He stated the case very mildly when he wrote in his retirement that he sometimes differed in opinion from some of his friends, from those whose views were as "pure and as sound as his own." It was not his habit to consult his entire cabinet except on general measures.

The heads of each department set their views before him separately.

Under this system Mr.Gallatin was never able to realize that harmonious interdependence of departments and subordination of ways to means which were his ideal of cabinet administration.
The successful application of Mr.Gallatin's plan would have subordinated all the executive departments to the Treasury.

The theory was perfect, but it took no account of the greed of office, the jealousies of friends, the opposition of enemies, and the unknown factor of foreign relations.

A speck on the horizon would cloud the peaceful prospect, a hostile threat derange the intricate machinery by which the delicate financial balance was maintained.