Wilmington journal., 1873-01-03
THE FIRST CABINET.
The Men who Surrounded wash.
iMgtOn.


imgtOn.
Mr.. Parton, III the January Atlantic,
thus describes Washington and his first
Cabinet:
Age had not quenched the vivacity
of either of the four Secretaries JEFF
ferson, A Knox, 40 J.; Randolph, 81
Hamilton, 33. When in the worlds
history, was SO young group charged
with a task SO new. so difficult, so mo-
mentOus ? =.
Such were the gentlemen who were
! gathered round the council table at the
Presidents house in New York in 1880;
at the head of the table, General Wash
! ington, now fifty-eight, his frame as
erect as ever, but his face showing the
decrepitude of thousand anxious
hours he had passed. Not versed in
the lore of schools, but gifted with a
great sum of intellect, the eternal glory
of this man is that he used all the mind
he had in patient endeavors to find out
the right way; ever on the watch to
keep out Of his decision everything
| like bias or prejudice; never deciding
| till he had exhausted every source Of
! elucidation within his reach. Some
questions he could not decide with his
own mind, and he knew he could not.
In such cases he bent all his powers to
ascertaining how the subject appeared
to minds fitted to grapple with it, and
getting them to view it without preju-
dice.
I am delighted to learn that Mr..
Washington pronounced without break
ing forth with an explosion of contempt,
especially, it is said, if there is an
American within hearing. Washing
ton is the exact opposite of fell Car
lylcan hero. His glory is that he was
not richly endowed, net sufficient unto
himself, not Indifferent to human
rights, opinions and preferences but,
feeling deeply his need Of help, sought
it where it alone was to be found, in
minds fitted by nature and training to
supply his lack. It is this heartfealt
desire to be right which shines so af-
fectingly from the plain words of Wash
ington, and gives him rank so far
above the gorgeous bandits whom he1 O.
worshippers adore.
On the right of the President in the
place of honor, sat Jefferson, not forty
seven, the senior of all his colleagues;
older in public service, too, than any
of them; tall, erect, ruddy; noticeably y
quiet, and unobtrnsive in his address
and demeanor; the least pugnacious OF
men. Not a fanatic, not an enthusiast
but an old fashioned whig, nat,lred
upon "old Coke" enlightened by
twenty-five years intense discussion
| with pen, tongue and sword-of Cokea1
principles. Fresh from the latest com
mentary upon Coke-the ruins of the
Bastile-and wearing still his red Paris
: w.,istcoat and breeches. he was an OBJ
II
, and, doubtless, often relieved the
, severity Of business by some thrilling
relation ont of his late foreign expert
ence.
: Opposite him, on the President = left
was the place of Hamilton, Secretary
l of the Treasury, in all the alertnes:
and vigor of thirty-three wears [
time had matured his talents, it hat
not lessened his self-sufficiency be
c:,nse, as yet. all his short life had beel
= success, and he had associated chief,
S with mtn who possessed nothing elthe
: OF his fuency or his arithmetic. I
: positive, vehement. little gentleman
; with as firm faith in the apparatus o
1 finance rs General Knox hao i'll grea
1 guns. He was now in tn. Inll tide o
: activity, lobbying measures through
6 Congress-, and organizing the Treasur
,, Department-the most conspicuou
u man in the administration, except tn
= President.
AS usual, his unseen work was hi
best. In organizing system of co
lecting, keeping and disbursing til
>, :, revenue he employed so much tac1
p forethought and fertility that his sue
: cessors have each, in turn, admire
and retained his most important de
% vices He arranged the system SO thu
u the Secretary of the Treasury, at an
moment, could survey the whole worl
, ing of it; and he held at command a
10 the resources of the United State
!, subject to lawful use, without bein
o. able to divert one dollar to a purpos
Is not specially authorized. He cou]
~ ~ not draw his own pittance of sala,
: without the signature Of the four chi
]. officers of the departnent-comptr
~ ler auditor, treasurer and register.