Omaha daily bee., 1895-06-16
GREAT CABINETS OF HISTORY
Review Of the Records Of the CounselloFs Of
Presidents.
ABILITY AND STANDING OF THE MEMBERS
Wine Cabinets Noted for the Importance of
Their work-Mighty Representatives
OF Political sohoois.-Deeds of
Noted Men.

The cabinets which take a high rank in |
the ability and standing Of their members,
the importance OF the work which they did |
or IN both characteristics. were, according to
writer in the Globe-Democrat those OF
Washington, Jefferson, Monroe, Harrison, |
Polk Fillmore, Pierce. Lincoln and Hayes. |
In Washington's cabinet there were only two
men-Jenerson, secretary Of state, and Ham
ilton secretary Of the treasury-of pre-
eminent ability, but that number was just
half OF the whole cabinet, the post Of secre-
tsry Of War and Of the Navy (both depart
ments until near the middle of the first
Adams presidency being under the same
head, and that OF the attorney general being
the only other members Of the presidents
official family at that time. postmaster
general existed from 1889, but he was not
cabinet officer until 1929, in the beginning Of
Jacksons presidential service. The cabinet
post Of secretary OF the interior came into
being in 1S49 when Taylor was president,
and that Of secretary OF agriculture in 1889,
near the close OF Clevelands first term.
Henry Knox, the first secretary of war,
was q brave officer in the revolution, and
moderately capable and thoroughly consclen-
tious official in the cabinet but he made no
especial mark in the latter. Edmund Ran
dolph, the attorney general, who went to the
head Of the State department for short
time after the retirement of Jefferson, was
the same Randolph who introduced what was
called the Virginia plan Of government in
the convention which framed the consttu-
tion. who refused to sign the completed char
ter, although II followed the general lines
proposed in his scheme, but who turned over
in favor of 1t in the Virginia convention
which ratified 1t. His vacillaton and timidity
prevented him from taking advantage of his
ability and opportunity and he left the State
department under a cloud. caused by some
thing which looked like a political intrigue
between him and the French minister to the
United States. Within the past few years
however, documents have been made public
which exonerate him from the charge Of
corruption
JEFFERSON AND HAMILTON.
AS the founders Of the two schools OF
political thought into which the people of
the country have been divided from the be-
ginning these two men are sure of place
among the immortals. Hamlltons, the Treas
ury, was and is the more important
post, although European usage and
tradition assign superior rank to the
other office, the head Of the State
department. AS 1t requires greater ability
to create than to save or to extend, Hamll-
toms pre-eminence among the nations finance
ministers is conceded Webster's tribute to
Hamilton exhausts eulogy, but it is not ex-
aggerated: "He smote the rock of the ma
tional resources and abundant streams of
revenue gushed forth; he touched the dead
upon its feet"
Adams cabinet which consisted of the
small men composing Washingtons council
at the time Of his retirement, was inherently
weak and rendered particularly in
efficient by the circumstances that most OF
its members thought they owed allegiance
to Hamilton, Adams enemy, rather than tc
Adams. and because Adams seldom con-
suited them, leaving them to their own de-
vices and to their inrigues against himself
Jeffersons cabinet however had two strong
men-Madison, secretary or state anC
Gallatin, secretary Of the treasury--at the
outset, and these were reinforced by a mar
OF the first order Of ability in Caesar A
Rodney of Delaware, who was made attorney
general early In 1907, two years before
Jefferson's retirement AS part Of the frs
administration under the new political dis
pensation, Jeferson's cabinet had a delicate
and difficult task 1t had to assist in laying
down new political canons, which were to b
the working principles of great party eve
establishing the practices and pre-
cedents which were to be guides IL
governing the country during the create
part of the time between their date an,
1881 Its share of this work the cabne
did ntelligently and successfully. Bot
jefferson and Madison presidents wer
distinctively weaker in their foreign polio
than their federalst predecessors, Washing
ton and Adams had been, but until the wa
Of 1S12-l5 the democratic regime conducte
the government economically and in 1t
factorily. Gallatin held the treasury port
folio for few years in Madison's cabne
also, but he scarcely won the same measur
of success that ne gained in Jeferson's
Monroe, the secretary of state for six year
under Madison was not the equal of hi
great predecessors in that office. William
Crawford the secretary OF war for shor
time under Madison, won his laurels in tn
next cabinet.
MoNRoE'S CABINET.
with John Quincy Adams, secretary
state w. H. Crawford, secretary of tn
treasury, John G. Calhoun, secretary {
war, and William Writ, attorney general,
will be seen that Monroe had cabine
which reached high a level In genera
ability as any which the country has know
The only other cabinet office in that ag'
ceptably filled by w. II. Crownnshielt
Smith Thompson and Samuel l.. Southar'
successfully. Monroe, in order to give tn
west recognition, selected Governor Isaa
FIRST and he was confirmed, but Shelby d.
clined on account of old age. He offered
to Clay, who refused It, and also had Jacl
son in mind but discovered that the victc
Of New Orleans did not want 1t. II VIZ
then that Monroe turned to South Caroln
which had two distinguished ns,nSa. an an
popular sons william William u,a hownaeS al, dn
time and after Lowndes declined the ofiC
1t was given to Calhoun. One Of these TO.
cabinet officers succeeded Monroe In u
NNAAN
date in the same election and secured man
electoral votes, while Calhoun and Wi
we're often conspicuously mentioned in col
nectlon with the presidency. Writ got Il
nomination at one time, but 1t was from
third party, the anti-Masomc orgahz
liOn.
Adams own cabinet did not stand as his
In general ability as the one In which
served, although Writ was retained in Il
post he held under Monroe and Clay was Sc
retary OF state. Adams asked Crawford
hold on to the treasury portfolio. which
had in the Monroe cabinet, but he was
physical wreck at the time and decline
rhe war office Adams intended to give
Jackson but dessted on an intimation fro
,ne OF Jackson's friends that the oner mig
give offense. But Jsckson's cabinet sto'
lower than Adams. The demos krateo,
employ Bentons jargon. run the count
iuring Jacksons reign, and in harmony WI
This condition second-class men were q
,ort of officials whom Jackson In most cas-
appointed. A divergence from this princip
was made In the case Of Van Buren,, WI
was secretary OF state for two years Lew
Cass, not yet known to fame. however. W
for