While the Presidential election was taking place in the Houseof Representatives，amid scenes of great excitement，strife andintrigue，which was to decide whether Jefferson or Burr shouldbe the chief magistrate of the nation，Jefferson was stopped oneday，as he was coming out of the Senate chamber，by GovernorMorris，a prominent leader of the Federalists．
Mr．Morris said，“I wish to have an earnest talk with you，Mr．Jefferson，on the alarming situation of things．”
“I am very glad，”said Jefferson，“to talk matters over withyou．”
“As you well know，” said Mr．Morris，“I have been stren-uously opposing you，as have also the large majority of theStates．”
“To be frank with you，”he continued，“we are very muchafraid of you．We fear，first，that you will turn all the Federalistsout of office；second，that you will put down the navy；third，that you will wipe off the public debt．Now，if you will declare，or authorize your friends to declare that you will not take thesesteps，your election will be made sure．”
Mr．Jefferson replied，“Governor Morris，I naturally wantto be President，and yet I cannot make any terms to obtainthe position．I shall never go into the office by capitulation．I cannot have my hands tied by any conditions which wouldhinder me from pursuing the measures which I deem best forthe public good．I must be perfectly free．The world canjudge my future course by that which I have hitherto fol- lowed．I am thankful to you for your interest，but I cannotmake the slightest promise．”
