Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1900-01-26
PLACES BRING TROUBLE.
tThere Have Dccn Few Cabinet ON
GERS Who Have Found Their
Positions Sinecurcs.


Secretary Alger is far from being the
first cabinet officer who has found the
position embarrassing. Jefferson, in
ibis diary, referring to the controversies
jhetween himself, Us secretary of state in
Ne cabinet of Washington, and Alexnn-
8r Hamilton. as secretary of the treas
,WEy. remarked that "we were pitted
aDninSt each other like two fighting
ycScks." This condition soon con-
,strained Jefferson to resign, and Ham
tlton did not remain long after him.
lEome of the scenes between the first
president Adams, on the one side, and
Himothy Pickering, secretary of state;
oliver Wolcott, secretary of the treas
Jury, and James Mciienry, secretary of
war, on the other, one of which is given
10 the world in letter by Mcllenry,
twere picturesque in their tempestuous-
jIress, and led to the retirement of all
three of them.
Everybody remembers the story of
how jackson, in 1882, said he would
hang Calhoun, then vice president,
Aighcr than Fawap if South Cqrolina's
qualification in that year carried her in
ITO rebellion. There were several men in
IJackson's cabinet around the same
ttime for whom Jackson, for a much
SMALLER oifense than Calhoun's had
about the same sort of feeling. One of
gthese was William j. Duane, secretary
of the treasury, who refused to obey
Jackson's request TO remove the govern
,ment deposits out of the United States
Bank, which Jackson was fighting at
that time, and who was himself re-
imoyed by jackson in consequence. 9th
fers were Samuel j. Ingham, AN earlier
secretary of the treasury than Duane;
!Iohn Branch, secretary of the navy,
Iand John McP. Berrien, attorney gen.
Ieral. The wives of these three, like Cal
thoun's wife, refused TO recognize" Mrs.
Eaton, the wife of the secretary of wa:.
Iwbo wa. II ,ad.cu.ar.;' c.ose f!it..l q
SJ;ekson's.
Martin Van Durcn, the secretary OF
state, had no wife-he was widower-
,and consequently was free 10 extend So
,cial attentions TO Mrs. Eaton, which he
did with his accustomed grace and deli
tc;lcy, and thus won the everlasting
Friendship of jackson. He was substi-
ttuted for Calhoun as Jackson's political
heir, and went TO the presidency on
tIackson's retirement. Ingham, Branch
fand Berrien were sent out of the cabinet
tand went over to the wings. The affair
municipalities for he time, and the dem
ocratic party was shaken to its center.
SThis episode, which was one of the most
~ IN,
Etics, was called by the wags of the day
Ethe "Peggy o'Neill war;" O'Neill hav-
ling been Mrs. Eaton's maiden name.
AL of President Tyler's cabinet en-
lcept the secretary of state, Daniel Web
tster, resigned in 1871 because Tyler, as
sthey said, "betrayed his party" by his
irefusal to sign the bill TO restore the
limited States bank. which Jackson had
Killed. The accusation was absurd, of
tcourse, because the wings, who elected
Harrison and Tyler, had made no dec.
riaration on the bank question in the
campaign of $780, or on any other issue.
The quarrel between president and cab
ffnet put the country against their party
hn the congressional elections in 1912
'Essd helped to defeat them in the presi
Atntial election of 1874.
"Stick" was the laconic message oi
Charles Sumner to Edward NJ. Stanton
JEcretary of war, during the contest be-
ttrseen Stanton and President johnson
Efnnton stuck" and the wrangle be
ktween them was one of the causes of the
Impeachment proceedings against John
fson. The Blaine-Conkling feud, wher
3laine, in 1881, was secretary of state
I'M the cabinet of President Garfield
irplit the republican party in the state
lpfNsw York, weakened it in every state
Esnd was the cause of its defeat in the
kenrgressional election of, 1882 and the
Presidential election of 1ss4.--Lcslie's
Eeekly. .Df "a,