An Unofficial Review of Lams by an Unofficial Historian

April 1779

What better way to start this off than with the letter?

"Cold in my professions, warm in my friendships, I wish, my Dear Laurens, it might be in my power, by actions rather than words, to convince you that I love you."

That's quite the way to start a letter to your best friend, Hammy.

Anyway, one thing to remember when reading this letter is that this is wartime and tensions are high. For all Hamilton knew, this may as well be the last letter he ever writes to Laurens, so why shouldn't it be affectionate?
But even between soldiers, this is a very open, very straightforward statement.

For example:
"An half hour since brought me the pleasure of your letter of December 1... I heartily felicitate you on the birth of your daughter. I can well conceive you your happiness upon that occasion, by that which I feel a similar one."

This is the opening paragraph to a letter from Hamilton to fellow aide-de-camp Richard Meade in March 1782, about a year before the war ended.
Much more friendly than the "Cold in my professions..." and the tone you'd expect between two men in this time.

Now onto the next part of the April 1779 letter:
"I shall only tell you that 'till you bade us Adieu, I hardly knew the value you had taught my heart to set upon you. Indeed, my friend, it was not well done."

Basically: I didn't realize how much I loved you until I didn't have you near anymore.

This could be translated as a platonic or romantic relationship, although it seems to be leaning more towards the latter. It really all depends on the lens you view it through.

"You know the opinion I entertain of mankind, and how much it is my desire to preserve myself free from particular attachments, and to keep my happiness independent on the caprice of others. You should not have taken advantage of my sensibility to steal into my affections without my consent."

Hammy is pretty much scolding Laurens for knowing how much he wanted to keep himself independent from bonds with other people, and yet somehow sneaking into his heart.
Now, do "particular attachments" mean friendships or something more? Mankind can refer to a woman or a man, so he could intend marriage in the sense he doesn't wish to get married, as he goes on to explain later.

"But as you have done it and as we are generally indulgent to those we love, I shall not scruple to pardon the fraud you have committed, on condition that for my sake, if not your own, you will always continue to merit the partiality, which you have so artfully instilled into me."

In a nutshell: "I can't decide whether I hate you or love you because of the way you made me feel about you, but I kinda like it, so..."

Hamilton then goes on to congratulate Laurens on his appointment to aide-de-camp and Lieutenant Colonel.

...Then he gets salty.

"I anticipate by sympathy the pleasure you must feel from the sweet converse of your dearer self in the inclosed letters. I hope they may be recent. They were brought out of New York by General Thompson delivered to him there by a Mrs. Moore... She speaks of a daughter of yours, well when she left England, perhaps <- - ->."

The dashes indicate three words that were scratched out, likely by John Church Hamilton (who wrote Alexander Hamilton's biography), who also wrote "I must not publish the whole of this" at the top of the letter.

( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

ANYWAYS, what Hamilton is saying is that he came across some letters meant for Laurens, written in them some words that reveal Laurens is married and has a daughter, a fact Hamilton had not known previously. If their relationship was in fact romantic, Laurens would likely want to keep this tidbit secret.