4293. KNOX (Henry), View of Federal Government.—
In the course of our[the Cabinet]
conversation[with respect to the manner
and place of swearing in the President], Knox,
stickling for parade, got into great warmth, and
swore that our Government must either be
entirely new modeled, or it would be knocked
to pieces in less than ten years; and that as it
is at present, he would not give a copper for it;
that it is the President's character, and not
the written Constitution, which keeps it together.—
The Anas. Washington ed. ix, 139.
Ford ed., i, 222.
(Feb. 1793)
