to the opinion that, if
presented on March 4, it would be rejected. There was the alternative of
delay until after that date, which would involve a postponement of the
confirmation until the meeting of Congress in December, but there was no
certainty that it would then be ratified. Meanwhile he would be
compelled to remove to Washington at some sacrifice and expense. He
therefore at first positively refused "to come in on any terms but a
confirmation by the Senate first given." He was finally induced to
comply with the general wish of his political friends. The appointment
was withheld by the President that the feeling in the Senate might be
judged from its action on the rest of the nominations submitted. They
were all approved, and Mr. Dexter consented to hold over until his
successor should be appointed. Thus Mr. Gallatin's convenience was
entirely consulted. He remained in Washington a few days to confer with
the President as to the general conduct of the administration, and on
March 14 set out for Fayette to put his affairs in order and to bring
his wife and family to Washington. On May 14 Jefferson wrote to Macon,
"The arrival of Mr. Gallatin yesterday completed the organization of our
administration."

Mr. Gallatin soon realized the magnitude of his task. He did nothing by
halves. To whatever work he had to do, he brought the best of his
faculty. No man ever better deserved the epithet of "thorough." He
searched till he found the principle of every measure with which he had
concern and understood every detail of its application. This perfect
knowledge of every subject which he investigated was the secret of his
political success. As a committee man, he was incomparable. No one could
be better equipped for the direction of the Treasury Department than he,
but he was not satisfied with direction; he would manage also; and he
went to the work with untiring energy. A quarter of a century later he
said of it, in a letter to his son, "To fill that office in the manner I
did, and as it ought to be filled, is a most laborious task and labor of
the most tedious kind. To fit myself for it, to be able to understand
thoroughly, to embrace and control all its details, took from me, during
the two first years I held it, every hour of the day and many of the
night and had nearly brought on a pulmonary complaint. I filled the
office twelve years and was fairly worn out."

Mr. Gallatin first drew public attention to his knowledg