On February 25, 1793, Washington held his first full cabinet meeting with Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson, Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton, Secretary of War Henry Knox, and U.S. Attorney General Edmund Randolph. Once in office, the two quickly made it clear that they would never truly see each other the same way. Hamilton, a true believer in a strong central government, felt he needed to limit democracy and make the United States a powerful nation. “It was observed. . . that a pure democracy, if it were practicable, would be the most perfect government. Experience has shown that no position is more false than this." (Hamilton, speech urging the ratification of the Constitution in New York, June 17, 1788). He turned to Article I, Section 8, Clause 18 of the Constitution, which allows Congress to have the power "to make all laws which shall be necessary and convenient to carry into execution the powers above, and all other powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any department or officer thereof." using it to create his America; this was also known as the elastic clause or, as he called it, Broad Construction. To expand his powers he extensively interpreted the meaning of the Constitution. Jefferson could not compete with any of Hamilton's ideals. He believed in rigorous construction. Him