] but he also furnished to his enemies local managers of the
opposition, for these office-holders were, in general, appointees of
Crawford, in his own interest, or of McLean, in the interest of
Calhoun and Jackson.
So rigidly did Adams interpret his duty in the matter that only
twelve removals altogether were made during his term. [Footnote:
Fish, Civil Service, 72.] He even retained the surveyor of the port
of Philadelphia, whose negligence had occasioned the loss of large
sums of money to the government and whose subordinates were hostile
to Adams. Under such conditions, the friends of the administration
had to contend not only against their enemies, but against the Adams
administration itself, which left its power in the hands of its
enemies to be wielded against its friends. [Footnote: Adams,
Memoirs, VII., 163.] Binns, the editor of one of the leading
administration papers, in an interview was informed that the
president did not intend to make any removals. "I bowed
respectfully," said the editor, "assuring the president that I had
no doubt the consequence would be that he himself would be removed
so soon as the term for which he had been elected had expired.
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