The first weeks of President Lincoln’s residence in the Executive Mansion were occupied with the arduous work of selecting loyal and capable men for responsible positions in the Government service.  The departments at Washington were filled with disloyal men, who used the means and influence pertaining to their places to aid the rebellious States.  It was of vital importance that these faithless officials should be removed at the earliest moment, and their positions filled with men of tried integrity.  Lincoln desired to appoint for this purpose stanch, competent, and trustworthy citizens, regardless of party distinctions.  But the labor involved in this duty was enormous and exhausting.  There was a multitude of vacant places, there were difficult questions to be considered in a majority of cases, and there was a host of applicants and their friends to be satisfied.  Mr. Charles A. Dana relates a circumstance which hints at the troubles encountered by Lincoln in this province of his Presidential duties.  “The first time I saw Mr. Lincoln,” says Mr. Dana, “was shortly after his inauguration.  He had appointed Mr. Seward to be his Secretary of State; and some of the Republican leaders of New York, who had been instrumental in preventing Mr. Seward’s nomination to the Presidency and in securing that of Mr. Lincoln, had begun to fear that they would be left out in the cold in the distribution of the offices.  Accordingly several of them determined to go to Washington, and I was asked to go with them.  We all went up to the White House together, except Mr. Stanton, who stayed away because he was himself an applicant for office.  Mr. Lincoln received us in the large room upstairs in the east wing of the White House, where the President had his working office, and stood up while General Wadsworth, who was our principal spokesman, stated what was desired.  After the interview was begun, a big Indianian, who was a messenger in attendance in the White House, came into the room and said to the President, ’She wants you.’  ‘Yes, yes,’ said Mr. Lincoln, without stirring.  Soon afterward the messenger returned again, exclaiming, ‘I say she wants you.’  The President was evidently annoyed, but instead of going out after the messenger he remarked to us:  ’One side shall not gobble up everything.  Make out a list of the places and men you want, and I will endeavor to apply the rule of give and take.’  General Wadsworth answered:  ’Our party will not be able to remain in Washington, but we will leave such a list with Mr. Carroll, and whatever he agrees to will be agreeable to us.’  Mr. Lincoln continued, ’Let Mr. Carroll come in to-morrow, and we will see what can be done.’”