n or control the same rights in others as injurious to the public
administration and practically destructive of the fundamental principles
of a republican Constitution." But Mr. Jefferson and Mr. Madison
opposed this simple declaration of a principle which has since been the
base of every attempt at reform in the civil service. Mr. Jefferson
answered that after one half of the subordinates were exchanged, talents
and worth might alone be inquired into in the case of new vacancies.
This was a miserable shuffling policy which defeated itself. For a
Federalist to retain office when such a discrimination was applied was
of itself a degradation. Mr. Jefferson here threw away and forever lost
the power to establish the true system, and fixed the curse of patronage
upon American administration. The true principle may be stated in the
form of an axiom. Administrations should rely for continuation upon
measures, not on patronage. Gallatin yielded with reluctance to the
spirit of persecution which he did not hesitate to say disgraced the
Republican cause, and sank them to a level with their predecessors.
Notwithstanding his aversion, he was compelled to follow the policy of
the cabinet. Its first result was to divide the Republican party, and to
alienate Burr, whose recommendation of Matthew L. Davis for the naval
office at New York was disregarded. Had the new administration declined
to make removals except for cause, such a dispute would have been
avoided. As it was, the friends of Burr considered the refusal as a
declaration of war. Appointments became immediately a part of the
machinery of Republican administration, as it had been part of that of
their predecessors, and each was carefully weighed and considered in
its reference to party quite as much as to public service.

Already looking forward to the next presidential election, Gallatin was
anxious for an agreement upon Jefferson's successor, and even before the
meeting of the first Congress of his term he advised the President on
this point, and he also proposed the division of every State into
election districts by a general constitutional provision.

Jefferson submitted the draft of his annual messages to the head of each
department, and invited their comments. Gallatin was minute in his
observations, and it is interesting to note the peculiar precision and
caution of his character in the nice criticisms of language and style,
sometimes declaratory, sometimes non-commit