sounding principle of republicanism, than to protect property, cement the
union, and perpetuate liberty." The spirit of opposition had from the
first an experienced leader in Elbridge Gerry of Massachusetts. He had
seen many years of service in the Continental Congress which he first
entered in 1776. He was a delegate to the Philadelphia convention, in
whose sessions he showed a contentious temper, and in the end refused to
subscribe to the new Constitution. In the convention debates he had
strongly declared himself "against letting the heads of the departments,
particularly of finance, have anything to do with business connected with
legislation." Defeated in the convention, Gerry was now bent upon making
his ideas prevail in the organization of the government.

On May 19, the matter of the executive departments was brought up in
committee of the whole by Boudinot of New Jersey. At this time it was the
practice of Congress to take up matters first in committee of the whole,
and, after general conclusions had been reached, to appoint a committee to
prepare and bring in a bill. A warm discussion ensued on the question
whether the heads of the departments should be removable by the President.
Gerry, who did not take a prominent part in the debate, spoke with a
mildness that was in marked contrast with the excitement shown by some of
the speakers. He was in favor of supporting the President to the utmost
and of making him as responsible as possible, but since Congress had
obviously no right to confer a power not authorized by the Constitution,
and since the Constitution had conditioned appointments on the consent of
the Senate, it followed that removals must be subject to the same
condition. He spoke briefly and only once, although the debate became long
and impassioned. But he was merely reserving his fire, as subsequent
developments soon showed. Without a call for the ayes and nays, the
question was decided in favor of declaring the power of removal to be in
the President. The committee then proceeded to the consideration of the