The power may be abused as every power may be, in the hands of dishonest or corrupt men.

This is one of the perils to the public, a peril from which no government can escape.

With us a change of rulers is a remedy for political wrongs that do not belong to the catalogue of crimes.

It may be said, however, that this power of removal gives to a dishonest administrator of a department the opportunity to secure the appointment of his political friends in the place of political opponents removed, and this whatever may be…

Honest administrators of official duties are embarrassed by the system and dishonest ones evade it.

The system may become the enemy of honesty and the shield of hypocrisy.

When the appointing power has designated a person for an office, let that person be examined by an independent board with reference to character and those qualifications which seem to be a fit preparation for the practical duties of the…

Whenever the power of appointment and removal is abused the public has a remedy in a change of administration.

Such evils may be borne for brief periods, when if the term of the President were extended to six or eight years the dissatisfied elements of society might be tempted to engage in revolutionary movements.

Nor is there wisdom in limiting the Presidential office to a single term in the same person.

The thought that one has a future is a great stimulus to careful and energetic action in the performance of public duties.

For a President there is no future except a re-election, which is in fact an approval by the country of his administration.

A wise man will strive to so conduct affairs as to merit that approval.

A House of Representatives already condemned by a popular verdict is but a poor guardian of the rights of the people; and a defeated administration performs its duties in the most indifferent manner.

It is true, probably, of every administration, not excepting that of General Washington, that the second term was less acceptable to the country than the first.

The faith of the Government had been pledged to a particular policy and I thought that the observance of that policy was both wise and just.

A government cannot afford to disregard the terms of its undertakings even if a violation or neglect does not work harm to anyone.

I chose to act upon my own judgment knowing that there was no one else to share the responsibility in case of failure.

Thus did the banks defeat a measure which was designed to secure their perpetuity and calculated to promote their financial interests.

The principal of the Public Debt was undergoing a monthly reduction and the gain in the interest account was sufficient to guarantee the payment of the principal in half a century.

From that time forward the credit of the Government has been improving constantly.

It was no longer difficult to borrow money at the rate of five per cent, and with the adjustment of our controversy with Great Britain there remained no reason to question the rapid progress of the United States in wealth and population.

It was my opinion, however, that it would be wiser to delay resumption until the balance of trade should be so much in our favor that specie payments could be maintained by our own resources.

With an established credit, or with a credit improving constantly and an income in excess of expenditures, there is no difficulty in meeting all liabilities as they mature.

Congress, however, adopted the system of leasing and upon experience that system was shown to be more advantageous to the country.