olicy of the Federalists, had himself created, and he alone of the
Republican leaders was competent to carry out the reforms in the
administration of the government, and to contrive the consequent
reduction in revenue and taxation, which were cardinal points of
Republican policy. Public opinion had assigned Gallatin to the post, and
the newspapers announced his nomination before Mr. Jefferson was
elected, and before he had given any indication of his purpose. To his
wife Mr. Gallatin expressed some doubt whether his abilities were equal
to the office, and whether the Senate would confirm him, and said,
certainly with sincerity, 'that he would not be sorry nor hurt in his
feelings if his nomination should be rejected, for exclusively of the
immense responsibility, labor, etc., attached to the intended office,
another plan which would be much more agreeable to him and to her had
been suggested, not by his political friends, but by his New York
friends.' He was by no means comfortable in his finances, and he had
already formed a plan of studying law and removing to New York. He had
made up his mind to leave the western country, which would necessarily
end his congressional career. His wife was forlorn in his absence, and
suffered so many hardships in her isolated residence that he felt no
reluctance to the change. To one of his wife's family he wrote at this
time:--

"As a political situation, the place of secretary of the treasury
is doubtless more eligible and congenial to my habits; but it is
more laborious and responsible than any other, and the same
industry which will be necessary to fulfill its duties, applied to
another object, would at the end of two years have left me in the
possession of a profession which I might have exercised either in
Philadelphia or New York. But our plans are all liable to
uncertainty, and I must now cheerfully undertake that which had
never been the object of my ambition or wishes."

Well might he hesitate as he witnessed the distress which had overtaken
the great party which for twelve years had held the posts of political
honor. Fortunately, perhaps for himself and certainly for his party and
the country, the proposition came at a time when he had definitively
determined upon a change of career. His situation was difficult. The
hostility of the Federal senators, and the great exertions which were
being made to defeat the appointment, led him