Page:The World's Famous Orations Volume 10.djvu/154

 THE WORLD'S FAMOUS ORATIONS

field's experience did not yield him pleasure or satisfaction. The duties that engross so large 8. portion of the president's time were distaste- ful to him, and were unfavorably contrasted with his legislative work. "I have been dealing all these years w'ith ideas," he impatiently ex- claimed one day, "and here I am dealing only with persons. I have been heretofore treating of the fundamental principles of government, and here I am considering all day whether A or B shall be appointed to this or that office." He was earnestly seeking some practical way of cor- recting the evils arising from the distribution of overgrown and unwieldy patronage — evils always appreciated and often discussed by him, but whose magnitude had been more deeply im- pres.^ed upon his mind since his accession to the presidency. Had he lived, a comprehensive im- provement in the mode of appointment and in the tenure of office would have been proposed by him, and, with the aid of Congress, no doubt perfected.

But, while many of the executive duties were not grateful to him, he was assiduous and con- scientious in their discharge. From the very outset he exhibited administrative talent of a high order. He grasped the helm of office with the hand of a master. In this respect, indeed, he constantly surprised many who were most in- timately associated with him in the government, and especially those who had feared that he might be lacking in the executive faculty. His

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