ten o'clock
He must be induced to accept these conditions at the start . How present this to him in such a way as not to repel him at once ? All this was needless , if the President had only known it , but he thought himself a profound statesman , and that his hand was guiding the destinies of America to his own re-election . When at length , on the stroke of ten o'clock , Ratcliffe entered the room , the President turned to him with nervous eagerness , and almost before offering his hand , said that he hoped Mr. Ratcliffe had come prepared to begin work at once . The Senator replied that , if such was the President 's decided wish , he would offer no further opposition . Then the President drew himself up in the attitude of an American Cato , and delivered a prepared address , in which he said that he had chosen the members of his Cabinet with a careful regard to the public interests ; that Mr. Ratcliffe was essential to the combination ; that he expected no disagreement on principles , for there was but one principle which he should consider fundamental , namely , that there should be no removals from office except for cause ; and that under these circumstances he counted upon Mr. Ratcliffe 's assistance as a matter of patriotic duty . To all this Ratcliffe assented without a word of objection , and the President , more convinced than ever of his own masterly statesmanship , breathed more freely than for a week past .