Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1880-12-15
ADAMS AND JEFFERSON.
"REMINISCENCES OF LONG AGO


n
POLITICAL "REMINISCENCES OF LONG AGl
. , The administration Of John Adam
y was far from being a success. Th
alien and sedition laws enacted durin
that term, have caused a blot to res
! upon il, which time can not eilace. !
: punished men for being foreigners an
= gave the President the right to sen
them out of the country, because {
. tho suspicion of not being right i
;. their politics. The sedtion law pur
: ishod as high crime, the writing o
: printing or speaking disrespectfully G
Congress, the President or other bigl
officials, and the Federal Judges, sit
T. ting in judgment upon these "sedition
/, lists" so construed the law that no on
indicted could escape. For lette
written and dated before the law wa
passed, and printed N distant news
paper before anyone in the State O
: Vermont, where the letter was pub
lished, had knowledge that it had, O.
would be passed, Mathew Lyon, al
anti-Federal Congressman from Yer
mont, was indicted tried, fined anC
imprisoned, These laws, which in fac
expired by limitation the day Mr.. Ad
ans ceased to be President, reused
party spirit almost to frenzy, and from
the date Of their passage the doom o.
the Federal party was sealed,
During the latter part Of Adams
administration law was passed Gre
ating twenty.four new judges OF the
United States Courts. The bill ere.
ating this batch of iudges-intended
and the bill made them life officers
fingered in Congress until after the
fact Of Adams's defeat and Jeffersons
election as President was known. Be-
tween the time this fact was known,
18th Of December, 1900, and the 4th
of March following several valuable
offices became vacant, one Of which
was that of Chief Justice and with
these twenty.four judges newly crea-
led had to be filed.
To the Chief Justiceship Mr.. Adams
appointed, and the Senate confirmed,
John Marshall, on the 3lst of January,
after it was known that Jefferson was
elected President, although Marshall
held at the time, and continued to hold
until Jefferson's Inauguration, the Of
fee Of Secretary of State. All the ep.
pointments were Federal of course,
and under the circumstances, J Jefferson
was deeply indignant. Writing to
General Knox, who hGd written to
congratulate him on his election, Mr..
Jefferson, in speaking of these appoint
ments, said that Mr.. Adams knew he
was not making them for himself, but
for his successor, and hence Jefferson
characterized them as an outrage on
decency, which should not have effect,
in the life appointments, which are
immovable; "but as to the others" "
the newly-elected President said, ~
consider the nomination as nullities,
and will not view the persons so ap-
pointed as even candidates for their
office, much less as possessing il by
any title meriting respect" And ev.
cry man so appointed in office when
Jefferson was inaugurated was prompt
ly removed. The twenty.four judges,
confirmed, some Of them, it is said, by
the Senate on the night Of the 3d Of
March, could not be removed because
their Office was liio.tenure but, upon
the accession of Mr.. Jefferson, and
with him a Democratic Congress, the
law was repealed, and "Mr. Adams's
midnight judges" as they we're called,
had but q short lease Of power. A tale
told, and never denied, and for this
reason has become history, says that
up to the last hour of midnight, at
which time the administration of Ad-
ans ended, the Secretary OF State
(MarshalD was engaged in signing
commissions as he got news Of the
Senate confirming the appointments,
some of whom had been sent to the
Senate as late as nine o'clock that
evening While thus engaged com.
missioning officials for new admins
tration, Secretary Marshall and his
clerk, at twelve o'clock midnight, were
startled by an apparition in the person
of Levi Lincoln, of Massachusetts,
whom Jefferson had selected as his
Attorney.General. The conversation
between Lincoln and Marshall-doubt-
less related by Lincoln himself-is
given as follows:
"LincOln--I have been ordered by
Mr. Jefferson to take possession OF this
office and its papers.
"Marshall-Why, Mr.. Jefferson has
not been qualified !
"Lincoln--Mr Jefferson considers
himself in the light of an executive,
bound to take charge OF the papers of
the Government until ho is qualified.
Marshall (taking out his watoh)-l
But it is not yet IL o'clock
"Lincoln (taking watch from his
pocket and showing it)--This is theY
Presidents watch, and il notes the
hour"
Seeing that Jefferson was master of
the situation, and casting q woeful
look on several unsigned commissions
spread on the table Marshall left his |
visitor in possession. Rela.
ting the incident in after years, Chief
Justice Marshall laughingly said that
Lincoln allowed him to pick up moth.
ing but his hat.
Forgetting, or else remembering but
10 forget, the conduct OF Mr.. Jefferson
tour years before, when Adams was
naugurated, and the graceful compli-
nent paid to him in Jefferson's Vice
Presidential Inauguration address, the
had bis carriage at the
White House at midRight and left the
'ity, not willing to remain while his
rival was inaugurated
A few days before his Inauguration
Mr.. Jefferson, as is the custom, called
ipon Mr.. Adams at the Presidential
Mansion in Washington, where the
President then resided, the Govern.
nent having been during Adams's
erm, moved to Washington. The out
yoing President, although they had
,een friends, accused Mr.. Jefferson of
'isiting him to crow over his misfor-
upe in being beaten for President
)i course, Mr. Jefferson denied it,
lis visit was intended as but q mark
,f respect. Mr.. Adams could not be
and Jefferson left. 1t was
many years after before Mr.. Adams
vas convinced Of his error and his
want of courtesy TO his old time friend
,ut then successful rival. This fact,
md the belief Adams had of the cause
# JefIerson's visit may account for hrs
eiusal TO attend the Inauguration.