Crusoe in New York Author:Edward Everett Hale Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: A CIVIL SERVANT. President Madison was fond of telling the -- story of a visit made to him by one of his supporters. After due introductory discussion of t... more »he weather and the state of parties, the voter explained to the President that he had called upon him to ask for the office of Chief Justice of the United States. Mr. Madison was a little surprised; but, with that ready tact which he had brought from his diplomatic experience, he concealed his astonishment. He took down the volume which contained the Constitution of the United States, and explained to this Mr. Swear- ingin — if that were his name — that the judges held office on the tenure of good behavior, and that Judge Marshall, then the ornament of the bench, could not be removed to make place for him. Mr. Swearingin received the announcement quietly; and, after a moment, said he thought he should like to be Secretary of State. The President said that that was undoubtedly a place where a man could do good service to the country; but that Monroe, like Mr. Swearingin and himself, was a Virginian; and he did not like to remove him. "Then," said Mr. Swearingin, "I will be Secretary of the Treasury." Unfortunately, the President said, the present incumbent was a Pennsylvanian: it was necessary to conciliate Pennsylvania; and he could'not remove him. "Then," said Mr. Swearingin, "I think I will go abroad. I should like to go to France." " Do you speak French ?" asked the President kindly. " No, no; I speak nothing but Old Dominion English, — good enough for me, Mr. President." " Yes, yes; and for me. But I don't think it will do to send you to the Mounseers, unless you can speak their language." " Then I '11 go to England." "Ah, Mr. Swearingin, that will never do! King George might remember ...« less