The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1827-04-18

is never our desire; and, on most occasions,
is studiously avoided. Yet, when man
offers himself for the highest office in the
gift of the nation, it is right, to which the
people are entitled, to know the private
as well as the public character of him who
asks their sufrages. The security and the
permanency of free institutions depend es-
sentially on the virtue of the people and
when the tone of feeling becomes such.
that moral obliquity is no bar to prefer
ment, we may well be alarmed for the Sc
curity of that form of government which is
now our pride and boast. With these i'm
pressions, we have before published some
facts relative to Gen. Jackson, which
we deemed of importance to the public.
Some of the Jackson papers, having ques-
toned the truth of those statements, and
called for proof Of them, the editor of the
Cincinnati Gazette has obtained copies of
the records in the case, of which he gives
the following abstract:
% In the summer of 1870, Gen. Jackson
prevailed upon the wife of Lewis Roberts,
of Mercer county, Kentucky, to desert her
husband, and live with himself in the char
acter of q wife.
Kentucky was then a part of the State
of Virginia. Roberts applied to the Legls-
lature OF Virginia for a divorce. Upon
that application, q law was passed, entitled
Z" an act concerning the marriage Of LelCiS
Roberts" This law passed Dec. 20, 1870,
and may be found in the 18th vol. Of Hen
" al IL
lied certain judicial proceedings to be had,
in the district of Kentucky, between Rob
erts and his wife, to ascertain the facts Of
desertion and adultery, and provided that,
q if the the Jury, in case of issue joined,
shall find for the plaintiff, or, in case of in
curry into the truth of the allegations con-
tanned in the declaration, shall FIND that the
defendant hath deserted the plaintiff, and
that she hath lived IN adultery with anoth-
er man since such such desertion, the said
verdict shall be recorded, and thereupon
the marriage between the said Lewis Rob-
erts and Rachel shall be dissolved"
Legal proceedings were instituted I'M
der this law. A declaration was filed,
charging that the said Rachel, in viola
ton Of her most solemn promise, did, on
the l5t day OF July, IN tie year of our Lord
one thousand seven hundred and ninety,
elope from her said husband, Lewis, and
live in adultery with another man, and still
continues with the aduitcrer." The atIor-
ney, who filed and subscribed this declara-
ton, was James Brown, our present Minis
ter to France.
AT the September term Of the Court
q. s. Mercer County, Kentucky, a Jury,
composed of Jas. Bradsberry, Thomas
Smith, Gabriel Slaughter, John Lighttoot,
Samuel Work, Harrison Davis, John Ray,
Obadiah Wright, John Wiles, John MeauX,
Joseph Thomas, and Benjamin Lewis,
were empannelied and sworn "wcli and
truly to inquire inquire mo the allegations
an the plaintiffs declaration speclned. D
Hugh MGary was sworn and examined as
Il witness, and the Jury returned a verdict
in these WORDS We, the Jury, do find
that tho defendant, Rachel Roberts, hath
deserted the plaintiff, Lewis Roberts, and
hata, and doth STILL live in adultery with
another man. John Llghtfoot, foreman"
This verdict was recorded and the mar
rage dissolved.
"The record of this inquiry, verdict and
Judgment, may be found in the records of
q. $. Court for Mercer County Kentucky,
No. |, from September, 1892 to September,
1896. The Rachel Roberts, who was de-
PENDANT, IS MIS-. zen. JACKSON.
The Editor of the Providence Literary
Gazette, who has resided many years in
the western country, says, that this story is
true, and that it has so long been familiar
to the citizens of Nashville, lin the vicinity
of which Gen. Jackson resides that they
now think but little of it, although there
was a time when its recollection closed the
doors Of respectable people, and the ave-
nues to decent society against the guilty
pair.
In 1923, Col. Thomas II. Benton, of Mis-
souri,, well known as file leader Of the
Jackson party in the Senate of the United
States, published a pamphlet, from which
we make the following extract, with which
we close the present article:
"The conspicuous acts of his Dackson's)
life in Tennessee, may be found at the
race ground and at the cock fight. At
such places for many years even up to the
period of his joining the army, he was a
leading and conspicuous actor.-And it is
notorious fact, that he was scarce ever
known to leave a race ground, without hav-
ing participated IN an atfray, or at least
quarrel. His whole life has been a scene
of confusion, and no man can point single
day at which he has been at peace with
the world, or during which he was not at
open and violent enmity with some individ-
ual: nay, most Of the time with numerous
individuals in public and private life: not
political differences nor ordinary miSunder
standings, but qtarrels Of the most riolent
'Tancorous and deadly nature"
Thomas Murray, formerly an apprentice
70 Calvin Hunter, Of New Braintree. was