n the measures which will effect a cure of admitted
evils. When the Federal Government was originally organized, the
President and Vice-President, Senators and Representatives, were
specifically limited in their term of service. The Federal judges
were appointed for life. All other officers were appointed without
any limit as to time, but, according to the decision of Congress, were
removable at pleasure by the Executive. During the administrations of
General Washington and John Adams, covering the first twelve years of
the Federal Government, there were practically no removals at all.
Partisan spirit was developed in the contest of 1800 and the change of
public opinion installed Mr. Jefferson as President.

There is no reason to doubt that Mr. Jefferson's personal views in
regard to removals from office were as conservative as those of his
two predecessors, but he was beset for place in an extraordinary manner
by the hosts of eager applicants who claimed to have contributed to his
triumph over John Adams, and who, like their successors in the later
days of the Republic, demanded their reward. Mr. Jefferson,
entertaining the belief that it was not fair that all the offices
should be held by Federalists, began a series of removals. There was
great outcry against this course by conservative men, who were averse
to the removal of competent and faithful public servants; and before
Mr. Jefferson had proceeded far in his scheme of equalization it became
widely known, through a letter which he had written in defense of his
course in removing the Collector of Customs at New Haven, that he was
intending to remove only a sufficient number to give his own supporters
a fair proportion of places under the Government.

As soon as this design was perceived it seems to have occurred to the
office-holders, most of whom had taken no decided stand upon political
issues, that they could effect the partition more readily than Mr.
Jefferson, by simply avowing themselves to be members of the party that
had elected him. There were certainly many instance of political
conversion among the office-holders of a character which would to-day
subject the incumbents of Federal places to personal derision and
public contempt. But the effect was undoubted; for between the clamor
of those opposed to the system of removal and the ready transfer of
political allegiance on the part of those already in place, Mr.
Jefferson abandoned the whole effort