Page:Life of Henry Clay (Schurz; v. 1).djvu/270



administration of John Quincy Adams was the last one in which the conduct of the government accorded strictly with the best traditions of the Republic. Nothing was farther from his mind than to use the power of appointment and removal for political ends. At that time the notion that the accession of a new President must necessarily involve a thorough reconstruction of the Cabinet, was not yet invented. Following the example of most of his predecessors, he applied the rule that no unnecessary changes should be made, even in the heads of the executive departments. His election to the presidency and Calhoun's to the vice-presidency had vacated the secretaryships of state and of war, and these vacancies he filled with Henry Clay, and James Barbour of Virginia. As we have seen, he offered to continue Crawford at the head of the Treasury Department, and only after Crawford had declined he summoned to that place Richard Rash of Pennsylvania. Southard of New Jersey remained Secretary of the Navy, and William Wirt of Virginia, Attorney General. The Postmaster General, McLean, was also left in his