ng a committee of
the States, composed of a member from every State, then thirteen, to
exercise the executive functions during the recess of Congress. They
fell immediately into schisms and dissensions, which became at length so
inveterate as to render all co-operation among them impracticable:
they dissolved themselves, abandoning the helm of government, and it
continued without a head, until Congress met the ensuing winter. This
was then imputed to the temper of two or three individuals; but the wise
ascribed it to the nature of man. The failure of the French Directory,
and from the same cause, seems to have authorized a belief that the form
of a plurality, however promising in theory, is impracticable with men
constituted with the ordinary passions. While the tranquil and steady
tenor of our single executive, during a course of twenty-two years of
the most tempestuous times the history of the world has ever presented,
gives a rational hope that this important problem is at length solved.
Aided by the counsels of a cabinet of Heads of departments, originally
four, but now five, with whom the President consults, either singly or
all together, he has the benefit of their wisdom and information, brings
their views to one centre, and produces an unity of action and
direction in all the branches of the government. The excellence of this
construction of the executive power has already manifested itself here
under very opposite circumstances. During the administration of our
first President, his cabinet of four members was equally divided, by as
marked an opposition of principle, as monarchism and republicanism could
bring into conflict. Had that cabinet been a directory, like positive
and negative quantities in Algebra, the opposing wills would have
balanced each other, and produced a state of absolute inaction. But the
President heard with calmness the opinions and reasons of each, decided
the course to be pursued, and kept the government steadily in it,
unaffected by the agitation. The public knew well the dissensions of the
cabinet, but never had an uneasy thought on their account; because they
knew also they had provided a regulating power, which would keep the
machine in steady movement. I speak with an intimate knowledge of these
scenes, _quorum pars fui_; as I may of others of a character entirely
opposite. The third administration, which was of eight years, presented
an example of harmony in a cabinet of six persons,