Presidents and Their Cabinets: James Madison
History generally judges James Madison as a better political thinker than president, though to be fair, he lived in a difficult time to govern. The nation was experiencing growing pains as it tried to figure out the proper recipe in which to combine a strong central government with states' rights, and as it tried to determine just how much the new nation could flex its muscles on a beach populated with established world powers.
With Jefferson's second term winding down, he mad it known that he would respect the precedent set by George Washington and would not seek a third term in office. Madison emerged as the leading presidential contender in the Democratic-Republican Party in 1808. He was Secretary of State, the office that Jefferson had once held, and was respected for his intelligence. His ambitions of the presidency were opposed by John Randolph, a Virginian who disagreed with Jefferson and Madison on a number of issues. Incumbent Vice President George Clinton and former Ambassador James Monroe also had presidential aspirations. At the time it was the party's congressional caucus which chose their candidate. The caucus quickly decided on Madison as the best choice. By this time the opposition Federalist Party had largely collapsed outside New England. In the Presidential Election of 1808, Madison easily defeated its candidate, Charles Cotesworth Pinckney, winning 122 electoral votes to Pinckney’s 47 votes. The main issue of the election had been the Embargo Act of 1807, a general embargo placed on all ships and vessels in U.S. ports and harbors. The banning of exports had hurt merchants and other commercial interests, but it had also encouraged domestic manufacturing. This was the main issue the Federalist opposition had campaigned on, especially in New England, which relied heavily on trade, and which had flouted embargo laws.
Upon his inauguration in 1809, Madison immediately faced opposition to some of his cabinet choices. He wanted to name Jefferson's Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin as Secretary of State, but this was met with opposition led by influential Virginia Senator William B. Giles. Madison decided not to fight Congress for the nomination. In order to keep Gallatin as an advisor, he left Gallatin in charge of the Trasury Department. Gallatin was born in Switzerland and is considered to be one of the nation's best Treasury Secretaries. His statue can be seen today in front of the Treasury Department Offices in Washington, DC . He became one of Madison's most trusted advisors and confidants.
Some of Madison's other members of his initial cabinet were less stellar. As Secretary of War he chose Dr. William Eustis of Massachusetts, a man whose only military experience had been as a surgeon during the American Revolutionary War. As Secretary of the Navy he picked Paul Hamilton, the former Governor of South Carolina. Although it is said that Hamilton was an alcoholic, he also believed in military preparedness, and his work as Navy Secretary has been credited for much of the success of the US Navy during the War of 1812 when it fought above its weight.
Madison first appointment as Secretary of State was Robert Smith of Pennsylvania. He had served as Thomas Jefferson's Secretary of the Navy. Madison put him in this position at the urging of Smith's brother, the powerful Maryland Senator Samuel Smith, even though Madison did not much care for either brother. As a former Secretary of State himself, Madison thought he could handle foreign affairs on his own and he often found himself at odds with Smith on matters of foreign policy. The two men clashed so often that Madison finally demanded Smith's resignation. In April of 1811, Madison wrote his “Memorandum on Robert Smith”, which contained a list of Smith's shortcomings. In the memo Madison questioned Smith's loyalty, and criticized Smith's diplomatic correspondence. He also complained that Smith was indiscreet in conversations with the British and that he opposed the Administration's efforts to secure concessions from Britain and France by limiting trade. In response, Smith published an exoneration of his conduct, which he called "Robert Smith's Address to the People of the United States". In the article he attached Madison's foreign policy. Madison offered Smith the post of ambassador to Russia, currently then held by John Quincy Adams. Smith considered the offer, but in the end, he refused the post. On April 6, 1811, Smith was replaced with James Monroe, a fellow Virginian and a man he had developed a friendship with and respect for, despite the fact that the two of them often had differing opinions. (The relationship of these two is wonderfully told in Chris DeRose's 2011 book Founding Rivals: Madison vs. Monroe, The Bill of Rights, and The Election that Saved a Nation, reviewed here in this community.)
Madison's first Attorney General was Caesar A. Rodney of Delaware. He had served in that office at the end of Jefferson's term and for nearly three years in Madison's first term. As Attorney General, Rodney participated as a member of the prosecution during the second treason trial of former Vice-President Aaron Burr. Rodney resigned December 5, 1811, bitter about being passed over for a U.S. Supreme Court appointment.
Madison's Vice President, George Clinton, worked to undermine Madison's presidency. The two had been enemies when Madison was in the Senate. With a cabinet mostly full of men he distrusted, Madison rarely called cabinet meetings. Instead he usually consulted with Gallatin alone. When Smith was replaced as Secretary of State by James Monroe, Monroe became someone who Madison placed a lot of reliance on. After the British burned the White House during the War of 1812, Madison fired then-Secretary of War John Armstrong and Monroe simultaneously held both cabinet posts at State and in the War Department. It wasn't until late in his second term, after dismissing Smith, Hamilton and Armstrong, and appointing Richard Rush (as Attorney General), Benjamin Williams Crowninshield (as Secretary of the Navy), and Alexander Dallas (as Treasury Secretary) that Madison had an effective and harmonious cabinet.
