favorite nephew asked for a Federal appointment, Washington answered,--


"You cannot doubt my wishes to see you appointed to any office of honor or
emolument in the new government, to the duties of which you are competent;
but however deserving you may be of the one you have suggested, your
standing at the bar would not justify my nomination of you as attorney to
the Federal District Court in preference to some of the oldest and most
esteemed general court lawyers in your State, who are desirous of this
appointment. My political conduct in nominations, even if I were
uninfluenced by principle, must be exceedingly circumspect and proof
against just criticism; for the eyes of Argus are upon me, and no slip
will pass unnoticed, that can be improved into a supposed partiality for
friends or relations."


And that in this policy he was consistent is shown by a letter of
Jefferson, who wrote to an office-seeking relative, "The public will never
be made to believe that an appointment of a relative is made on the ground
of merit alone, uninfluenced by family views; nor can they ever see with
approbation offices, the disposal of which they entrust to their
Presidents for public purposes, divided out as family property. Mr. Adams
degraded himself infinitely by his conduct on this subject, as Genl.
Washington had done himself the greatest honor. With two such examples to
proceed by, I should be doubly inexcusable to err."

There were many other more distant relatives with whom pleasant relations
were maintained, but enough has been said to indicate the intercourse.
Frequent were the house-parties at Mount Vernon, and how unstinted
hospitality was to kith and kin is shown by many entries in Washington's