Under the lead of Mr.Clay, the recommendation of reprisals was rejected, and under that of Mr.Webster a clause smuggled into the Fortification Bill to give the President three millions to spend as he liked was struck out and the bill was subsequently lost.

This affair, which brought us to the verge of war with France, soon blew over, however, and caused only a temporary ripple, although Mr.Webster's attack on the Fortification Bill left a sting behind.
In this same session Mr.Webster made an exhaustive speech on the question of executive patronage and the President's power of appointment and removal.

He now went much farther than in his answer to the "Protest," asserting not only the right of Congress to fix the tenure of office, but also that the power of removal, like the power of appointment, was in the President and Senate jointly.

The speech contained much that was valuable, but in its main doctrine was radically unsound.

The construction of 1789, which decided that the power of removal belonged to the President alone, was clearly right, and Mr.Webster failed to overthrow it.