Carl Russell Fish

“ The New York Evening Post of March 4 contains a letter which Postmaster-general Granger, in accordance with the Jeffersonian penchant for explaining the motives of the administration, wrote to a postmaster to be removed. “From repeated complaints from the country, and from opinions which are entertained by persons who have been long in office, together with the reasons upon which those opinions are founded, I was soon convinced that as a general rule the printers of newspapers ought not to be employed as postmasters, because they have a special interest.” ”

“ I proceed in the operation with deliberation and inquiry, that it may injure the best men least, and effect the purposes of justice and public utility with the least private distress; that it may be thrown, as much as possible, on delinquency, on oppression, on intolerance, on ante-revolutionary adherence to our enemies. ”

“ If the will of the nation, manifested by their various elections, calls for an administration of government according with the opinions of those elected; if, for the fulfilment of that will, displacements are necessary, with whom can they so justly begin as with persons appointed in the last moments of an administration, not for its own aid, but to begin a career at the same time with their successors? ”

“ The Massachusetts Spy, under Pennsylvania news, told how “A secret committee of accusation, established for the blackest purposes, in a neighboring commercial town, lately forwarded a memorial to President Jefferson against their Collector, a worthy citizen, . . . praying that he should be removed from office.” [69] While petitions of unconnected individuals doubtless had full weight, Jefferson refused to be influenced even by those from organized bodies. [70] Certain prominent men, incipient political bosses, exercised much influence. ”

“ While these measures tended to show the good faith of the Republicans, the sum total of the economies was not very great. One bill, the judiciary act of 1802, actually increased the patronage of the president by transferring to him, from the district judges, the appointment of commissioners of bankruptcy, thus giving Jefferson the opportunity to do the ungracious act of displacing John Quincy Adams. ”

“ The majority of the appointees came from the same class of the population as those under the Federalists. The president wrote to Gallatin in regard to a man proposed for a New England position, “His family has been among the most respectable on that shore for many generations.” [81] Some selections were even commented on by the Federalist newspapers as “judicious and proper.” [82] The Jefferson Democracy, however, brought new classes into politics, and, to the dismay of the conservative, these received some recognition. ”

“ Nothing can be lost here, and something may be gained: how far this applies to other parts of the union is not for me to judge. A knowledge that we had the real confidence of the Executive I think would have a happy effect, for already it is used as an argument to affect our elections that the President used the Democrats to ride into office, that now seated there he has evinced his contempt for them, and will rely solely on the federalists for support. ”

“ July 25, 1801, Gallatin sent Jefferson the draft of a proposed circular to the collectors, particularly intended for those of them who were Federalists. In it they were ordered “no longer to shut the door to the offices under them to any man merely on account of his political opinions,” and were told that an electioneering collector was necessarily a bad one. ”

“ The number of these so-called illegal appointments was small, and Jefferson was soon obliged to look beyond them for means to satisfy those of his followers who desired to serve their country in lucrative places. A class of officers subject to removal was soon discovered in those appointed by Adams after the Federalist defeat of 1800 became evident, [12] on the ground that Adams should not have chosen men to positions in which he knew they would serve another president. The Federalists, of course, would not acknowledge that Adams was under any such obligations of law or courtesy ”

“ It was Jefferson, therefore, who outlined the qualifications for office, although he did not as rigorously adhere to a fixed rule as had Washington. Fitness continued to be considered essential; [78] and while careful character studies are lacking, such as Henry Marchant sent to Hamilton and the latter to Wolcott, Jefferson and Gallatin sought out suitable candidates, not confining their choice to those who offered their services. ”

“ Every man who accepts an office, takes it under an implicit contract from the Government, that he shall be continued in it, as long as he exercises it with fidelity and capacity. On this reliance he relinquishes his regular business, . ”

“ He goes on to point out that in America most men have to support themselves, that it is difficult to resume a business once laid aside, and that consequently the best men will not take office unless its tenure is fairly stable. ”

“ Whether we shall proceed any further will depend on themselves.” [29] In fact, the policy of removing his opponents was a political success, and had alienated from the Republican administration none of the elements upon which it counted for support. The Federalists had, in the beginning, hoped that Jefferson's action might meet with popular resentment. So suicidal did it seem, that they imagined that Burr, while endeavoring to dissociate himself from the proscription, was urging it on the president with a view to rendering him unpopular. ”

“ These figures do not adequately represent the severity of the proscription. In some localities the sweep was much more complete than in others: Jefferson wrote to Governor McKean of Pennsylvania, who had just turned out his opponents in that state, “Some states require a different regimen from others.” [44] In Massachusetts alone there were almost as many removals as in the whole South, and in general the proportion of changes was greater in the North. [45] Jefferson told John Quincy Adams that not one request for appointment involving a removal had come from Virginia. ”

“ Austin be justly considered the removal of Mr. Goodrich? “If a due participation of office is a matter of right, how are vacancies to be obtained? Those by death are few; by resignation, none. Can any other mode than that of removal be proposed? This is a painful office ”

“ In New York the Livingstons, the Clintons, and Burr, in Pennsylvania, Duane and Dallas, struggled to gain advantage from the distribution of the patronage; [72] Dearborn seemed to control that of Maine without struggle, and Caesar Rodney that of Delaware. ”

“ I have given, and will give only to Republicans, under existing circumstances.” [5]
The question of the patronage was of special importance to Jefferson because of his desire to win over the bulk of the Federalist party, and its delicacy was enhanced by the fact that his own party was not united; while the majority expected vigorous action, some desired that removals be made sparingly. [6] He felt that efficiency was not the sole object to be kept in mind in administering the civil service ”

“ The Massachusetts Centinel of September 17, 1789, pointed out that to people accustomed to deal in pounds a fair salary in dollars looked large, and urged that cheap rogues and dunces would cheat and lose more than could be saved on the salary account ”

“ This interest lay in their opportunities for suppressing rival papers, and in the possibility of extending their won circulation by abusing the franking privilege, which enabled postmasters to send free of charge letters and packages not exceeding two ounces in weight. ”

“ Thomas bought Freneau's paper. ↑ There was very little complaint at loss of efficiency, and that chiefly in the spring of 1802, during the changes in the post-offices. ↑ I have not discussed the question of the reported attempts of Jefferson and Burr to obtain support for the presidency by offering places to members of Congress, as I have found nothing in regard to it that throws additional light on Jefferson's policy. ”

“ See Executive Journal. ↑ February, 1805, J. Q. Adams, Memoirs, i. 344. He wrote to Pierce Butler, August 26, 1801: “The Southern republicans [have] been really magnanimous. In Maryland little has been asked, in Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia, not one ” (Jefferson, Writings (Ford ed.) , viii. 82) ; American Historical Review, iii. 280. ↑ Ibid. ↑ See Jefferson to Duane, July 24, 1803, Gallatin, Writings, i. 130-133. He figures this point out carefully. ↑ Gallatin, Writings, i. 28; Adams, Gallatin, 279. ”