he President the power of making removals except by
permission of the Senate. In 1869, when Johnson's term had expired, a
bill for the unconditional repeal of this law passed the House with
only sixteen votes in the negative, but the Senate was able to force a
compromise act which perpetuated its authority over removals.* President
Grant complained of this act as "being inconsistent with a faithful and
efficient administration of the government," but with all his great
fame and popularity he was unable to induce the Senate to relinquish the
power it had gained.

* The Act of April 5, 1869, required the President, within thirty
days after the opening of the sessions, to nominate persons for all
vacant offices, whether temporarily filled or not, and in place of all
officers who may have been suspended during the recess of the Senate.

This law was now invoked by Republicans as a means of counteracting
the result of the election. Such was the feeling of the times that
partisanship could easily masquerade as patriotism. Republicans still
believed that as saviors of the Union they had a prescriptive right to
the government. During the campaign, Eugene Field, the famous Western
poet, had given a typical expression of this sentiment in some scornful
verses concluding with this defiant notice:

These quondam rebels come today In penitential form, And hypocritically
say The country needs "Reform!" Out on reformers such as these; By
Freedom's sacred powers, We'll run the country as we please; We saved
it, and it's ours.

Although the Democratic party had won the Presidency and the House, the
Republicans still retained control of the Senate, and they were expected
as a matter of course to use their powers for party advantage. Some
memorable struggles, rich in constitutional precedents, issued from
these conditions.

CHAPTER IV. A CONSTITUTIONAL CRISIS

As soon as Cleveland was seated in the presidential chair, he had to
deal with a tremendous onslaught of office seekers. In ordinary business
affairs, a man responsible for general policy and management would
never be expected to fritter away his time and strength in receiving
applicants for employment. The fact that such servitude is imposed
upon the President of the United States shows that American political
arrangements are still rather barbaric, for such usages are more
suitable to some kinglet seated under a tree to receive the petitions of
his tribesmen t