in a view of making Me Satisfaction for the injury done me. for there is nothing that you Can do will compensate for it."
Which, translated into modern semi-proper English is: "Dear Sir, I hope this letter finds you in good health, and in a prosperous enough position to put wealth, in the pockets of people like me: down on their luck. You see, that was my wife who you decided to fuck. Uh-oh! You made the wrong would-be sucker a cuckold! So time to pay the piper for the pants you unbuckled! And hey, you can keep seein' my whore wife, if the price is right: if not I'm telling your wife."
Alexander also received a letter from Mariah: "I have not tim to tell you the cause of my present troubles only that Mr. has rote you this morning and I know not wether you have got the letter or not and he has swore that If you do not answer It or If he dose not se or hear from you to day he will write Mrs. Hamilton he has just Gone oute and I am a Lone I think you had better come here one moment that you May know the Cause then you will the better know how to act Oh my God I feel more for you than myself and wish I had never been born to give you so mutch unhappiness do not rite to him no not a Line but come here soon do not send or leave any thing in his power."
Alexander hid the letter and ran to Mariah's place. When he got there, he screamed, "How could you?!" in her face. She had told him that she was mending her relationship with her husband, but promised she wouldn't tell him of the affair.
"No, sir!" Mariah, who was half dressed and looking pathetic, exclaimed. She didn't want him mad at her, he was one of the few men who treated her with respect. "Please don't go, sir!" All she wanted was happiness for herself and her daughter Susan.
"So was you're whole story a set-up?" Hamilton asked.
"I don't know about any letter!" Mariah replied, which is obviously a lie. One, Alexander didn't mention a letter to her. Two, in the letter she wrote to him, in her own handwriting, she said her husband wrote to him. She started to cry.
"Stop crying. Goddamnit, get up!" Hamilton ordered. He seemed harsh, angry, embarrassed and uncertain. He felt betrayed and set-up, he also didn't know what to do with a crying woman.
"I didn't know any better!" the 23-year-old Mariah told him. She had married when she was 15, and was still a bit naive.
"I am ruined…" Alexander thought aloud. If word got out about the affair, then his legacy and public image would be tarnished. There was also the ruin it would do to his family and marriage, but he wasn't really thinking about that.
"Please don't leave me with him, I'm helpless." Mariah pleaded. Sure James had promised to treat her better, but there was always the possibility that he would go back on his word. Again.
"I am helpless." Hamilton said, "How could I do this?" He had ruined himself, and he knew he would break Eliza's heart. Not to mention, he would face Caroline and Angelica's wrath. And he had seen the former in combat.
"Just give him what he wants and you can have me." Mariah said, her feelings for him were more than she had for her husband, who had offered to make her Hamilton's slave, which he of course denied.
"I don't want you." Alexander told her. He told her that before, but Mariah knew how to get to him.
"Whatever you want." Mariah said.
"I don't want you." Alexander said again.
"If you pay," Mariah began.
"I don't…" Alexander started,
"You can stay!" Mariah finished, cutting him off, "Tonight."
Hamilton froze in place. "Lord, show me how to say 'no' to this." Alexander prayed again, "I don't know how to say 'no' to this. 'Cause the situation's helpless. And her body's screaming, "Hell, yes." He knew what the right thing to do was, but he was finding it hard to do. Sure, he was no stranger to being out of control, but those were times when he was full of confidence, and his case could easily be argued for.
Mariah clasped his hands and put them around her. "How can you say 'no' to this?"
"No, show me how to say 'no' to this?" Hamilton thought/prayed. He couldn't break Eliza's heart. Mariah gave him her sexy stare, entrapping him again. "How can I say 'no' to this?" He thought aloud, "There is nowhere I can go." "Go, go." His head told him.
Then her body was on his, and he didn't say, "No." The affair continued again, with kisses and tender touches.
James Reynolds entered the room, he held back a young 6-year-old girl who was wearing one of Angie's outgrown dresses. She was their daughter, Susan. "So?" He asked.
Hamilton reached into his pocket and pulled out a check for $1,000 and handed it to him. "Nobody needs to know." He told him.
James grinned a smug grin, and let go of his daughter, who immediately ran to her mother. Mariah held the girl tightly, for her husband controlled their interactions. My dears, you don't know this yet, but there is something powerful about the bond between a parent and their child. The closet thing you'll experience until you're older, is the sibling bond. Trust me, it's just as powerful, or slightly less, or slightly more. But it's the next best thing regardless.
Finally, in June 1792 he was able to perfectly end the affair. Although James did a good job at trying to keep it going for financial gain. Yes he is a jerkwad, and defiantly worse than Jefferson. At least he didn't pimp out his wife. And Reynolds did that with multiple men. Well, he pimped out Mariah to multiple men.
