Hamilton was the best the US had and few of his statements or beliefs have ever been shown to be theoretically incorrect even by today’s standards.
Oh really?
"A fourth argument, one that was made by Alexander Hamilton and continues to be repeated down to the present, is that free trade would be fine if all other countries practiced free trade but that, so long as they do not, the United States cannot afford to. This argument has no validity whatsoever, either in principle or in practice. Other countries that impose restrictions on international trade do hurt us. But they also hurt themselves. Aside from the three cases just considered, if we impose restrictions in turn, we simply add to the harm to ourselves and also harm them as well. Competition in masochism and sadism is hardly a prescription for sensible international economic policy" - Milton Friedman
Friedman’s opinion does not negate the FACT that Hamilton’s program was designed to fund the government. It was not a speculative endeavor but a practical one. There was no other practicable means of funding. It was not principally an ECONOMIC policy at all but a POLITICAL means of funding the government.