With Jefferson's second term winding down, he mad it known that he would respect the precedent set by George Washington and would not seek a third term in office. Madison emerged as the leading presidential contender in the Democratic-Republican Party in 1808. He was Secretary of State, the office that Jefferson had once held, and was respected for his intelligence. His ambitions of the presidency were opposed by John Randolph, a Virginian who disagreed with Jefferson and Madison on a number of issues. Incumbent Vice President George Clinton and former Ambassador James Monroe also had presidential aspirations. At the time it was the party's congressional caucus which chose their candidate. The caucus quickly decided on Madison as the best choice. By this time the opposition Federalist Party had largely collapsed outside New England. In the Presidential Election of 1808, Madison easily defeated its candidate, Charles Cotesworth Pinckney, winning 122 electoral votes to Pinckney’s 47 votes. The main issue of the election had been the Embargo Act of 1807, a general embargo placed on all ships and vessels in U.S. ports and harbors. The banning of exports had hurt merchants and other commercial interests, but it had also encouraged domestic manufacturing. This was the main issue the Federalist opposition had campaigned on, especially in New England, which relied heavily on trade, and which had flouted embargo laws.
Upon his inauguration in 1809, Madison immediately faced opposition to some of his cabinet choices. He wanted to name Jefferson's Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin as Secretary of State, but this was met with opposition led by influential Virginia Senator William B. Giles. Madison decided not to fight Congress for the nomination. In order to keep Gallatin as an advisor, he left Gallatin in charge of the Trasury Department. Gallatin was born in Switzerland and is considered to be one of the nation's best Treasury Secretaries. His statue can be seen today in front of the Treasury Department Offices in Washington, DC . He became one of Madison's most trusted advisors and confidants.
Some of Madison's other members of his initial cabinet were less stellar. As Secretary of War he chose Dr. William Eustis of Massachusetts, a man whose only military experience had been as a surgeon during the American Revolutionary War. As Secretary of the Navy he picked Paul Hamilton, the former Governor of South Carolina. Although it is said that Hamilton was an alcoholic, he also believed in military preparedness, and his work as Navy Secretary has been credited for much of the success of the US Navy during the War of 1812 when it fought above its weight.
Madison first appointment as Secretary of State was Robert Smith of Pennsylvania. He had served as Thomas Jefferson's Secretary of the Navy. Madison put him in this position at the urging of Smith's brother, the powerful Maryland Senator Samuel Smith, even though Madison did not much care for either brother. As a former Secretary of State himself, Madison thought he could handle foreign affairs on his own and he often found himself at odds with Smith on matters of foreign policy. The two men clashed so often that Madison finally demanded Smith's resignation. In April of 1811, Madison wrote his “Memorandum on Robert Smith”, which contained a list of Smith's shortcomings. In the memo Madison questioned Smith's loyalty, and criticized Smith's diplomatic correspondence. He also complained that Smith was indiscreet in conversations with the British and that he opposed the Administration's efforts to secure concessions from Britain and France by limiting trade. In response, Smith published an exoneration of his conduct, which he called "Robert Smith's Address to the People of the United States". In the article he attached Madison's foreign policy. Madison offered Smith the post of ambassador to Russia, currently then held by John Quincy Adams. Smith considered the offer, but in the end, he refused the post. On April 6, 1811, Smith was replaced with James Monroe, a fellow Virginian and a man he had developed a friendship with and respect for, despite the fact that the two of them often had differing opinions. (The relationship of these two is wonderfully told in Chris DeRose's 2011 book Founding Rivals: Madison vs. Monroe, The Bill of Rights, and The Election that Saved a Nation, reviewed here in this community.)
Madison's first Attorney General was Caesar A. Rodney of Delaware. He had served in that office at the end of Jefferson's term and for nearly three years in Madison's first term. As Attorney General, Rodney participated as a member of the prosecution during the second treason trial of former Vice-President Aaron Burr. Rodney resigned December 5, 1811, bitter about being passed over for a U.S. Supreme Court appointment.
Madison's Vice President, George Clinton, worked to undermine Madison's presidency. The two had been enemies when Madison was in the Senate. With a cabinet mostly full of men he distrusted, Madison rarely called cabinet meetings. Instead he usually consulted with Gallatin alone. When Smith was replaced as Secretary of State by James Monroe, Monroe became someone who Madison placed a lot of reliance on. After the British burned the White House during the War of 1812, Madison fired then-Secretary of War John Armstrong and Monroe simultaneously held both cabinet posts at State and in the War Department. It wasn't until late in his second term, after dismissing Smith, Hamilton and Armstrong, and appointing Richard Rush (as Attorney General), Benjamin Williams Crowninshield (as Secretary of the Navy), and Alexander Dallas (as Treasury Secretary) that Madison had an effective and harmonious cabinet.