to change the public service
_after the removal of forty-seven officers_. Thenceforward, under his
administration and under the administrations of Mr. Madison and Mr.
Monroe, removals were so few as scarcely to be noted, and were made
only upon the proof or the presumption of a justifying cause.

In 1820 a change was wrought which ultimately affected, to a serious
extent, the tenure of office under the General Government. Thirty-one
years had passed since the Constitution was adopted, and during that
whole period there had only been some sixty-five removals from office.
It was inevitable, therefore, that a considerable proportion of the
incumbents had by reason of age become somewhat unfit for the discharge
of their duties. Many of them were Revolutionary officers and
soldiers, the youngest of whom must have been verging upon threescore
and ten. No provision had yet been made for retiring disabled officers
of the army, and pensioning the civil list was not even dreamed of.
What, then, should be done with these old men who had been holding
office for so long a period? Mr. Monroe was opposed, on principle, to
removals from office, and was too kindly disposed to disturb men who
had strong patriotic claims, and who had personal need of the
emoluments they were receiving.

As the Executive Department would take no step for relief, Congress
initiated action, and passed a bill which Mr. Monroe approved on the
15th of May, 1820, declaring that "all district attorneys, collectors
of customs, naval officers and surveyors of customs, navy agents,
receivers of public monies for lands, registers of the land offices,
paymasters in the army, the apothecary-general, the assistant
apothecaries-general, the commissary-general of purchases, to be
appointed under the laws of the United States, shall be appointed for
the term of four years, and shall be removable from office at
pleasure." It was further enacted that all commissions of these
officers bearing date prior to September 30, 1814, "shall cease and
expire on the day of their dates occurring next after the following
30th of September;" and others were made to expire after four years
from the date thereof.

The Cabinet of Mr. Monroe contained at that time three able men, each
ambitious for the Presidency--John Quincy Adams, Secretary of State;
William H. Crawford, Secretary of the Treasury; John C. Calhoun,
Secretary of War. As there was much opposition to the four-year la