Government-An Amazing Experience

Government-An Amazing Experience

Prologue

24 February, 1803

6:45 A.M.: Trin Trin!!.. Something was ringing; a police mobile is, I thought, chasing the mob. No! it is sound of a fire alarm.. Oops! Somehow, I found that it was wakeup call! My alarm clock's voice was rising more and more, impelling me to leave my bed. Oh. I have to reach the office as much early as possible. 7:30 A.M.: I reached office but became amazed to see that Julie was already present in the office.

“Hello gentleman! Why are you being late?” Julie asked me. “I am not late. In fact you have come earlier”. I replied. “But Marshall required all of us to reach office earlier today than our routine timings. Today's day is going to be a busy day.” Julie said. “Not only a busy day but a landmark day in the history of judiciary”. I thought in mind. Julie asked me, “You are not looking well. See Marshall, how much energetic he is, even under such stressing and demanding situations.” “Yeah he is”. I said lethargically.

Julie is a telephone operator at the office; while I am serving as the personal administrative assistant to John Marshall, Chief Justice of the United States, and future icon of the court system. Marshall is in the middle of an amazing court case, Marbury v. Madison, and his paperwork situation is amazing. Each day one of my main tasks is to unscramble notes and ideas from his sometimes untidy office and assist him in creating cognizant thoughts from various situations.

My mind is boggled by the amount of work that has been thrust upon me. Each morning seems to bring a new mound of paperwork and various tasks to complete before day's end. John Marshall, though an incredible influence in my life, seems to busier with each year in his current post. I really don't know how much longer I can assist him. In my youth, keeping up a grueling pace was acceptable. Age and infirmity have slowed the processes down somewhat. But something has chained me in the office that is why I do not want to leave my job. I do not comprehend that exactly what is that thing: prestige in working with an iconic figure or …

Part I: Nepotism

Background

In 1801, in the United States, the two main political parties were the Federalists and the Democratic-Republicans. John Adams, who held Presidential office of U.S. at that time, was a Federalist. His bid had just lost for a second term to Thomas Jefferson who was a Democratic-Republican. In Congress, John Adams worked with Federalists, in the final days of his presidency, to pack with Federalist appointees the federal courts and the new capital. 42 justices of the peace and 16 justices were appointed by Adams on his last day as president; all of those judges belonged to Federalists party. However, until Jefferson assumed office, delivery of some of the papers awarding the new offices was not carried ...