While that logic certainly appeals to Europeans today, Hamilton insisted on a stronger reason for pursuing sound finance than merely the pursuit of expediency. There is, he maintained, “an intimate connection between public virtue and public happiness.”
汉密尔顿的逻辑对当今欧洲十分适用，但当初汉密尔顿之所以要追求健康财政，并不仅是为了便宜行事，而是有更深的理由。他说，“公德和公共福祉之间具有紧密联系。”公德在于信守承诺，能够为合众国营造团结的新政治氛围。事实上，公德让联邦财政成为汉密尔顿口中的“我们的联邦的强力粘合剂”。