In January 1843 Green established in New York City a short-lived journal, The Republic, to combat the spoils system and to advocate free trade.
He retained Harrison's cabinet until his veto of the bill for a "fiscal corporation" led to the resignation of all the members except Daniel Webster, who was bringing to a close the negotiations with Lord Ashburton for the settlement of the north-eastern boundary dispute; and he not only opposed the recognition of the spoils system in appointments and removals, but kept at their posts some of the ablest of the ministers abroad.
Although defeated in the mayoralty election, his work on behalf of the merit system, as opposed to the spoils system of politics, was such that he was made a Civil Service commissioner - probably the last office a politician would wish to hold who desired further promotion, for the conflict which a Civil Service commissioner must have with members of Congress and other party leaders on questions of patronage is usually, or, at any rate, has been in the past history of American politics, inevitably detrimental to further official advancement.
Nevertheless, the distribution of offices under the so-called spoils system remains the most important ordinary function of the president, and the influence he exerts over Congress and legislation is due mainly to his patronage.
