Big government circa 1800 is not the same thing as big government in 2004.
Agreed. I am extrapolating to the future with regard to Hamilton. I might well have agreed with him back then.
It's all about context, though. Compared to the times, Hamilton was very big government. A big reason he and Jefferson did not get along. And who can blame the anti-federalists for being less-than-enamored with Hamilton? Look at the war they had just fought to get away from a strong government.